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 After years of prayer and sacrificial giving, SCC and partner ministry Central India Christian Mission have seen the Training Center of northeast India become a reality!
Located in the city of Siliguri, in the Darjeeling district of the state of West Bengal, this center will equip and mobilize messengers of God’s Word to a spiritually dark area of the world.
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Dates: September 16 - 27
Cost: $2,800
Team Leader: Sean Stewart
Trip Summary:
Our trip in September will be focused on the Training Center in Darjeeling. There will be opportunities for evangelism, teaching, and interacting with students and pastors.
The cost of the trip includes transportation, food, and lodging. The only things not included are immunizations, personal items and souvenirs.
Expectations:
Applicants will need to be in reasonably good physical condition and prepared to be flexible; India's a challenging environment where God many times uses us in ways we hadn't previously planned.
Documentation requirements:
You will need an India visa as well as a valid U.S. passport good for six months after the date of the trip. The SCC Missions team will apply for the team's visas all at the same time.
Immunization requirements:
The CDC is currently recommending the following immunizations: typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and B. The last two are a series and should be started as soon as possible. They can be obtained at the local health department.
Everyone who goes is required to take an anti-malarial medication before, during, and after the trip. This will be reviewed during team preparation meetings.
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CICM is located in the city of Damoh in the state of Madhya Pradesh and is reaching 14 major districts of India as well as the countries of Nepal and Bhutan.
The outreach includes churches in over 750 locations with a team of 200 preachers and evangelists.
Our focus with CICM is on the training facility in Darjeeling, serving five of the least reached countries of the world.
go to Central India's web page
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Our partnership in Mid India Christian Services is with the church planting and evangelism focus of the ministry.
Since beginning in 1969, MICS has experienced phenomenal growth and now the mission involves many areas of ministry including a video production facility, an eye hospital, a Bible college, Christian school, and church growth ministries. go to Mid India's web page
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(L-R) Sonya Weeks, Jared McElroy, Esther Griffin, Eric Johnson, & Dave Allgire
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10/8/09
Namaste,
We've made it over to India safe and sound. Last night we had some wonderful Chinese food and a great night’s sleep. Today we are traveling from Delhi to Darjeeling with brothers Noel and Harris from CICM. On our flight from Newark to Delhi, Dave sat next to a missions pastor from Atlanta and I sat next to a Buddhist nun and was blessed with the opportunity to share the gospel and have a wonderful conversation about our faiths. Thank you to everyone for your prayers. In Him, Jared
10/8/09
We have just left the Darjeeling Training Center for the night. Dave taught the students how to communicate an overview of the entire Bible with hand motions in under 20 minutes.
After a tea break we heard the testimonies of a few students and one of the pastors. Eric and I then gave a word of encouragement to the students and we prayed for the students.
Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to record the students' testimonies and get pictures of each of them.
We are off to the market now to buy some tea. Jaimaseehki (Praise God), Jared
10/9/09
Namaste, y'all. I didn't sleep well. Between jet lag and 15 cups of Darjeeling tea, go figure. Even a late night cricket match on TV didn't help. (I'll take the NFL any day.) But it was a blessing because I enjoyed an early morning quiet study time.
After we all gathered, Sonya led a devotional from Ezekiel. We left after a breakfast (and more tea) to a village church. We drove through tea fields and dodged trucks, school children and potholes. The church was tiny and made from mud and bamboo. You couldn't stand up in it, but 30-40 people worship in it. The pastor has planted 2 churches in Nepal and walks 4 hours to get to them.
We then went to a nearby small village school run by Christians so that we could worship with a larger crowd. About 80 people attended from all over the area. Some sat outside and listened through the windows.
Dave preached on humility and Luke 18 (the parable of the tax collector). Jared and I brought greetings and blessings; the singing and prayers were beautiful. Worship in Hindi is just as powerful as English.
Esther and Sonya interviewed the Training Center students during the service so we could know their names and stories. In India, if you become a Christian, your whole family is affected. The Christian is not the only one ostracized - nobody will marry their non-Christian sister, for example, for fear that their family will be polluted.
We return to Delhi on the afternoon flight. Security didn't like me - too much metal stuff in my back pack. You need 5 hands to drive here. One to shift, one to steer, one to honk, and two to pray.
Europe is crazy, but no bikes or animals. Here…buses, cars, 3-wheel taxis, scooters, bikes, wagons, and cows all share the road. Like the British, they drive on the wrong side of the road. Lane markers are just suggestions.
Extra stuff for the quiz later: There are 8 national parties here (with Congress and BJP being the main opposing ones), 30 regional parties, and 300 registered parties here. It is normal for a voter to have to choose from 20+ candidates for Parliament (their congress). Party leaders determine who is on the ballot for their team. (I suspect that money is involved)( :-)
Everyone acknowledges that there is a lot of corruption. About 35% of the federal budget and 65% of the state budget disappears before it reaches the projects and people. Open records is still a relatively new idea and is helping identify who is stealing what. Their state legislators get no pay, but free stuff in shops. They are also literally 24-7. People come to their homes at 2 AM and they have to talk with them and feed them. They have to go to every wedding.
In 2007, I met with several of their version of State Representatives. I am still stunned at their constituent services. One had 75-100 people in his front yard every morning. He must talk to and try to help - right there - each one. One missed 53 phone calls on his cell in the 1-hour he was meeting with us! When they speak to crowds during campaign, they number 25,000 to 30,000. (So much for our town hall meetings or debates with 25!) 700 million people vote here…and they don't have photo ID.
Eric
It's Tuesday 10.13
The team is doing great. we all like each other so that makes it really easy:)
Yesterday we spent our day with MICS. We were "garlanded" 5 times (greeted with flower necklaces). I spoke to the MICS staff in the morning. Everyone on the team had time to give encouragement and greetings from SCC. We shook hands with everyone from the staff (about 90 people) and the last group to come out was the special needs children. It was really interesting-- people were in a line walking by us and greeting us and the special needs kids were at the end of the line. When they came out the energy and joy on the scene skyrocketed. The kids were full of joy. Having experience with this myself you can always tell when those kids feel secure and loved. We wanted to stay with them for as long as possible. we got a chance to sit with them for awhile and they sang a couple songs for us. We visited the rest of the ministry -- surgery center, school, community development, etc... great stuff.
Some good news too-- everyone is feeling pretty good. no more sickness. I'm not sure what happened to me when i got sick-- whatever it was I have never had that before. I feel like somehow i was delivered from something. You never know I guess how those things work between the spiritual and the natural-- God provided either way. The doctor gave me a shot-- but then the next day I felt so fully recovered it was strange. I thought I was going to be sick for a long time and it was really bad.
We have met several pastors from different local churches and are meeting one this morning here in Jabalpur. One thing i think believers in the churches in the states have a hard time understanding is how persecution works down here. I think i finally understand the dynamics of it a little. There are places in India where Christians in general are persecuted-- some places where they are killed and houses burned and churches burned. But persecution against new converts to Christianity is everywhere in India. If you become a Christian your family is cursed by your peers. New converts can be ostracized or even killed. And it seems that in most of India the government is deeply prejudiced against Christians. So, it might be harder to get permits for some ministry or things like that.
Back to mission details. A couple days ago and the day before that we visited local churches and preached at their services. Everyone is very gracious. We get "garlanded" everywhere. Everyone once in awhile they have many garlands (flower necklackes-- leighs (sp?) and so we get multiple garlands on our necks. a couple days ago Eric Johson was near the person holding all the garlands and after putting 2-3 on each of us they just unloaded the rest on him. pretty funny.
We have been video recording testimonies of pastors we meet. Many of their stories (most of them) are similar. They came from Hindu families often, accepted Christ, then had their lives threatened, then had bad things happen to their families, suffered somehow, but often were delivered by God in some way through that persecution. That gauntlet many of them run through produces a boldness in them-- bold but wise. The pastors are very gracious and are careful to not condemn other beliefs or people but instead to simply glorify Christ.
We are heading off to visit some other local churches today and speak with some pastors and other believers. Tomorrow or the next day we travel back to Damoh to participate in the youth conference.
Thank you for praying for us.
david allgire
October 17
Namaste. Satan is at work here. But so is Jesus Christ!
It has been a while between updates due to travels and brief illnesses and lack of internet access. We are in Damoh with Ajai and CICM and helping with the Youth Camp. We have been joined by missionaries from Russia, Houston and Indianapolis. The pastors are preaching at night with Ajai translating. There are 2500 young people here from 250 churches from all over India. They are living in a tent city on a river. It lasts 4 days and is an incredible sight. Most of us are leading seminars for the youth based on the Full Armor of God.
The radical Hindu have been spreading rumors that we are killing cows, burning Hindu scripture, and forcing Hindu children to convert to Christianity. That has spurred loud protests and police inquiries. They blast hare krishna music over loudspeakers all day and night trying to drown us out. We have an armed guard and police escort at all times. Police guard the entry to the camp. Unfortunately, a 19 year old student at the CICM Bible College drowned yesterday while bathing. Nobody knew it until his body was discovered today - on the major Hindu holiday of Dwali. Now the radicals are claiming we killed him because he wouldn't convert. That has made it very tense (at the leadership level) and Ajai was supposed to have been briefly arrested this afternoon. They evacuated us from the camp after the morning seminars so we are safe, but unsure of what is happening. We are scheduled to return at 5 PM for the evening dinner and worship. Ajai is scheduled to preach. Dave is scheduled to preach at the closing service tomorrow.
Please pray that God will protect Ajai, his ministry and us. Pray that He uses this for His kingdom building. We feel safe and the children seem oblivious to it all. The power of God has been visible throughout our journey and I have no doubt that we will witness a glorious climax that only He can design. Eric
Namaste.
We wake to no power as predicted. The rooms here (in India) are marble and decent beds, but the country's infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired. No telling where the sewer goes. There are mothballs in the sink and the smell is everywhere. But these are better sleeping arrangements then in Haiti, Mexico or Africa.
I deliver the devotional to the 500-600 CICM staff, students, and other missionaries to start the day. We have joined teams from Houston, Indianapolis and Russia. As an architect, I preach from Luke about building your house on a rock. At this conference, I claim we are called to be "builders of men" and help them build their young lives on a firm foundation. After the session, we got a briefing on their Bible College for church planters. Their next plan is to train the "Jason Bournes of church planters". They will be trained how to hide, escape, withstand torture, jump out of windows, etc. They will go into Tibet, Pakistan, Iran and other dangerous places. They will hand pick 2-3 each year that are willing to die for Christ.
We went to Ajai's office and listened to the personal testimony of 5 converts. One was sold as a child to a farmer for 50 kilos or rice. CICM bought him for 250 kilos four years later. He has now planted many churches, baptized more than 2500 people, and has 700 members in his church. Another was a leader of a radical Hindu group that attacked Christians. His wife was dying and a man convinced him to pray to Jesus and he finally did. She was healed and he converted. He is now called Paul and ministers in Delhi. Another was a muslim that was a criminal and heard the gospel while hiding from the police in a church. He now leads CICM's prison ministry. Another Hindu convert pastor was attacked and, when they refused to renounce Jesus, they raped his pregnant wife in front of him. Three years later, they baptized 5 of the attackers.
We are awed by the bravery of the men and women here. But I have learned that witnessing what God is doing in the world makes me feel less inadequate rather than more. Because it's His power that matter, not my lack of it.
The Youth Conference kicked off at 4 PM. We had a guard with a shotgun and a police escort. There is a heavy police presence due to threats from the local radical Hindus. We drive through their protests each day and hear their hare karishna music in the background that they play over loudspeakers to try to disrupt the camp. It doesn't work.
The site is amazing and on the bank of a river. CICM has built a large permanent open warehouse for these annual events. It is surrounded by colorful fabric walls and tents for housing 2500 kids aged 15 - 25 from all over the region. Only our photos can show how you put this on for 4 days in a remote field. There were fireworks, light shows, a worship band and praise music. All is run from generators. They bathe in the river. The lights at night attract swarms of bugs. You breathe them in. The boys and girls are separated within fabric screened areas but sleep on the ground under the stars. The ground has been sprayed to keep the cobras away.
Each of the visiting American pastors will deliver a morning and evening message translated by Ajai. In between, there are seminars on Ephesians 6 - the full armor of God. Mine is "standing firm in the face of darkness".
Each church group comes with a musical dance number (a la Bollywood) based on a Bible story. It's a 4 day long contest at the night sessions. They are quite good. I can't tell what they are about, but one was based on the prodigal son.
We head back to the guest rooms exhausted and humbled. Jaimaseeki! ________ History: Vasco da Gama discovered the trade route to India in 1498. He went around Cape Horn. Columbus, remember, was looking for a shorter route when he stumbled onto America. Indians do not celebrate Vasco da Gama Day. The Portugese wanted to control the spice trade. I'd try to lock down the gold and diamond trade and let somebody else have the oregano route. But that's just me. Eric
Namaste, y'all. We travel back to the camp for breakfast. The kids have already had yoga and a lesson. After breakfast, they break them up into about 30 groups and each group takes two 1-hour "seminars" that we teach. So, in two days, they will get 4 lessons from 4 teachers on Ephesians 6. There are about 80 kids and adults in each of mine. I had a translator, of course. His name was Harris and he pastors a church in Bohpal. Each person had a hindi bible. I gave a Tootsie Pop to each one who read the scripture and who participated in the discussion. (Just a hint - avoid expressions like "skin of the teeth" when in a foreign country. They don't translate well.)
Afterwards, it is bathing time in the river. All 2600 head down to the river. The boys are upstream (mistake) and strip to boxers and swim. The girls are downstream and crowded together on the bank. The girls bath in their saris. It is hot (about 90 degrees). The river looks good, but I don't know how clean it is. I also toured the sleeping tents for the boys. It was actually pretty nice with colorful fabric walls and a top for shade. There were blankets on the ground over straw and clotheslines subdividing each large tent into smaller areas so that each gender from each church had a "space". The tents were not waterproof but this is their dry season. There are 256 churches represented here from all over India. They come by train. The cost for the children is $3 for 4 days. It costs CICM about $45,000 to put on. They raise most of the money from the states.
We were transported back to the Children's Home for lunch and rest (and shopping for those that wanted saris and cortas). Nap time and blogging for me!
We return to the camp for the evening praise and preaching service. There is more cultural dancing. One of the American worship leaders did two songs and was greeted like a rock star. Ajai's son-in-law, Josh, preached. Hundreds came forward at the alter call. I join the prayer team and, with very little translation, pray with a half dozen kids.
We break for dinner and then reunite at a huge bonfire. More dancing by some church and a devotional led by one of our team.
The bugs are incredible. The lights attracted every living insect imaginable. They drop out of they sky on you and crawl up your legs. The fly into your mouth and swarm around you. Fortunately, none bite. But it is an unpleasant distraction and causes a constant use of your hands to brush or flick them off.
We return to the sleeping quarters late and exhausted.
Jamaseeki! __________ Farming: Goods are transferred by hand to wagons or carts. They do not have a good distribution system. There is much crop loss due to rodents and lack of storage facilities or refrigeration. The farms look nice and neat. Not a tractor or truck in sight. Water buffalo and yokes or hand picking. It must be hard to feed 1 billion people without tractors, trucks, silos, refrigeration, or warehouses. I understand they lose 50% of their crop just on storage and transportation problems. Rodents, bugs and moisture get to them. 70% of the people live in rural India and farm. The politicians all promise them water, roads, schools, and power and then can't deliver because of corruption and waste and overwhelming needs. So the people throw them out after their 5 year term. Their incumbents have a 50% re-election rate.
Judicial: The papers and TV stations are getting more aggressive about corruption since the prosecutors and courts aren't. One media outlet did a series where they asked MPs to raise an issue on the floor and they wanted money. They filmed them taking the money. Although illegal, probably nothing will happen. The judges are independent and respected, but overwhelmed. A good lawyer can get a trial delayed "forever". In fact, one of the reasons for running for office is that it is easier to steal and get away with it in court. Due to the number of cases, why would a judge go after a politician or make a tough call when their lawyer is simply asking for a delay? By the way, they don't use juries. They can't get off work and, even if they could, who could get through the traffic to court.
Crime is not a big issue. The caste system means many "know their place in life". The Hindu faith is also respectful. And, until the explosion of media recently, they didn't know what was available. In 1995, there was one state-run TV station. There are now about 200. This is one of their biggest fears - that increasing materialism will cause crime to go up. There are no guns. Hunting is even outlawed in the entire country. I don't know how they handle animal population control. Eric
When the Lord is at work, Satan attacks.
The radical Hindus have been spreading rumors throughout the region about CICM and the Youth Camp. They claimed that we were burning Hindu scripture, killing cows, and forcing Hindu children to convert to Christianity. This is what has spurred the protests and created the need for armed guards.
Today (Saturday) is Dwali - a major Hindu holiday. See below.
Sadly, we return to the camp to discover that one of the kids had drowned while bathing the day before. He was 19 and one of the CICM Bible College kids that we met the first day here. He was the only Christian in his family. Apparently, after bath time in the river was over, he and some friends stayed to swim alone (against the rules) and jumped off a bridge. He hit his head and never came up. The friends were to scared and said he had gone home. His body was discovered this morning. Since CICM hadn't alerted the police, they arrest Ajai. The Hindu are telling people that he wouldn't convert to Christianity so we threw him off the bridge and killed him. It is tense among the staff and missionaries and, while we were supposed to spend the entire day here, they evacuate us after the morning seminars.
This hits me close to home since part of my lesson on trusting God involves my story as a child being afraid to jump off of a cliff of rocks into a river until my father swam to the bottom and gave me the courage to jump. However, it provides an opportunity for me to discuss grief and salvation.
We spent a quiet afternoon at the Children's Home in prayer and reflection. Ajai is scheduled to preach tonight. He will preach in hindi and there will be no translator. But I am confidant that God will use this for His purposes.
The evening started with Ajai giving the camp an update and a message on salvation. He also announced 2600 people were registered and 700 had made decisions for Christ (so far). After his sermon, hundreds answer the alter call. Lashi translates for me as 8-10 accept Christ and 5-6 others ask for prayers to remove obstacles from their lives that prevent a decision.
We break for dinner on site and then gather for the campfire. Our Russian pastor and his wife sang in Russian. It is another awesome night!
Later we learn that 4 of the policemen guarding us and the camp accepted Christ. So, remember, the Hindus got stirred up and caused extra security. The police were then exposed to the gospel and became Christians. What an awesome God we serve!
We also learn that two boys have confessed to the bridge jumping and no charges will be filed. It is a tragedy and will have a lasting effect. But God will find a way to use this to His glory somehow. Jaimaseeki! _____________ Diwali: It lasts 3 days ending on Diwali. It is a combination of the Hindu version of Christmas and New Year. It is the Festival of Lights. It is a prayer for wealth. It is new clothes, parties, gambling, gifts, fireworks, and the end of the business year. Car sales jump 30%. People give gifts to friends. Businesses give their bonuses. Shopping soars. Traffic gets even worse believe it or not as people do last minute shopping and deliver gifts. Everybody lights up their homes - even the poorest light candles. The lights are intended to guide Rama home from Sri Lanka. (It's not an impressive god who can't find his way home!) Eric
October 18
God reigns!
The conference has just ended after a fabulous worship service. Dave did the closing message on "Life is short; Eternity is long." It was the perfect closing talk. Ajai translated and both were on fire.
A lot has happened since yesterday's report. We returned to the Youth Camp to find Ajai there and ready to teach. Apparently, the drowning was due to a group of CICM Bible College students swimming beyond the boundaries and one or more jumping into the river from an old bridge. They were told not to go there. It gets foggy here - but it seems that they knew one had jumped in and didn't come up. And they came back to camp saying he had gone home. It wasn't until the body was found yesterday that the truth came out. Ajai was "arrested", but it was a formality since the disappearance wasn't reported to the police and he was in charge. The young man was 19 and the only Christian in his family. They were already upset about his conversion and now will lay the blame squarely on CICM. The pressure on Ajai and Josh must be incredible and they just want to get through the camp before they deal with their CIBA students who were at fault. We pray that God will find a way to use this to His glory.
But watching God work is so cool. The radical Hindu protests caused CICM to hire extra security. The policemen were exposed to the Gospel while at the camp. Yesterday, four of them gave their lives to Christ. They joined more than 700 youth in accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We all joined the prayer team at each call. I prayed with at least 8 converts last night. There were 2600 kids registered from 250+ churches from all over India. They slept on straw, bathed in the river and ate mass quantities of food.
We are resting before we get on the overnight train to Delhi and the plane home tomorrow evening. We are all anxious to see our loved ones and recount the experiences of the trip. It is reassuring to see God at work around the world. Eric
Sunday 18 Oct
Dear Friends in America, Greetings to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing this letter immediately after the youth conference is over and from police custody. Before I talk about the problem, let me share some of the victories. 1576 people have made decisions among which we don't know how many first time decisions and rededications. However, we do know that over 150 have made decisions for full time Christian service. Our follow up team is still involved in going through the decision cards. We are sad to inform you that one of our CIBA students from New Delhi was missing for the last two days. His friends were giving us different versions about the possibilities where he may be. Once we knew that he was missing, many of us made serious efforts to find him. However, his dead body was found floating in the river yesterday morning. His name is Renjit Masih. He is from New Delhi area and his parents are from a remote Hindu village. The postmortem report says that his skull was broken. We later found out that he went to the restricted area of the river where we clearly announced not to go and was diving from the bridge. Since we did not inform the police that he was missing we are under serious investigation. It is a crime when any person is missing and the police is not being informed. We have had a police team and the team from Intelligence Bureau investigating about the complaints from the extremists against the youth conference. Please know that we are fighting against an extremely corrupt system. I am unable to write some details about the situation. Even though the police were guarding our campus (almost 80) their purpose was to protect us from the extremists activities. They were not there to deal with our internal problems. We have some good and helpful people within the police system who are trying to help us. I believe that Frank and I will be released from jail soon after the procedure is over. It was good that we are dealing with the present situation after the youth conference is over. All of our American guests are very happy to see the outcome of the youth conference. They are starting their return journey to America this evening. Please be in prayer for them. They are completely safe. There is nothing to worry for their safety and welfare. In fact three of us are under police custody. Frank, Pawan (security in charge) and myself. The head of the police Mr. Tiwari has told us that he has received many phone calls against us from Hindu extremists who are creating various stories that have no truth. I am dictating this letter over the phone to Mr. RC, our secretary. There is a strong possibility that we will be released in few hours. Therefore no need to worry. Just continue to pray for the family of Renjit Masih, those who have made their decisions during the conference and that no matter what comes, people will continue to be influenced with the love and saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. With love and prayers, Your coworker in India, Ajai ------------------------- ***Update***
AJAI, FRANK & PAWAN HAVE BEEN RELEASED JUST NOW...RC, Secretary
Namaste.
The Sunday worship service to close the Youth Camp was awesome. The Indian praise music is great. A sikh in a turban sang one song that got the kids running to the front in a kinda Christian mosh pit. Dave preached the last sermon on "Life is short. Eternity is long." It was a perfect message for the last day. We have Indian fried chicken (good) for a last lunch at the site and then head back to the Children's home for rest and naps before getting on an overnight train to Delhi. The other missionaries will stop in Agra for the Taj and a church service, but the Savannah team doesn't have time and we will skip it. I am glad I have seen it before.
The railroad is the nation's largest employer with 1,000,000+ employees. We have a non-private sleeper car for our 12 hour trip. It is NOT like Amtrak.
This will be the last blog from India. I will settle my thoughts and write a final posting on the flight home. Jaimaseeki! ___________ Taj Mahal: The Taj is located in Agra. It is the Capitol of the Uttar Pradesh (UP) State - the most populous in India, the most muslim (70% of the country's muslims live here), and the poorest.
The Taj Mahal is worth the trip if you ever have the opportunity. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was built in 1633 of white marble. It took 22 years and 20,000 people to build. The beautiful wife of Shah Jahan dies delivering their 14th child while he was off at war. He mourned for 2 years and then built the Taj for her body. What a way to bury your wife! (After bearing 14 children, she deserved it.) Of course, his children didn't like the way their father was spending money and jailed him within sight of the Taj. When he died, they did go ahead and bury him in it, too. The moral of the story is don't let your children know what you spend.
Eric
October 20
Mission trips will often affect the missionaries more than those you on serve. This is why God sent Jesus as a servant and not as a king (see Hebrews). I will have to spend some time reflecting on this trip, but my initial thoughts are these:
God is at work around the world. We come to places like India where Christians are persecuted and the "middle class" lives in what would be considered slums in America and the poor are starving and we think we can bless them somehow. Nope. It's the other way around. God doesn't need us. He just allows us to participate in His plan.
Our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world show extreme bravery and incredible servanthood at the same time. Our hosts are prime examples. There is nothing they won't do for you. They never showed impatience or exhaustion. They were joyful and willing and gracious. Even the poorest would share what little food they had. They were Christ-like in their hospitality. Even with physical threats on their guests and the death of a student, they kept their pressures away from us and only showed absolute joy at the opportunity to care for us in every manner their resources allowed. I saw a little of heaven in that attitude.
The gospel seems so much simpler here. It's the same saving grace we preach in America. But, maybe there is less "noise" to compete with it. The willingness to listen to it is fresher. The prayer requests require a simple trust in Jesus. When an old woman came up and simply pointed to her belly, you just prayed for healing and knew God knew what her problem was and how to deal with it. She would get no doctor's care and was asking me to intervene with her Creator. When a teenager said in broken english that he wanted Jesus in his life, you couldn't sit down and read scripture or counsel him - you just asked God to welcome a new child into his kingdom and trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest.
This needs more thought, but I felt closer to God on this trip. Maybe it was being around these "heroes of faith". Maybe it was spending so much time with a team of God-honoring people. Maybe it was witnessing uncomplicated and innocent faith. Maybe it was worshiping in a language that you couldn't understand but knew God relished it.
I don't know about you, but I feel inadequate in serving an almighty God. But the truth is, that when you witness life change, see miracles, and watch Him work, your faith increases and the inadequacies don't matter. He's in charge. I'm not. That's a relief.
I also will return with a healthier appreciation of blessings and what really matters in life. He gives me the essentials. We want so much that we don't need.
The testimonies from people you meet here are nothing short of inspirational. Several were shared in previous blogs. The courage and determination of these pastors who face family exile, beatings, and a life of poverty remind me of the early church. Eternity is their home and they want only to worship God and sign up as many tongues in their choir as possible.
As I fly home, these are my prayers: Am I doing enough to honor God? Can I worship with more abandon? Can I feel a renewed sense of urgency? What can I do to grow my faith?
I return to my campaign for Governor tomorrow. I am physically exhausted, but mentally refreshed. I return dedicated to my effort to lead Georgia in a God-honoring way. I will never forget the blessings that our state enjoys - or where they came from.
For those who followed this mission and those who prayed for its success, I am eternally grateful. It was another blessing in my life.
Next week, Kathryn leaves for Ghana in Africa. She will also cherish your prayers. Until then, I can't wait to wrap her in my arms and not let her go!
Praise the Lord!
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About India in general: A newspaper said that India's future political leaders must be able to "see different parts of the elephant at the same time". This is a big country facing massive challenges and incredible opportunities. There are overwhelming economic disparities that could eventually ferment crime or terrorism. More than 1/3 of the world's malnourished children live in India and child labor is a problem. But Mumbai is a thriving financial center and India is a stabilizing power in the region and a counterbalance to China. US and Indian longterm interests coincide.
Their politics is a blood sport. There are two main national parties - Congress and BJP. Congress was Gandhi's and Nehru's party before independence. After they won independence, Gandhi wanted it disbanned because he thought, correctly, that it would have an unfair advantage. Nehru, their first Prime Minister, wasn't stupid. He kept it and they governed for almost 30 years. There are several other smaller, national parties, including the Communists. Recently, there has been a growth of regional parties. There are something like 21 recognized parties. Due to the number of voters (600 million), state elections are held at different times and there is always one going on somewhere. I think they have one national election every 5 years. If the governing coalition falls apart, they have to have another election. They use electronic voting machines and have photo IDs - even for the rural and slum dwellers. (My earlier e-mail was incorrect.) Each candidate - and there are obviously many on each ballot - is represented by a color logo for each party so the illiterate voters can vote the party they want. The parties determine who runs so there is no primary. The party leadership is therefore extremely powerful.
The caste system is alive and well even if officially frowned on. It used to be priests, warriors, traders, laborers, and "untouchables". Now, it is a socio-economic strata. In India they say "you vote your caste, not cast your vote". Unlike the US, it is hard to break out and move up.
They do not enforce compulsory education, but every child is supposed to attend primary school. But children are too important economically to the poor. They are needed for begging in cities and farming in rural area. (Some families reportedly maime their infants so they will be more sympathetic beggars.) Girls are sometimes killed after they are born because they aren't worth as much and can bring dishonor on some families.(I don't understand a "religion" that treats a cow as holy and condones killing of little girls.)
Eric
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In September of 2009, students began filling the halls as they are educated and equipped to boldly return to their own cultures with the Good News of Christ for the nations.
The building dedication was held on March 13, 2009, and was attended by SCC Global Outreach Pastor Dave Stewart and his wife Lynn.
The facility is beautiful!
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SOME UNBELIEVABLE FACTS
40% of Indians are younger than 15 years of age - about 375 million children.
60% of children in the age group of 0-3 are undernourished. Highest rating in Madhya Pradesh (M.P.).
A woman dies every hour in M.P. while she gives birth to a new life or within 42 days of delivery.
A child dies in every 5 minutes and a woman in every hour.
There are more children under the age of 14 in India than the entire population of the United States.
11,000 children die every day of easily preventable diseases.
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Thursday, March 19
.......let me tell you about an incredible experience we had yesterday here in Damoh.
Briefly (since I'm typing all this into my blackberry) we met with 40 church leaders from Orissa who have experienced very real persecution up close and personally.
I've done a lot of international traveling and been to India 6 times but this was over the top intense.
During the day's programming, we preached messages of encouragement and support; we also brought over 200 personal notes with messages of love and prayer from members of our church along with a 10 minute video of SCC people speaking to these dear brothers and sisters (with Hindi subtitles), letting them know they aren't alone in their suffering. I think it was very effective.
But more than any of that, we had two sessions where individuals took turns coming up to the mike and telling us of their personal nightmares that happened when the persecution began.
Pastors, church leaders, wives of pastors.....all told heart-breaking stories of beatings, rapes, murders, and very organized "religious cleansing". There were many, many tears shed - both by those sharing details and those of us listening. Their testimonies were so filled with emotion that I was exhausted at the end just from listening and praying with them. The courage and conviction of faith we heard repeated over and over again was humbling beyond words.
We video recorded the entire thing to share with others..
We gave each person who had traveled from Orissa travel money along with 2000 rupees ($40- according to Ajai, enough money to feed their families for two months) and a clean set of clothes.
At the very end of the day, Cam, Ajai and I washed the feet of 13 pastors who had lost everything while Lynn and Indu washed the feet of women who had been raped or their husbands had been killed in the persecution. The pastors were overcome with emotion when we finished; they hugged us and cried uncontrollably.
"...destitute, persecuted and mistreated - the world was not worthy of them." (Hebrews 11)
It was a VERY intense day but also a great time of blessing.
It is one of my greatest privileges and blessings in ministry to serve Christ with the CICM team here in India..
Love and miss you all.
Dave
Monday, March 23
Hello everybody, hope you're sleeping well as I write this.
It's been an incredible week. We spent a couple of days with Vivert, Neelam, and the MICS family. We had a worship service where Cam preached, then about 4 hours where we took turns teaching lessons on leadership to a group of first year Bible college students and ministry leaders, and in the evening we attended a special service put on by the physically challenged children - a completely unfair tactic by our partners at the end of a long day of ministry :-).
Saturday we were back with CICM; that night was a fantastic night for me. Exactly what I love doing!
We drove out to a village church - no electricity, no building...just 200 people praising God under the stars. I preached a message about how Jesus saw the good things, the potential in a despised tax collector named Matthew and challenged him by saying, "Follow me." (Matthew 9) and how He says the same thing to each one of us. They were so receptive; and talk about a praise band! These guys know how to worship.
Definitely one of the highlights of my trip.
Sunday, Cam preached at a great church in the town of Katni. Their building had recently been vandalized by Hindu extremists who broke every window out of it - but they praised the Lord as if they wanted the whole world to know (and they do!) While there I spoke with a Muslim man named Mohammed at the church; he's a leader of the Islamic community in Katni, told me he loves Jesus, loves to hear of his teaching. He's very close to making a decision. According to Pastor Marteen, if he does it will have a tremendous, rippling impact on the Muslim community!
(Remember that the country of India has the 2nd largest Muslim population in the world).
Pray for him.
Today we're traveling across rural India...working our way back to Delhi. This morning we went out at 6 am with a guide at the safari forest and found a Bengal tiger; we got on an elephant and walked up to within 10 feet of him. Unbelievable!
Its been a great run of ministry here: 13 days of travel, slept in 9 places, tomorrow is #7 of 10 total flights, and so many moments of encouragement and blessings. The persecuted church lifts my spirits and faith in ways I can't describe. I only hope we accomplished the goal of creating a sense of the power, the power of prayer by the hundreds in Savannah, lifting them to the Lord.
I pray that everyone in Savannah understands that we partner with Jesus' church in India not because of a need for social welfare but because we are most definitely engaged in spiritual warfare!
Well, got to run; my thumbs are tired.
Pray for us - as I write we're in one of the most dangerous places in the world - the roads of India! :-) Miss you all, see you soon.
'Til the Whole World Knows,
Dave
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