We have only been in India one full day, and I have a major concern. I have yet to find any food that I dislike. I am probably going to gain 10 pounds on this trip! All kidding aside, the first day in India was full of the presence of the Lord. It brings to mind the scripture regarding the Great Commission. We are here to further the kingdom of God in India in a couple ways. The VBS in Latur will expose many children, some possibly for the first time, to the love of Jesus. At the youth conference, we will be there to bless and inspire youth who are interested in ministry. However, our Indian friends have beaten us to the punch so to say and have been teaching us about Jesus’ love. We may be the ones who have gone to other nations, but so far, our Indian friends have been discipling to us. Won’t you take a moment and read Matthew 28:16?
After breakfast, Pastor E, Cathy, and I set out for the Marathi service at Andheri church. This was my first chance to see a part of Mumbai during the daytime. The route to the church was not far, but we passed booths on the side of the road with vendors hawking their wares, lots of motor and foot traffic, and many signs of the impoverished population. The roads have very uneven construction and are full of potholes. There are also scattered mounds of concrete and debris, sometimes pretty far out into the road from the buildings that have, or are in the process o,f being demolished (or have fallen down) As we went under an overpass, Pastor E pointed out that the numerous people grouped under there call that spot home. There were clothes and blankets and a myriad of possessions, but nothing that I could see that I would call a shelter. There were adults milling about, an elderly woman sitting on a blanket, and several children. A few were chasing after each other in a circle and they had the biggest smiles on their faces as they played.
When we arrived at the church, Bryan was just finishing his talk at the English service with Pastor Shirish.
Bryan gave us a quick wave as he passed by to join the receiving line and then he was off to head to the other church service that he was preaching at. The service we attended was very similar to our services with worship being the first item on the agenda. While I was unable to understand the songs, it was quite easy to get in the groove and clap and move to the beat of the music. A boy of about 6 was in front of us across the aisle and he sang along, clapped his hands, and really got into every song. After singing and some prayers, people from the congregation could come forward and provide a testimonial. Several people, including a few youth, came up to provide their story of the Lord’s work in their life. After this time, the youth were dismissed to head to their Sunday school. The 3 of us were invited up to the stage and we were officially introduced to the congregation. We got to say a few words in greeting, which were translated, and received some flowers. We had been sitting about halfway to the stage, so it was surprising to see from the stage how many people were in attendance. If I had to guess, I would say about 105. Cathy and I left the stage, and Pastor E began his sermon. Sanjay translated for him and they got into a good rhythm as Pastor E discussed what it means to be Not a Fan. Everybody was engaged in the sermon. As points were made, we could see heads in front of us nodding and heard murmurs of praise behind us. Just like at Lifepoint, some were very quiet studious participants and some were quite animated. After the sermon, prayers and offering completed the service. We joined a receiving line and shook hands and said a greeting to {almost} everyone in attendance. Several people who know Pastor E came over to spend a few more moments in fellowship and to be introduced to Cathy and I.
Bryan gave us a quick wave as he passed by to join the receiving line and then he was off to head to the other church service that he was preaching at. The service we attended was very similar to our services with worship being the first item on the agenda. While I was unable to understand the songs, it was quite easy to get in the groove and clap and move to the beat of the music. A boy of about 6 was in front of us across the aisle and he sang along, clapped his hands, and really got into every song. After singing and some prayers, people from the congregation could come forward and provide a testimonial. Several people, including a few youth, came up to provide their story of the Lord’s work in their life. After this time, the youth were dismissed to head to their Sunday school. The 3 of us were invited up to the stage and we were officially introduced to the congregation. We got to say a few words in greeting, which were translated, and received some flowers. We had been sitting about halfway to the stage, so it was surprising to see from the stage how many people were in attendance. If I had to guess, I would say about 105. Cathy and I left the stage, and Pastor E began his sermon. Sanjay translated for him and they got into a good rhythm as Pastor E discussed what it means to be Not a Fan. Everybody was engaged in the sermon. As points were made, we could see heads in front of us nodding and heard murmurs of praise behind us. Just like at Lifepoint, some were very quiet studious participants and some were quite animated. After the sermon, prayers and offering completed the service. We joined a receiving line and shook hands and said a greeting to {almost} everyone in attendance. Several people who know Pastor E came over to spend a few more moments in fellowship and to be introduced to Cathy and I.
Back at the hotel, we met up with the rest of the group (minus Bryan) for lunch and to discuss the morning. Katherine’s service happened to be hosting their monthly youth service and also had a birthday celebration. Their service had many, many songs of worship and Kevin, Katherine and Mickie sang two songs for them in English. Talk about Mickie getting out of her comfort zone! Katherine preached on the love of Jesus and how even though we live in different parts of the world, we all stand as one in Jesus’ love.
After lunch, everybody retired to their rooms for a couple hours of rest. We were headed to Pastor Moses’ house for dinner and fellowship at 7pm. Many of us took naps as India is similar to other warm climates in that they eat dinner pretty late at night. Our transportation were auto-ricksaws, which look like little cars from an amusement park ride on top of a motorcycle engine. The driver sits in front and steers using handlebars. There is one wheel at the front and two wheels at the back. No doors or belts to hold you in. They don’t seem like they would hold up all that well in a collision, but they are small and agile. While vehicles have blinkers, most do not use them and instead honk their horns to let people know they are coming up behind or beside them, or to let someone know that they intend to cut them off when traffic starts moving again. Pastor Moses accurately described the rules of the road as “there are no rules” I am surprised that there are not more accidents and that the vehicles are not more dented than they are, but I guess it works if everybody is watching out for themselves.
We spent time with Pastor Moses, his wife Rajka, his son Joshua, and his daughter, Aratna. Rajka’s younger sister, Sunjata, also came home from her nursing job at around 9pm. We took some time answering each other’s questions about families and jobs, as well as learning a bit about the Indian lifestyle. Dinner was rice, Chapatie, Chicken Curry, and dal. Chapatie is very similar to a tortilla and Rajka let me watch how they were made. Everything was very delicious and had just a small kick. They thoughtfully made the food less spicy than they would normally. After dinner, we were given sweet Chai and it was yummy as well. As it came time to leave, we gathered around and Moses prayed about each and every one of us individually. He asked for blessings for our families, for our travels, and for the VBS in Latur. His words were heartfelt and we were all moved with the presence of Jesus. It is an honor to be around so many Christians who truly believe in and trust in the power of Jesus in their lives. We heard stories of persecution that some have endured in fairly recent times, but they still trust in Jesus to lead their lives. Truly an inspiration.
Many in the lifepoint family have already heard, but Cathy and Mickie took to the streets of Mumbai on the back of a motorcycle! Not really by choice, but it happened just the same. There were not many auto-ricksaws for rent near Pastor Moses’ house, so Joshua was sent to hail some from the main road. Kevin, Katherine, and I got in one and off we went. We got back to the hotel and waited for several long minutes for Cathy and Mickie to arrive. As the minutes ticked by, we had to fight off that small niggling feeling that something wasn’t quite right. We kept our eyes on every oncoming ricksaw expecting to see them at any moment. When Pastor Moses pulled up on his motorcycle, it took a few seconds to realize that it was him and that his rider was Cathy. They explained that they were unable to secure another ricksaw so he used his motorcycle and would return with Mickie shortly. Traffic is Mumbai is nothing short of treacherous and it was an amazing act of courage for these ladies to ride the bike.
It is 11pm and finally time to lay down for the night. It was an amazing day full of new and interesting things all wrapped up in the familiar love of the father. We hope that each of you had such a blessed day as well.
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