NARSIPATNAM TESTIMONIES

Hey friend!

Get cozy, grab a warm drink, and get ready to read some good news! I said, "good news" because it is God's news. Here is what Daddy God has been up to in the small villages in central India.

During the first weekend of August, we had the amazing opportunity to go into the villages around Narsipatnam.

This was our second visit. Their hunger to go deep with God is what attracted us to invest our time and love into them so we have decided to visit them once every year. We have adopted this small church of just over 100 people. They are precious to God so we want to remind them of that by continuing to visit them and continue to equip them.

Here's what we did

During the three-day conference August 4-6 we taught in the church and visited people in their homes. We went there with a heart to love on them but they showed us what the pure love of Jesus looks like in action. We were touched by the childlike joy they carry. Each family lives day by day on the few rupees they can make, but they are rich in the things that matter to God. Not one home can afford a table and chairs, we all sat on the floor or on a bed, but they don't have poverty in their hearts. They cooked us the richest food and took turns hosting us in their homes. They are beautiful people with a wealth of love.

Here's what God did

A family of farmers live in the hut behind us. They do not know God, but God came anyway because He loves finding His lost family. We got a word of knowledge about the lady having back pain. When we asked her if she did have pain she confirmed it. We prayed for her. She said she felt God's presence come on her. Because of translation we are not sure if she is 100% pain free, but we do know that God stamped His love on her heart.

Paul travels to the market every day with a load of clothes to sell on the street market. On the first day of the meeting John asked everyone to come the next day with expectancy that God would do something. Paul prayed, "God touch me." Even after praying this he did not really expect God to do anything because he felt so unworthy of God's attention. The second night God spoke to his heart, "I care for you even more than you can imagine." Paul shared, "I was so touched. I felt like God came to me that day and comforted me."

Vijay and his wife are newly married with one son. Vijay is a teacher. He has been under a lot of pressure with financial problems that he internally decided to end his life through suicide. Before coming to the church meeting he told his wife, "I just want to be free of these debts." John preached a message about how God will fight your battles. At the closing of the message John felt lead to declare that God was going to settle people's loans and enable them to live free from debt. Vijay was so encouraged because he felt in his heart that God knows even the smallest desires and internal secrets which one does not share openly. He now has courage to continue living because he has experienced the personal care God has for him and his family.

During one of the meetings, I (Laurel) got a word of knowledge "a woman is being tormented by night terrors." Miriam came and said that she has been suffering with demonic dreams for years. We prayed for her. The following days we were there she reported that she slept with a peace that she has not felt for a long time. And no night terrors! God is amazing! We also prayed for her back and legs and she felt relief from pain. Jesus is amazing!

Here is my beautiful friend Kalaa. She has such a gentle and pure heart. She told me that she has always felt unworthy of God's love and distant from God even though she believes in Him. But after this weekend she feels a real connection with God and she believes that God loves her! Yay! Here is another testimony in her words. "I work at a pharmacy & excel at my job. I have the responsibility of training other staff too. But for some reason, my manager doesn't like me. On Friday, I decided to quit my job because the situation was very hard for me. I told my colleagues that I won’t come to work the next day. That same night, John spoke about being faithful in the routine. That God has a purpose in having us in each place and that God will lift you up at the right time. God spoke to me through him and he did not know any thing about my job situation. I decided to go back and be faithful in the place God has called me to be for this season. I have more peace in my job now and I believe that God is going to take me to great places."

There is an Indian tradition where an honored man in your family or community will guide your child's hand in writing "ABC" before they enter kindergarten. John had the honor of initiating Bibin's education!

This man felt unworthy of God's love and was lost in his identity as a son. John prayed for him and he felt the love of God touch his body and shake rejection out of his heart. He cried with happiness. He now believes that God loves him because he has personally encountered God in a tangible way.

Eliazer is an amazing carpenter by trade. He had a stroke 4 years ago which almost completely paralyzed his left side. He felt very discouraged and useless in life because he had to give up his passion for artistic carpentry. After receiving prayer he has more mobility in his arm and leg and can now walk without support! He is praising God for what he has done and believes that God will continue to heal His body until he has full mobility. He also shared that depression has broken off of him because of God's touch. "I thought that God didn’t care about me. But now, I know that God cares for me"

This is Mary. The only picture I have with her does not do her radiance justice because she has a beautiful smile! Mary's husband was in the military and sadly passed away a few years ago. She has been surviving off of a pension of $30 a month. Last year when we visited her, she asked us to pray for her to have the finances to build a house. Now, one year later, God has increased her pension to $200 a month and she has built two lovely apartments on top of her house for her two sons! God is amazing! Mary shared that she has been very depressed lately. During the service we shared a word of knowledge, "The name Mary. God is breaking off depression and suicide off of her life." Afterwards she came up for prayer. She felt hope come in her heart and she has excitment for her future because God is with her.

We visited Solomon, Esther, and Miriam last year. They asked us to pray over their small roadside tea shop. Now, one year later, God has blessed them so much that they are building a three storey addition to their shop as their house! We were so happy to see the provision God has given them! Below is a picture of their renovations in progress.

This is Glory! My beautiful friend and sister! She lost her parents years ago and lives with her aunt and uncle. Glory has been asking the weighty question, "what is my purpose in life." She has been lonely and afraid about her future. But as we spoke life over her and prayed for her destiny she shared that depression broke off of her and she has a bold hope for her future! "I believe that God has a great plan for my life."

Our translator Yesubabu. He is an English teacher at a local school.

There is more!

One woman, Ramanamma, had broken her arm 4 months ago and it had not healed properly. She said she could feel a sharp pain like poison going through her arm. After receiving prayer she said that a cooling feeling came on her arm. After we prayed a second time she could completely lift her arm (which she had not done since the accident) and all the pain was gone! She felt God's tangible love for her by how He healed her arm!

A second lady came up for prayer who was completely blind in her right eye. Her eyesight increased each time we prayed for her. She reported by the end that she had 75% of her vision restored in that one eye! She was overjoyed because God touched her!

Our "Why"

We (John & Laurel) have been very hungry for God to bring His love and power into people's lives through us. Our prayer is that God would use us the way God used the Apostle Paul who wrote, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power."(1 Corinthians 2:4-5) We did not ask God to use us for the things we had in our mind, instead, we prayed that God would make us usable in the work He is doing. We want to to be partners with God! And God answered our prayers by doing amazing things only He can do! We saw God touch many people's bodies with miracles, heal people's emotions, and touch their minds. We have around 11 written testimonies of people who were physically healed. There are more unwritten testimonies of people who reported being healed after being prayed for. These include back injuries and knee pain which was 100% healed in many people.

Each message centered around these core themes: being faithful in the routine of life, how God sees you where you are at, allowing God to fight your battles for you, and enduring in your race. Many people in the church were depressed because of the hard situations they were facing and shared that they even considered taking their own life. But God spoke to them through the messages to hold on to God's purpose for their lives and to have faith in God. Heaven's courage burned the grip of suicide and depression off people's lives and God filled them with hope for their future.

We are so excited about the fruit God is growing. We are hungry for Jesus to be made famous and for the world to come to their King! We are continuing to go after God's heart for each person in front of us as God brings revival!

Thank you for your prayers and love! Check out the pictures below to see the faces of the beautiful friends we now call family!

Love, John & Laurel Moses