Hello dear friends!
First off, I want to express my sincere apologies for
taking so long to send out this update. It has been a crazy ride since
returning from our trip. I started my senior year of college at BBC so I’ve
kept very busy.
My trip was incredible. The Lord taught me so much and
many memories were made. Here’s a little bit of my story. Claudia and I arrived
safely in the Kochin airport after over 20 hours of flying. We were able to go
through customs hassle-free and Pastor Shibu met us right outside of the
baggage claim. It was about a 3 hour drive to Mundathanam where the Simons
live. There we met Julie, Shibu’s wife and their two children Joshua and Abby
(who are 12 and 8 years old). That night the Simon’s church held a welcoming
ceremony for Claudia and me. We also had the opportunity to share our
testimonies; how God has worked in our lives. We stayed a few days at the
Simons, to recover from our jet lag. Where we were in India is 9 ½ hours ahead
of us here in the northeast!
The Thursday after coming to India we moved into the
Mercy Children’s Christian Home which is also used as the girls’ dormitory for
Kerala Baptist Bible College. It is home to 15 children from 6-17 whose parents
have passed away or are unable to care for them. Over the 6 weeks Claudia and I
had a lot of fun with them, playing outside and getting to know them. I was
able to do devotionals with them every day, teaching them from the Bible. Out
of the children there were 9 girls. I had brought crafts and jewelry to make
with them; something they really seemed to enjoy. We also played a lot of games
with them outside like follow the leader, tag, and hide and seek. I spent a lot
of time getting to know the girls and their caretaker Mary, whom I called Amma
Che which means grandma in Malayalam (the language they speak in Kerala). The
children did not speak English very much. I became interested in learning their
language though so they were constantly teaching me different words in
Malayalam. I also learned a few songs (and correlating dance moves).
Music played a big part in my time in India; something
I was not expecting. Just like here in the US they love music in particular,
singing. If you know me you know that I absolutely love to sing. It was a
blessing to be able to use my God-given voice to encourage others. I had a
number of opportunities to sing for churches and at KBBCS during chapel. I also
was able to teach countless worship songs. I taught the children “Jesus Loves
Me” and “He is Able”. I was given the opportunity to teach songs for an entire
hour every Friday at KBBCS to the college students. The college girls also had
me teach them several songs separately to sing during chapel or special events.
Among many, I taught them “How Great is Our God”, “Jesus Messiah” and “I Will
Call Upon the Lord”.
Claudia and I spent every week day working in the
college library. We catalogued books and arranged shelves. We organized and
numbered the shelves. I also did some odd jobs while at KBBC. I helped review
their college website. I also edited and compiled a chorus book for them,
containing songs that weren’t in the hymnal. In the last week I edited the
college handbook.
I had many opportunities to minister to the college
girls. There were 9 girls studying for their bachelor’s or master’s degrees. I
was able to give a devotional every day and teach the Bible to them. I went
through some of the women in the Bible, explaining how it applies to their
life. I covered Eve, Sarah, Ruth, Elizabeth, Mary among others. I was also able
to attend their prayer meetings and spend time communicating with God among
them. I really bonded with the girls and got to know them. We really became
like sisters.
We had quite a few adventures during our time in
India. We saw elephants up close, one was at work moving logs. We saw monkeys
and waterfalls. We took a trip to Ela Parra where there are tea plantations.
While there we attended the college librarian’s little baby boy’s first
birthday party. We also were able to attend an Indian wedding which was an
exciting and beautiful cultural experience.
What I loved most about India was the relationships I
formed. God used them to minister to my heart and encourage me. It was exciting
to see God at work, drawing them closer to Himself through learning. I just
want to thank you again for helping me get there. It was an amazing trip. I
also ended with extra money and was able to bless the children’s home with over
$400. They put the money to good use and many were blessed.
Thank you again, May God bless you all for your
generosity.
In Christ, Gina Perone
Above is a picture of Claudia and I with all of the girls, children's home and college as well as our Amma Che.
Above is a picture of Claudia and I with all of the girls, children's home and college as well as our Amma Che.
