EOE Missions

Day Three – Mumbai Project (Sunday 26th)

We woke up on Sunday, over the Arabian Sea preparing for a quick breakfast and getting (finally) our minds set for the ministry we had been called to! We landed easily and had such amazing grace show to us in the airport. As most of you remember my last visit to Mumbai had the airport so crowed it was stifling, and we had problems with the customs staff and immigration officers. Today, it was nearly empty. Collecting our baggage was not a problem and we breezed through immigration and customs! (We actually got waved through without having any of our bags or papers searched!)

We got a good exchange rate! (43.80rps to the dollar) and the people who helped us were very friendly and helpful. I was reminded of an earlier post I wrote quoting the verse about a cool glass of water in Jesus name…the man behind the counter gave each of us a cold bottle of water while we waited! – Praise God it was just so wonderful!

Diwakar was right out there waiting for us! He go the email and the phone call from Christina in the US advising him of the missed flight, so he did not have to spend a second day waiting in vain for our team! The weather was wonderful (88f with 70% humidity) very comfortable…We had the contact with the various beggars as we made our way to the old SUV that Diwakar drives…it was a heart breaker to see children and old women begging for “just a single English coin”… This was Sean’s first exposure and I could see he was visible impacted.

We drove for about 45min (to cover 10km) to get to the to hotel. After my last India stay, I was expecting more of the same, dirty concrete building, small old bed, very limited “western” bathroom facilities…but the Pride hotel (950rps – $21.69) was very nice and new. The staff seemed very aware that we are Christians and seemed to “just know” why we are here. I don’t feel any hostility at all.

Diwakar gave us 2 hours to get a nap and freshen up. When he can to collect us he found Ken, Sean and I sitting out on the steps, enjoying the cool breeze. We were going to the church tonight to have a worship service.

The evening service meets the needs of those who can not make the larger morning service. It is a praise and worship service with singing and intercessory prayer. We hummed through and clapped through the Marathi language praise songs, read from out Bibles the Ps 46 while the service read in Marathi …then Diwakar asked us to give our testimonies. Ken went first, then Sean (who started by reading 1 Tim 4:12) then I was asked to give testimony.

Most of you have heard my testimony, but for some reason I felt compelled to go all the way back to how my non-believing family was saved from mystic occultism to saving faith in Jesus Christ. How the taking of my little sister, Brandy, opened the doors to salvation for my family. I had never really internalized how her death lead my family to the throne of grace. I was overwhelmed with emotion for a minute and as I wiped the tears from my eyes between translated sentences, I just thanked Jesus for Brandy and for His sovereign plan! He took my little sister to save my family! Praise Jesus. From that pain and tragedy the Kingdom advanced…(I wonder if my little sister is aware of how her life was used by the Father?...I wonder)

After explaining how my family came to faith I delivered my “normal testimony” about encountering Jesus and coming to faith in Him in my early high school years. How the Father rescued me from depression and suicidal thoughts…I saw my redemption from a whole new angle…from the foundations laid with my parents…wonderful moment…I told the congregation how I am not here just to share and to teach, but to learn from them, to see how authentic Christianity, Christianity that cost, is lived out in a pagan land ruled by the powers of darkness that are warring daily with the Light that is here.

We shared a dinner with the Pastor, got to meet his daughters and wife. It was a very nice evening. We walked back to the hotel in the most wonderful weather, 80s..with a very gentle breeze…we start again tomorrow at 8:30 with breakfast at the small parsonage with Diwakar and family…

posted by Chainsaw Weasel @ 9:17 AM