India 2016

We are on the last few days here in India. After finishing up the teaching at YWAM Tiruchurappali, we took a midnight bus down to Coimbatore. It was a actually a new experience for me here in India. We arrived at the area where the buses leave, and it was so chaotic it was almost scary. Loads of buses and people honking and shouting and pushing their way around, and here there are two white guys in the middle of it all trying to figure out where they are supposed to be. Luckily for us, the bus was an hour late.

It was supposed to be a five hour ride, but the driver was a bit of a maniac, which trimmed it down to about 4 hours. We were dropped off at a nondescript corner in the middle of the night in Coimbatore. No identifying marks that it was even a bus station. Just the average corner of the slums. 4 a.m. Our hosts in Coimbatore picked us up and we were able to get a few hours of sleep and a shower before a 12:00 meeting with the leadership team from a local church, where we spoke on leadership principles and team building.

Sunday morning, Kyle spoke at a local church to about 50 people, and Billy spoke in the evening at City Rock Church to about 60 people. Then Monday morning we caught a flight back to Chennai, took a few hours rest, and drove to Chengalpet for a pastors meeting, where we taught on the subject of the results of pride and humility in ministry.

Tuesday, we drove 3 hours to Pondicherry to speak to another group of about 60 pastors on the importance and methods of evangelism, and how to train people in their church to do the work of reaching the world. Wednesday, we had another pastors meeting with about 30 pastors in Chennai. They have a fellowship called SCY (South Chennai Youth pastors fellowship) This was the 5th time in the last 6 years that we have gotten these guys together for a meeting, so these were all familiar faces to me. Kyle taught on finances in ministry, and I spoke on the importance of having long term vision or long term goals in ministry.

Although we have had the most meager budget of all the India trips I have ever gone on, we have had the most packed out schedule and I have been doing the most speaking. We have been doing a lot of equipping young leaders, encouraging the churches, teaching at YWAM, and pastors fellowships. The only actual evangelistic outreach we have done was the crusade, which turned out to be very effective for that village.

Our last two days are going to be busy as well. Tomorrow we have another large pastors meeting, at which we are supposed to be speaking on the topic of evangelism, and Friday morning we have a new church dedication, followed by a visit to some gypsy people, and then another meeting with 20 or so leaders from another local church here in Chennai. Then we head to the airport by midnight because our flight out of here leaves at 3 a.m.

I know this was probably long and boring but I wanted to give you a quick rundown on the ministry here in India. Next week I should have some more typical blogs up for you!
Blessings, and thanks for your continued prayers as our goal is to finish strong!