L.I.G.H.T. (edit, back)
02/29/2016
The Lay Institute for Global Health Training (LIGHT) provides health evangelism training to pastors and lay members in over 80 countries around the world. Through the offerings of ASI, dozens of LIGHT teachers have been supported to lead out in new training opportunities and to help establish new missionary training schools. To date, over 15,000 members have gone through LIGHT’s very practical and comprehensive training program. The result has been hundreds of churches experiencing a revival of their community outreach programs leading to many corresponding baptisms. The following is a testimony from one of LIGHT’s foreign missionaries in India who first learned of this work at an ASI convention.
In 2012 I dedicated my life to working for God as a missionary, yet I wasn’t sure where to start! I was just an 18-year-old small-town Virginia girl who’s never been far from home. How could I become a missionary? And how would my parents ever agree to such a thing? But I left the impossibility of such an occupation in God’s hands.
In August 2012, I had the opportunity to attend the national ASI Convention in Cincinnati, where many ministries from around the world would be represented and I could get ideas about mission work. In one of the seminars I learned about the work of LIGHT and the health evangelism work they do around the world. This really sparked my interest, resulting in me taking their online intensive course with the intention of entering the mission field! I was sure this was God’s will for me.
Studying the LIGHT course online was a challenge for me, but, as I studied, I learned many, many things. Especially I learned more about God’s plan for my future work for Him. After completing the course I had an opportunity to go on a short mission trip to Cuba to get my feet wet in foreign mission work. It was such a blessing! Shortly thereafter I received a short-term call to go to Honduras to work as an assistant elementary school teacher. However, before going I was asking God what I would do after my Honduran commitment. My parents wanted me to start college, but I wanted to know what was God’s will. One day after praying, I received an e-mail from LIGHT Prayer Reports. It said, “Please pray that God will send teachers for our LIGHT school in India who are willing to commit to two years or more.” Immediately a voice sounded in my ear, “You go.” What? Me? Go? Go to India? That’s crazy! But I knew it was God’s voice, and I dared not disobey.
After fulfilling my commitment in Honduras, I started fighting with God. I liked Honduras and wanted to stay, but He wouldn’t give up on me. I finally surrendered after suffering many things. When I was alright again, I happened to see my e-mails with another prayer report from LIGHT. It requested: “Please pray that God will work on the hearts and minds of those who are thinking to come to India as teachers.” What a shock! People had been praying for me! And God had answered them! I knew then for sure that God wanted me in India.
My father was not happy that I planned to go to India and seemed to kind of challenge God by saying, “If God wants you to go, He will have to provide for everything. I’m not going to give you a penny.” I told God, “He’s challenging You.” Well, God accepted the challenge and provided for everything!
In March 2014, I took off for India to work with a LIGHT affiliate school called AG Hospital in Tamil Nadu. There have been language barriers, visa problems, and other challenges while teaching here in India, but God has helped me at every step. It’s encouraging to see lives changed, relationships with God developed, and teach what it truly means to follow Christ’s example in ministry to others.
Working as a LIGHT teacher for the past year and a half has been a great blessing for me, and I believe with all my heart that this is the lifework to which God has called me. I plan to remain in India as a LIGHT teacher for as long as God needs me here. It is a blessing to serve Him.