We are alive! Sorry it has taken a couple days to update what the team has been up to, but we were not able to blog while in Andhra Pradesh. Monday morning we began our long journey to Chirala, Andhra Pradesh, which was supposed to be a six hour journey. However, due to the highway check-ins, our travels turned into an all-day trip. Needless to say, we were all tired and happy to arrive in Chirala.
After checking in at our hotel (which would be an interesting experience for all), we went to Pastor Calvin’s for dinner and were refreshed yet again by the Indian hospitality. We then did our first of many village outreaches. Many of the people in that village believed in Jesus Christ already but were not living lives that honored Him as Lord, so please pray that that work would be accomplished there.
I want to give a brief outline of what each village outreach looked like. Usually, Charles, Gracia, and John would begin playing music or Pastor Ted would start his light show first in order to draw people to where we were at. Then, whichever of those two performances had not gone first would go second (hope that makes sense). After people had gathered, one of the guys would share a story from the Word and the Gospel. We would then as individuals pray for the people in the villages, one by one. Specifics on how each outreach went will have to be shared in person.
The next day was the women’s conference, where Gracia led the women in music; Sarah S., Brenda, and Leanne all shared from God’s word; and Sarah R., Maria, and Lilliana shared their testimonies. The day was hot and humid, and poor Calvin stood for three hours translating everything (American conferences are definitely different). However, there were about 100 women (and about that many men) who came to the conference, so please pray that the Word that was given would continue to minister to their hearts and minds, encouraging them in their ministries. We then performed two more village outreaches that night, with a Hindu man and a woman coming to the Lord. I cannot do their stories justice here, but we look forward to sharing them with you all. Please pray that God would continue to work in their lives and grow them in Him.
Wednesday was the men’s conference, where Pastor Ted, John, Luke, and Donald shared (Matt was supposed to but for time’s sake did not) and Charles led worship. For the first half of the conference, however, Pastor Sunny and Rashan (our translator) took us women shopping. It was a fun experience!
After our return and the conference was over, we ate lunch and then continued on to the Indian Ocean to watch Pastor Nehemiah (a Bible college graduate from last year) perform his first baptism, as two ladies made their outward confession of faith in Christ. It was an amazing experience, as we pulled up to the ocean and smelled rotting fish nets and saw tons of fishing boats floating just off shore. The Scriptures have really come alive for many of us in being able to see pictures such as that.
After the baptism, we visited Pastor Nehemiah’s first church and prayed for the believers there. We then continued to another church of his and performed our village outreach. Charles and Gracia will need to share their experiences of “music” during that outreach. We ate dinner with Pastor Nehemiah and Pastor Roy after the outreach and spent our last night in the hotel.
The next day, we had breakfast with Pastor Calvin and said our sad goodbyes. For some reason, being in Chirala made the entire missions trip come alive, and many of us expressed that we felt more connected to the work we are doing here after being there. It was a blessing! We began our trip back to Chennai, which was shorter this time because we had fewer delays. Unfortunately, Sarah R. became ill on the drive home and was not able to eat much for the next day. She seems to be doing better now, but please pray for a full recovery and her protection for the rest of the trip. She has been a trooper!
Also on our trip home, Pastor Sunny blessed us by taking us to an “American” coffee house a few miles outside of Chennai. It is funny how something so simple can make you so grateful for all we have in America. Thursday evening we spent our time saying goodbye to the Oceanside team and giving our gifts to Pastor Sunny and his family. We have been blessed to see how God is able to take complete strangers and cause fellowship to abound among them. We all hope to see the Oceanside team again soon!
Friday morning was spent with the men at the Bible college and with Gracia and Sarah S. going to a women’s prayer meeting (Sarah R. was still not feeling well). The afternoon was fairly relaxing for everyone (although I would not necessarily know since I was taking a nap), and that night we did our last village outreach to the same village where the story of David and Goliath was such a hit. This outreach was special because we were teaching on the Ten Commandments, with a Hindu temple located right behind us. It was great because Sarah R. taught the second commandment and used the temple as an example, saying that the idols in that temple were made with hands but our God is not made with hands; He made us, and we should worship Him. There was also a man who was offering a sacrifice while we were teaching, so it was as if God was giving the children a picture of what not to do as we were teaching them what to do.
Today (Saturday) is our last day, which is hard to believe. We have spent our morning at the Bible college, with Pastor Ted wrapping up his talk on Acts. We plan to visit the beach this afternoon and go shopping again (since the guys were not able to the first time). We will say our goodbyes tonight and leave for the airport tomorrow morning at 5 am. But please pray for our safe travels and for continued protection for the team that will continue on to Sri Lanka. Blessings!
