Today was a very special day. First on our agenda was to head down to the river and baptize 60 new believers. The Godavari River is the 2nd most holy river in India, and is revered greatly by the Hindu faithful. There are magnificent temples built along its shores where people come and offer sacrifice to their gods.
The place Kumar chose to hold the baptisms is just below a gigantic dam, probably one of the largest I have seen. We went to a place where the river was about waste deep. It was extremely hot out, and we were down in the middle of a massive sandbar, so there was absolutely no shade to protect us from the sun. The water was warm and offered little relief. There were so many people coming to be baptized, 60 in all, and we were humbled by their desire to have us do it. The four of us, me, Richard, Trevor, and Rick, lined up and did them four at a time. It didn’t take very long, but we got lots of great pictures and I recorded the whole thing. It was an honor to take their first step of obedience to Christ with them.
We went home for showers and went to the mission hospital for a tour of the ministry there. As we arrived outside th
e building, we were greeted with garlands and a warm welcome. There were approximately fifty or so people waiting in line to be seen by a doctor. Kumar gave us the full tour, showing us every room and every piece of equipment. It was eye-opening to see the kind of medical treatment people receive in a third world country. We were able to pray for a lot of people, everyone, in fact, including a woman who was in recovery after a hysterectomy. Before we left, Kumar took the time to see a few patients and give them treatment. It is truly wonderful to see a man of God operatin
g within the gifts he has been given. The mission hospital is also used to house the some of the orphans. The orphanage is only a block away, and is too small for the boys and girls to stay in one place, so at night, after school and dinner, the girls come over to the hospital where they have been assigned sleeping areas.The only reason Kumar has the room for them is because when the economy in the US dried up, so did a lot of the support that the mission hospital relies on to continue most of the work. He has gone from 2-3 surgeries a day to maybe one per week. The need is still there and very real, but the resources are not. But extra space will never go to waste in a place like India, and Kumar and his team have utilized the extra room by giving the girls a safe place to sleep at night. Last time I was there, he told me how sometimes at night the Hindus would come and just simply take girls from the orphanage. It is important for them to have security even at night to protect the children.
After we finished laying hands on and praying for those who were still waiting for treatment, we headed to the orphanage to spend time with the children. Richard really got into teaching a couple of good lessons to the children, and played games with them that gave a picture of what the lesson was about. It was great to see him operating within his element. As I said before, it is wonderful to see a man of God using the gifts he has been given.
The Indian children are so beautiful. Their eyes are so full of life and hope. After being on the streets, looking into the years of hard living
in the faces of so many people, it was refreshing to see the bright, youthful faces of the children. It is a hard thing to do, sitting there, looking at a bunch of kids who have lost their parents. Kids who do their studies every day, eat their dinner every night, and lie down on a cold floor with no family around. As I looked at them, I wondered what went through their minds in the stillness of the night, what memories they cherished, and how their little hearts must break. Then I thought about India and the hardness of the life they were faced with. They will never enjoy some of the simple pleasures that you and I take for granted every day. You have no idea how hard it was to maintain a smile for t
hem, while I wept inside. All you want to do is take them up in your arms and make everything alright for them, but you know it isnt something you are capable of. But there is One who can. The best thing we could do for them is show them and tell them about the marvelous future we have in Jesus Christ. To tell them that there is a Father in heaven who knows their names and loves them deeply, who will never leave them or forsake them, and who has paid the ultimate price so that they will be able to enjoy endless fellowship with Him in paradise. What an incredible ministry, to come and offer hope to the hopeless, to offer love to the unloved, to show them that when they follow Christ, they become part of the family of God.Our crusade was in a remote village about an hour from Rajahmundry. As we pulled into the narrow streets of the village, there was a demonstration going on at the Hindu temple in the middle of the village. They had a very loud amplifier and were getting excited. I hid my nervousness from the rest of the team. The crusade grounds were small, with seating for about 300, but only about 150-200 c
ame to the meeting. I preached about finding your security and identity in Christ, and many souls were added to the kingdom for the glory of God. We laid hands on people and prayed for them afterward, and we also spent a few moments at the village pastor's church. It was a tent, maybe 15'x15' and he said he was currently having about 40 people there per Sunday. His home was attached to the church area, and was about half the size. He was so very happy with the success of the crusade because he has been laboring in the village for years and now they are coming to Christ. Praise the Lord!Brothers and sisters, it has been a bit since the last blog went out. Many of you have been asking what the deal is. Things have been busy in the household, especially after the months of preparation for this trip, and then being gone for over two weeks from my precious family. I hope to have you fully updated soon, because there are some things developing that I am going to be excited to share with you very soon. I'll keep you posted...
See you on the streets!