My journey to South India began in early April of 2006 when an email arrived in my "inbox" introducing me to Pastor Ratna Kumar, of Epuru-Gudem, India. After research to be sure that this was a legitimate ministry, I began a correspondence with Pastor Kumar that quickly led to an invitation to come and lead a pastor's conference. After prayer and seeking God's will in this, and much more research, I agreed that I would come to Epuru-Gudem and we agreed upon a date.

Over the next 6 months Pastor Kumar and I corresponded and by the time I was ready to embarke on the journey, I felt that I already knew him and his wife, their two daughters and son, and I looked forward to meeting this family who prayed for me often.

The journey would be a long journey...approximately 40 hours total!

I always pray for Divine Appointments, especially on long flights. God was gracious in answering, and especially on the flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Hyderabad, India!

It was finally time to board the plane. This time I had a seat in the "bulkhead" area...first row seating! Yes, leg-room! There was one seat to the left of me that was empty...room to stretch. The next two seats to the left were taken by two young men. As they began to get settled for the flight they took out their reading material, which I recognized as Bibles. Yes, God was going to give me a divine appointment! The entire row, minus one young man in the far seat across the aisle, were all headed to Hyderabad to conduct a crusade and pastor's conference in India! What a divine appointment it was, as I connected with Dr. Tony Slay of Ministry International Inc., and Dr. Pete Sulack, Founder, Matthew10 International Ministries, along with numerous members of their ministry teams! Thank you, God, for Divine Appointments...and these would be only the first of even more to come later!

We left the plane at Hyderabad a little past 11:00 PM (Hyderabad time) and I went thru the customs and immigration on to the baggage claim. It took a long time to receive my luggage, but finally it was all accounted for and I was off to meet my host and his family, Pastor Ratna and Esther Kumar.

The luggage was secured in the rear of the vehicle and we were off to Epuru-Gudem. Traffic in India is exciting to say the least, and terrifying to be honest! Our driver had driven the 8 hour trip to Hyderabad, and now was driving in head-on coming traffic, passing vehicle after vehicle meeting trucks and motorcycles head-on, while every few minutes nodding his head off to sleep! I tried to keep my eyes shut for the first part of the trip, but when the driver really started to fall asleep to the point that he would literally stop the car in traffic, I knew I had to stay awake and keep conversation moving. Even if we could not understand one another!

On Monday, the pastor's came early in the morning, by bus and bicycle, foot and motorcycle. Those who came by bus still had several miles to travel by foot. Then they sat together and prayed and fellowshiped, some napped on cots set out for that purpose, until time for the meetings to begin.

The pastors showed great devotion. They wanted and needed to be encouraged.

Interspersed with all of this were the children, and time with the family. The children are awesome and I was amazed at how this mission home truly was a home for the children and the family. Each child was bathed and dressed for school each morning, and everything ran like clock-work. Lunch time saw the children coming home, and then back they went. The children spent their afternoons and evenings doing small chores, and playing.

The children are very talented and they created spontaneous skits and plays, they sang and danced and they let their lights shine brightly!

The time came finally to say good-bye. We had encouraged pastors, and strengthened women and children and families. We had overcome, and we had let go of some other things. We had loved the children and the family and made many memories! As we drove away, after many hugs and good-byes, the children chased the car down the dirt road. . My heart was torn as I looked back at all the children.I promised myself then that I would return to Epuru-Gudem....soon...



If you would like to help the children of Jane's Mission in Epuru-Gudem please do contact us. The most basic need at this time is for a bath house for the children. The cost is about $3,000. US dollars to build this very necessary building. Presently the children can only go to the "field" to relieve themselves. Bathes are taken each morning with the aid of a water hose at the well house.

The children need clothing, in sizes from about 2-14, coats and shoes for winter time wear, but most often they need good sturdy cotton clothing that can withstand frequent handwashing and breathes to allow the heat to escape. If you would like to send clothing, please contact us for shipping information.