India - January 22-23

Thursday was a "Mars Hill" (the original :) experience. I was speaking to about 300 pastors (there were another 600 that wanted to come but these are the poorest of poor people in the world), including several women who serve women here in Rajahmundry. A group, perhaps 6 or 7, 0f Hindu priests had filed in and sat in the front row. After a few minutes, the security reseated them in the back (they usually disturb the meetings - I've had this happen several times in my cell-phone preaching). The priests are the highest caste in India. The word Brahmin means "children of the gods." For thousands of years the people have believed everyone is born into one of four divisions (Castes). The head is the Brahman (priests), then the chest is the Kings (leaders, presidents, governors, etc.) and the thigh are the business class. The feet are the Untouchables. Like in Thailand, the feet are considered the worst part of the body (I told of Jesus washing Judas' feet -wow, it blew them away).

Most of the pastors in India are from the lowest Caste, the Untouchables. Dr. Kumar and his brother escaped the worst conditions, as untouchables, through education. Meeting Jesus changed their lives and now they are leading thousands to a forever friendship with Jesus. Dr. Kumar's brother lives in Finland and is an engineer. He supports the work here a great deal. So back to my story . . . the priests in the back row are very rich, and very powerful. Dr. Kumar was suffering from a Hypoglycemia attach while I was speaking (the Coke he was drinking was his way of making it through the translation - I didn't know this was happening). At the end of my pastors' training period I had the young pastors who want to remain in the cities and not go out into the villages come forward and dedicate their one and only life to serving the poorest of the poor (Matt. 25 - "You fed me, clothed me, when you did it to the lowest Caste in all the world" . . . I'm crying as I write this too you - you cannot believe what it is like to place your hands on the ancient, tired faces, of old men and pray for them to receive God's peace). The young pastors struggle with purity, materialism, and fear - many came forward. We then laid our hands on all the men and women there.

I then spoke for about 10 minutes to the priests. I spoke of the God who created all gods and loves them even though they don't know Him or love Him. I asked if they would like to come forward and let me bless them in the name of the Eternal God who created all and is above all. To the shock of Dr. Kumar and the pastors (they have great fear, and often hatred for these men - they abuse many children and are very dangerous).

The security didn't want me to come down off the stage but I felt the most magnet drawing I've ever felt - I prayed and looked deeply into all their eyes - One woman priest and one "very scary" priest wouldn't look in my eyes, but when I laid my hands on the head of the "top dog" we had a major "stare down." The priest put his hands together in honor and I will never forget the prayer I prayed for this man (I thought of Saul - Paul, and the extremely wicked king Agrippa). I may never see the miracles God will work in these priests' lives, but I was told that the pastors received so much encouragement from this experience they are pleading for me to return and train them some more. I feel so weak in terms of speaking, but the pastors say that I speak to their heart in such a way that they want me to return over and over.

The second night of our pastors training the crowds doubled (from 1,200 to perhaps 2,500). Pastor Kumar tells me that if I will return and do a three-day pastors training and three night crusade that about 70,000 people will attend. These people have almost no hope, they are all so hungry for God's love. The response was a miracle (almost every Hindu accepted Jesus).

The security is so weird; we go nowhere without them. As more than 2,000 people came forward for us to lay our hands on them the security would grab the hands of some men who had their hands inside their coats (this is winter season and it was very cold for them - ll:30 p.m. and about 79 degrees). The security was afraid of an extremist who might be concealing a knife. I did shudder a couple of times but God's protection has been very strong.

We did a small baptism before Jim, Diana, and Dan left to return to the states (yesterday - Sat.). There were 60 people who had waited a long time for a missionary to baptize them. The Untouchables are so encouraged by having an "American" baptize them - they tell us they will never forget our touch for the rest of their lives - having security pull away little grandmas who have fallen to our feet to kiss them is very disturbing; I know that it will make them feel so blessed by God, but I want so much to explain that they are God's Holy, Chosen Children as much as we are. I've touched the faces of so many pastors - they are not controlled by the religious customs, the stupid rules we are often burdened with - Last night they played to a small village we were playing in (10,000 people in this village) and had Don Taylor dance a wild dance (this too was very disturbing - ha). They told the people that God's King David had danced before the Lord - Don did his very best at swinging his hips and attempting to impersonate Michael Jackson. I about died - but the pastors loved it and used the opportunity to attract so many Hindus. I love the simple, unhindered devotion of these pastors. Like us there are many dead churches in India. They do have pastors who do not want to go out to the lowest, the lost. They do have traditions in the cities that hinder the simple message of Jesus. But Dr. Kumar is amazing at teaching and leading these 900 pastors who belong to NO denomination, but simply suffer for Jesus.

So I'm rambling - Last night Echo laid her hands on a woman's stomach that was swollen and had a huge hard lump. As she finished praying for healing her eyes suddenly exploded into giant balloons of surprise, as did the woman asking for healing (she had just accepted Jesus into her life). The stomach had immediately gone down and the lump had disappeared.

As we raced through the night (11 p.m. + we cried and prayed for God's incredible power and love) I had our Monkey King (the strongest of all Indian gods) Darrell share about his wife leaving him and choosing not to love him. He cried and the Indian pastors came and prayed over him. Everyone was very touched. I spoke of the Lost Coin last night and how our Creator God will look and seek to find the 1 Rupee person (who is more valuable than 1,000 R.) The children's eyes were large as I threw the rupee on the ground. But when I dropped a 10 R. bill they were totally with me - I spoke of how silly it would be to search for the One Rupee. It was truly an amazing night (I slept so little last night - we are all very physically tired).

Our Son Gordon was left in Chennai with pastor Caleb and they got connected with one of the biggest rock music producers in Southern India. The connections to bring back his band and play are huge. His desire is to then do concerts for the poorest of the poor. The youth in Rajahmundry have heard a couple of his songs - via my cell phone preaching - and Dr. Kumar would love to do a large gathering to use Gordon's music and then have him preach. Gordon is very loved by the children and youth. Several girls were giggling and flirting with him (to his horror he discovered that some of these young Gypsy girls were married - the team teased him a lot. We go nowhere alone). To my wife's horror she discovered that one of the pastors took Gordon through Chennai traffic on a motorcycle. You should read his blog. http://feeds.feedburner.com/wordpress/gordonavenue

All of us are so excited to be together now in Rajahmundry (except for Gordon, who is in Chennai). Last night we stopped on a very lonely road and the guys christened the one side of the road while the ladies giggled behind a haystack (After the guards checked for Cobras). Life is so, so different here - we are on one incredible adventure - this culture reminds Laura and I of being in the remote parts of Korea 31 years ago.

The level of honor shown to us is so humbling (very difficult to accept - we feel so unworthy). We toured the second most holy river in India (the one we did the baptism in yesterday). The priests were not happy. We saw bodies being unloaded and others being cremated. This river has had 70 million people, from outside of India, come and dip into it to receive some sort of holy blessing. It's so sad. I am determined to do whatever I can, be it in India, Africa, or Clark County to be God's light and to be a sweet smell (Stumptown coffee) that will lead, if possible, every person to a forever friendship with Jesus.

Thank you for sharing your resources. I'll be bringing back so many pictures and so much video. We can share how you can sponsor a village (we have six acres that Dr. Kumar owns that he has a foundation on and wants to have us build a Living Hope Church on). The well is drilled (they still need $1,600 for electricity hookup and a pump) and they have a small clinic. They also have one acre of teak trees planted (they are six years old and will be harvested in 10 more years for half a million dollars). We are wanting to plant another acre of teak and also plant some trees for paper - these can be harvested in a much shorter period of time. If we build but one floor on the current foundation we could be able to seat 500 people at a time. They have raised up 40 churches in the village nearby and there are a thousand more seeking to follow Jesus. This is just one example of the investment you could be a part of. We visited a small hut that was perhaps 100 sq. feet, built by hand from Coconut trees. The pastor is very poor but so dedicated. If we drill a well ($300 - $600) the Untouchables could come for free water (the upper classes won't let them now). They will use this hut to open a school as well. The people who live around this hut had never seen a foreigner before. . .

I've got to go, but thank you for your prayers . . . did you really read all of this? I'm trying to chat on Facebook and checking what you write there. I hope to Skype to our East Vancouver Campus on Sunday -we'll see. Love you and so appreciate your Facebook responses.

I'm hoping Elizabeth edited this blog :) Laura just slipped in and started editing (I got perhaps one hour sleep last night . . . I did bring Starbucks coffee with me :)

If I don't return home it's all Pastor John's fault. If I start traveling overseas every couple months it will also be Pastor John's fault (and the Holy Spirit's). God bless - the Internet connection is so slow . . . love :)