Devotion

"19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." - Hebrews 10:19-25

Meet the Team!

From left to right: Pavan, Jessy, Himmat, Matthew, Ivy, Bill (Chris), Huberth

God continues to teach me through the body of Christ, a very common theme between me and God this past year. Although I've only spent about a week with my team and the people in Sironcha, the bond that we have in Christ has been trumping all our differences that enable us to work together and learn from each other. I am/was really encouraged by the women I met in India. I had the opportunity to talk and pray with Mary, our client's wife, and Ivy. The beauty that is found in the body of Christ can't really be explained in words, but can very much be experienced. We were meant to be in communion together with God, lifting up each other's burdens.

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." - Galations 6:2

(This is more of a message to myself) While we should love and care for those who do not know Christ so that they can experience Christ's love through us, we should be careful not to neglect our own brothers and sisters. Jesus redefines who is his brother and sister and mother.

"Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." - Mark 3:32

In the past, I often turned to my Christian family and completely neglected those who did not know Jesus, but whom God still loves. More recently, I've been bitter and judgmental towards other Christians because in my mind, they have the law written on their hearts, so they have no excuse. Took me a while to see the plank in my own eye.

One thing I learned from my team that really helped me come to peace with these matters is that all humans are broken. Being Christian does not make us perfect. And even the wrongdoings that "Christians" may have committed in the name of God only proves how much more we needed the crucified Lamb of God. This concept is not a new one to me, but it definitely spoke a newfound peace in my life.

Sironcha

Vandanalu! (Praise God, Hello, Thank you - Telugu)

I apologize for not being able to update this past week and half. My team and I have been staying at a very rural village, named Sironcha, where I did not have either Internet access or phone reception.

My trip to India started off with my flight in New York getting delayed and missing my connecting flight. God, however, still provided a way for me to go and catch up with my team before they went on the train to Balhashtra. Being in a car in Delhi was definitely an experience worth remembering. It was a little nerve wrecking at first, but everyone seemed to know what they were doing. Honking was not meant to taunt other drivers, but only to let each other know they were there. Road rage didn’t really exist in India. Some of us had to explain to our client, Benny, what road rage in America was. He was almost shocked by the idea of it.

The train station in Delhi reminded me a lot of the train stations in New York during rush hour, except for kids peeing off platforms and people walking across the tracks to get to the other side. Our team had seats in the AC sleeper car, which included bunks and food that we can purchase during the ride. Our train ride was about 20 hours from Delhi to Balhashtra. From there, our client met up with us and drove us to his hometown, Allapalli. We stayed there for the night before driving to Sironcha, the village where Gospel to All Peoples (GTAP) was ministering to. Sironcha is a very small village, completely different from the city of Delhi. Most people travelled by walking or by bullocks. To make a parallel to the States, it would be similar to going from New York City to a farm in the south? I might be sounding a bit ignorant about the South, but that is what I imagine it to be. There were cows, stray dogs, roosters, chickens, lizards, and pigs right next door.

In my previous email, I expressed my doubts in spending time with some of the locals. I did not realize that where I would be staying would actually be where the local people of Sironcha stayed. God blessed me with the opportunity to spend time with community already there. There was really no way around it actually.  Despite the language barriers between me and most of the children, I still felt strongly connected to them (yay for the Body of Christ!). I was deeply encouraged by their form of worship and seeing some of the young boys read their bibles while other kids were playing. I am so grateful that I was able to spend a lot of time in the village itself. I got to experience an Indian Christian wedding, eating food with my hands, bullock carts, squat toilets, and bucket baths! All quite an experience.

I was also deeply encouraged by Benny and Mary’s (our clients) hospitality and the great lengths they went to making us feel comfortable. They were worried that their accommodations would not meet our standards. The lifestyle in rural Sironcha is very different than living in New York or Delhi, but it was definitely manageable. We might not have had as many luxuries in Sironcha, but never did I feel I was lacking something. If anything, I gained much more by living simply.  Our client, Benny, came from a more well off state in India, and for him to move to Sironcha was almost like going backwards, not to mention a little dangerous due to some sensitive political issues going on there.

The first two days in Sironcha, half of us went out to the site to do some land surveying. We were at the site from 6:30am-1:30pm. Right before we got to Sironcha, the temperature was from 46-50 degrees Celsius (about 115 degrees Fahrenheit). God, however, was very merciful. I don’t think the temperature ever rose above 95 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m also grateful that we got to experience some rain. Surveying could have been very torturous.

Once the surveying was over, our team began to have daily devotions together in the morning at 7am before we started our day. Every night we had also been sharing our testimonies with each other. Both have been very good and encouraging. I think on some level, we were all able to resonate with each other’s testimonies. It’s awesome to hear how God brings people to Him. Through these times reading the Word and sharing testimonies, our team grew much closer. In addition to these more serious times, I think it was really easy for us to get along with each other and simply enjoy each other’s company.  

We left Sironcha on Thursday, June 24^th. We had completed a conceptual master plan of GTAP’s campus, which included a basic layout of the land, more detailed ideas of what the orphanage might look like, and a conceptual design of the water/wastewater systems. Some of the kids came out to see us off. I’m going to really miss them. I hope to one day return to Sironcha to visit the people and to see how the ministry is doing.

Now, I am in the eMi office in Mussoorie, located on a mountain (the view is absolutely breath taking!). I will be working on a portion of the report that will be sent to Benny and the rest of GTAP.

Please pray for:

• The ability to work efficiently
• Self-discipline with devotions
• The ministry of Gospel to All Peoples – focus is on Bible translation and a Children’s Home/Orphanage
• God to continue to teach me new things

 Thanks again for all your prayers and support!

"What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." - Philippians 3:8-9

Update #1 - Few hours away

Initial Thoughts and Expectations

The thought of leaving on a plane to India in a few hours hasn't really hit me yet. Though, I must be somewhat excited, seeing that I am writing this email at 2:30am and feeling not at all tired. I am not completely done packing yet, but was given a checklist, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Finding clothing that respected the culture in India was the most difficult part of packing. I was fortunate enough to have my sister's friend lend me some outfits. They are sooo comfortable... and colorful! I cannot wait to be surrounded by a different culture.

Within the past few weeks, I've been receiving more email from my Project Leader. These emails have already began to crush some of my expectations. When I learned that I would have the opportunity to work with EMI for the summer, I had the idea that I would have plenty of time to be invested in the community, get to know some of the locals. I love meeting new people and learning about different cultures. However, I didn't realize how much of the time in India would be used for traveling (until after receiving the itinerary), thus any time spent with some of the locals will be limited. Already, I know this trip will be a humbling one. I am so used to "touching people's lives" through conversation, that working behind the scenes so others may have that interaction with the community will definitely be a challenge for me. 

Taken from my sister from a friend - 

"I am doing the work appointed to me by God with such faithfulness and diligence as I am able to. Therefore I know that this work, being done in faith and obedience to God, pleases God."

Prayer Requests

- Safe travels & Health

- I will be patient and open-minded in a new culture

- I will use the time in travel wisely and that God will still be at work during those "down times"

Fundraising (https://emisecure.org/donate.html)

So far, fundraising has definitely been a blessing, a challenge, and a humbling experience as well.  As of June 8th, I have raised $1480 out of the total cost of $2700. EMI will also be accepting late donations until August 8th, which I am also thankful for. So if you feel led to continue supporting me financially, that door is still open.

I do not know when I will be able to create a more legitimate update, but be on the look out!

Peace and Love,

Amanda Low

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." - Hebrews 12:1-3

Dear Reader

Dear Reader,

I pray that you are doing well. I am excited to share with you how God has been moving in my life. I am currently in my third year at Carnegie Mellon University, studying Civil and Environmental Engineering. Since I arrived at CMU, God has been tearing up my old worldviews to introduce a glimpse of how He sees the world. I have had the privilege to take part in His Kingdom while serving with a campus ministry and a local church. Through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, I grew to really appreciate different cultures. I am amazed by the fact that I have brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, but saddened that some are being persecuted for their faith. Through Hot Metal Homeless Ministry, I began to see the Homeless in Pittsburgh not as issues, but as people in need of love and community, much like anybody else. God used these ministries to help me grow in faith, encourage me, and empower me with boldness to share the amazing power of His love with those around me.

This summer, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve others using my passion for social justice and skills in engineering with an organization called, Engineering Ministries International (www.emiworld.org). EMI is a non-profit Christian organization composed of professional engineers and architects who offer their services to design facilities that serve the poor in developing countries. These facilities include hospitals, orphanages, schools, and clean water projects that are used to meet physical needs and communicate God's love in a practical way. From June 12th – July 7th, I will be working under a senior civil engineer in rural Maharashtra in Central India. We will be designing water and wastewater systems for a Christian ministry (Gospel to All Peoples – GTAP) that desire to reach out to the isolated tribal groups in the village of Sironcha. GTAP has been catering to the needs of the people in Sironcha since the 1990’s and is looking to develop a newly acquired land to be used as a center for their activities.

I am inviting you to take part in my experience by supporting me prayerfully and financially. Prayer is powerful and God moves through prayer. Before and during my time in India, would you please pray for the items to the left? If you are able, I also ask that you consider support me financially. The total cost for my travel and living expenses will be about $2900. You can donate online at https://emisecure.org/donate.html (In the “Designation” field, enter ‘Amanda Low’).

Prayer Requests
· God’s provision for GTAP
· Safety as we travel
· Our skills and resources to be used wisely
· Our team to have joyful hearts as we serve to accomplish His work

All for God's Glory,
Amanda Low

"All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.” - Joshua 1:16

Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD Almighty

Reading: The Holiness of God by RC Sproul

1) When you think of God as holy, what comes to your mind?
- He is without sin, reaction of the seraphims (Isaiah 6:1-3)
2) Describe a time when you were overcome by God's holiness.
- I cannot recall a time.
3) Are you attracted to God's holiness?
- I honestly can't say that I am. I'm not not attracted.
4) What does it mean for you to be holy in the coming week?
- only by God's strength through prayer

I hope to have a better understanding of God's Holiness by the end of this book. I hope to be "overcome by God's holiness."