October 5
We are writing our final update to you while on board our flight from Amsterdam to Minneapolis / St. Paul. This is a bittersweet homecoming: we are eager to see our friends and family after a tough six days of travel, yet we are still wrestling with the disappointment of never making it to India. Out of the 14 of us, yesterday was the only day most of our team didn’t spend in the airport. Lela, however, got up early to venture back to the airport and spend hours in line securing our flights home. Our entire team is grateful for her tireless efforts in handling our travel arrangements.
After Tyndale, we received a special blessing through a connection made at church on Sunday. A generous woman who leads their church mission trips, and happens to volunteer at the Corrie ten Boom Museum, arranged a private tour for us, even though the museum was closed. If you are unfamiliar with the author of The Hiding Place, her family’s dedication to protecting Jewish people during WWII is remarkable. We saw the actual house and the small concealed space in Corrie’s bedroom wall where six people hid safely for 48 hours. Although this act of love ultimately cost members of the ten Boom family their lives, those hidden were saved.
How do you sum up a mission trip that never reached its original destination? We know the Lord never wastes our experiences and that His sovereign direction always has a purpose. Was this a lesson in patience and faith? Or was it intended to show us that the mission field is closer than we think? Perhaps it was about the people we met along the way: new brothers and sisters in Christ, an Uber driver from a Muslim background who converted after a dream about Jesus, or a follower of Islam with whom Pastor Steven shared the Gospel though he was met with passionate debate. While we may never fully understand the reason, we know the Lord is loving and His plans are for our good and His glory.
Please continue to pray for Yali and Roger, two of our team members who planned to travel to China to visit family. They secured a flight to Hyderabad arriving early Wednesday before continuing their trip. They will have a couple of days in India, and we pray for a safe, God-led journey as they meet with our ministry partner there.
October 3-4
Hello friends of Grace Chapel,
As you may have heard announced at church this morning, our Indian mission team has safely arrived in Amsterdam. For that, we are extremely grateful! Unfortunately, after rejoicing that the 14 of us managed to arrive within an hour of each other into Amsterdam, we were notified our flight from Amsterdam to Hyderabad had been cancelled due to technical reasons. We spent many hours with the airline (once again) exploring options. The only flights into Hyderabad would either route us through Middle East countries or cities in India that have anti-conversion laws, adding another stop and opportunity for redirection along the way. None of these connections are ideal when carrying the supplies we have packed, and there was still a possibility we only make it one flight further only to be stranded again. Pastor Josh and Pastor Steven encouraged us with 2 verses:
“And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.”
Acts 16:6
“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.”
1 Thessalonians 2:17-18
In both cases, Paul was prevented from ministering in his chosen location, but for two very different reasons. We don’t know why this is happening, but it’s very clear the door to India has been closed for now. But we also know that God is sovereign, therefore even Satan preventing our arrival is orchestrated by the Lord and his very good love for us. We are trying to make the best of the situation. We went to church this morning and are chasing some potential ministry leads to use our skills / preparations, or even just our hearts and willing hands. But in parallel we are looking for flights to return home, ideally leaving Amsterdam on Tuesday or Wednesday.
You can imagine we are very disappointed, but we also know that by showing joy and contentment despite our circumstances we can be a witness to an unbelieving world. Amsterdam is truly an unchurched nation, only 10-20% Christian, so very clearly a mission field, yet making use of 14 people who planned a very specific set of skills training sessions, biblical training, and VBS is a bit more difficult.
We are only able to plan hour by hour right now so we can’t tell you what our firm plans are but we hope you continue to pray and wisdom and direction for us.
With much love,
The India (now Amsterdam) mission team
October 1-2
Hello Grace Chapel prayer warriors!
You know how sometimes everything goes EXACTLY as you plan? Love that!! But that’s not our story so far! Instead, we are leaning into Proverbs 16:9: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
We started our trip with one less team member. He poured his heart into joining us, but his visa has still not been approved due to his background in law enforcement. God willing, he will join us later. But if God doesn’t open that door, we have the benefit of his planning and preparations, and we’ll press on while he supports us in prayer back home.
We gathered in the Grace Chapel parking lot at 6:00 AM on Thursday, sent off by our friends and family while the elders prayed over our trip. Our first flight, from Denver to Austin, seemed to be going smoothly when we were notified over the PA that storms in Austin required us to land in El Paso instead. They hoped to land, refuel, and get back on our way, but our sovereign Lord had other plans. The storm didn’t lift, our crew timed out, the backup crew never arrived, and eventually our fearless trip coordinator, Lela, spent over five hours navigating all the options for rescheduling the rest of our flights. God has gifted Lela with an incredible ability to negotiate, visualize all the moving pieces, and ensure our trip wouldn’t be thwarted!
As of Friday afternoon, we have made it to Austin. Our Minneapolis crew is currently in flight after barely making an earlier connection when their original flight was delayed. The Detroit team is waiting to board, but just received notice that their flight to Amsterdam is delayed by two hours. That should still work, and we are hopeful that we’ll all meet up again as planned on Saturday afternoon in Amsterdam.
We’ve already met so many people along the way we never expected to meet, and Pastor Steven has encouraged us to engage with those around us in these God-orchestrated moments. We also have two teens with us who have been amazing – friendly, smiling, and lugging bags through three (!!!) security checkpoints, all while finding time to work on their homework.
Please continue to pray for travel mercies, but also that we wouldn’t miss the ministry moments along the way.
Overview of Trip
Our Grace Chapel Missions team is traveling to Hyderabad, India October 1 – October 10 to work with a partner organization which has established an orphanage for the most vulnerable in India, children who have often been abandoned.
The organization also has a school that serves both the orphanage and draws from the surrounding community of non-believers. They provide a safe place for victims of human trafficking and skills training for young adults (single moms, vulnerable girls / women from low income communities, young men and those who have dropped out of school) breaking the cycle of poverty, the false promises of trafficking, and dependency.
Our team of 15 people will be serving on the ground, working at the various campuses to share the gospel and love the people with the hands and feet of Jesus. We will be leading a 2-day VBS at two of the campuses, providing skills training for the Nursing and Beautician tracks, and providing training across all skills for Finance / budgeting, Resume Building, and Job Interviews.
The men traveling on the trip will lead pastoral training sessions to encourage the men to lead churches in India. Our women will spend some time with the house moms who care for the children on campus, to encourage them in their often-difficult walk. And we hope to meet with some of the church planters in the region supported by Grace Chapel.
Please partner with our mission team by praying for us in the following ways:
- Protection against and the ability to refute the spiritual warfare that dominates the region. 2 Corinthians 10:4: For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
- Our travel connections particularly in Amsterdam where we have a small window to get through customs and back on our next flight. Proverbs 16:9: The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
- Our health while traveling and being around different bacteria in the water and the foods and protection from Malaria and other local diseases. 3 John 1:2: Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
- Translation to Telugu and our trip that can be understood in English, that God’s words through us may be clear. Acts 2:6-7: And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. [7] And they were amazed and astonished.
- The love of Jesus to shine through in everything that we do there. 1 Peter 2:12: Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
- VBS – witness to the orphanage children in a way where they learn to seek Jesus as their One true light. John 8:12: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
- Our families back home to be protected while we are away from them . Numbers 6:24-26: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
- Church planters joining us from afar that they may have safe and smooth travels and that we can be an encouragement to them and represent. Romans 10:15: And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
- That the hearts of those who are going on mission, for in the training classes for the pastors, that they may build up men who teach out of love and sincere devotion to Christ. 1 Timothy 1:5: The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.