India Mission Review - Part 1

The drive out and back to the small village church took about an hour each way; lots to see, smell and conversations to be had. I may soon forget most of that…but the hour and a half we spent there - I doubt I will ever forget!

The church was started by a graduate of the Missionary Training School that I have had the privilege of teaching at each visit to India; the pastor (Satish) had been one of my students! I didn’t remember seeing his face in the classroom a few years ago, but I do remember praying for him. You see, these men and women express their faith with complete devotion and service to Jesus (wouldn’t anything less be a contradiction?)

When these missionaries walk out with their training, they must rely upon God to lead and sustain them through some of the most difficult trials a person can face. What resources could they bring? Poverty! Family support? Unlikely! Knowledge and skill set to pastor? Limited! Welcome by villages? Hardly! But, that doesn’t stop these servants. That is why I remember praying! For, if the very power of God does not show up, if His angels don’t protect, if the Spirit doesn’t give them words, and if the forces of darkness are not beat down by our Lord of Hosts, then these servants are without hope! They need courage, endurance, God’s presence! They journey knowing what lies ahead, yet they continue in the hope that Christ will give them a harvest of souls, whose hearts have been opened by the Holy Spirit.

We had the great joy of doing church with these brothers and sisters in Christ; the fruit of God’s grace through the obedience and passion of one man…and His God.

The building was a small brick square, with a thatch roof and a dirt floor maybe 25 x 35 feet in size. The room was filled with young men, women and children, and a few western folks who were there special guests. I don’t know if there were 40 worshippers in that church, but the joyful noise and the passionate expression of their faith was inspiring!

I sat in the heat, blessing the God who cares and delights in the praises of His people…from every tribe and tongue and nation! I looked over and saw my daughter, Bethany, eyes wide open and amazed at the Godly animous of these believers. During the service they gave us the gift of a cold drink; hadn’t they given us enough! Then they wanted something from us…our prayers, our touch. How humbling! I had the privilege of praying over the widow, the infirmed, the smallest of children and their parents, to the next generation of leaders…and the pastor!

I have tried to describe some of what I experienced in just 4 hours of one day during this journey – I hope it gives a small glimpse into the rich experience that Bethany and I had, by the grace of God and prayers of friends like you. Our churches may not look like, smell like, or even sound like the church we visited on that day…but the same Spirit who walks among and indwells these Indian believers, walks among and indwells us. May we be encouraged to live with the same passion and dedication to our Savior, because anything less is a contradiction!