There are over three million gods and goddesses in India and we are privileged to see the one true God working through His people to Impact this world for Jesus Christ! Currently I am in India traveling to various villages and remote settings, visiting some of the many churches we are in partnership with. As we visit these pastors and congregations our role is to encourage, empower, enable, inspire, challenge and mobilize them to take the Gospel to a world filled with darkness and need. However what I feel like actually happens is they minister more to me than I to them!
While visiting one young pastor who is working in a difficult area, enduring various forms of persecution, it is obvious his church is steadily growing. Why? Simply he reaches out to his community to show the love of Christ in any form he can when given a chance. He shared with me how some women were getting pulled into human trafficking and he was able to help them before they were taken away – never to be seen again. And God’s Church grows! I visited his small church and witnessed why he was so excited of what they have been able to do for Christ. As we were leaving, he asked me to pray for him and his church. He said, “…the last time you were here you prayed for our church and my home and we have been able to make repairs to my home and add a room on the back where we have church services. Please pray so we will be able to reach more people for Christ with the need to build a larger building to hold all those we are reaching for Christ!” Humbly, I walked around his home and the worship center, praising God for all he has done. Then I prayed asking God to continue blessing this pastor, his home, his church, the community and beyond!
As our travels continued to another area, now by train, upon arrival we were greeted by a young enthusiastic pastor who is serving in a difficult area where many people have relocated due to available work in the local coal fields. Being from West Virginia, I am very familiar with coalfields. People from many villages and towns, as well as other countries, have come to this area in desperation of finding work, food and hope! Another challenging aspect about living in this area is there is a fraction of religious extremists residing there, creating great difficulty for the Christians. This young pastor has been able to start 3 churches, 28 fellowships (which we call small groups) in this area all due to reaching out helping the community through the love of Jesus Christ. We visited one church and a few of the fellowships where he was ministering. He receives such high respect in the community because of how he is helping so many. One story was of a family traveling there from another state – they had lost everything and was giving up (to die) then they were told about this pastor and his church. The church took them in and helped them through this difficult time. As a result of his actions, this family accepted Christ as their God, became Christians then started a fellowship in their home. Then they help build their new church. The family is now doing well and have been able to work and start a business – and they give God all the glory.
The extremists in the area have persecuted the church at different times. One day the police went to visit one lady in the church, she was frightened as she had relocated to the area… she was afraid of what they were going to do to her. They asked to talk to her and then proceeded to ask if the extremist group had bothered her or any other church member. They told her if they did come to any of them causing problems that they – the police – will stop them. Mostly this is due to this young enthusiastic pastor and the Churches/Fellowships ministries in the area.
While we were there a lady came to show us her hand as a testimony to God. She had grabbed a live electrical wire, and as she was being shocked she repeatedly said, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” The Lord spared her life and she was miraculous released from the wire. Another man came through after she was released and he touched the wire and was killed. The church and all were praising God for watching over her and sparing her life, they said it was because she kept saying the name of Jesus, and He protected her.
Such much has been happening as we have traveled place-to-place and visited with pastors and churches. This is just a few of the many stories I could share – God is doing so much here! Many people here have very little yet they depend on God for so much and He provides!]]>
