India 2012 Day 1
Our first day of ministry in Rajahmundry begins with little opportunity for rest after 36 hours of travel, but the team is fired up and ready to get started. We hit the ground running with a crusade on the evening our arrival.
A lesser team of people would have preferred more time to recover after a day and a half of long layovers and longer flights, but this is no ordinary bunch. We left Pasco, WA at 11:30 on Monday morning, landed at Seattle and waited a few hours before boarding our 14 ½ hour flight to Dubai. A short layover in the UAE, and we continued our journey with a quick 4 hour jump into Chennai, India. The anticipation began to build as the team became acquainted with the heat, the smell, and the sounds of India.
Immediately after recovering our baggage, we crossed over from the international to the domestic terminal, where we obtained our tickets for the trip up north to Rajahmundry. The baggage restrictions are a little tighter on these smaller planes, so we ended up paying an extra $100 to get all of our bags checked in. A small price to pay when you take into consideration that we had three large suitcases packed with medical supplies for the mission hospital. They were donated to us by the East Meets West Foundation, and as of yet we had to spend no money to get them this far. There were some Indian people in line behind us who watched in horror as I happily paid the fees, having no idea as to the value of the luggage I was paying to transport.
After 4 ½ hours of waiting around the terminal, we hopped onto the plane and traveled to Hyderabad, where we had one last layover before a quick flight into Rajahmundry, where Dr Kumar and Jean Mary greeted us with a warm welcome. All summed up, our travel time was exactly 36 hours from the moment we left the ground in Tri Cities.
I am proud to report to you that this wonderful team of evangelists spent their time digging into God’s word and preparing for the ministry that lay before them. Observing their dedication to apply themselves to study actually made me feel somewhat guilty for the entertainment I personally indulged in and inspired me to spend more time in preparation and prayer myself. It is a great joy to have people around you who’s lives challenge you and encourage you as iron sharpens iron.
With a large team comes a large amount of luggage, so it took a little while to settle our things in at Kumar’s place, but we fit nicely into the space provided for us. 6 men are sleeping in one room, while the 5 women are in a separate room, each with its own attached bathroom and shower. Dr. Kumar and Jean Mary are extremely hospitable and will settle with nothing but offering their guests their very best. We are humbled by their tireless efforts to make us comfortable.
When we arrived at the meeting place for the crusades, the road was so full of trucks and rickshaws that we had to wait for them to clear the way for our vehicle to make it to the stage. The transportation for the people to come to hear the message was provided completely by our fundraising efforts back home, so it was a great moment to see the reaction on the faces of the team as they began to see with their own eyes the value of all those dollars raised. The amazement and looks of awe were added to as we rounded the corner and entered the crusade grounds. The darkness and quietness of the roadside gave way to the bright lights of the crusade and the loud music thundering through the village, as thousands of people were gathered, worshiping and raising their hands to heaven in praise. We climbed up onto the stage and joined them in worship, having no idea what the words were, other than the occasional “Hallelujah!”
After giving an introduction of the team, complete with garlands and traditional Indian welcome, our crusade began with Ryan Orozco opening in prayer, followed by Bryan Raeder taking a few moments to give an encouraging word. Then Zach Smith shared for about 10 minutes before Billy K preached the message of the gospel. When the call to salvation was made, all of heaven rejoiced as nearly the entire crowd stood to their feet without hesitation, and called upon the name of the Lord for forgiveness of their sins. It takes your breath away when you see so many people so eager to embrace Jesus Christ. As Kumar once told me, if you can just get a hindu to listen to the gospel, they will almost always get saved. Tonight was no exception, as thousands of people cried out in prayer for their names to be written in the book of life.
I have been enjoying watching the faces of the team throughout the trip as they see and experience firsthand what God is doing In India. This was another moment where I watched as it began to settle in to them the magnitude of what they are involved in and what God is using them for. That combined with the joy of seeing so many people enter life was difficult for me to contain.
As we traveled back to Kumar’s place, we talked about the meeting and spent considerable time in prayer for the crusades, for the believers and for the pastors. Now there are 10 more people who understand my over-use of the expression, “Fired up!” Its hard not to be when you are a part of something so powerful that the Lord is doing. We are not just going through the motions in Christian ministry, we are engaged in an epic battle, the ramifications of which will echo for eternity, and the objectives of our warfare are not temporary things like silver or gold, but the eternal souls of real men women and children, each of which is infinitely more valuable than anything else by comparison.
It is an honor and a privilege to be used by God and to be covered in prayer by all of our wonderful supporters back home. Thank you for your involvement in whatever capacity has been, whether by prayer of financial support. We share our joy with you.
I would add pictures for you but the internet here is far too slow for uploading. pictures will come next week!