about HEAVEN...

Last night, I went to a meeting where a New Zealand missionary to India was sharing INCREDIBLE testimonies about what God is doing in their orphanage (children's home) in India!

After an excruciating time of persecution (you may have heard of the killings of hundreds of Christians in Orissa), they have now been experiencing an "open heaven" for the past 8 months - and still going strong.

I won't go into details, but as soon as they start worshiping God or praying, the children's spirits "go" to heaven and have the most incredible times there - with angels and Jesus and even Bible characters like King David, Queen Esther and Noah.

You might think this sounds crazy, but, believe me, it's not! It's just purely wonderful!

The children relate back to the adults what they have seen and experienced and it totally lines up with the Bible! They talk about stuff they could never make up and didn't know before.

Just a few things about that wonderful place called heaven, according to the children:

• it is of stunning beauty! there are mountains, waterfalls, bridges of gold, streets of gold, a breath-taking garden, trees, etc

• it is filled with LOVE, SINGING, WORSHIP
  

• There are all kinds of animals in heaven. it's like a zoo, except for all the animals being free, tame (and able to speak!) - - - Kids ride on lions and zebras etc (they described the zebras as horses that are striped black and white) They have a very limited world view and don't even know that most of these animals exist. But from their description, the adults around know what they're talking about.

Kylie was especially excited about the animals, since she LOVES animals and she is thrilled at the thought of being able to play with all the animals freely

• the kids have an absolute blast - they LOVE it!
  
• heaven is a place filled with LOVE, FUN and laughter!
• the kids play in heaven - hopscotch - build little huts etc
  
• there's snow in heaven and they're having heaps of fun with it - and it's not even cold!
• they eat fruit and drink water. The fruit tastes SOOOO amazing!!!
• they can walk on water - or swim - or dive with the fish
• they can play instruments without ever having learned them - and the instruments don't only make sounds, but have smell and colour exuding from the music...
  
• they can speak languages to communicate with other people that they've never learned
• they recognize their dead relatives, but are way more enthralled with JESUS
• they get to sit on Jesus' lap and his INTENSE love is lavished on them - he even plays with them and gives them kisses on their foreheads.
  

There's way more - it is absolutely fascinating and completely credible (you'd agree if you'd heard all the details)

Sure puts things in perspective - - - and makes me pray for other suffering children to have the same experiences - what comfort, what healing, what hope!!!

And I can't wait to see all this for myself, too - yay!!!

For now, though, we walk by faith - and not by sight. That's fine with me - for now!