Yercaud for Yaweh

Yesterday we left Salem and went up 5000 ft to the Yercaud hills for the night in order to reach the tribal villages. We had a short rest and did some sightseeing around the hills surrounded by coffee and tea plantations .

Around 4.30pm we left by van to the tribal community and met our dear friend Pastor George. within seconds we were surrounded by kids and 7 or more piled in the van to come and be 'plants' in the meeting. We then went a few kilometres into a new village which was very rural. A narrow street opened up before us with so many colourful buildings strewed with equally colourful people carrying water pots and fire wood. Scattered in between the houses we saw a wooden goat pen, and various other animal enclosures.

A few chairs got carried forward and we set up church on one side of the street, mats laid down for the children as well. Many children came out and joined our 'plant' of kids from Past. George's church. Then slowly and surely adults appeared from the houses and came and sat down. As we sang and worshipped the Lord more anymore gathered which is what we expect to happen.

 Roger told a great parable using a 12 yr old boy as part of the illustration and moved his hands and arms like a puppet! People reacted well and listened intently, and then he suddenly handed over to me (not expected but OK) to complete the gospel and give the call to respond. Around 44 people came forward and made a decision to accept Jesus, praise God!! It was a great boost to the team from the last experience. Bibles, Saris and woollen blankets were given out and then we prayed for many.

Please pray for the team as minor health issues are becoming annoying to each of us in different ways as we are getting tired after lots of speaking, travelling and long days. It has been so great to have such a wonderful likeminded group on board and we are experiencing great times of fellowship!

A day of colour and celebration

This morning brought new joy as the ladies had their turn of ministering to 200 women, to say the sight was colourful was a huge understatement!

The hall was decked with streamers hanging from the rafters and the women of course dressed in amazing saris. The platform or stage was also magnificently decorated, and discovered this was to cover both this occasion and tonight's graduation ceremony.

The ladies did an excellent job in delivering their messages and concluded with Kym giving a powerful message and a laying on of hands which caused an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This was followed by bible and saris distribution. Everybody enjoyed the fellowship together.

Tonight culminated in a magnificent graduation ceremony. Their was a band to usher the team and other important dignitaries to the stage (having first gowned up in the most spectacular satin red and gold clothes); 

It is impossible to describe the event here without writing a book, not everything went perfect but then we did not expect it to as this is India. None the less it was a huge celebration and when the power went out everybody turned to worship as you would.. wouldn't you ? While the generator got hooked up.

There seemed an endless distribution of certificates, gongs and ribbons and speeches for both students and guests. Songs were sung by 1st and 2nd year students and then the team had their turn despite our fears and Rogers voice it went well, and Layla sang and danced.

We eventually arrived back at the hotel at 10pm and had dinner only to witness to a head waiter (thanks Roger for starting that conversation) and then asked If I could pray for him, to which his response was yes! So another day concluded with joy, .. the Indians know how to party and the gospel was preached!

Tears with a red moon

Monday started with tears as two of the team received sad information over night that they each had discovered somebody had died that was important to them. After prayer and close fellowship we were strengthened in the Lord.

The pastors meeting was well attended and the Holy Spirit was touching lives as various messages were delivered. At the close there was an outpouring of the HS that flooded the place as we prayed for the land of India to be healed! I cried as I prayed which was followed by a senior old pastor who wept as he closed in prayer. I am not sure I have experienced such a heart being poured out as he cried to The Lord as he prayed. How I would have loved to hear his exact words, but we got the picture!

The next session was with the Micah students where each team member spoke on a passage of scripture. An awesome time of enthusiastic fellowship and ministry followed.

The evening had us travelling into a community steeped in Witchcraft and Idol worship for a gospel meeting in a village square. As we drew close to this place we happened to notice a full moon which appeared reddish in colour.

Even though we prayer walked the square within moments a fight broke out on one side. Then a few senior men approached us with rage shouting to stop worship and using microphones. It appeared we were somehow responsible for this fight because of our religion. It seems many other factors influenced their actions. We were just 50ft from a snake temple no wonder the serpent put up a fight!

We were granted permission to pray and then leave which we did while trying to pack up our equipment . Within moments they seemed full of rage and waving an arm, with that we retreated to the van in haste while Roger was still grabbing arms of people and praying into them. As we journeyed back tears started again for the lost opportunity of the gospel. We trust The Lord spoke thru those brief prayers and we had a wake up call as to how hard and real mission is in India! 

PLEASE STEP UP YOUR PRAYER FOR THE TEAM AND MISSION 13 this is not easy here and I realise from your position in the safety of UK. The New Testament has reality over here!

Thanks and God Bless
 

New foundations, New beginnings

Last night we concluded our day by meeting in the heart of a community of witchcraft and other dark forces as we had expected to do. All I can say on the blog safely was that the battle began fiercely and dramatically long before we got there! Team members were effected in different ways and this resulted in us stepping our prayers beyond what we even had planned on doing. PLEASE continue to pray and hold us up, our arms are tired and need support, we are doing battle in satans territory, but God is showing people His glorious light!

We arrived to a new bigger church foundations with walls made of curtains and a gravel floor. 'Barefoot walking' had a whole new meaning for the team!

We preached the gospel after Layla had talked to over 30 kids. During the gospel message a few believer felt uncomfortable and walked out , then a few more as the critical time approached!

But praise God from this gathering 6 people made a decision to accept Jesus and so we drove home knowing victory was in the hands of the Lord! That of course only happened after more distributions and LOTS of prayer. Many people expressed with tears there need for God in their lives to deal with their difficult circumstances.

KEEP Praying, we keep preaching and praying for these dear people!

The Lost Sheep

The first service on Sunday was in a beautiful setting with in the 4 walls or 'curtains' of a building made of coconut leaves woven together. As we approached it we heard voices praising God!

Pat was to do the children's message and I was preaching, neither knew what we were speaking on. Pat spoke using large illustrations on the "lost sheep. The kids sat listening intently.

I preached which ended in a gospel response and amongst this small gathering of mostly believers ONE lady stood up and accepted Jesus, how fitting that just one lost soul got saved that day, these are things only God can orchestrate! Praise His name!

Bibles and Saris and teddies, oh and of course pencils were all distributed as tokens of love, and so gratefully received….we do that as normal in church right…?

As we left this gathering of encouraged believers they stood out side waving with outstretched arms and huge smiles!

Giving and receiving

This afternoon had us involved with a baptismal service were I had the privilege of baptising 11 new believers in the most beautiful rural village. 

So many wonderful testimonies as 2 married couple got baptised as well as a family of four! The father, the husband and wife and their son were all baptised this afternoon, what power there is in the gospel! Such a privilege to witness this before our own eyes, such rejoicing among us all as there would have been in Heaven! 

Praying for people, giving of bibles naturally followed during a short service. The team had such awesome experiences in these rural village communities!

Our evening ended up preaching the gospel in a remote village on the edge of a forested hill. Again we did battle as there were some minor disturbances, but then from a gathering of around  40 or so people, 15 + made a decision to accept Jesus!

What a blessing for them and for us, after which the ladies gave saris to the widows present and then individual prayer requests followed  late into the night!

Battle before victory!

What an amazing youth meeting ! 200 young people were expected, but at least 300 turned up and filled this hall! 

A great time was had as we worked through our theme 'God is the builder of everything', talking about physical buildings, building walls, foundations, corner stone, living stone and God building our lives. Loads of props , visual aids all blended together, which enabled many to help participate in different activities.

Just at the crucial moment when the gospel was being proclaimed the enemy sought to throw fiery darts at us, and applied critical tactics mostly with the media controls that meant we stopped and started several times. This resulted in the message being interrupted and repeatedly broken up. I struggled at first to keep focused and almost was thrown off course, but then God took over and intervened and around 70 young people made a decision to accept Jesus this day! Praise God. Then around 100+ believers made a fresh commitment to Jesus and sacrificed the things they were making more important than God in their lives, on a symbolic altar. It was truly a wonderful moment to see young people responding in this way! Keep praying, God is at work but so is the enemy.

Team colours

Met with our precious pastors last night dressed in white shirts who honoured us for being here to work alongside them with colourful shawls.... 

.....then into another outfit ready for youth crusade. what a powerful and amazing time we had with these men of God, we felt very emotional as we experienced the presence of God in our midst as we prayed for 'Mission 13'