For the next 2 years Kristin Clifton will be serving as a Venturer in Vijayawada, India through a joint partnership with Columbia Bapist (Falls Church), VBMB, WMUV, India Bapist Convenion and WMUI. Through Women’s Upick, a leadership iniiaive of WMUV which targets high‐potenial women, Krisin sensed God calling her to a new level of mission service as He began to reveal her strengths and gitedness in a new light. During her time in India, she will assist leaders at the Pearly Gates Child Development Center and the newly created Mother and Child Care Center in Vijayawada. In addiion, she will spend a porion of her time working with WMUI, and the female seminary students at the IBTS in Kotayam.
She reflects that, “the most rewarding thing at this point has been the powerful realizaion of God’s guiding hand through this whole experience. I have seen God at work in me and in situaions around me. He is protecing me, blessing me and providing for me at the exact moment of need. He has been faithful as I have tried to be faithful. I have litle choice but to fully rely on him; I would be crazy to try this on my own. I feel like it’s me and God taking on India together.” To read updates from Krisin, please go to www.wmuv.org/wmui and click on Krisin Cliton Venturer to access her blog.
At a recent Executive Committee Meeting of WMU of India, they decided to expand their network and begin new Chapters of WMUI in 3 southern states of India: Andra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamilnadu!
It is exciting to know that women will begin to connect with each other through WMUI for the purpose of empowering other women and children in the name of Christ. Indeed, this is a first for Baptist women in southern India.
Divya Asish, the Coordinator, will visit these states in the coming months to identify and equip women to lead the local WMUI Chapters. This will not be an easy task, however. Traveling in India is very difficult and often dangerous because the roads are unsafe. Even going by train has its challenges.
Therefore, please join me in prayers of traveling mercies for Divya and those will be with her in the coming months. Let us pray for the women who will be lifted up as leaders in those states, as well as the women who will become part of the WMUI community.
And may we continue to pray for the millions of women and children in India who are oppressed and impoverished, who are stricken with disease, and who are victims of trafficking and exploitation. May God grant doors of opportunity to reach them with the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.