Dear Family and Friends, I greet you in the name of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
In my quiet time this morning I read and prayed from Psalm 105:
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His Name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His Holy Name; Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.” Psalm. 105:1-4
We all have much to praise and thank the LORD for, and wherever we are we all need to seek Him and get our strength from Him. We are now two-thirds of the way through this mission trip to India. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for myself and the team from CLBI, and for all who gave to make it possible for us to serve the LORD here in India. Apart from the occasional day of sickness on the part of one of another of our team members everything has been going well.
During our first week, which we spent in Chirala, the five Bible School team members taught VBS type Bible Stories and songs to the almost 300 students at St. Paul’s School. I began this week with preaching at a baptismal service in one of the congregations. However, most of this first week I was teaching the Book of Psalms: a book of prayer and praise, for four hours per day to about 20-30 pastors, Gospel workers and Bible women, and a few others who took in a few days of the class. Then on Friday night of that first week we began with a Gospel meeting in the village of Mangalagiri.
The second week began on Saturday, Jan.12 with an eight hour squished jeep journey to Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh ( about 5 million people). On Sunday I preached at the English service in a Methodist church at 8:00 in the morning, and then preached at the dedication service of CHRIST Evangelical Church, a new congregation at 11:00. It was a great occasion of the birth of a new congregation that already has begun special mission work amongst people with the disease of leprosy. These people don’t have much compared to our standards, but with the little they have they are seeking to reach out to others, (we have much too learn from these humble believers). In the evening we briefly attended a mission conference of the India Evangelical Mission, which is an Indian mission organization seeking to reach some of the remaining unreached tribes of people in India. It is exciting to see how LORD’S Kingdom is advancing in India, and the gates of hell can’t prevail against it. Monday saw us take a return 8 hour trip to Bapatla, where we have been based for this week. On Wednesday I shared at another church function in the village of Etheru, where a building housing both the church and the parsonage were dedicated. Before this dedication I was part of a parade into town led by two carts each pulled by two water buffalo, (I’ve got some of it on video). Thursday we were part of the graduation ceremonies of the 22 pastors, Gospel workers, and Bible women who completed the lay ministry training course held through special seminars during the past three years. I had the opportunity of teaching three of those classes over the past three years, and it was a great blessing to participate in their graduation. On Friday, we attended a free medical clinic that Dr. Anand and three other doctors in different fields, one a dentist, and a pharmacist, conducted in one of the villages. The rest of this second full week in India has been spent holding Gospel meetings each evening: two in the village of Ponnur, and three at Hyderpeta, a village close to Bapatla. It is always such a blessing and joy to visit the congregations and hold these Gospel meetings. The congregations are always filled to overflowing with humble believers praising the LORD and seeking His mercy and salvation. Every evening the Gospel meetings bring together many people, about 200-300 at most meetings. Some are already Christian believers, but many others, mostly Hindu also attend and hear the Gospel. At each meeting some place their faith in CHRIST, and many come up for prayer afterwards.
We will continue to hold Gospel meetings each evening until we leave on Jan. 27. Tomorrow I will share in one congregation, while the team shares in other, then we will join together for the Gospel meeting in the evening. Please continue to pray for our Gospel meetings, and for health for our team members.
Thank you and the LORD’S Blessings, to each of you!
“Now to Him who by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT at work within us is able to do far more abundantly, than all that we ask or think, to Him be glory in the Church and in CHRIST JESUS to all generations, forever and ever. Amen!”
In the Love & Service of our LORD JESUS CHRIST,
Pastor Al