I'm back online after a weekend of ministry I'll never forget. Thanks for standing with Jim and I as we have been in Nepal and India. Your prayers have kept us going these past days during some rough times. Words could not express our appreciation!
Let me catch you up on our apostolic ministry adventure to South India!
We traveled much of the day on Friday from Delhi to Chennai to Rajamundry, South India. We had a flight cancellation at the last minute and arrived two hours late. A pastor's meeting had been set up from 4:00 to 7:00 at a hotel for us to meet the pastors connected with our missionaries, Shajan and Dede. Shajan is a spiritual son to me and doing a tremendous job in the Indian state where he was born and grew up. We were amazed and highly honored by the welcome especially since we were two hours late. Just over 70 ministers and their wives were invited to be with us and more than 150 showed up. The room probably held 100! It was so hot. It was standing room only, with people everywhere filling all the doorways. I can’t begin to express how we were greatly moved by the honor and love shown us. We discovered that very few western pastors visit this part of the world, and they are so excited about our plans to work with pastors and leaders under Shajan throughout the area through Liberty Network Asia.
Following the big welcome service, were taken to our hotel where we ate a large Indian dinner together, or at least, I ate a large Indian dinner! We were so tired from travel and recent days of intense ministry, not to mention not eating all day, so it came at the right time. I was hungry and I love Indian food so I enjoyed it thoroughly. I don't know if it was the heat, traveling so much, the food or a combination of them all, but following dinner we went straight to bed with me waking up an hour later very, very sick. I was up and down all night; it was miserable. I couldn't sleep at all. I decided to just spend time in prayer during the night, if I couldn't sleep. I don't know whether it was a dream, vision or what, but I remember the bed seeming to turn around and around. Hindu faces were flying into my face threatening me, with much anger trying to make me fearful. It was very, very strange. I knew then that God had great plans for us. So, in India, I was and am more determined than ever. Later in the weekend, I would hear of one of the Indian pastors having a very similar experience that same night. Though there are a lot more believers in South India than what we found in Northern India, it is very dark spiritually.
I continued to be very sick Friday night. I was able to call Ann early Saturday morning to pray and get others to pray back home in Pensacola. I had an important meeting Saturday morning with some of the key leaders to talk about Liberty Network Asia so I was going, regardless of how I felt. I was still in pretty rough shape, but by faith went on.
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