Gail Lloyd admits her Christian life was "pretty stagnant' before a life-changing mission to India that transformed her relationship with God and gave her skills she didn't know she had.
Gail was part of a team of 34 people from All Saints', Nowra who conducted a mission awareness trip last year to visit the work of the India Gospel League (IGL), during which they came face to face with the horrors of the Boxing Day tsunami.
"I have been changed forever," Gail says.
"My relationship with God, which was pretty stagnant before I went on the trip, has continued to grow again.
"I've found skills I didn't know I had and am now a youth group leader.
"I feel I have a better sense of the world, my place in it, the amazingly privileged life I have and how as a Christian I have a responsibility to share my wealth with those less fortunate. Jesus always looked after the poor, sick and those in trouble so I want to follow his example."
Gail was speaking during the visit from the Rev Samuel Stephens, President of IGL, who was in Sydney this month with his wife Prathi.
They visited parishes to raise support for IGL's work in evangelism, training and church planting and its economic and medical programs.
Mr Stephens visited St Andrew's Cathedral last Wednesday and spoke at the healing ministry service.
He also visited All Saints', Nowra, St Thomas' Moorebank, St Anne's, Merrylands, St Martin's, Kensington, St Alban's, Lindfield, St Clements's, Mosman and Merrylands Arabic Presbyterian Church.
Mr Stephens is reporting back to the Archbishop of Sydney's Overseas Relief and Aid Fund (ORAF) and All Saints', Nowra on the progress of work.
The team from All Saints' arrived in India soon after the Boxing Day tsunami and helped in relief efforts at a coastal Hindu village amongst other ministries during their 18-day stay.
Under the leadership of Rector Gavin Wilcox, the church has committed to raise $100,000 over five years to "Adopt-A-Village' affected by the tsunami.
Close to $70,000 has been raised and the money is being distributed through ORAF to the village of Anuchankuppam.
According to ORAF, the village has already experienced significant transformation through the support from Sydney Anglicans.
Meanwhile, a group of 15 members from St Thomas’, Moorebank is planning a two week mission trip to India in January to work with IGL, visiting sister churches and areas affected by the tsunami.
http://www.iglworld.org/
