Today (Thursday) was more or less our first full day of work in Salem. Billy and I began our day with some prayer before meeting the children in the chapel. We spent the next several hours trying to learn and remember countless Indian names, being pulled in all directions at once by dozens of little hands, and simply trying to survive stampedes of kids.
Once the kids had left for school, the four of us were driven to the IGL office in town, where we worked on reviewing and editing field reports written by pastors throughout the area. These reports include information about villages where the pastors are working, local church membership, prayer requests, and the pastors' personal testimonies. I was stunned by some of the testimonies I read today - it was so exciting reading what God has done in the lives of these pastors.
Later in the afternoon we met with Samuel Stephens, President of IGL. He discussed the outline of our trip and prayed with us. After some more work in the office, we travelled to a nearby Christian school where we spent some time with the children living there.
Needless to say, we were all very tired by the end of the day and we look forward to a night of (hopefully) deep sleep, uninterrupted by malaria medication-induced nightmares.
Prayer requests: that we would overcome the language barrier between us and our children, that we would humble ourselves and always show respect for Indian culture, that our eyes would be open to new ways in which we can serve IGL
Side note: Ever since we arrived, Megan and Mallory have shown a deep desire to serve and love the women and girls at IGL. This has been a real encouragement to Billy and me and it is a wonderful testament to their kindness and faith.
Thanks so much for reading, and God bless!
-Josh
