Ministry in India: From Village to Village
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Missions MinistryMany times we hear the phrase, “the best is yet to come.” Sometimes I just want to say, “Yeah, right.” It 
was like that going from Kota to Bangalore. Our team leader, Chris Leeper was saying, “You will like this next part the best.” Well, that’s not what I was thinking; I was sick. I had been on antibiotics at various times during the entire winter with a sinus infection that eventually became bronchitis. I had even questioned if it was wise going to India in this condition, but I felt compelled by God to go.
We traveled forty hours straight, half way around the world, and the exhaustion was beginning to take its toll. Though I was unaware of this, it turns out that I was reacting to the malaria medication: insomnia, night sweats, violent shaking, and nightmares. After our evangelism experience in Agra, I had a vision of a demon shaking me so hard, that I almost shook off my seat. I was a mess. I told my friend Bud Schrader, “I have to go home; I am running out of antibiotics and getting worse every day. I can’t sleep. I have seven weddings scheduled on the calendar, a church to pastor, children, a wife, and a life.” He listened with concern. I knew I could count on my roommate and counselor to pray for me in my decision. Then I told Chris, “I have a ticket, passport and a visa (it’s everywhere you want to be). I’ve got to go back to San Diego; I am a wreck.” All Chris said was, “Just get some rest and pray about it.”
There in my room, I had the bluntest prayer with God that I have ever had. “Lord, I know you can heal me. So either You do it now, or I will take it that You want me home, and I am out of India.” Right then I got a strong impression from God to go downstairs to the ministry team dining room. Lunch was chicken soup (the best remedy for a cold or sinus infection).
Two other people were in the room, and one said, “Nice message the other night, but how are you feeling?” “Not good,” I responded. He went on to say, “You need to talk to my friend. He’s a doctor here to help the orphans.” So I was introduced to this medical doctor who has practiced in the USA for a dozen years. I thought to myself, Great, I’ll get a doctor’s orders to go home. But instead, he asked me to show him all the prescriptions and over-the-counter medicine I’d been taking. As he inspected my traveling pharmacy, he said, “Wow, look at this and that….” And so 45 minutes later he had changed my malaria medication, took me off some other prescriptions, gave me more antibiotics and advised me to get some rest and drink plenty of bottled water to flush the malaria medicine from my system. With confidence he exclaimed, “We are going to get you well.”
The next two days I just read the Bible, slept, and prayed. I came to realize God loved me as much in this state of recuperating as when I was speaking to 8,000 people. I know God healed me, but He used the timely advice of a wise doctor and strong antibiotics. How about that? While others fear getting sick in India, I get well. Praise the Lord!
Leaving Kota and all the orphans was hard. The tsunami that hit the coast in 2004 has stretched all the social services in India to the limit. At Immanuel, the number of orphans went from 1,600 to 2,000 almost overnight. The trauma these children have been through is indescribable. In their dorm room, everyone shares a bed. The place is as clean as they can keep it, yet it is nothing kids from the USA have ever seen. No one goes hungry, all hear the Gospel, and all are loved. But there is more to be done. My prayer is that with each day God gives to me, I will be a part of making a difference in their lives for Jesus’ sake.
After we arrived in Bangalore, we boarded a bus for a journey to the heartland of India. 700 million people (7 out of 10) live in villages and many work all day for 35-40 rupees, which is just under a dollar. They are not miserable; they have joy in their family and friends. Yet for so many, the religion of Hinduism has them trapped. An example of this oppression is observed in the treatment of Dalits (the lowest classification of people in the caste system). Higher caste groups tell them they cannot even receive a glass of water from someone in a higher caste because they are considered untouchable.
One of these men from the untouchable caste is C.S. Johns. His story is inspiring. Through the ministry of World Vision, he became a Christian. And after deciding to go into ministry full time, he lived on just a few rupees a day. That was just enough to purchase rice and water. C. S. poured himself into God’s Word and began to disciple others willing to go into the work of ministry. 20 plus years later under his administration, there are 750 churches that have baptized over 20,000 people. His vision is even larger. In his region of Southern-central India there are 33 thousand villages. His life’s work is to see a church preaching about Jesus Christ in every one of them. Up until two years ago he was just making about $30 a month, but now he is able to make $100/ month thanks to Mission One Million, the organization that sponsored our trip.
C.S. Johns also oversees many orphanages connected to churches where a wonderful partnership exists between the church and the hurting. These life centers take children that are abandoned or orphaned and raise them to praise and follow Jesus. Jan and I had sent money ahead so that a life center could be built in my mother’s honor (pictured right). It would house approximately 25 orphaned and / or abandoned children. Our team dedicated the building while we were there.
The construction was done by a man that only has use of one of his hands, rejected by the rest of society that believes in karma: you are now living with one hand to pay for your past life. But this same man has found love and acceptance with Christians, and we told him over and over again that he is precious in God’s sight. His assistant on the project was a young woman in her late teens or early twenties. She was forced out of her home as a youngster because she fell asleep by the 
fire that kept her house warm. Her face was badly scarred by the flames (see picture). As karma teaches, she must have done terrible things in her past and was now getting what she deserves. In Hinduism, there is no pity, only scorn. I told the young woman how thankful I was she had worked on this facility. I gave her 500 rupees to show my appreciation for her hard work. She was overjoyed. Though I invited here to sit with us at the pastor’s table, she declined. Through the translator I said, “God loves you and He knows your pain and He cares.” I then gave her 500 rupees more. It was so little for me yet so much for her.
Later, I met the pastor of the life center. He was a man in charge of three churches in three separate villages, utilizing a bicycle to travel to each one. The most shocking aspect was that he only has one eye. God was using the blind, the burned and the bruised to build His church. It reminded me of the passage in Acts where it mentions the lack of education Peter had, yet he was recognized as someone who had been with Jesus. These people had the same evidence in their life. Though no formal education, you could tell they had been with Jesus. Those who had been hurt and rejected were now part of God’s family and He was using them to build His church.
During the next few days, our team led a pastor’s conference for the churches that were started by C.S. Johns and his team. Their hunger for God’s Word was motivating. There were four sermons every morning and afternoon. We were just giving our all while they received with gladness. Down in front every night, were 50-60 orphaned children singing and praising God, their stories all equally as tragic. Precious girls had been saved from the evil of the sex trade business. We heard horror stories of men from Europe and the USA looking for children. Could anything be more noble than keeping these perverts away from God’s little ones?
One after another, these children were introduced to us, and we listened to their stories. One boy was left by his father in the woods about three miles from his home. He cried for two days until someone found him and took him to the church. Another child was dropped off at the door after her mother died during child birth. These tragic stories went on and on. All of us on the team, grown men, cried every day. I think my toughest time was when I was sitting next to Chris and across from Bud. It is one thing to get a little choked up or shed a tear, but to cry so hard that you lose control of yourself in front of your peers, that’s not easy. I had not cried like that since coming back from Kenya ten years ago after seeing the poverty there. From that moment on, I made a promise to myself and to God. Lord, with your help, I am going to do something about this.
Just because we cannot help everyone does not mean we can’t help some. Every day I wake up with the desire and purpose to pastor an Acts 1:8 church where Jesus said to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” My desire is to lead Gateway to be that kind of church and experience God’s power in our lifetime. To see His love flow through us is the most rewarding experience in life.
Chris was right; the best part of our trip was time spent in the villages. By contrast, the urban areas of India smell the worst, as pollution is a severe problem. Trash and animal waste are everywhere. Describing this smell to those here at home, I would say it would be like lighting your dumpster on fire, add to that, animal and human waste and one would have an idea of the odor.
Bud, my constant companion, had ministered in Calcutta thirty years before. He and I agreed that India’s progress has been significant, but there is still a long way to go. I love the country of India and her people, but some parts of it are like a pit.
Village life in India is different. The pace is slower, and poverty is everywhere, but there is less pollution. Here are the labor is still accomplished by hand. Even the roads are made by human effort. People smash boulders into rocks, then rocks into pebbles, and these are carried in baskets and spread out to make the road. Others work in the rice fields, planting and harvesting. Work hours are sunup to sundown. I especially appreciated the devotion and commitment of pastors serving in these communities. We were so thrilled to help them.
Before I left, one of our tenderhearted church members gave a sizeable monetary gift and told our team to use it for whatever was needed in India. With Tina Etue’s donation, we purchased 10 bicycles for some of the most dedicated pastors. They were so grateful. Some of these men were 40 years old and had only walked or took a bus everywhere they went. Now they owned a brand new bike. Every time I ride my bicycle for leisure and exercise, I pray for these leaders. They are getting God’s message out from village to village on their bikes, not for joy and weight loss, but because it beats walking! Pray with me and pray for their protection. These people are risking their lives for the Gospel.
The saddest story we heard was one Pastor C.S. Johns shared about his disciple who recently was grabbed and beaten outside Bangalore. He had been handing out Gospel tracts. Hindus were so angered by his teaching of Jesus they kicked his teeth in, and then beat him with sticks. He died right there, leaving behind a widow and children. Mission One Million is helping raise over 6,000 dollars to provide for his family and build a church right by the place he gave his life for the cause of Christ. I said to C.S. Johns, “Let me give to that.” He told me, “Okay, we’ll take an offering tonight at the service.” But I insisted on giving to him right at that moment.
I give thanks to my church family of Gateway for being so generous by allowing me to be absent as I ministered in India and for providing the funds to meet this kind of need. God uses us when we just say “yes” to Him. May we always continue to serve our Lord.
