As many of you know, I will be returning on a mission to India this coming March with a team from Calvary Chapel. Please take a moment to review our travel plans, so that you can deliver us up in prayer and support this work of God.
So here's the rundown...
We will be spending 2 weeks in India in March. While there, we will be doing ministry in two separate cities. First, we will be in Rajahmundry for 6 days, during which we will be involved in a number of different ministries. We will hold 2 days of pastor conferences with 300 pastors, 5 nights of evangelistic crusades, visit churches, baptize many new believers, visit orphans, and visit the mission hospital. We are preparing to be used mightily for the glory of God. Then, on the 15th or 16th, we will fly down to Chennai and stay there for another 6 days. Part of the team will be here for only 3 days, as they will be leaving early. In Chennai, we will also be holding pastors conferences with up to 200 pastors, hold 3 nights of evangelistic crusades, visit orphans, AIDS victims, homeless, gypsies, leper colonies, speak at local churches, etc. I know this sounds like a lot, but if you could see how great the need is, you would understand why we are packing so much ministry into this trip.
Here is a link to my flickr page, where you can view a variety of photo shots from our last trip. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sowingtheseed/
Also, i would like to share with you a clip put together by Living Hope Church in Vancouver. They just returned from a trip in November to the same cities and set up by the same contacts that we will be working with. What you see here is exactly what we are expecting when we go. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_KA1QLeSl4
We are in the middle of our fundraising efforts right now. The goal is to raise $20,000. This will be split between the two cities and will pay for ministry, such as, renting space for pastor seminars and for crusades, paying for lighting and stage/sound equip, pay for buses to transport people to crusades, food and medical supplies for poor and destitute, etc. The team members are all expected to raise their own airfare, so we can maximize our impact with the funds we raise.
The time is winding down for us to raise the funds for the trip. Right now, we are in the middle of our last few fundraisers. We have coin-collecting containers labeled for our trip, which we are passing out to friends, family and fellow believers, asking them to toss their loose change inside, and we will collect them in let Feb. Also, we will be selling donuts a few more times to raise funds. Lastly, we have set up a Paypal on the Sowing the Seed website and are selling raffle tickets for an iPod Touch 32g. Tickets are $10 each, and anyone can purchase as many as they like. Donations are also gratefully accepted. http://www.sowingtheseed.com/
The current economic conditions have tightened all of our spending and giving habits. Please prayerfully consider how you might partner with us in fulfilling the great commission.
If you are unable to purchase raffle tickets or to donate, please lift up this effort in prayer.
Thanks everyone,
Blessings to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
Billy