This morning I got up at 6:30 for prayer and devotions. I sat out on the balcony and enjoyed the cool India morning. My passage was Isaiah 40: 1-5. "Comfort, comfort my people...that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for." "The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it." God told me he is doing a new thing in India, that he will comfort them, reveal his glory, and we shall see it. It was a very good Word.
We left for church at 9:00. The boys came with us in the car; we had nine people sitting in that five person car! Six boys sat in the back: Deeraj, Ashish, Chi-chan Bemu, Matang, Robert, and Esu. The smaller three boys sat on the older three boy's laps. Jedi, George and Manju's son, sat on my lap. George, the driver, of course, didn't have anyone on his lap, thankfully! George said this is very common in India, though he hopes at some time to be able to get a bigger car. Manju, the girls, and a few of the boys went by auto rickshaw, or just "auto," in the local dialect. The boys called me "Aka," which means "older sister."
The Assembly's of God service was in English, and the Pastor was quite a speaker! It felt very much like an American service, except during the worship songs, some girls from the congregation danced with big flags up on the stage. They tell me this is something they adopted from Israeli Christian worship. It is very beautiful and when I get my laptop working, I will post a video.
There was a team visiting from Calgary, Canada. They just set up a partnership with First Assemblies of God in Bangalore, George's church. Their pastor spoke about the very thing I had been studying that morning, Isaiah 40! He said the first 39 chapters are about God's wrath. But then God makes a dramatic shift in chapter 40 from judge to comforter, father, savior, and the remaining 26 chapters are all about His love and provision. It was a very encouraging message, especially for the Indian church which is suffering so much.
In addition, they also had a time of prayer for the mothers, since it was mother's day. All the mother's went up front and their children gave them flowers. One woman did not have any children with her, so I went up and gave her a rose. What lovely, beautiful people Indian Christians are! Their worship is so heartfelt and passionate. It is no wonder; many have sacrificed much for their beliefs.
After church, I had lunch with the children. They were very happy to meet me. The two girls are Hemalatha and Sardanjali, very pretty girls. The two new boys are Sudeep and Punith. They are seven and nine years old, but so malnourished they are smaller than Jedi, who is almost four. Manju says they are to the point that they can eat flat bread, rice, and some curry, but some foods they are still having trouble with because they are not used to anything rich or heavy. But they are always smiling. Matang and Chi-chan are from Nagaland, and look more Chinese than Indian. Matang is very talkative. He asked me a million questions over lunch, but I could only understand about half of what he said because of his thick accent and quick speech! I also met George's stepmother who is a lovely lady. It is obvious they take very good care of the children. When I asked Matang if he and Chi-chan were brothers, he answered that all the children were his brothers and sisters. The home is very small, but it is full of love.
Well, I had best go to bed. Big day tomorrow!
Specific prayer requests:
Getting a bigger campus and car. There is a big need there, but they are trusting the Lord and He has always provided for them.
Until next time, keep loving and praying,
L.J. Popp
We left for church at 9:00. The boys came with us in the car; we had nine people sitting in that five person car! Six boys sat in the back: Deeraj, Ashish, Chi-chan Bemu, Matang, Robert, and Esu. The smaller three boys sat on the older three boy's laps. Jedi, George and Manju's son, sat on my lap. George, the driver, of course, didn't have anyone on his lap, thankfully! George said this is very common in India, though he hopes at some time to be able to get a bigger car. Manju, the girls, and a few of the boys went by auto rickshaw, or just "auto," in the local dialect. The boys called me "Aka," which means "older sister."
The Assembly's of God service was in English, and the Pastor was quite a speaker! It felt very much like an American service, except during the worship songs, some girls from the congregation danced with big flags up on the stage. They tell me this is something they adopted from Israeli Christian worship. It is very beautiful and when I get my laptop working, I will post a video.
There was a team visiting from Calgary, Canada. They just set up a partnership with First Assemblies of God in Bangalore, George's church. Their pastor spoke about the very thing I had been studying that morning, Isaiah 40! He said the first 39 chapters are about God's wrath. But then God makes a dramatic shift in chapter 40 from judge to comforter, father, savior, and the remaining 26 chapters are all about His love and provision. It was a very encouraging message, especially for the Indian church which is suffering so much.
In addition, they also had a time of prayer for the mothers, since it was mother's day. All the mother's went up front and their children gave them flowers. One woman did not have any children with her, so I went up and gave her a rose. What lovely, beautiful people Indian Christians are! Their worship is so heartfelt and passionate. It is no wonder; many have sacrificed much for their beliefs.
After church, I had lunch with the children. They were very happy to meet me. The two girls are Hemalatha and Sardanjali, very pretty girls. The two new boys are Sudeep and Punith. They are seven and nine years old, but so malnourished they are smaller than Jedi, who is almost four. Manju says they are to the point that they can eat flat bread, rice, and some curry, but some foods they are still having trouble with because they are not used to anything rich or heavy. But they are always smiling. Matang and Chi-chan are from Nagaland, and look more Chinese than Indian. Matang is very talkative. He asked me a million questions over lunch, but I could only understand about half of what he said because of his thick accent and quick speech! I also met George's stepmother who is a lovely lady. It is obvious they take very good care of the children. When I asked Matang if he and Chi-chan were brothers, he answered that all the children were his brothers and sisters. The home is very small, but it is full of love.
Well, I had best go to bed. Big day tomorrow!
Specific prayer requests:
Getting a bigger campus and car. There is a big need there, but they are trusting the Lord and He has always provided for them.
Until next time, keep loving and praying,
L.J. Popp
1 comment:
I was on that team from Calgary.
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