India Partners team encourages and empowers fellow believers

India (MNN) — A team of five recently spent two weeks as the hands and feet of Christ in India.

Kaytie Fiedler with
India Partners led a team to work on projects in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Her team trained villagers in WASH–Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, and helped disabled students prepare for job interviews.

Last but not least, the team got a chance to share Christ's love with over 200 orphans–a highlight for Fiedler.

"When you live in that massive of a community with very few adults, it is just a joy [to see] big people that want to play with you, spend time with you, and do crafts," she explains.

"I absolutely love bringing that kind of joy and the love of Jesus to those kids."

However, Fiedler says working with adults is equally gratifying. On the team's first week in India, they spent time at the Agape Rehabilitation Center helping graduating students prepare for job interviews.

"Some are deaf, some are blind, some are in wheelchairs, so the variety of disabilities is [huge]. This organization has an incredible way of meeting the needs of those people," says Fiedler.

The group's sessions geared toward helping students prepare for future employment: resume writing, interviewing skills, how to be an excellent employee, and video production.

"When you are put up against able-bodied employees, you have to do your very best to try and out-do any other employee," Fiedler explains.

Fiedler and her cohorts hope video production and the other skills they shared will give students an edge over their competition.

"They were excited and empowered, and I know they're really looking forward to getting the opportunity to put those new skills into practice," says Fiedler.

Using those skills to overcome prejudice will be a sweet victory for Agape students.

"If [the disabled are] seen out on the streets, they'll be spit on, they'll be shooed away; people yell at them and mock them and ask them to go back home, [saying], 'We don't want to see you,'" says Fiedler. "It's very sad."

Pray for opportunities for the Agabe students and open doors to share the Gospel.

On the second leg of their journey, Fiedler and her teammates "trained the trainers" in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene practices. Around 50 community leaders came from three different centers to become WASH program trainers.

"Their creativity and the enthusiasm with which they embraced that information was really inspirational and a lot of fun," Fiedler says. "They came up with the most creative skits, dramas, songs; they got the information and then embellished the ways that they could educate others."

One of the skits was caught on tape: watch it here.

These leaders are not only learning skills to prevent disease and save physical lives: Fiedler says each lesson is "peppered with Scripture and biblical principles."

Learn more about the WASH program.

In addition to helping with India Partners field projects, the team was also able to attend an English-speaking church service. In 20 years of journeying to India, this opportunity became Fiedler's first chance to share God's Word in her native tongue.

"My message was to encourage them to really seek and understand what [God has] called them to do and get out there and do it, because it is going to revolve around meeting needs," she says.

"Your purpose in life is always going to be about how you can love and serve others with the best of your abilities and the skills and talents that God has given you."

Fiedler says many individuals approached the team for prayer after the service concluded.

"There were teachers, there were moms. There was a huge beautiful blend of people there, just like here in the States, that are on these walks of life wondering, 'What am I doing here?' and 'How can I best serve God where I am?'" Fiedler notes.

"There was one young man who just got his pilot's license and wants to go work for Mission Aviation Fellowship. He was trying to figure out a way to do that."

Pray for each believer to grow in the knowledge of Christ and His will.

Would you like to share Christ's love in India? The next trip is scheduled for November. Click here to learn more.