One Life Can Make A Difference

We didn't think it would actually happen.  I mean... communication had been bad, and there were so many unanswered questions.  And frankly... we didn't care!  Okay, maybe we cared a little... but we doubted the likelihood of anything happening, and we were ready to roll with that expectation.

Wa-BAM!

Next thing you know, we're thrown into the mix at the last minute with them!!

With who?

Gentri.

Yes, Gentri.

Who is Gentri?  Well--- look them up HERE.

In short, Gentri is a vocal group of 3 tenors from Utah, and they have a fairly good reputation for their music!  They visited Rising Star Outreach once before in April, and this time they came to shoot a music video on campus and in the leprosy colonies!  Today was the portion on campus.  

Susie and I had been told that there was a chance Gentri would want our help with the video, but then there was really no way to know what to expect.  After a special welcoming ceremony we offered our help to them and left it at that-- there was still no clear plan.  But as soon as I finished my lunch, one of the men from their filming crew rushed up to me and told me to hustle-- Gentri was waiting!

Minutes later, Susie and I were frantically making plans for the music video to meet the requests of Gentri!  And I must say-- we pulled it off!  There wasn't anything too dancey-- in fact, it was very pedestrian... But imagine trying to throwing classes from Kindergarten up through 12th Grade (or if you're from India, UKG up through 12th Standard) into a video that you only have 2 hours to shoot??  Not easy!  But somehow miraculous things happened and everyone pulled it off!

I'm sure our names won't show up in any of the credits, and I'm sure that they may not even remember our names, but we all found a way to bless each others lives today.

That being said, the song they chose for the video is One.  It talks about how one life can make a difference.  It's a pretty cool song!  It was amazing to carry this lesson throughout the day and use it with the Life Dance Troupe.  And let's be real-- the Life Dance Troupe has been struggling!  It's been hard to get the ball rolling.  But today... today was magical.  When we started class, we had 6 people missing!!  One was home in the colony because his grandfather isn't doing well, but the other five... they should've been there!  So, in a moment of inspiration that could have only come from heaven, I knew that we all needed to round up the Troupe!  After a fabulous discussion with those member present about how one life can make a difference, everyone was on board to go find our missing Troupe members!  I loved seeing the excitement they had with the idea of rounding everyone up.

While Susie stayed behind to help one Troupe member with some stretches, the rest of us hurried to the hostels (where the students live) to find our missing members.  And guess what?  We found them all!  With everyone in class (minus the one, but we all agreed to keep him in our prayers), everyone could feel the power.  It was magical!  It was the best class we've had yet!  And you know what-- it's true.  Every one of those students present made a difference, and it was awesome!

If you would like to listen to the song One, you can follow THIS LINK to an ASL video project a girl made to the song.  It's fun to watch her sign the lyrics, but you can also just close your eyes and listen to the message.  Either approach is great! 

With this message in mind, here are some specific people who made a difference in my life today:

Mom-- she sent me several messages full of love and support.

Dad-- he sent me an email that helped set my mood for the day in a very positive way.

Nathan-- he texted me simple yet powerful words of encouragement.

Sarah-- she reached out to me to make sure I'm doing okay.

B-- she didn't give up on me, and she let me know that she still has my back and is on my team.

Laura-- she sent me a sweet message to let me know that she supports and love me.

Bonnie-- she reached out to let me know that she's got my back and that she wants to help with whatever she can.

Shalay-- she smiled at me whenever I saw her today, and it was her way of letting me know she cares.

Dr Susan-- she shared her testimony of God and Christ with me and inspired me with her faith.

Vignesh-- he invited me to eat lunch with him today!

Revathi-- she helped me set up my equipment for Life Dance Troupe.

Susie-- she helped me clean up some dishes and she helped me take out my cornrows.  (And of course she helped teach the classes!)

Miss Annie-- she lovingly asked me how I'm doing every time she saw me on campus.

Shaun Parry-- he offered valuable advice and information to help classes run better today.

Sir Teacher-- (I can't recall his name!)  He helped translate everything when we worked on the Gentri music video.

Londyn-- she reminded me that the 4th of July is tomorrow, and she visited with me about lovely things.

Charles and Varivel-- they made me laugh a genuine laugh as they joked about taking pictures of me at the special welcoming ceremony.

God-- He brought me comfort and let me know that He answers my prayers and the prayers of other on my behalf.

I'm going to end the list there, but I know that there are waaaaaaay more people who touched my life today for good!  Thank you.  Thank you to all of you.  

And I want to especially thank those who have been including me in your prayers.  God has blessed me wth a calmness today that has allowed m to feel more capable of facing the challenges before me.  Thank you for making a positive difference in my life!

One life can make a difference.  Let's all go make a positive difference in the world!