#2023GivingThanks 5

#2023GivingThanks 5

Looking back in the past months 2023, I am thankful to God in teaching me lot of things.

He blessed my husband with a job this year. This was after years of job hunting after he lost his job ,during 2020 covid. He was very particular that noone should recommend him, or even refer him. And God honored it. He is on 1 yr contract and is posted in Cochin since March 2023. 

Without him around , its been extremely difficult but God is helping me through. My husband makes it a point to pray atleast once a day together on the phone. Lilybel ,our third is in school now. And its a blessing to have the school nxt door. The girls are growing fast and God has helpd me thus far to handle them in their sickness , tantrums and other things. 

Dad fell in bath room this year . But God rescued him and he did not have any broken bones. And God has also rescued me from many many major accidents. In car and bike rides.

God is also helping me with transition to WFO. And it would have not been possible without the new maid. Prisci told about her and she's been coming from mar. She is the only believer at her house. She takes care of the girls very well.

This year by God's grace , few of us in our street meet weekly for prayer. God blessed with oneness regarding it. Praba had been my constant source of strength for my faith. She pops up every now and then to check on me and the girls. I can't thank God enough for her.

Joyce introduced me to the morning prayer and God never fails to energise me everyday. I thought 5.40 AM was impossible , but God helped me to connect at 5 AM and also pray for past few months. I do struggle getting update early, but our God is merciful. Connecting for prayer with our shockers joyce, eli, mano and few other's almost daily is like having a boost early morning .

So grateful to God and praying that I become more disciplined and rooted in God's word in the new year. 

* Let your lil light shine in whatever small way you can.

Do not hide it under the bushel.* 

All glory be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

#2023GivingThanks 4

#2023GivingThanks. 4

 November was a difficult month. My maid said she cant continue due to her family problem and relocatd to perungalthur. I thought she wasnt serious and wasn't prepared. But from nov 1, I was on my own.   and getting the girls ready to school on time and handling multiple escalation  at office was challenging.  But God helped me through it all. Attending morning prayer was/is rejuvenating.  Whatever you think is impossible,  became possible in Christ.   

I was looking for a maid and nothing worked. Then suddenly my old maid said she can come from dec1. She again shifted from perungalthur to mappedu. This was a miracle indeed. 

Since there was office work extending till night. And morning cooking occupied my time, I could not sit with the girls for their xams. But purely by god's grace , they secured very good marks in their exams. This was again a miracle.  

Our car had some trouble and it was in the auto repair shop since oct mid. I had no time to even call and find out if it was fixed. I will remember it every sunday to go to church and its a holiday for the workshop. And ended up going in bike to church with three girls. God helped us to go without any major accidents.

In dec, after th rain, the workshop /garage as filled with water knee deep and by God's grace our car was in higher ground. I still haven't got the car yet.  Hoping 2024 will be a year with a new one. 

All praise be to our Lord.

#2023GivingThanks 3

This year 2023 I had a bad start because I was sick from 2022 Christmas till mid of Jan. I had ulcer kind of issue and I really had a tough time managing things. I was sick to the point of going to hospital and taking drips since I was so weak at that point of time. I never had hopes that I could even be healed of it my faith became weak too since I was enduring this acidity/ suggestion related issue for quite few months back that time. But somehow I picked up myself and relied on God. By His abundant Grace I was healed of that and now I'm feeling more good and healthy that it almost disappeared and never haunted me again. All glories and honors to God. And I learnt that our God is always awesome and there's nothing He can't do. To the one who believes it will happen. 

However,  during that sick period in mid of Jan, my husband had an official visit abroad for 10 days during which my cousin wanted to visit our home at bangalore for pongal holidays. We were talking about it for almost a year back and it never happened so she wanted to somehow visit my home during the long weekend. She has 2 daughters. But since i was sick and also my hubby wud not be around and having them come for very first time to my home i politely denied stating the exuding fact. I don't know why but both my cousin and her hubby tried to come here of making it happen. Though i also desperately wanted to have them home but since i was hospitalized that week and took drips in my husband's absence leaving my 5 yr old to my friend i had to take an auto all myself and the situation was really not welcoming.  I took the final call to stop them coming home and ya it was too heavy for both of us. 

My cousin's elder daughter aged 8 always used to talk to me and my kid(Eric) over video call and would be too excited to see bangalore.  So since the plan was canceled,  my cousin decided to go for a nearby resort in Chennai along with another family who had similar aged children.  There my cousin's daughter slipped into the adults pool and lost her life.  The parents themselves took the child in their car to a nearby hospital and got to know she already passed away.  This broke me into pieces and there's no answer why all this happened. Parents are too deeply wounded and still they are not able to come out of this. They used to go to csi Matthew's church at tambaram and now they never go to church. 

If anybody nearby(selaiyur) God willing able to talk to them or meet them in person and help them out in 2024 that would be truly a blessed thing 🙏

#2023GivingThanks 2

Testimony 2023:

Praise God and His name alone will be glorified.

It's been a year after my surgery and where I was taken into hospital in emergency after the surgery. God has been my Healer. I was asked to travel to U.K. and I was wondering rather than doubting will I be able to manage. Though it was short term I was just out of my health issues. When we checked with our Doctor, she asked me not to worry and say Yes stating I will be alright. The same day, I was someone on lift with me in office that day suddenly appearing. He was wearing a formals with coat suite and tie. I shouted being afraid of someone appearing to you suddenly in a closed lift. But no one was hearing me but security watched me over camera and came to my floor when the lift was opening asking me if I am alright. They said suddenly I started shouting and no one was with me in the lift. Not to make myself to put in a situation where no one will believe me, I said I am ok and left to my place. This started happening often but later I stopped shouting and this person will simply smile at me. Though I felt some peace when he was near me, I didn't have the guts to ask anything. It went for 3 days and at last I had a courage to ask who are you? But ended up with no reply and later I didn't see Him. And I didn't hear anything from my management as well on my on site plan. I didn't put my mind on it as from the start I didn't have any plans going outside of India. With prayer and giving it to God's will, myself and my husband prayed on this. Suddenly one day when I was at my house working, I saw this person again who spoke to me at last stating He came to announce something and I will be getting a call from my manager now to get ready and I have to say yes. In 2 mins I got a call and I said I am ready to go. Visa interview was His grace and we went to the wrong station and was waiting for train for a longer period realizing before 30 mins that we were in a wrong station. Then booking the cab, and in the traffic of Chennai, I was 100%that I wouldn't be able to reach on time. But what happened was a miracle. Because the driver suddenly went into so many streets stating he is avoiding traffic. And I was about to get tended but suddenly I saw the same angel sitting in the front row and smiling that everything will be ok. I went in before 5 mins and no questions were asked. When they took the final photo and asked me to leave, I was questioning back "was it really over?". I came out in 10 mins and my husband was like, "what happened? You went late? They rejected? They didn't allow you? Or you changed your mind?". I explained him what happened inside and was surprised. 

When the day came to start my trio, I started getting sick due to anxiety but God helped me out and I didn't get a room to stay till the day of my trip. Those who promised that they will get a room for me disappeared and some said sorry at last minute. Then my husband told me you started trusting so much on these people than God. Then I confessed and was about to book a hotel for few days. But, suddenly I got remember of my cousin and I gave a call to him who invited me to their house for that week. In a week, with the help of his church pastor, by God's grace I got a seperare room with an Indian believer family with the low cost than my other colleagues whobtravelled with me got a shared room with a common toilet for more cost. 

Also, I was not allowed to cook stating they will provide food for me. I am a picky eater so first I was hesitating but God helped me to eat healthy food without any issues. 

The best part was for the first two month my client manager was so harsh on me. I was not knowing why. Meanwhile I was spending so much time with my colleague on weekends roaming around. Later two months I started questioning myself 2 months gone and I have only 4 months and what is the purpose I came here. I started attending so many churches untill I found one which I found for me. Then last four months were alone time with God. I stopped spening time with others. Weekend, I will just go to parks with a back pack which will have a book, a bible and my pens and notebook. The whole day I will be there studying, watching the nature, talking with Him. He started changing me. I started sensing the change on me which reflected in my workplace as well. For eg I am not a person who initiates conversation.  My work was to manage stakeholders where I have to talk. But I am not that person. However, He gave me that courage to interact with everyone in office and take initiatives. One complaint that my client manager had was I didn't go and introduce myself to everyone which I felt odd. I will wait till they talk but she saw the change happening and God started giving favor in the eyes of my stakeholders especially my client manager. 

Even one house keeping lady will not clean my desk and stated that she hated me. I thought once it was because of my color but she was so ok with my colleague. Once when I asked her, she said I am a Christian. From that day, I started greeting her and will say God loves you everyday. She started getting irritated with me and said that she is going to complain. But I never withholded. I was continuing.  When I was about to leave from there she hugged me :). I am still praying for her.

Reg my health,  when I went from here my HB was only 7.5, I was getting allergies sometimes but He covered me under His wings and helped me through out. 

  Last four months, He helped me learn so many things and also helped me enjoy nature and even protected me from a bus accident and a dog which was about to bite me when I was sitting in park under a tree praying. The owner of the dog asked me sorry and said it haven't behaved like this. Best part was it was just barking at me and trying to bite me from 2 feet distance but couldn't reach me. The dog owner was surprised that how it didnt attack me after coming till there. 

I understood that the 6 months was just to get closer with Him. I had so many things in my mind like God is going to use me there for a ministry. But, I heard him Whisper in a service, "Carolin, come back to Bethel - to the altar of your first love.. the place where you started with me. Away from everything and it is only You and Me". It left me with goosebumps. 

I was also appreciated by my clien manager who first thought I am of no use and recommended my management to send me back.

He helped me to return safely without any health issues as well. 

I am not sure what the future holds and what I will do with the learnings but I believe the One who holds my future and leaving it to Him alone!!!

#2023GivingThanks 1

*2023 Testimony 1 -* Gracious protection from Tuticorin floods -

** We didn't expect such torrential rains but God protected our home..

** Water almost was at the brim of our gate and one level up it would have entered portico and the steps..god protected us..

** There was enough food,water and power back up .in fact we had so much varieties like fried rice,pop corn,poori and chapathi thru those days..

**As our area had a electric post fallen,it took  6 days for power to be back but we had a chance to walk thru the water and a relative helped us to be dropped in my sister in law home at kovilpatti and we returned only after Christmas.