Greetings from India! Our tiny team finds itself at rest right now, which is fitting as it is the Lord's Day, a day of rest and reflection. Though it is only the second full day for Paula, David and myself (Lindsay) there is already much to reflect upon.
We arrived slightly behind schedule due to a takeoff delay in Frankfurt at about 3 AM. Though it was very late (or early depending on how you relate) we were thrilled to have made it safely and relatively quickly to India. All of our baggage was procured and we left the building excited and ready. Of course, our host was waiting patiently for us outside and greeted us enthusiastically with handshakes and hugs, as if we had been old friends. We were so thankful that he gave up his evening to come and bring us to the guesthouse personally!
The drive to the guesthouse was about 45 minutes, but sadly the darkness of night allowed very little window-watching. However, the drive did give us a nice immersion into Indian driving customs. Interestingly, the "crazy" driving not only has an intricate system of rules and etiquette, but also very closely resembles the traffic patterns of other places in Asia, Vietnam being foremeost in my mind. So, having said that, India immediately began to feel like home :).
After a few hours of sleep we joined a sweet "M" family at the guesthouse to break bread and share stories. Though brief, it was a pleasant balm for travel-weary pilgrims. How the Lord blesses us in such seemingly simple and unexpected ways!
We met later in the day with our host and received the rest of the details (interpretation: the other 90% of the details) we were lacking about the specifics of our schedule, which will be very full, hallelujah!We began that afternoon with a tour of the offices of the local ministry and a brief explanation of the details for the vision/plan that the local believers have produced for this area. I must say, if American believers would dedicate themselves to evangelizing their neighborhoods and towns with the relentlessness and abandon that the believers here do, what a different country this would be! We were floored by the love and the passion and the precise strategy developed by the believers here in order to reach their communities for Christ.
We finished off the day by going to a local mall to do a little shopping, half for supplies, half for Indian clothes :) After a few hours shopping, and what we like to call an "adventurous transportation experience" involving a taxi, two rickshaws and multiples phone calls and a few unsuccessful cross-lingual exchanges, we arrived back at the guesthouse for the night.
Today we ventured out to a local house church for worship. What a blessing! It is always humbling to visit the house churches of believers abroad, to see their faces, hear their worship though it be in tongues our ears cannot comprehend, and to be prayed over and blessed by those whose lives are so difficult by comparison. Yet how the difficulties and persecution have produced such a harvest! These brothers and sisters in Christ worship with passion and abandon unmatched, their voices blending with the few hand intruments they play, soaring stright to the Throne of Grace. They know the value of prayer, and though we cannot interpret the words you can quite literally hear the love and devotion in their voices.
Here in our city is is very common for women to have a special garland of white flowers tied into their hair (which is as voluminous as it is beautiful and shiny coal-black). At one point in the service today a group of young women, hair bedecked in waxy, white blossoms joined the worship and as they entered, the most beautiful and pungent perfume of flowers filled the tiny room, waves upon waves of delight that mixed with the songs as a fragrant offering to the King.
After the many thankful prayers and the most delicious homemade lunch (which, I am a little proud to say, was eaten in local style, i.e. with hands, by all our team without a single bite being spilled on our new ourtfits!) we got ready to head back to the guesthouse where I sit now filling you in.
Tomorrow will be a jam-packed ministry day as Paula and I set out a day for women. We will be sharing scripture and testimonies as well as making a salvation bracelet and doing a workshop on storying the bible in henna.
Please join us in praying big, meaty prayers for the church here in our city; that they may continue to fight the good fight and have endurance and faith. Pray that they would continue to be relentless for their lost neighbors and friends, sharing Christ with them at every opportunity. Please pray also for us as we embark on the women's minitry day tomorrow, that the ladies would be blessed and encouraged. "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests...always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for [us] that whenever [we] speak, words may be given [us] so that [we] will fearlessly make know the mystery of the gospel, for which [we] are ambassadors in chains." Ephesians 6:18-20
Stay tuned...more to come from India team 2!!
We arrived slightly behind schedule due to a takeoff delay in Frankfurt at about 3 AM. Though it was very late (or early depending on how you relate) we were thrilled to have made it safely and relatively quickly to India. All of our baggage was procured and we left the building excited and ready. Of course, our host was waiting patiently for us outside and greeted us enthusiastically with handshakes and hugs, as if we had been old friends. We were so thankful that he gave up his evening to come and bring us to the guesthouse personally!
The drive to the guesthouse was about 45 minutes, but sadly the darkness of night allowed very little window-watching. However, the drive did give us a nice immersion into Indian driving customs. Interestingly, the "crazy" driving not only has an intricate system of rules and etiquette, but also very closely resembles the traffic patterns of other places in Asia, Vietnam being foremeost in my mind. So, having said that, India immediately began to feel like home :).
After a few hours of sleep we joined a sweet "M" family at the guesthouse to break bread and share stories. Though brief, it was a pleasant balm for travel-weary pilgrims. How the Lord blesses us in such seemingly simple and unexpected ways!
We met later in the day with our host and received the rest of the details (interpretation: the other 90% of the details) we were lacking about the specifics of our schedule, which will be very full, hallelujah!We began that afternoon with a tour of the offices of the local ministry and a brief explanation of the details for the vision/plan that the local believers have produced for this area. I must say, if American believers would dedicate themselves to evangelizing their neighborhoods and towns with the relentlessness and abandon that the believers here do, what a different country this would be! We were floored by the love and the passion and the precise strategy developed by the believers here in order to reach their communities for Christ.
We finished off the day by going to a local mall to do a little shopping, half for supplies, half for Indian clothes :) After a few hours shopping, and what we like to call an "adventurous transportation experience" involving a taxi, two rickshaws and multiples phone calls and a few unsuccessful cross-lingual exchanges, we arrived back at the guesthouse for the night.
Today we ventured out to a local house church for worship. What a blessing! It is always humbling to visit the house churches of believers abroad, to see their faces, hear their worship though it be in tongues our ears cannot comprehend, and to be prayed over and blessed by those whose lives are so difficult by comparison. Yet how the difficulties and persecution have produced such a harvest! These brothers and sisters in Christ worship with passion and abandon unmatched, their voices blending with the few hand intruments they play, soaring stright to the Throne of Grace. They know the value of prayer, and though we cannot interpret the words you can quite literally hear the love and devotion in their voices.
Here in our city is is very common for women to have a special garland of white flowers tied into their hair (which is as voluminous as it is beautiful and shiny coal-black). At one point in the service today a group of young women, hair bedecked in waxy, white blossoms joined the worship and as they entered, the most beautiful and pungent perfume of flowers filled the tiny room, waves upon waves of delight that mixed with the songs as a fragrant offering to the King.
After the many thankful prayers and the most delicious homemade lunch (which, I am a little proud to say, was eaten in local style, i.e. with hands, by all our team without a single bite being spilled on our new ourtfits!) we got ready to head back to the guesthouse where I sit now filling you in.
Tomorrow will be a jam-packed ministry day as Paula and I set out a day for women. We will be sharing scripture and testimonies as well as making a salvation bracelet and doing a workshop on storying the bible in henna.
Please join us in praying big, meaty prayers for the church here in our city; that they may continue to fight the good fight and have endurance and faith. Pray that they would continue to be relentless for their lost neighbors and friends, sharing Christ with them at every opportunity. Please pray also for us as we embark on the women's minitry day tomorrow, that the ladies would be blessed and encouraged. "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests...always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for [us] that whenever [we] speak, words may be given [us] so that [we] will fearlessly make know the mystery of the gospel, for which [we] are ambassadors in chains." Ephesians 6:18-20
Stay tuned...more to come from India team 2!!
