India: May '08 - Day Two

Sunday morning dawned (at 4:45 am) bright and hot! This is the hot season in India where the daytime temperatures average around 105 degrees. Pastor Daniel presented me with a gift of two new Indian outfits (I should have my luggage lost more often!), so I was ready to preach the Word!

We began the day with the Sunday worship service at Pastor Daniel’s. Again about 1000 gathered for an exuberant time of praise and worship. We blessed a newly married couple, and also a young couple celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary.

After some more worship, I spoke to the people about being ready to minister when the Lord called us, sharing the story from Acts 3 where Peter and John ministered to the paralytic man by stating, “Silver and gold we don’t have, but what we do have we give to you. In the name of Jesus stand up and walk!”

During the altar call and ministry time we were privileged again to see many come to the Lord for healing and prayer, and seeing the Lord move in their lives. I am humbled to be a part of what the Lord does in the lives of those who seek Him.

After lunch, we rested for a bit, and then began a journey to Jangaon for an evening crusade meeting. Along the way we stopped at Pastor Daniel’s Brother-in-law’s school for the ground breaking for a new three-story wing that is to be built. Pastor Daniel’s sister and her husband will be joining us for our trip to northern India for the crusades there.

Then that evening we held a crusade meeting and called many people to Christ, most of them Hindus. Again the Lord was gracious and we saw many come to faith in Jesus, and many healings and miracles.

A footnote: my luggage arrived! Monday consisted of a hot three hour trip back to the airport in Hyderabad, negotiating with the authorities to claim my stuff, and then returning through a few towns and cities that were having political rallies and protests, clogging the roads and making travel difficult. Eight hours later we returned.

This morning we went to exchange my US dollars into Rupees and to buy a few needed things, but all of the banks and business were closed due to the fact that one of the political candidates was assassinated last evening and the merchants are protesting by closing their shops. I chose an exciting time to come to India!