The storms and power outages made all Saturday and Sunday an adventure. Our worship team rehearsal ended when the battery backup ran out and we were left in the darkness. But it was an incredible time of worship with the New Calvary team - and I'm talking about the rehearsal. Samson, the drummer, rode his bike to the church in the torrential downpour and showed up soaked, but he was there faithfully and on time. On top of all of this, he has some physical challenges. Everyone should be as committed to worship as Samson.
The team knows a lot of western worship songs and I taught them the bridge I wrote for "I Stand Amazed". The team was hoping that I would be staying around this week, but our time at HBI was short.
By the way, Steve's message Sunday was absolutely anointed. Two members of the worship team told me that God spoke to them and the doctor that runs HBI's hospital had an encounter with God as He spoke to her in a powerful way. What a great morning!
Our trip to the boys home gave me my first look at the Indian countryside. On the main highway between Chennai and Calcutta cars are driving along at interstate speeds while sharing the road with pedestrians, animals, bikes, and even an ox-drawn cart.
The trip to Mumbai and on to Nagpur held their own challenges. We had a run-in with airport security in Mumbai and would have missed our flight if it had not been delayed. We stayed in a very nice hotel in Mumbai, but literally in front of it, many people were living under the elevated highway, some in abandoned vehicles, some in the street. Dogs and rats were roaming about. What a contrast.
We arrived in Nagpur and got a little rest before the pastor's conference. Bobby issued an opening challenge and Pastor Steve did a great job working with the translator. We were worried about how we would connect with these folks due to cultural and language barriers. While he had them doing some discussion questions, I was saying to Bobby that you could see the joy of the Lord in their eyes. Some spoke English and told us that Steve's sessions were definitely connecting with them.
At the end, they did some worship in Marati (the local language) and we prayed with some of them. One man is a police officer who is in a legal dispute and had a court date tomorrow. We prayed with him. His wife and mother also came to the conference. Through the translator, his mother told us how she had offered her son to the Lord and how he was being used by God now.
At dinner tonight, Pastor Steve asked Bobby to share with us the defining moments in his life and ministry. His story is a testimony to how God works.
Tomorrow Steve Thomas will do more small group teaching. He was concerned if what he had planned is appropriate, but one of the pastors told him he was excited about Steve telling them more about how to be small group leaders. I will be at a nearby site teaching them Biblical foundations of worship. We will come together for the last session and Pastor Steve will give them a challenge to close things.
Pray for us. This is an opportunity to touch believers all over Maharastra through the things we will teach them.
We read your comments and feel your support. Thanks for hanging with us.
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