Peru: Days 6 & 7

Day 6:  Thursday morning was our off-morning, so we walked to the Inca Market and took in the sights while buying the place out of Alpaca blankets, silver jewelry and other essential items. After a wonderful lunch in Miraflores at Atthos Restaurant we headed back to the church for more sewing ministry work. Again, the ladies were quick studies and knocked out several projects before stopping to have a ladies' spa night. It was a time of fellowship, care and laughter as our women cared for the ladies of the village. Due to the generosity of the people at First Baptist Norfolk, each of the 25 women girls were able to take home a sample kit of shampoos, lotions and other beauty items. To watch the delight on their faces and in their eyes as they walked out with their gifts was truly a blessing for us! 

Day 7:  Today the team met for the last time at the church prior to heading out for some targeted evangelism.  The team split into two teams and visited the homes of some of the families that had accepted Jesus after being seen at the clinics earlier in the week. It was a humbling experience to be welcomed into someone's home and treated as an honored guest. We had the pleasure of answering questions about this new religion they had given their hearts to, and along with giving them a new Bible written in Spanish, invite them to the 6pm church service later in the day. The team spent the entire day engaged in this ministry.  Back at the church, the service was another unforgettable experience, with Pastor Tito describing how far the church had come is just five short years while comparing and contrasting the parables of the sower found in Matthew and Luke. It was a great message and to top it off, the people of the church amazed us with beautiful gifts and handwritten letters!  Our last meal of the church was cooked one more time with love by the wonderful women of the church.  It was a family affair, marked by joy, laughter, gentle teasing, but mostly the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ. Tomorrow morning we board the plane to return home, but it will be a bittersweet moment as we say goodbye to the people of Peru and especially our new family in the Primero Iglesia de Villa El Salvadore.  

Of special note, this report would not be complete without singling out Pastor Tito and his wife, Mariane, Melissa, Blanca, Meche, Ruth, Marivel, Jose, Auturo, Julio, David, Xtian, and of course, Romel! They made every second we were there special, like we were forgotten family returning home once more.

See you when we get home!
The Peru Mission Team

Peru: Days 1-5

Day One:  The team arrived on Saturday morning to an amazing welcome at the airport from the members of the church we have come to serve. There were signs welcoming us, hugs to share and lots of excitement on both sides. After a quick stop at the hotel and a fantastic lunch, we headed directly to the mission field, visiting children at two different locations (Chivan and Brisas). Games were played, Bible stories were shared and songs were learned in both English and Spanish. It was an incredible start to the trip!

 

Day Two:  We were at church early Sunday, and once again, we were blown away by the spirit and open arms of the church members. Pastor Tito and the band did an incredible job praising the Lord and getting us all involved. The Pastor translated for Sam as he shared a message about coming to know Jesus. The church prepared an incredible meal for us and we enjoyed sitting down to a lunch full of fellowship and laughter. We were happy to hear that two people made professions of faith on Sunday. That evening, Pastor Tito and his wife Mariani showed us a local attraction, the National Water Park, which is in the Guinness Book of Records for having both the most complex set of water fountains as well as the highest single jet of water in a fountain. It was awesome!  The fountains were beautifully lit and many were interactive. We completely enjoyed the experience.

Day 3: Monday morning found us setting up our first medical/dental/vision clinic in the neighborhood of Brisas, in the home of one of the church members. Two Peruvian dentists and a Peruvian doctor and nurse came to help minister to the people that flocked to the clinic.  It was an incredibly long day, but many people were seen and most importantly, 23 people accepted Jesus and their Lord and Savior!

Day 4:  Tuesday we headed out once more to another missions center in Chavin, setting up in the home of another church member. Once again, it was another very long day that had many people treated for ailments they would not have had the opportunity to had seen otherwise. Children flooded the street outside the home and filled the air with laughter.  It was humbling to have the woman of the house invite us all to sit in her house and share our meal at lunch time. Again, the most amazing number the day was that another 23 came to know Jesus!

Day 5:  The last day of clinics finished up at the church in the morning. We were blessed one more day to have amazing Peruvian team members helping us by translating, filling in wherever required and basically modeling Christ's love. In the afternoon, the sewing ministry began after lunch and went until late in the evening as the ladies involved  were determined to finish as many projects as they could in one sitting!  We cannot say enough good things about Pastor Tito, Mariani and the people of this church. It has been an amazing trip to this point and we are praying for God's strength, courage and protection as we look to finish strong!

 

The Peru Mission Team

 

Montreal

Montreal Day 1 & 2
Wednesday is traditionally moving day in Montreal.  Our team along with four other teams moved 20 families most who were not Christians and unchurched.  Our team with help from 4 teens from another church moved 2 families amid an almost all day rainstorm.  Refrigerators, washers, dryers and stoves had to be moved up and down many flights of stairs; along with beds, sofas and all personal items.  One of the recipients, a single mother, was so thankful for our help. She wanted to know all about Le Contact Church who had showed her such love in her desperate need for help in moving.

Excellent day on Thursday. We painted the office facilities at le Contact church and built bookshelves.  Friday we will be at LaChapelle church doing various jobs at their new office facilities

South Dakota: Days 1-5

Day 1 - challenging first day of travel as we were delayed in Chicago due to a weather front moving through. Finally arrived at Foothills Community Baptist Church, in Piedmont, S.D., at 10 p.m. local time, or midnight Norfolk time.
       Even though it was a long day, the team remained composed and at peace that God was in control. The accommodations at this local SBC church were nice and we thank Pastor Bob Hower and the church family for their generous hospitality!

Day 2 - what a wonderful opportunity to worship this morning with this young church plant! The spirit of The Lord was greatly felt and experienced through songs and the message presented by Pastor Doug Hixson! It was also exciting to see how many young people and couples who were part of this ministry.

       After a shopping trip to Wal-Mart for our week's supplies, we headed back to our base in Piedmont for rest and preparation for the week's activities.

Day 3 - we began with a devotion and orientation at Connection Church's office in downtown Spearfish. After receiving instructions, we divided up into teams to deliver invitations to every house in the town of Sturgis. There are approximately 6,600 residents here so there would be around 2,000 homes to visit in three days!

       There are two objectives to providing block parties in this town, known primarily for hosting the largest, annual motorcycle rally in the world. They expect almost one million visitors during this year's rally, their 75th celebration.
      One objective is to connect with residents who are immediately looking for a church home. Spearfish is only about 15 miles away so it is close enough for folks to attend services with Connection Church there.
      The second objective would be to connect folks with a small group that is currently meeting in Sturgis. There has been identified a church planter for a new Connection church plant in the near future and it is important for him to connect with as many people in Sturgis as possible.
      Over 800 invitations were delivered through morning and afternoon visits. It was so encouraging, for the two teams who had traveled to S.D. on mission, to be greeted so warmly by the residents of Sturgis!
      The weather didn't cooperate well with the plans for the block party as it rained most of the day. However, it stopped for the two hours of the block party and we knew that even these details did not escape the mind of Christ. Those whom Christ wanted to be there came and were ministered to in a way that could not been accomplished had there been a large crowd.

Day 4 - after our daily devotions together, over 1,000 invitations were delivered through the two sessions of walking the streets of this community. Again it was so encouraging to see the receptivity of the residents and the many who accepted an invitation to pray for them, for many reasons.

      The weather was much better today even though there had been a high likelihood of rain for most of the day. As a result, we registered 322 people! Connection Church Spearfish and the local small group leaders made many meaningful contacts and fun was had by everyone!
       It was a joy to have to return to the nearest store twice to purchase more items for the party. We have been so blessed to have served with the wonderful folks from First Baptist Gruver, Texas, and all the folks associated with Connection Church!

Day 5 - another great start of the day as we had our daily devotion in our church group and then a large group devotion at the park where the block parties are being held. It was encouraging and inspiring to hear the testimonies of team members of divine appointments that God had provided to speak into the lives of those who are far from Him.

     Not sure how many invites were passed out today as we were trying to be sure all the homes had been visited. It has been a beautiful picture of the body of Christ as multiple churches have come together for Kingdom purposes!

India 2: Updates 4-6

Update 4:
Monday evening we went to the second fellowship and spent a few hours getting to know the translators and others from that group. A few non-followers also attended, and C2C along with many personal stories were shared. 

Tuesday we met with the fellowship leader and translators for lunch and discussed the history of the two slum areas where we would be going. Jacob, Candace, and the local m joined some local partners and shared with 30-40 women. They heard C2C as well as personal stories. Hannah, Megan, and I went with the other nationals to a different location and shared C2C and personal stories, and one of the girls who had been recently trained by our local m shared the story of Lazarus along with her story. There were 30-40 women there as well. 

Everyone had been jumping in and out of stomach sickness. Some had just gotten over last week's stuff, while others had recently acquired it or were still pushing forward with it since early on in the trip. Everyone had been careful to drink a lot of water, avoid unsafe foods, and make the most of our time. Our group has been solid; I couldn't ask for anything more. Tuesday night I ate something that disagreed with me, and I had a couple bouts of vomiting Wednesday. I decided I wasn't going to benefit the group for either sharing or translation that afternoon. So, during lunch with the translators I headed back to our hotel. 

Update 5:

The group came back Wednesday early evening and reported sharing many different stories with two slum communities. We went out again one last times Thursday and shared in three more houses using stories like the bleeding woman, the woman at the well, the paralytic, C2C, and personal stories. Some believers were among the people who heard, and after sharing we were encouraged to see how He had called them and how they have been growing. We prayed for the leaders of that group that evening, asking for increased faith, boldness, influence in their community, and provision to keep the work going strong. 

Friday, we shopped in the morning, debriefed in the afternoon, and the four of them were on a jet plane back to the homeland in the late evening. 

We thank the Lord that these two weeks have been filled with endurance to make it through long days, little sleep, health after sickness, protection, divine inspiration, many opportunities to share, fellowship with national followers, and invitations in homes of the lost. May these four carry what they have seen and done back with them, and may I use my final week to strengthen the fellowship here. 

Update 6:

The group was sent back, and I heard of their arrival to the states a few hours ago.

Immediately after dropping them off at the airport, I grabbed a taxi to the home where I was staying that night. My driver, Prav, was very helpful getting me situated, and we began an easy-going conversation about ourselves. For the first time, I was asked if I am from Afghanistan. Somewhere between the beard and speaking Hindi there was some confusion. Having cleared that up, we continued discussing life. Amongst some topics, Prav happened to mention a very short comment about God (a common comment I've heard from the locals). Since the door was open, I decided to walk right on in. 

I asked who he followed, and he said that I'm probably aware that there are many different deities here. He, however, believes there is truly only one. I found this interesting and asked if I could share a story with him. He politely and cheerfully gave me permission, and so I proceeded to share the most detailed of my testimony I've yet to convey to any Indian in Hindi. As I explained sin I formerly had in my life, one in particular seemed to strike a chord with him. Immediately, his demeanor changed, and I became concerned this might not go in the direction I desired. I continued, explaining the feeling of being trapped in sinful things and without strength to remove them from my life. I felt like a slave and desperate. I talked about JC's role in changing my heart, being one who hears my cry for help and listens, and the one who is patient and forgives.

Prav turned to me and said he was going to tell me something he hadn't told anyone else before. During the next few minutes I heard how he has struggled to be clean from a variety of wrong in his life. He said he prays every morning to God to stay away from these things, but afterward he proceeds to do them anyway. He asked if I would pray for him. I explained the good news and why JC came. I shared that my life change, freedom, and peace were not from myself but through JC Himself. I told him JC can give him new life that lasts forever, all he needs to do is believe, turn away from his acknowledged wrong, and commit to His way. Prav gave me his number and asked me to meet him again before I leave the country. He also asked me to intercede for him, which I did before we departed. He said before I left that he had so much happiness in talking with me. He'll probably never know how much happiness I had in talking with him. 

Please lift up Prav. He seems very close to knowing JC. The Father has clearly been opening His eyes. I seek to introduce him to one of my friends in town who could begin walking this wonderful journey with him.  

Praise Him for the amazing things He is doing among these people, all of which are far beyond my expectations.

 

 

India 2: Updates 1-3

Update 1:

The first two days were awesome. Tuesday we had a few hours of orientation, discussing culturally acceptable things to do, emergency plans, foods not to eat, etc. Afterward we went shopping for the girls to have culturally appropriate clothing. 

Wednesday we heard the story of a local believer who had massive life change through encountering Jesus. He shared about various times God provided for Him and his family despite hardship. It was beyond encouraging to see first hand what He has been doing in the lives of locals and specifically how He has been calling them to himself. This same man gave us a tour of some temples in town and explained some things about each one. 

We saw some things in the city during the afternoon, and that evening we went to the first Fellowship where we will be teaching for the remainder of this week. It's exciting to see their group. They are a great bunch of 20-30 year olds, and I can tell they're looking forward to both the training and getting into their communities. 

Thursday we had 30 minutes of worship in Hindi before starting the first training. Our teaching for the morning was on the good news itself, explained through a creation to JC (C2C) story format. Later we went into their communities and shared in homes with their neighbors. 

Update 2:

Friday was remarkable. We did the first lesson which Megan and I led. We allotted them time to practice with each other, and it turned out to be a great part of the day. While some worked through their understanding of Creation to JC (C2C), others came up and asked us questions they felt Hindus would ask them while they would be sharing. Their questions were really good, and it was exciting to see them thinking on their own and being so engaged in the training.

We broke up into 3 groups and went to 5 homes and 1 school between all of us. Hannah and I were in a group together. The local believers were hesitant to initiate conversation in the home, but after some assistance from us the convo got going, we asked some spiritual questions, and drew the national believers in to share. One girl and one guy shared the C2C story, and another guy shared a testimony of how his parents encountered JC and believed. I also shared my story, and we clearly explained that everyone has a choice after they hear about Him. We had made the choice to believe and follow Him, and the people who hosted us had the choice as well. 

We asked her what she thought about C2C and the testimonies she heard, and she said that these were important things that she will think on and consider for herself. She was very polite and listened intently, and I feel confident that she has a heart willing to consider this as truth. We mentioned the relationship that we have with the Father through JC's death and new life, and I think that was a new concept she is pondering. 

The nationals who went with us were encouraged and excited to have been faithful to share so many different things with her. Great stories came from the other groups as well, and we feel this is just the beginning of what the He will do for both this Fellowship and their community. A small number of the believers in this Fellowship struggle to communicate in English and need a translator. The woman which Hannah and my group talked to only spoke Hindi. The Father has been equipping me with what I need to share. He is so faithful.

Update 3:

Candace and Hannah did a great job teaching Friday. The lesson was solid, and we could see their personal stories getting refined as they practiced sharing with each other and telling those stories to the people who hosted us in homes. There was still hesitation for a good portion of the young adults to initiate conversation and share, but we saw improvement from the first day. One thing we noticed that day was many of the young adults felt the locals who were hosting us wanted to hear our stories, not theirs. It seemed they felt disabled to share because of this. Our team discussed this, and with honesty and love we addressed it in the next training day. 

Saturday, Jacob taught the paralytic story and showed how to use it to explain the good news. He did a good job ensuring they heard all the important elements of the story and showed how we relate to the paralyzed man. They practiced sharing the story after the lesson, and in this final day of training we saw they had found the groove of reviewing the old lesson, hearing the new lesson, and practicing to apply it. Many of them shared this story out in homes that day, and others include the C2C and personal stories from the other lessons. 

That evening after returning from the homes we had a party to celebrate the week. After playing some games, we all shared what was impactful or eye opening from the training. About 5 of them shared that they had never had a youth camp or training session like this. They said it was fun, but more importantly it was a series of lessons they remembered and used. One girl shared that we were different than all of the other people who had come to teach because we invested in their lives. By spending a lot of time with them, learning about them, and going out into the community with them, they wanted to learn what we had come to teach. We went over our anticipated departure time that evening by about an hour or so, but that particular time to hear them debrief the week was, as someone said, "The best way to spend too much time." 

Yesterday we got about 3-4 hours of sleep to head early to the Taj Mahal. It was a really great trip, which included a guide, great photos, and shopping. We had enough time before leaving to visit Agra Fort as well, another major landmark of the area. 

Today, we rest. It has been a long week. Between teaching, translators, sickness, late nights, and little sleep, we need to recover and regroup. Tonight we meet the next bunch of people from a new fellowship in town. This week will be very different than the one before. A good number of the young adults spoke English in our last location. In addition, we had about 6 hours with them every day between training and hanging out before going into homes. This week there is no training since the Ms who are hosting us completed the training a few weeks back. There is also no down time in the afternoon to spend with the majority of this fellowship. Lastly, we expect none of them to speak English apart from the translators. We will have lunch each day with those translators and then meet anyone who will join us before going into slum communities to share with houses of peace (Luke 10). Our goal last week was to equip and encourage the locals to share and assist when they had difficulty. Our goal this week is to be the ones to share through our translators.  

Please pray we stay strong from temptation, healthy from sickness, rested from fatigue, united as a team, and seeking what He wants from this week. Please pray for the translators to be wise and identify situations that are safe and those that are not in these slum areas. Pray they are empowered and encouraged to share as well. Lastly, pray those who host us will hear, receive, turn, and follow with great faith. May the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia Updates - on Day 1 we arrived late on Saturday evening, actually early Sunday morning, in the Capitol city and plans were already made for numerous Sunday meetings.
     After a day of meetings, we held our first coffee house gathering. Those who seemed to be closest to coming to Christ were invited to this meeting. After two testimonies, by two new believers from this country, a Gospel message was shared and four university students made professions of faith! This was such a glorious culmination of as much as three years of sharing with these students.
     Each of these new believers was asked to meet with us before we left to discuss next steps and to meet with local church leaders.

Day 2 - again, numerous meetings were scheduled with students and the local missionaries. It is always encouraging to hear how God is moving in the country through the eyes of our local missionaries and their national partners.

     In the evening, we had a second coffee house gathering but this time the invitation was sent to a larger group of students. Some of the invitees were friends of friends who had never heard the Gospel. Due to this being a national holiday week, this second evening was poorly attended. However, as always is the case, we trusted that those whom The Lord desired to attend were in attendance.
     Again a couple of testimonies were shared by relatively new believers. These stories were very encouraging to hear as they also included the difficulties of openly living out their faith, especially with parents.
     Even though the attendance was low, we trust our time together was encouragement for the students as they continue in their faith journey.

Day 3 - we left the Capitol early this morning for a trip to the northern part of the country. We were blessed with a shorter trip via a smaller shuttle bus that was about four hours less than by train.

     After lunch, we began a three hour trek to the village where we would be staying for the next three days. This is the location of our adopted, unreached/unengaged people group. We stayed in the home of our third family member from the family of peace which provided another opportunity to begin a spiritual conversation with them.

Days 4 & 5 - we had beautiful weather in this location, high in the mountains. It rained a short period on the third day but otherwise was absolutely breathtaking as we were saturated in the beauty of God's creation.

     We were greatly encouraged to find the local house church, of a neighboring tribe, was advanced in the building of its new church! We pray that this church will continue to serve as a lighthouse, not only to its own tribe but will reach out to the tribes that are considered unreached.
     It continues to amaze us how God orchestrates events so that His name is proclaimed. Whether it was in restaurants, or in the village Homestay, conversations were readily available that quickly moved to spiritual ones. We trust that even these seeds will develop and grow to a wonderful harvest!

Day 6 - this day was consumed mostly by travel but still provided great connections. May God continue to raise up spiritual leaders in this country where it will someday be known as a Christian nation. That may seem an impossible dream but we serve a God that is still in the miracle business!

 

Philippines

The team arrived early morning on April 19th and not much time before our first worship at New Hope Christian Fellowship, in Cainta Rizal. It was a wonderful time of worship and great to reconnect with so many friends again! It was the largest gathering I think I have ever seen at the church.

     In the evening we participated in the Sunday youth service. It was inspiring to see approximately 70 young people come together and pour out their love and adoration for The Lord. Our college students, from Malaysia, served on a panel to discuss purity and provided great insights and encouragement to the youth.

Day 2 - we are beginning our VBS program an hour earlier this year, at 8 a.m.! It is a little early, especially for our four young team members, but the street children are always waiting no matter what time you start. They are always so excited to participate in the program and pour out their love and appreciation without inhibitions. What a joy to see such unbridled enthusiasm and energy! Each day ends with feeding the children a wonderful meal. One young boy was asked if he had enough food and he responded, "no, but it was the best meal I have ever had!"

Day 3 - another great day of VBS and the numbers keep increasing. Due to space limitations, the church strives to keep the daily number of children to about 125 - 130. No child is denied an opportunity to participate but it makes it a significant challenge to accommodate more children in tight spaces. With temperatures in the high 90's and high humidity, the team doesn't have a lot of energy at the end of each VBS session but team members have been greatly encouraged by the children, the Pastor, and all the volunteers!

     We had plans to go to a local squatter village late afternoon but torrential rains prevented us from going. It is one of the most flood-prone areas in Metro Manila. We will try again tomorrow.
     Curt had an opportunity to visit a clinic under construction and run by an amazing young woman from Romania. She attends New Hope and we are part of her prayer team and exploring ways we can assist her in this endeavor, to care of the physical and spiritual needs of this community. It is going to be a wonderful center, when it is finished, and needs a roof before the real monsoon season begins. Please join this dear sister, Alina Voda, in praying for a divine blessing to provide a roof in the near future.

Day 4 - another great day of VBS in the morning as the children began to look at the life of Jesus. Children were very engaged in the stories, crafts, music and games planned for the day. The children were fed and sent home happy and prepared to share with their families all the things they experienced.  The combined efforts of the pastor's family, the church volunteers, and the First Baptist team were a blessing and appreciated by the children.

     In the afternoon, we visited a nearby, squatter village where some of the children lived in very impoverished conditions. We provided a group mime, a Bible story, and a women's program. The families were then provided a meal.

Day 5 - this was the final day of VBS and was filled with mixed emotions. It was a joy to see the attentiveness, by the older children, to the Gospel presentation as well as the amazing response at the invitation.

     We are thankful, that in the midst of challenging lives, these children experienced a happy and joyful time for the week. We believe they will remember our time together and understand the real reason for our being with them - Jesus our Savior!
     As always, the children blessed us far more that we feel we blessed them. We will never forget the smiles, the hugs, and the games we shared together.

Day 6 - on Saturdays, New Hope provides a program called Super Kids. It was designed to increase their Bible knowledge, strengthen their academics, and provide a safe haven for the children. It was our pleasure to join them on our last morning in the Philippines and we were thankful to see many of the children from the week's VBS.

      Approximately 300 children joined in the music, Bible stories, and games. This continues to be a wonderful outreach ministry by this local church. They are making a significant impact in the lives of these children many would consider throw-aways. We know, of course, that no one is a throw-away in the Father's eyes.

Spain: Day 3-4

Day 3 - After a morning devotion time at the local church, we traveled to another city (Ripollet) to visit with a partner church. It was great to spend time with Pastor Marcos and to hear the vision to reach Spain for Christ. There are over 2,000 cities and towns in Spain without an evangelical church!

In The evening, Pastor Vernig presented discipleship training at Inglesia Evangelista Mon Bui, the local church. We were greatly pleased as there were 26 people who came out for the training! It was wonderful to see how the members of this growing church plant were soaking in every word that was being shared by Pastor Vernig.

We believe this small, but growing, new congregation has the opportunity to impact their community in a powerful way for The Lord Jesus!

Day 4 - Again, after morning devotions, we travelled to the city of Terrassa. Here there are two evangelical churches that are doing a wonderful job of reaching the diversity found in this state: the nationalistic Catalonians, the Spanish, the Latin Americans who have moved here, as well as a sizable Muslim population from North Africa.

The President of the Spanish Baptist Convention, Andreu Garcia, serves as pastor of Inglesia Evangelista De Terrassa. We had a wonderful meeting, hearing from the convention perspective, what is believed necessary to reach the people of Spain. Pastor Garcia and this church are doing amazing things to reach the diverse populations in this city and we wanted to see first-hand what has been proven successful in this context.

We also visited an outreach center where a ministry to Muslim women was proving to be very successful as well.  Walls were being broken down so the Good News could be shared and hearts were softening to hearing about Jesus. 

In the evening, Pastor Vernig led the second night of discipleship training. Again there was a group who had braved the rain and cold to be a part of this critical training. There were 24 who joined us for the evening!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spain: Day 1-2

Day 1 -We arrived in the early morning on Tuesday, March 17th, and then traveled about an hour north of Barcelona to Margarita Santa Montbui. This is the town where Inglesia Evangelista La Cruz is located and were we would serve with Pastor Joel.

After coffee and orientation, we were able to get about three hours of rest before time to leave for the evening worship service. It was a wonderful time of celebrating our Lord with brothers and sisters in Christ!

Day 2 - our day started with a time of devotion at the church with the team from the church and our American team. Pastor Joel led a very encouraging lesson on the Prodigal Son with a view on the older brother's perspective.

We then went into the neighborhoods passing out invitations to the church services. One street encounter led to a home visit where four family members made a re-dedication to The Lord! It was certainly a divine appointment as the family was struggling with the father's battle with cancer. Many tears were shed as hearts were broken before God.
 

This family joined us in the evening for the service! For the second night in a row, the church was full. Thankfully they have rented the adjoining space which will allow the church to have a larger sanctuary as the church continues to grow.

Another visit resulted in a woman making a decision to follow Christ for the first time! She had been very angry at God because her husband had died from a heart attack four years earlier. The Holy Spirit moved through the reading of scriptures by the team and she finally agreed to lay her brokenness at the feet of Jesus and surrender her life to the Father.

But God was not through. During the evening service, a young woman came forward to give her life to The Lord! What a joy it was to see this young church plant embrace a new believer and our team was excited to be part of God's plans for this community!

 

 

India 1. Day 6-9

Day 6 - we had the pleasure to spend time with some of our wonderful IMB missionaries as well as our India Baptist Society partners today. These meetings were very informative and encouraging! Missionaries from both organizations are serving in amazing ways to reach the country of India for the Kingdom through great personal sacrifices.  We leave this evening for a 12-hour, overnight bus ride to the north of this state. Then it will be another hour and a half car journey to the village where we will participate in a two-day leadership/family conference. Please pray for safety in travel, health of our team, and an outpouring of God's Spirit on every participant!

Day 7 - plans were in place for approximately 80 people and more than 100 came today! Praise God for allowing so many to join us as we shared a lot on evangelism, family training, and discipleship.
We were privileged to hold the conference on the grounds of a boys' orphanage. What an amazing experience it was to interact with these children, who were obviously exposed to great love and care from the director and his staff. There are 80 boys, through age 16, at this center and how they were loved was so evident in the way they loved God and each other.
We had four sessions today mixed with wonderful times of worship! What a joy it was to see these brothers and sisters-in-Christ worship without any inhibitions to our Lord.
As always seems to be the case, we planned for certain things and God led us in different directions as He guided us in areas that appeared to meet the needs of those in attendance. Two of our sessions were strictly on evangelism and we loved seeing everyone soak in scripture and principles on living the mission.
The other two sessions for the day involved demonstrating Christ-likeness through how we love our families. This is a topic that is huge in this culture as wives are sometimes viewed in less than high standards. It should have been clear how the men of the church, especially the pastors, should love and honor their wives as Christ loves the church.
There was very good feedback during and after the sessions as men and women gathered around to discuss things related to ministry!  We finished the day with a sweet time of corporate worship. It has been a long day since arriving early this morning, conducting four training sessions, and then an evening time of worship but it has been a glorious day of serving and being served!

Day 8 - we had four more sessions today and then prepared for the journey back to our base city. Again we felt God leading and guiding as we continued with evangelism and family training.
It was beautiful to see how God orchestrated everything as our team presented the material and Brother Subba Rao, India Baptist Society (IBS) Director, explained and expanded on things in order to have them relate to the culture. Everything that has been said about this dear brother cannot capture His heart and love for God and those far from God. We are blessed as a church to have such gifted partners here and around the world!
One of the great experiences on the mission field is to see how our guests are willing to sit and soak up every bit of information they can receive to impact lostness. It makes our commitment seem so small in comparison to the blessings we receive as we seek ways to be more effective in reaching the nations for Christ!
The day began when several men joined us on the porch for an impromptu, early morning session. It was a very special time for us as we heard their questions and comments regarding difficulties they were experiencing in reaching their communities for Christ. We discovered that 6-8 of these young men had been led to The Lord by another young man sitting alongside them! They were so enthusiastic about the things of God and how they could use their great sense of urgency to make a difference in their country.
It is always hard to leave such a place where God has brought us to serve. Saying goodbye to pastors, husbands, wives, children, and the orphans was SO difficult. When our car was leaving the compound, the orphan boys lined up on two sides to wave and say goodbye! Our hearts were touched by this beautiful display of respect and love.

Day 9 - much of the day was spent resting from our overnight trip back to the city and preparing to leave early the next day. However, there were two very special events that took place as we looked to our return home.
First, we had the pleasure to spend a little time with Rebecca Naylor. Rebecca came to Bangalore many years earlier and helped build Bangalore Baptist Hospital into a well-known healthcare facility. This facility has served the needs of the community as well as been a beacon of light in a very dark place. Praise God for what He has done through Rebecca to enhance and enlarge the Kingdom!
We finished our day, and this trip, with one last stop at a children's home. This is one of three facilities that Brother Subba Rao and IBS are currently supporting.
In a country where children are generally reluctant to interact quickly to outsiders, we were overwhelmed with the warmth and love exhibited from these children. Many of them are just throw-aways. Not loved or cared for by anyone but God and this wonderful couple who work so hard to provide a home for, "the VERY least of these!"
We sang, played games, and (embarrassing as it was) danced the night away with these beautiful, loving children! We will NEVER forget these faces and pray that God will allow us the opportunity to see and serve them again.

As with every mission journey, we continue to be transformed by God's love for His creation and His plan to allow us the privilege of serving in this journey, for His glory!

 

 

India 1: Day 3-5

Day 3 - we had the pleasure of providing leadership training for pastors and lay leaders today. They were expecting 40 to 45 and there were at least 65 in attendance! It was a wonderful combination of worship and training and of course, Kevin and I were probably far more blessed than the nationals attending. What a joy it has been serving alongside Pastor Subba Rao, our coordinator from the India Baptist Society (IBS).

Day 4 - today we visited two forest villages and met with village leaders as well as shared Bible stories. There was a serious need in the first village for water and it would be a relative low cost to make the connections so we made the commitment to Pastor Subba Rao, through IBS, to provide these funds to provide a continuing means to reach this village in evangelistic efforts.
We finished our day by doing a mini-VBS in a neighboring town. The children were so enthusiastic and interactive and we again were greatly blessed to be a part of Kingdom work with a local pastor.

Day 5 - today, Sunday, we were privileged to participate in a worship service in a local house church. There was such a sweet spirit and God moves in amazing ways! In a room that should seat maybe 20 comfortably, there were perhaps 55 to 60! We have been so convicted to see the brokenness among the Christians here. To see how earnestly they have bowed their hearts and knees before The Lord has been humbling. I had to ask myself how long it had been since I was so broken in my own life.
We finished the day by stopping in to see two additional families where worship took place among families and friends! Thank you Jesus for allowing us the privilege to be part of worship here, where it seems to mean so much more than it does for us at home sometimes.
Please pray for us as we leave tonight for an overnight bus trip to the north of this state, 350+ miles away. Please continue to pray for our health and safety, especially as I struggle to eat the spicy foods that are so common.
Most importantly, be in prayer for the leadership of this country to provide the freedom to serve and to share The Lord, Jesus Christ!

Kevin & Curt

 

India 1. Day 1 & 2

India 1. 

After a long layover in NYC and a couple of long flights, we arrived safely and on time in Bangalore.  We arrived at the guest house around 4:30 a.m. and tried to get some rest before starting our day with our Indian coordinator.

Tomorrow, we leave at 5:30 a.m. to begin a four hour trip to the forest as our coordinator keeps saying, ha.  Not quite sure what this means but we trust completely in the Lord's protection and provision.

Please pray for these next three days of leadership training and evangelistic services.  Pray for the health and safety of our entire team.  But most of all, pray that God will do those things that only He can do to shine His Light in the darkness that is everywhere around us.

We are so thankful for our church family as you stand in the gap on our behalf!  We are praying for you as well.

For HIS Glory & By HIS Grace!
Bangalore, India Team