the journey takes me out of the country!

December 2 - December 12 I had the opportunity of a lifetime! What a privilege is was to experience Christ  in India; literally across the world!

This trip had been in the makings for about two years. Debi, East Cooper Baptist Church's women's minister, had been wanting to take a group of women to India and she finally got it all together. I had heard about the trip many times and hadn't thought twice about going. I was going to NYC with a group of friends and was super excited to see New York at Christmas. Needless to say this was no New York vacation! 

When December 1st hit and I hadn't even started packing I think it hit me...I'm going to India tomorrow! But there wasn't anytime to much think about it. I had too much stuff going on with my ministry at CSU. So that evening and the next day I through some stuff in a suitcase ran some last minute errands and hoped for the best. I knew the Lord was going to show me big things, teach me in new ways, and grow me to a greater faith...it was just getting there. December 2 at 7:10 we loaded the plane and headed north! In the air, on several different planes, and through a time zone or two we landed in Kolkata, India.

We arrived at 4 am on Sunday December 4th. This began a week of serving the people of this city. But to me this week was more encouraging to me than I was to anyone. The people of this place where we call impoverished had more joy than I have seen a long while. The children we meet had the biggest brown eyes with the sweetest smiles. They touched each American heart and were clueless they had given us anything. The week went on and we were in constant motion. Visited a mobile school, a slum school, had a women's fellowship in the slum, spent the day with 9 boys who were all rescued from a train station, gave pedicures to 24 women in a slum inside the city, visited a company giving women in the red light district a second chance, visited a Hindu temple, drove 2.5 hours to minister to people in a village outside of Bangladesh, and gathered with women who have given their life to minister to people in India. Our schedule was full and we did little compared to what the men and women are doing every day for the glory of God.

Everyday in India I was reminded of Matthew 5:14-16.  "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."  The people we came in contact with had a light that shone brighter than any light I had ever seen. Amongst the darkness they were able to shine. They served our Savior Jesus as Lord and the one true God above any other idol that their friends and family gripped to so tightly. Even though these people would be ridiculed, rejected, or tormented these people chose Jesus! 


As this week continues and Christmas is approaching these people gave me the best Christmas present ever. I pray that everyday I am reminded of these people and the light that they have, the light of Jesus. The light of Christ. The spirit of Christmas all year long! 

Lessons from my Father

This blog is uber late, but if you only knew what my past 3 weeks have been like you would understand!

How sweet it is to hear the Lord speak! When I went home for Thanksgiving I was a little bummed because I felt as if "my plans" were all changing and even irrelevant. I had to prep myself before living for Piedmont. Believe it or not life has changed for the little Tindle family!

 I think it was in September my parents became emergency care for four kids ages 10, 7, 6, and 4! My parents haven't had kids is the house for many years. Not trying to call them old, but there baby is 24! So Thanksgiving wasn't just going to be the five six of us anymore. As some like to say, I have four new siblings! That's a family of 10, but wait now that Jamie is also engaged we are at 11! I prayed as I drove home for patience deliverance. And oh did the Lord deliver me. Not from these children and what I labeled chaos, but He delivered me from my own bondage and sin.

On Thursday Thanksgiving a passage kept coming to my mind. It's a commonly known passage and even one I like to use as I present my testimony. Matthew 19:13-15. Brief synopsis: Little children are coming to Jesus, the disciples rebuke the children, Jesus rebukes the disciples, and tells the children to come. I read this passage is a new light. Before I was always the child. Wanting to come and sit with Jesus, desiring to be in my Father's presence. But my Father proved to me that I one wasn't desiring Him and two that I wasn't the child in this passage I was a disciple. I have been living in a jealous state trying to turn these children from the presence of my parents, trying to regain that attention I once had from both mom and dad. Feeling as though they loved me less because they now had four new ones to love. I learned a lot about who I am in Christ, my desires, and my immaturity. Never again do I want to find myself pushing children away from the love of my Savior. These children are receiving that love through my parents. They are seeing Jesus in a way they have never seen Him before and what a blessing for them my parents me to see.

Meet Destiny(10) Bethany(7) Jessie (4) and Lee(6)

The family of 11

I love this picture. You can just see the love my Daddy has for this child. 

We really could be sisters. Teaching her to bake an apple pie

These boys could possibly be my favorite. They would never believe it!

The first, but hopefully not the last.

This weekend I had the honor of being a part of East Cooper Baptist Church's Revolutionary Conference. This conference was for the middle and high school girls. I had a blast. Yours truly was one of the "guest speakers" for the conference. The name of the conference came from Bethany Dillon's song Revolutionary.  Jillian and Alex's (the girls in charge) goal for this conference was to bring to light things girls are faced with but not also taught in the context of the church. They had been praying for this conference for over 5 months and I believe the Lord did big things. Jillian and Alex both desire that their girls will live revolutionary lives. Changed not by the world but by Christ.

My topic for the weekend was modesty. As I planned and prayed for this time the Lord taught me so much about my own personal modesty and just how difficult as women of the Lord it is to be truly modest in not only the way we dress but also in our speech and behavior. I spoke from 1 Peter 3:1-5. I am convinced that this is God's standard for us as His daughters. Now knowing, studying, and teaching from this passage my prayer is that not only these young girls seek to live modest lives so they may glorify God, but also that I may be an example to these girls through my modest behavior.

This weekend was my first time ever giving a talk to an audience. And I can't lie...I enjoyed it! I pray that the Holy Spirit spoke through me and that lives were changed not because of me but because scripture pierced their hearts. I rejoice with my Father that I had this experience and that He equipped me to do this work. I do pray that more opportunities such as this will be given to me. I think it's very sanctifying in the fact the I had to study my topic so well that I knew it forward and backwards. This holds me to a new level of accountability and I think it's a healthy challenge.

Thanks Jill and AL for giving me a chance!

India

I wanted to share with you a video that was sent to our team. It can help give a vision, purpose, and need for God's people in South Asia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCqQxbb2-jU

a year to remember.

So there was a big day the first of this month. I like to think of it as my favorite holiday (that might be a little selfish of me). You think you know, you are probably right...it was my BIRTHDAY! I was a little bummed at first because this was also the same time as our fall retreat in Rock Hill. Little did I know that I would feel more loved on that one day than I have felt in a while. My staff partner and good friend Kelly really went above and beyond.

The day started out with a surprise trip to Waffle House being greeted by the most "manly"  birthday song I had ever heard! Then all day was spent at Carowinds and the 20 people I that were with us sang happy birthday to me in every line that we stood in! Oh boy oh boy what a day! The day continued with more song at lunch and after our last retreat meeting and at the end of our Saturday party. Though I wasn't with all of my most dearest friends and wonderful family those that I were with made my day extraordinary.

Now I know what you are all wondering... "How old is this chick?" Well I turned 24... yes 24! To me this yes seems old, but gets me super excited. This is  going to be my golden year. At least that's what I'm telling myself. I am convinced that God has big plans for this year of my life! One of my previous pastors (who makes with God and hears directly from Him. I look up to this man greatly for all things of Jesus) has told me that this next year of my life something is going to happen. At first I wasn't sure if this made me nervous or excited?!? Well it's here and 24 has always been my most favorite number, so why not get excited!!

So start things off right I have taken up on the opportunity to go with a group of women from East Cooper Baptist Church to India! We will be there from December 2-12. I am so excited to see how the Lord is going to use us there and also how the Lord is going to change us through this opportunity! We will be working with children and women while there learning about how they live and their culture. Need less to say I so yes overwhelmed and nervous but thrilled to be going back over seas!

Fall is here!!

Oh how I love Fall! So many of my favorite things happen in this season! Pumpkins, pumpkin spice, cooler weather, falling leaves, and so much more!

Ministry at CSU is starting to really get moving, from football games to our fall retreat we are keeping busy!

A couple weeks ago we had our first home football game tailgate! So much work does have to go into these to plan but I really do enjoy them. Going to a school that didn't have football I have really come to appreciate the small program CSU has. Tailgates at the games give us an opportunity to fellowship with students we have been building relationships with and also meet some new students. We usually have a good turn out because free food to a college student is very enticing!

Keeping on with fall we just returned from our Fall Retreat. We went to Rock Hill, SC and on Saturday spent the day at Carowinds. CSU didn't have a huge number of students go with us but our time together was great. We were able to spend quality time together all day Saturday at Carowinds which allowed us to have great conversations as we waited for the next roller coaster!! 

Richard Harris, from Houston, TX was our retreat speaker and he simply explain the gospel to many non-believers and I pray that hearts were penetrated and lives were changed. 

Please continue to pray for us as we do ministry at CSU and stay tuned for more as I walk through this journey.

The best way to end the summer

On the last Sunday in August at East Cooper Baptist Church we had ocean baptisms! What a blessing to share with friends and students the joy of baptism! I was so encouraged by the number on students who stepped out in faith! 

What's really neat about this baptism is that it was done in the ocean. This has quickly become one of my most favorite things about going to church on the coast! Being born and raised in the Upstate all i've ever known is baptism in the pool at the church. 

I pray the Lord will keep His children close to Him and use them for His kingdom and glory.