India Trip, Day 9

Today concludes our ministry time here in India. Tomorrow we begin the long journey home.  This last day found our team in multiple villages visiting churches founded by ServeTrust. At the first stop we saw a recently finished church building and parsonage.  As members of the church and village came into the building, one lady began screaming and writhing on the floor.  Most of our team was unacquainted with such behavior, rarely seeing anything like this at home. The fear of and belief in evil spirits is pervasive in these small villages. We have seen children whose faces bear black marks to make them unattractive to such evil spirits. This woman feared our presence and believed we were bringing fire down upon her. She was finally calmed and we had prayer with her. The experience made for an interesting discussion on the bus about the theological implications of evil spirits in the modern world.  

At the next stop we walked through the village, meeting and praying for people along the way. I was invited to come and bless two new brahma bulls one man had just purchased. Leena feared the bulls might be frightened if I got too close, so with arms outstretched, at a relatively safe distance, I asked God's blessings on these two very large, very white bulls. I'm not sure, but I think one of the bulls winked at me in appreciation!

The final stop was to another new church whose pastor and wife welcomed us warmly with their two adorable children. We shared prayer in their church building, then went to their parsonage directly behind the church to bless that structure. Our bus driver did some creative maneuvers to get us out of the village in the midst of a repaving effort. I'll share more about the driving in India some day after I receive proper counseling to deal with the nightmares I know I will have for months, perhaps years to come!!!

We had a delightful treat in the afternoon as we stopped by Leena's parents home for dinner. Rice, chicken curry, yogurt, and another chicken dish, as well as a sweet noodle dish and strawberry ice cream were well received by our weary and hungry team. We also had a special drink that is at times hard to find here...chilled Diet Coke! Leena's family is delightful and were such gracious hosts. I was given the privilege of offering a blessing for them before we left and I was honored to do so.

After a brief hotel stop, we left for the dedication of a new church building in a community about thirty minutes away. Leena wanted to stop in a small village to check in and people kept coming to the bus for prayer. Forty minutes later we were on our way to the dedication service. Singing had already begun when we arrived and over the next 90 minutes, different folks from the audience stood to sing while the crowd slowly gathered. Eventually every chair outside the building was full and children were sitting on the ground. Our team leader, Tony Cupit, was allowed to cut the ribbon across the door, and with a snip of his scissors we all walked in. There was a brief sermon followed by a solo. As the service concluded, people approached us to pray for them individually. We complied and dedicated a people in prayer as well as a building.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Vijayawada for a flight to Hyderabad, then a connection to Dubai and then a final flight home. If all goes well, I will see you in worship Sunday morning to share a glimpse of my experience on this trip. Please pray for safe travel and the continuing work of ServeTrust.

Jim Abernathy