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Glimpses from an ECC Shepherd
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As we travel in India, God leads us forward in our ministry from day to day. The commissioning session in Calcutta was a great blessing. I was privileged to pray for the seven or eight language groups represented among us. Even though most all speak Hindi, the national language, India is made up of hundreds of people groups, each having their own language. We had many states represented.
As I prayed, I laid hands on several persons in each group, earnestly asking God to anoint and fill His servants with the Holy Spirit – giving boldness, wisdom, protection and power.
I also asked the Lord to make them fruitful in the sharing of the Gospel, the training of workers, and in the multiplication of new churches. Please join me in believing God to do even more than we could ask or think. Jesus promised that He would build His church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Amen.
Before catching our flight to Chennai, Luke and I had the opportunity to drive into Calcutta. Luke was amazed by the wild and wacky flow of traffic as cars, trucks, buses and more aggressively weaved in and out, often barely avoiding a collision.
We were both anxious to visit the place where Mother Theresa lived and ministered to the poor. It was very touching to be in the place where she invested herself, serving the destitute and dying. Her body was laid to rest in a tomb where we quietly thanked God for her demonstration of Christ-like love. The Missionaries of Charity still make their home in this humble, easily overlooked ministry center located off a nondescript alley. Proverbs 14:21 tells us that “to oppress the poor is to show contempt for their Maker, but to be kind to the needy honors God.” In addition we should “speak up for the rights of the destitute” (Prov. 31:8).
By great contrast, we also visited the Queen Victoria Palace in another part of the city. It was a grand and spacious marble structure reminiscent of the days when England ruled India in royal fashion. Many large old paintings and various articles used in that day were on display to see. Luke, a history teacher, and I pondered life as it was back in those days.
Before leaving for the airport late in the afternoon, Calcutta received a first installment on the coming monsoon season. Around 2-3 inches of rain came down in an hour with many flashes of lightning and loud rumbles of thunder. After arriving in Chennai, an Evangelical Church of India driver named Ragu and a Bible student, Samson, met us at the airport and took us to the YWCA where we stayed the night. After a good night of sleep we were picked up Sunday morning by a seminary teacher, Durai Suami. He would also be my translator for preaching.
We arrived at Mambalam ECI Church where the congregation was gathered and already singing. Actually, many people continued to come for the next 30-40 minutes until the church was quite full with about 250 adults and children. The service entailed many different parts including singing, children's Bible memory verse recitation, a special welcome for us including a gift of two colorful shawls, the dedication of a newly married couple, offerings, prayers and more!
After an hour and a half, Luke gave a greeting, and I shared God’s living Word. What a joy to encourage, strengthen and challenge God’s people to faith in Jesus. Many came looking for special prayer after the service. It was a privilege to seek with them the loving, powerful touch of the Savior. Late one night, we were sitting in the dark in Mahabilapuram. The electrical power finally quit after a long struggle most of the evening. Our Train & Multiply workshop for ECC church planters finished two days of training.
Unfortunately, several of our workers were quite delayed in getting here. Their bus ride lasted 22 hours with many delays, followed by five hours of waiting in the Chennai bus station! I spell that n-i-g-h-t-m-a-r-e, but they smiled and seemed to take it in stride. On the whole, Indians are much more resilient than we are. The next group of church planters to be trained arrives soon. This small city on the coast of Tamil Nadu is renowned for its sculptures made of stone. For hundreds of years, the traditional artisans have chiseled out amazing shapes and forms with simple tools. Tragically, many of these sculptures are idols, the Hindu gods that they worship. Luke and I visited a couple ancient temples for an hour or so this evening.
What they have done is artistically stunning, but their dead idols can never bring life, health or salvation to their souls. It is a deception that keeps them in spiritual darkness. That, of course, is why we are here. God sends His people to share the Good News of the Savior who came to die for our sins. Through His resurrection, Jesus imparts new and eternal life to all who put their trust in Him. We heard many stories of persons whose lives were dramatically changed through the ministry of our ECC church planters. Thank you for your prayers. Please don’t stop.
When you pray . . . . God works!
Christ’s ambassadors to India,
Roger (& Luke)
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