India 2012 Days 3,4

Day 3,4

We started the days off with a team devotion time.  Everyone here is taking the ministry very seriously, and we all want to be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is telling us.  It has built good team cohesion to seek the Lord together every day.

We had pastors’ conferences all day on both Friday and Saturday.  On both days, the team split up.  The women and two of the men spent the day with Jean Mary at different churches ministering to women believers and to orphan children, while Steve, Billy and two of the men spent the day at the pastors’ conference.  The first day, Kyle and Bryan went to the pastors’ training, and on the second, Zach and Ryan.

Both of these ministries are very important.  The women need good encouragement from other women, and the children, who are considered unlucky or cursed by the hindus, are very blessed by the time and the love given to them by the team.

The setting at the meeting place for the pastors’ seminars was incredible. We were in the open air, in the middle of a strict hindu village, with the speakers blasting out the teaching all day long. We sat upon a stage with about 200 plus pastors in rows of 10. On either side of us were streets lined with homes, with people steadily walking by about their business, some of them curious enough to hang around for a few moments to listen in. What was great about it is that we didn’t hide in a corner somewhere, but rather, we boldly met right in the heart of the enemy’s camp.  Here we were in the middle of a village somewhere in India, training men who give their lives and sacrifice to the ministry in ways that we in America never have or probably ever will. It’s very humbling, but at the same time, we know that God’s word applies to them the same as it does to us.

The pastors need good training if they are to continue to reach the Indian people, and to make disciples of the new converts.  We come once a year and have good success with the crusades, but ideally we want the Indian people to reach the Indian people and also to have a strong foundation of biblical knowledge to continue the ongoing ministry of making disciples and build the church.  It is a real blessing to have Steve on the team this year because he brings so much wisdom and experience from many years of study and pastoring Calvary Chapel.

Obviously Steve has much more to offer the pastors than anyone else on the team, so he taught seven of the eight teaching sessions, while Billy taught for one session to give him some relief.  The pastors were all very attentive and took notes.  Kumar was happy and told us that this was the best teaching they have gotten at a pastors’ meeting yet.  He said the teaching was very clear and would be very useful for them to apply in their ministries. This made us extremely happy and blessed to know that the Lord was using our efforts in mighty ways.

By the time the meetings were over on both days, the girls were already back home and enjoying fellowship when we arrived at about 9:00.  We shared with each other all the wonderful things that had happened during the day and how the Lord had worked.  We were very tired already, but this isn’t much of a surprise when you consider we were out in 100 degree weather all day long.

We have already finished our first four days of ministry in Rajahmundry, and are eagerly anticipating what the Lord will do in the next few days before we fly out to Chennai.  Everyone came excited for the Lord to work through them, but I am also excited to see the Lord working in them as well.  Thank you again for your faithfulness to commit us to prayer.