Honored by the homeowner

Sometimes if I will have anything to write about; then other times I have so much content that I don’t know where to begin. Let me start by updating some local issues.

Seems that the local paper, The Hindu, wrote a piece on the Americans who are in the area proselytizing. They print two versions; one in English and one in Tamil. The article was in the Tamil edition, not the English one. It was not a favorable piece. Another tidbit is a local Pentecostal church has heard about us also. Rumor has it from our local pastors that they have declared a fast to pray about our evangelism. Now the question is, are they praying for us or against us? One more site was closed down by radical Hindus who said that too many people are coming and wanting baptism. Guess something must be happening if they feel threatened by our presence and our preaching.

Now on to the story of the picture attached to this blog. I know I have a silly look on my face, but I’m looking into the lights toward where the picture is being taken and the person is standing in a dark spot. I began to tell you the story of the wealthy man on whose property we are holding the meetings. Well tonight he chose to honor me for coming to the village. He gave me a huge wreath of flowers that dragged on the ground. Then he gave me a shawl made from silk which I’m told is a very high honor. He also gave me a book of poems written by a famous Tamil Indian.

I continue to pray for people in their homes before the meetings; and near the pulpit after the meetings. Tonight I got to meet two elderly women that I had prayed for earlier in the meetings. Both had gotten much better and one of them fell at my feet as if to worship me. It was uncomfortable and I told my translator that she shouldn’t do that, but to give honor to God. This was one of the few prayers I could actually saw the answer to and thanked God that He had directly answered.

The last three days I have preached on the second coming, the millennium and tonight on hell. I lifted up Jesus in every sermon and called people to a decision each night to chose Jesus and to be on the inside of the city and not to reject God and be on the outside. I’m told that the last couple of sermons have really impacted people.

I can’t help but see their faces after I leave. Even though they don’t understand me, God is getting through to them. There are serious looks on their faces as they face the choice of joining Jesus or continuing to live in fear and poverty as they have been.

This Sabbath will be more baptisms in the afternoon and I’m told that I will be given the honor to officiate them. Very few of the Americans have been allowed to actually get in the water and do the baptisms. I feel greatly honored. Sabbath will once again be very busy. After worship, I’m invited to one of the homes of the team members who work in my village, then on to the baptism, then directly to the village where we will stay till 10:00 p.m. Our flight leaves for Delhi early Sunday morning. I’m already anticipating being exhausted!

I must tell you, as I preach my own personal conviction to serve the King grows each day. I pray for my church family and my own family. I seek to grow closer to my Lord and serve Him with all my heart.

Pastor Kevin

Monkey Temple

It was field trip day today. One of the team members for my village and his pastor took me and their six children sightseeing today. We went to a temple in the mountains that was covered with wild monkeys.

The monkeys were everywhere and they weren’t shy! They climbed on top of cars or buildings to get an advantage. If you had food, whether in your hand or a bag, they were on you like flies on dead fish. They would run up and grab your bag or food or even you! The bigger males were very aggressive and the females were around but not as bold. The females (those that have given birth have a bright red face.

I took some video of Isaac (one of my village team members) throwing bananas up in the air or taunting the monkeys by jerking stuff away when the monkeys tried to grab them. It was good. The six children surrounded me and kept the monkeys away with their sticks. They were my body guards.

We walked halfway up a mountain and when we got tired, came back. On the way up we saw places where there were piles of hair. I saw a holy man shaving heads as a means of worship. Men, woman and children had their heads shorn bald. The hair would be left lying on the ground where it was cut off. There were little streams coming down the mountain and people were taking a holy or ceremonial baths; women in one location and men in another.

We also saw a tree where women would tie pieces of fabric or hang small replicas of cribs as a means of asking the gods for pregnancy. While taking a picture of the tree, a snake came out of a hole at the base of the tree and slithered up the hill. It was my first snake that I’ve seen in country. I couldn’t run up the hill fast enough to get its picture though. Think of the symbolism of the snake living in a hole in the base of the tree that they believe will bring them fertility.

At the entrance to the main temple on the bottom of the hill I saw something that could have come right out of scripture. A man was sitting by the gate begging and he was blind. His eyes were clouded up and he was crying out for help. I couldn’t help but think of the story of blind Bartimaeus in scripture (Mark 10:46). I couldn’t help but give him coins.

We ate a picnic lunch at the car. We had to sit inside because the monkeys were all over the place; under the car, on top of the car in the trees above the cars. And then there were the beggars. I’ve never had a picnic lunch like that.

Driving home I saw winnowing of barley on the roads. They were beating out the grain and laying it on the road to dry. It blocked a whole lane. Again, except for the paved road, this was something you might envision from the Bible. We went to the palace and another temple in the middle of a man-made lake. I took so many pictures that I ran out of room on two memory sticks.

We got word today in our meeting that as of Tuesday, there were 1,860 baptisms from around all the sites. We have baptisms scheduled at various locations every day this week. We may not hit the 5000 projected but no one seems disappointed.

One more quick story that I want to share that is in process. The man who is letting us use his property to hold the meetings is not the chief of the village, but is the wealthiest man in the village. He has a lot of authority; he is also Hindu. At first he didn’t attend any of my meetings but late last week he started coming late. Each day he has been coming earlier and earlier. I asked my translator how he is responding. My translator said he is a very smart man and is understanding and agreeing with our teachings. But, he will not quickly respond to baptism because of his status in the village.

Reminds me of Paul when he stood before Agrippa found in Acts 26. Paul almost persuaded him. Think of the ramification if this man accepts Jesus and our message. This will free those in the village who are afraid of the Hindus to make an open confession of their faith. If only one is converted, that one will become a witness to the village. The God who began a good work will bring it to its proper conclusion.

There will probably only be one or two more blogs after this one because of the schedule. I really hope to write one after Sabbath but we leave very early in the morning to fly out to Delhi and I don’t know if I can get it on the web or not. I will continue to write as it avails me and post when I can get on. Sorry that the novel is coming to an end, but I’m ready to come home and eat food other than Indian, take a hot shower whenever I want and to sleep in my bed (not to mention drive on streets where my anxiety level is greatly reduced).

God bless and keep your eyes on Jesus.

Pastor Kevin

The Great Controversy

Just when you think life is getting boring, you go to the village! My original translator came back today and we went visiting around the village again. One of the women we baptized last week is quite the evangelist already. We stop at her house and pray, then she leads us through the village to pray for all her friends and relatives that she feels need prayer.

We must have stopped at half dozen or so houses when we came to a home that had three younger women standing outside with their small children. I was told they needed special prayer for health and problems in the family. I pray for specifics when I know them, but I generally pray a common prayer for each home. I pray that God would remove any satanic forces from the family and the household, and that Jesus would reign in their home and their lives.

It was at the point in my prayer where I mentioned Jesus coming into their home and lives that one of these women went into convulsions and fled into the house. I sensed what was happening but everyone else seemed confused. It was at the very point when I mentioned the name of Jesus that the convulsions began. She ran into the house and you could hear the noise as she went. Even my translator didn’t see the connection or understand the spiritual connotations. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. I do not doubt for a minute that there was Satanic powers at work.

I have felt uncomfortable before when I have prayed for different people, but this time I was sure of it. There is a reason this village is so difficult to present the Gospel in, there are unseen forces at work that are attempting to hinder our work. I do not fear it, but I have a healthy respect for the battle.

My God is bigger than any enemy and as I continue to trust in Him, He continues to show me my role and His. Some of you remember from our Sabbath school class that faith is a verb and requires that we do something. When we listen to God, He leads us into “the what” and gives us the power to do what He is calling us to do.

My favorite author once said: “we have nothing to fear for the future, except we forget how God has led in the past.” If you aren’t letting God lead and you follow Him now, how can you remember His leading when things get really difficult?

Your prayers are requested for the workers here and our villages. The battle is raging; the dragon is angry with the woman and makes war with her offspring (Rev. 12:17).

Pastor Kevin

Today is the 15th day since I left home; I have 11 more days to go before I return. I have preached every day for ten days (twice on Sabbath) and I have five more sermons to give before I’m done. This Saturday night I won’t be preaching but showing the complete Jesus DVD and saying farewell. I think I hit the wall yesterday. My energy is down and I spent a good deal of time napping and resting.

The pace is hectic and all of us are wearing down. I’m going to need several days recuperating when I get home just to get my bearings straight. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world, but it is lonely without my wife.

Yesterday there were baptisms all around the area for various villages. At one site, they baptized 153 people (several villages together). I struggle sometimes wishing I could have a site where more people are baptized, but God gave me this assignment for a reason. I love my village and the people there seem to love me (I’m not sure why?). The children throng about me wanting me to touch them. When I arrive they follow the cab and shout hello to me. When I leave at night, they all yell goodbye and wave and try to stick their hands in the cab to shake my hand (or give me five, which I taught them and now all they want to do is slap my hand).

When the adults come to the meeting and I either bow (don’t touch a woman!) or shake the men’s hands, their eyes light up like a child’s at Christmas. The church workers and the villagers want to know when I will come back; they don’t want me to leave. For the first time in many of their lives, they have been given worth by the presence of a white man from a far away country.

Although the caste system is officially illegal now in India, it is practiced widely. The Hindu religion and the people of India have a clear prejudice that isn’t hid. The highest caste in India (Brahman) has the lightest skin of the people. Therefore, I’m seen as the highest caste, yet I’m visiting their simple homes, playing with their children, touching them and giving them respect and honor because they are a child of God.

There are scenes here that remind me of stories in the Bible. When Jesus heals the man born blind from birth, all the people around know him; why? Because the man sits at the same place day after day begging. I see this scene replayed time after time. A sick or damaged person sits at the same location day after day begging. Everyone around knows this persona and either helps out occasionally or walks past without acknowledging them. I’m astounded at what seems apathy to me, but this is life to them.

The streets are dirty, people throw their refuse out on the curb. At night the cattle and goats roam the streets picking through the trash to eat. The beggars do also. There isn’t much animal dung on the streets because it is picked up to dry for fuel. Humans are seen urinating anywhere and everywhere without the slightest hint of embarrassment. The traffic is horrific whether it is foot traffic, bicycles, scooters, cars or busses. There is such an enormous congestion of people that it is hard to find a quiet place of solace. Even in the countryside, it is rare to see a field that doesn’t have people in it.

The TV shows are a hoot! There is a great love of the music video but its nothing like in the US. All the videos are choreographed and looking like a 1940’s Roger’s and Hammerstein musical. The leading ladies are always light skinned and look nothing like the general population; the leading men always have an Elvis haircut with sideburns and a big bushy moustache. The content is always of a sexually suggestive manner but not overt; no nudity, only suggestive movements.

One can hardly begin to understand a culture after only 2 weeks, but I’m getting pieces of the puzzle that is taking shape. The world I walk in and see is the world of the extremely poor; that makes up almost half the population. There is a world I see only on TV and that is the world of the wealthy and there are many of them in India too.

I want to clear up a couple I of items that I’ve mentioned before. First is the sponsorship of children to a boarding school. The qualifications for the children to be sponsored are: they must be 6 or 7 years old, they must come from a baptized member’s family, the sponsorship is $300.00 USD per year for 10 years. It’s a long commitment, but it is the only way we can ensure that the children will get a good education and are well fed before they go back to their village. This money doesn’t have to come from a single person or family, but can be combined from several people. This sponsorship can be done after I return; I will bring the paperwork with me.

A second program is being offered that is a little less money but just as significant. You can buy a cow! For $375.00 USD, you can buy a cow for a widow so she can make a living. She will use the milk and sell the extra, she will collect the dung and dry it for sale as fuel, and eventually she will build a herd as her cow has calves. This is a one time expense and is offered to SDA widows in the villages who have no support. Right now there are 17 widows waiting on this program. I will bring the necessary paperwork for this project when I come also.

Life is becoming a routine now and maybe the shock of some things is lessening. I don’t have any wild or radical stories to tell today, just that God is faithful and He is working. I pray He is working in my church back home like He is here.

Right now, one of my major concerns it that the local church officials find property where we will build the church. I’m not getting straight answers; they assure me we will have something but I can’t pin them down. There is something prevalent in this culture that is difficult to comprehend or accept from a western world view. The people here don’t really give you a yes or no answer. When you ask a question, they bob their head in a cross between a yes and a no which leaves you wondering; which is it?!?

Sorry I don’t have more content today. I hope that things are going well with you. Keep us in your prayers and remember our village of Varichiyoor. The picture on this blog is me praying for the people after the preaching service.

Pastor Kevin

Busy Sabbath

The last two days have been the most hectic and exhausting since I’ve been here in Madurai. I haven’t had time to even sit and collect my thoughts to write the blog. So I’m going to try and catch you up on what has been happening.

Friday, I went to look for a digital camera shop where they could take my photos and make prints for me. I wanted to give the newly baptized ladies a picture and I wanted to give some to my translator. People don’t have cameras here like back home. A camera is an instant draw to people. They will literally stop you on the street and ask: “photo please?”

While wandering the streets I was accosted by many of the local carnival hawkers trying to take me to their shops; do you want shirt, pants, suits, rugs, etc they ask and they know a mother, sister, brother, uncle who will make one for you. As I was walking down a busy street with a hawker by my side encouraging me to follow him to a local jewelry store; a bicyclist was struck by a taxi right next to me. The man on the bike was thrown to the pavement where he struck his head. The bike was demolished. People came out of the shops and began yelling at the driver. I stood there astonished at what I was seeing. Traffic continued to blow their horns and drive right around the accident scene.

I’m told that if a driver hits a bike rider or pedestrian and the person is killed, there is a standard fine of 2000 rupees; equivalent to about $50 USD. If the person is just injured, you must pay all medical costs until they recover.

I did find my photo shop and had the prints made. Also, Friday was a holiday in India, much like our 4th of July. There were special activities going on and everyone was wearing or carrying an Indian flag. I stopped at a local shop and bought 100 small flags to give to the children in my village. Giving small gifts like this or balloons go a long way to create good will. I went to my site and began visiting. Each day there are more houses for me to go to. We sit, they stare at me, I pray a blessing on the family and the house, sometimes pray for specific needs such as health, jobs, family issues; then we move to the next house.

Got to the meeting site a little late and quickly set up. As soon as we were ready to begin, it began to rain. This is the dry season and it seldom rains this time of year; I wonder why it is raining now (maybe you can figure it out)?

We covered the equipment and they took me into the house. We waited for 20 minutes till the rain stopped and we resumed the meeting. I had to shorten my sermon a little but it worked out OK. We gave the flags to the children and their eyes were huge. I had some left over and gave all of the adults one too; they were almost as happy as the kids.

Sabbath morning at breakfast (7:00 a.m.) the local Indian conference President found me and asked me to speak in the church where I held the baptism on Thursday morning; nothing like getting plenty of advanced warning to prepare. I said yes. At nine they came to get me with a scooter and we were off to church. They treated me like royalty as they introduced me during Sabbath school. I was taken to each of the classes and asked to say a word or two. At the teen class, they wanted to ask me all sorts of deep theological questions. It was fun. Then during church you would have thought I was an envoy from a foreign government. When I preached I came out in front of the podium, they had never seen a preacher not stand behind the pulpit before. Some spoke English but they translated my sermon. I gave a modified kingdom of God sermon that I had done at Walk of Faith before I left and inserted my testimony into it. They loved it. Three of the four ladies I baptized on Thursday were in church, the fourth was home sick. They all were so proud to be connected with me.

Right after worship I walked back to the hotel. It’s almost 4 miles by cart but less than half a mile to walk. Railroad tracks and the road system make it quite confusing. After eating at the hotel, they picked me up at 2:30 to go out to the village to see what they normally do with the kids each Sabbath. I wouldn’t get back to my hotel room until after 11:00 p.m. Needless to say, I was exhausted last night.

The picture you see above is one of the Sabbath school classes I attended. There were four of them that I visited. The local team, from the church where I preached, moves from place to place conducting a short program at each. The kids (about 50 at teach site) are given something to color with a Bible verse on it to memorize. If they color the picture and memorize the verse for the next week they get a small gift. They sing songs, a Bible story is told, there is prayer and all the children get a small treat to eat.

They sang their songs for me, I was asked to tell a Bible story through the translator. The only time you see kids sit this quietly and with rapt attention in the States is when they are playing video games or watching a movie. Their eyes were large and focused on me when I talked, then their heads turned and the stared intently as the translator spoke. I told each class the story of Daniel and his faithfulness to God, both as a child and when he was older with the lions den. When I finished the story, I asked the children if they would like to be faithful like Daniel. All hands were raised. Remember, all these children are Hindu; this is their only experience of Christianity.

It rained on and off during the afternoon and these little classes were held in the street, in the dirt. The rain slowed us down but did not stop us. We ran late and couldn’t have a complete program at the last site, but we still showed up. The local leaders had me give out the treats to the kids and they lined up and politely said thank you. I felt a little like Santa Claus at the mall as I sat in a plastic chair (the only chair at any site and I was always told to sit in it) and the kids lined up to receive their treat.

As we moved from site to site, I was taken to parts of the village I had not seen before. I took over 100 photos of people that I had not met in the village, both adult and children. I entered over a dozen homes to pray with families. I was taken to one home where they brought out a set of twin infants that were extremely small and undernourished. The babies were ill and the family wanted prayers for the children. They wouldn’t let me photograph them and maybe its best. The picture would have haunted you; the memory does me.

I was taken to a home of the lady who was sick and couldn’t come to church, Kannatha. When I saw her house, I felt sick to my stomach. I wished I brought my tools. She had one room, no electricity and a roof that was over half caved in. If I ever come back to this village (God willing), the next time I come back with tools and money for materials and the Gospel I preach will be with my hands to help them with their living accommodations.

Once again, we got to the preaching site late, but the visiting was important. Many of the people I visited have not come to the meetings for one reason or another, but they are listening. The bible worker visits these people every day and to see me as I walked among them and entered their homes was an honor to them.

Just as we finished setting up it began to drizzle. I just covered the equipment with a tarp and kept right on preaching. It drizzled on and off for the rest of the night, but the people sat and listened to me, so I wasn’t going to leave them. As the meeting was going on, the local Hindu temple was blaring music as loud as our speakers. There was a controversy going on between the forces of good and evil. Satan has found a variety of means to keep this word from being preached, but we continued. I prayed the whole time I was preaching that God would stop the noise, about 20 minutes into my sermon, the music abruptly stopped. God is good, all the time!

I’m well over half way finished with the preaching assignment and barely halfway done with my visit to India. I am homesick for my wife and friends back home, I’m fatigued, both physically and emotionally and need your prayers for continued strength. I have developed a great respect and love for these people and will be sad to leave them. I don’t know if I will ever be able to get the memories out of my mind of the things I have seen or experienced. I have a slight taste of the passion of Mother Teresa and her work with the poor in Calcutta.

I look forward to the reuniting that will take place when I see these people again, whether in this world, or in the Kingdom of God. I think of you back home frequently and enjoy your responses to my posts. At least it tells me somebody is reading them.

Pastor Kevin

Kannatha's home

This is a picture of Kannatha's home with the roof falling in. Can anyone say mission trip?

New Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Before I get into my main topic today I need to update some items from the other sites and correct some information I gave you yesterday. First, the cobra story; the event happened but the characters were wrong. A mother with two small children was bitten and killed, not a child. The children are now orphans, their father had left the family.

The second item is at another site where tragedy struck. Seems that another village was having some visits from a radical Hindu group that were attending but not really disturbing the meetings. That is until yesterday. A severe motorcycle accident occurred near the meeting site and one young man was killed and the other was critically injured and in a coma. The radical Hindus blamed the tragedy on the Christians and their meeting and they forced the meeting to shut down. The team is attempting to move to a nearby village to resume the meetings. It will not be the same though, the audience will change.

Now, for my good news; this morning I was taken to a local Seventh-day Adventist church and 4 women from my village bused in to be baptized. There are at least six more that are requesting baptism but could not come today. My translator arraigned it so I could do the baptisms.

The pastor of the church where we did the baptisms told me that the village I was working was considered the hardest village in the area and their church has been sending a team to work there every Sabbath for 2 years trying to get conversions. The local church was willing to give up and felt this village should not be part of the meetings. With a smile on his face the pastor said that our God is tougher than that village! Can you say Amen?

I did nothing except show up. That’s all God asks of us. I didn’t convert a soul; they couldn’t understand a word I said. But they saw Jesus in me as I walked in their village, played with their children, sat in their hovels of homes and prayed with them. As I have said before: “evangelism is the easiest thing in the world but most difficult sacrifice you will ever make.”

In the picture above you see from left to right: my Bible worker, Ammani, Leelavathi, (Kevin), Ambiga, Panavarnam, Pastor Prince, and Kannatha. There are stories for each.

Leelavathi has been attending the church in Maduria for about a year and takes a one hour bus ride to and from her village to attend. Although unbaptized till today, she has helping Ammani the local Bible worker. Leelavathi is always trying to feed me or give me something to drink and is always disappointed when Pastor Prince tells her I have a weak stomach. Yesterday she gave me the package of crackers and today after the baptism she gave me some fruit.

The beautiful young 23 year old mother of an infant child Ambiga is married to a man that abuses her and threatens her if she comes to the meetings. She is there every day and was the second one to make her stand for baptism. When she came up out of the water her face was beaming and I almost thought I saw her eyes well up with tears. She made her decision against severe stress and pressure from her family. But in the end, Jesus was more important to her than anything. What a testimony of great faith!

Kannatha is a young 28 year old widow with 4 children. She works in the rice fields each day and her oldest child helps to support the family but it isn’t much and they’re barely getting by. She is courageous in her stand for Christ.

Panjavarnam has not attended a single meeting that I know of but she sits at home in secret and listens to the blaring speakers on her front door step. Unfortunately, her difficult life has caused her to be aged beyond her 42 years. I visited her home yesterday and was surprised to hear she wanted baptism since I had not seen her before. This message is going forth with power in ways we cannot measure by human standards. God is faithful and will not suffer any to be lost.

As I spoke to them before that baptism, I told them that it was customary in my country to hug a person after I baptized them. But this is a horrible disgrace for a man, not your husband, to hug a woman ever. I told them that I didn’t want to bring disgrace on them but I was going to hug them in my heart. They all smiled at me. Oh how I wanted to bear hug each of them like I did Robbyn and George.

One more thing, I gave each of them 100 rupees for bus fare and a meal on their way home (about $2.50 USD). This is more than a week’s income for them in the village. Think about that the next time you go to spend on something frivolous like a candy bar or soda! Ambiga had never spoken a word to me in the six days I’ve been here. After I gave them that gift, she said in clear English “Thank you Pastor Kevin!” I think my tear ducts are almost dried up from over use.

I was told by Pastor Prince that there are 6 more that have committed to baptism but could not come today. We haven’t set a date for when we will baptize them but it will be soon. All this is taking place and we haven’t reached the half-way point of the meetings!

The conference President of the South East Asian division told us that a church will be built in a village if there are at least 10 members there. Just like the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, if there is at least 10 Lord, will you spare the city? There should be 10 and we will have a church built in our village. They will begin to search for land immediately and will attempt to at least show me the land and let me get a picture before I leave.

As I contemplate my day and this whole experience it is hard not to tear up. God has used this cracked pot to reap a harvest of something I did not plant nor water. And, my harvesting was done through a translator in a barn yard. God’s ways are not man’s ways. God sees what we cannot or will not and He works where we know little of.

Matthew 9:37, 38 says: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

God is looking for a few more harvesters; won’t you join the blessing and enter into His service? I told you a couple of times that I expected this trip to change me. I hope it is permanent. I pray for the same holy boldness back home that is growing in my here. How about you? Is reading this blog opening your eyes? Are you hearing the voice of God over the loud speakers of the internet? Are you one of the unseen multitudes that haven’t come out of the shadows and taken a stand to serve the King?

Pastor Kevin