It's late Thursday night here in Delhi . . . my final night in India. What a remarkable couple of weeks. I've got a long flight on Friday---four hours from here to Bangkok, two hour layover, then a 13 hour flight to LA. That will give me plenty of time to think, process, and reflect on these past few weeks.
Thanks for your prayers, notes, and emails along the way. I look forward to seeing how the Lord will continue to work here in India.
Can't wait to see you all when I get home.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
It's Sunday afternoon here in Delhi. I had the privilege of preaching this morning at Delhi Bible Fellowship. Pastor Arvind has just begun a series on the Gospel, so I preached this morning from Romans 10, "God's One Message for ALL People." What a tremendous opportunity here in a land of syncretism and pantheism. I felt the freedom of the Spirit to speak the Word with authority and conviction. I had many conversations with people afterwards saying that this truly is one of the most important religious issues facing Indians today. Pray that the Spirit will work among these people and accomplish His work.
Yesterday, Arvind and I attended a board meeting of a local ministry---Indian pastors reaching villages and planting churches all over northern India. I was tremendously encouraged to see the vision and the passion of these brothers to bring the Gospel to the most unreached. The job is enormous, but I was challenged as I heard of their desire to do whatever was necessary to get it done. Afterward, we all had lunch together and I had the privilege to sit with some very choice servants of God and hear their stories.
Just five more days here . . . and I have a very full schedule. So far, I haven't even had an hour to go shopping and look for gifts to bring home. It's been really full. Hopefully this week will open up some of those more touristy opportunities.
Just yesterday, I had time to sit and think and dream. I don't know if the Lord is giving a vision for future ministry or if it's my own dreaming. We'll see. My sense is deeper than ever that God has great plans for our church and for the church here. Pray that those dreams and ideas are from him and that we'll move forward in faith.
Thanks for your prayers and your notes of encouragement. I have sensed the Lord's presence in an unusual way during my time here. Pray for these final days, more meetings, and opportunities to see other work going on here.
Yesterday, Arvind and I attended a board meeting of a local ministry---Indian pastors reaching villages and planting churches all over northern India. I was tremendously encouraged to see the vision and the passion of these brothers to bring the Gospel to the most unreached. The job is enormous, but I was challenged as I heard of their desire to do whatever was necessary to get it done. Afterward, we all had lunch together and I had the privilege to sit with some very choice servants of God and hear their stories.
Just five more days here . . . and I have a very full schedule. So far, I haven't even had an hour to go shopping and look for gifts to bring home. It's been really full. Hopefully this week will open up some of those more touristy opportunities.
Just yesterday, I had time to sit and think and dream. I don't know if the Lord is giving a vision for future ministry or if it's my own dreaming. We'll see. My sense is deeper than ever that God has great plans for our church and for the church here. Pray that those dreams and ideas are from him and that we'll move forward in faith.
Thanks for your prayers and your notes of encouragement. I have sensed the Lord's presence in an unusual way during my time here. Pray for these final days, more meetings, and opportunities to see other work going on here.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Amidst my travels and getting acquainted with India, I have had some wonderful opportunities to share the Gospel and minister to brothers and sisters here in this area. Wednesday afternoon, Sheila Massey invited me to her home to meet a group of people she is working with. Some are believers, some are not. They asked me to open the Word and share for a few moments. I opened to Romans 8, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." What a delightful time of fellowship and teaching. They seemed genuinely interested and attentive.
After tea and sweets, they all left. One man, John, remained behind. (The man on the far right of the picture.) He had been silent during the meeting. Now we sat together in the living room, just the two of us. He asked if he could talk more personally with me. "Of course," I replied.
This young man is a pastor of two house churches in the area. His life is difficult. He's married, but gets little encouragement from his wife. I asked if she was a believer. "Well, she's a Methodist," was all he said. I read between the lines to discern his message. He is doing what He can to follow God's will, yet gets no encouragement from his wife or her family. He feels very much alone.
We talked for more than an hour and I was able to ask questions about his church, his challenges, and his needs. We prayed together, and then he went off to his church meeting that evening.
I tucked his newsletter in my Bible with a promise to pray for him. I hope our time was encouraging to him. Our conversation reminded me of all those who minister faithfully in unseen and unpretentious places. They are faithful, in spite of the challenges and the difficulties.
Pray for John. Pray for others like him who serve faithfully without fanfare and very little notice. What a privilege to hear his stories, to encourage him, and share in his ministry.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
During my nearly one week in India, I have been impressed that there is more than one India. In her architecture and old buildings, one sees an India that must have been magnificent. Now covered with soot and shrouded in smog are wonderful old buildings that take you back to another era. But crowded around this old India is the India of today. The masses of people lining the streets, crowding the intersections, pushing, shoving, and winding their way through the mobs.
In the drive from Delhi to Agra, I felt ricocheted back and forth from one India to the other. At one point in our journey, we stopping for a moment and were overtaken by a man with a trained monkey, hawkers selling trinkets, and beggars rapping on our windows. I looked to the side and a man with a turban came along, put his basket on the ground and began playing a flute. He asked me for money. I ignored him. After a few minutes, he took off the lid and a cobra sprang up looking at me. I tried my best to ignore him, but it's hard to ignore a cobra staring at you while a turbaned man sits on the ground in his pajamas and plays his flute. Sheila Massey was sitting beside me giving advice. "Just ignore them or you'll have to give them money. We don't want to encourage this kind of activity." I looked straight ahead, but sneaked a glance sideways periodically. Now the man is petting the cobra. "Don't worry," Sheila remarked calmly. "The cobra has no fangs or poison. It's all for show."
As we entered Agra, on our way to the Taj Mahal, I was completely overwhelmed by the masses of people. Having lived in Asia for so many years, I thought I was immune to feelings of being over-crowded. Every inch of space, it seemed, was filled with a person lying on a cot, squatting on the sidewalk, leaning against a tree, eating, talking, watching a child play in the dirt, or doing nothing at all. The roads were filled with bikes, cars, buses, rickshaws, and people trying to cross from one side to the other. It seemed there were thousands of them. We wound down a few narrow, dirty streets, onto a wider street, and entered into the gates of the Taj complex. After parking the car, walking past the camel carts
and approaching the entrance gate, I realized we were stepping into the other India. The India of legend, grace and grandeur. The India of magnificent history, art, and architecture.
I remember having the same feeling on Tuesday that I had when I first visited Rome, turned a corner and there was the Colosseum. Or when I was in China, driving up the road, coming around a mountain, and there was the Great Wall. My first glimpse of the Taj Mahal was through a large gate made of red sandstone. The contrast was striking.
Stepping through the gate, there it sits. A mute monument to one of the greatest love stories of all time. I looked for a few moments, thinking it felt strangely familiar, yet brand new all at the same time.
This is the India I wish I could have seen generations ago. One can only imagine what it was like. Remnants of another era stand in silent watch over the hordes of people just outside the gate.
Inside the walls, it's easy to suspend the reality of life beyond the gate. Driving home, this was the India that I was overwhelmed with. This is the India of today. The teeming masses looking helpless and hopeless. Looking into the crowds, I asked Sheila, "Does it ever overwhelm you?"
"Oh yes, everyday," she replied.
My mind was drawn to Matthew 9:36: "And seeing the multitudes He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd."
That's the feeling I was left with Tuesday night. Overwhelmed by the past. Overwhelmed by the present. Overwhelmed by the need. I was reminded yet again that only God could meet the needs of these people.
Two Indias . . . one past and one present. The past is for the history books. The present, however, is filled with need and opportunity to bring God's glory to a people who desperately need Him.
In the drive from Delhi to Agra, I felt ricocheted back and forth from one India to the other. At one point in our journey, we stopping for a moment and were overtaken by a man with a trained monkey, hawkers selling trinkets, and beggars rapping on our windows. I looked to the side and a man with a turban came along, put his basket on the ground and began playing a flute. He asked me for money. I ignored him. After a few minutes, he took off the lid and a cobra sprang up looking at me. I tried my best to ignore him, but it's hard to ignore a cobra staring at you while a turbaned man sits on the ground in his pajamas and plays his flute. Sheila Massey was sitting beside me giving advice. "Just ignore them or you'll have to give them money. We don't want to encourage this kind of activity." I looked straight ahead, but sneaked a glance sideways periodically. Now the man is petting the cobra. "Don't worry," Sheila remarked calmly. "The cobra has no fangs or poison. It's all for show."
As we entered Agra, on our way to the Taj Mahal, I was completely overwhelmed by the masses of people. Having lived in Asia for so many years, I thought I was immune to feelings of being over-crowded. Every inch of space, it seemed, was filled with a person lying on a cot, squatting on the sidewalk, leaning against a tree, eating, talking, watching a child play in the dirt, or doing nothing at all. The roads were filled with bikes, cars, buses, rickshaws, and people trying to cross from one side to the other. It seemed there were thousands of them. We wound down a few narrow, dirty streets, onto a wider street, and entered into the gates of the Taj complex. After parking the car, walking past the camel carts
and approaching the entrance gate, I realized we were stepping into the other India. The India of legend, grace and grandeur. The India of magnificent history, art, and architecture.
I remember having the same feeling on Tuesday that I had when I first visited Rome, turned a corner and there was the Colosseum. Or when I was in China, driving up the road, coming around a mountain, and there was the Great Wall. My first glimpse of the Taj Mahal was through a large gate made of red sandstone. The contrast was striking.
Stepping through the gate, there it sits. A mute monument to one of the greatest love stories of all time. I looked for a few moments, thinking it felt strangely familiar, yet brand new all at the same time.
This is the India I wish I could have seen generations ago. One can only imagine what it was like. Remnants of another era stand in silent watch over the hordes of people just outside the gate.
Inside the walls, it's easy to suspend the reality of life beyond the gate. Driving home, this was the India that I was overwhelmed with. This is the India of today. The teeming masses looking helpless and hopeless. Looking into the crowds, I asked Sheila, "Does it ever overwhelm you?"
"Oh yes, everyday," she replied.
My mind was drawn to Matthew 9:36: "And seeing the multitudes He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd."
That's the feeling I was left with Tuesday night. Overwhelmed by the past. Overwhelmed by the present. Overwhelmed by the need. I was reminded yet again that only God could meet the needs of these people.
Two Indias . . . one past and one present. The past is for the history books. The present, however, is filled with need and opportunity to bring God's glory to a people who desperately need Him.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Greetings. It's been a nice couple of days here in Delhi. I landed on Friday and had a fairly easy rest of the day here with Arvind. We walked around the neighborhood, ran a couple of errands, but mostly just relaxed.
Saturday was a full day at the church. We began the day with an early morning prayer breakfast and a nice time of fellowship with a few of the other people from the congregation. In the afternoon I joined Arvind and his roommate for a meeting with the youth group leaders (more like a young singles group) and had a great time with them. In the evening, the church held its first Family Life Conference with a good group in attendance. Arvind's mom and dad gave a very good presentation on parenting. It gave me a good opportunity to meet several people in the church and see some of the ministries they are involved in.
This morning was a great time of worship and teaching. The church was full and the worship was wonderful. I'm most impressed with the friendliness of this congregation. I've been very warmly welcomed by so many people. The biggest surprise so far is how cold it is here this time of year. I'm glad I was in China last week so I was prepared for cold weather.
This week, I'm looking forward to good conversations with Arvind and others here about some of their needs and the ways our congregation might come alongside and work together. I'll also be meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday with Sheila Massey. We'll be traveling to the Taj Mahal one day, and she'll be giving me a look at some of her ministries as well. I'm grateful to be here, getting a feel for the area and seeking the Lord's direction for us as well. Continue to pray for me, that I'll be sensitive to the Spirit's leading and open to all He has for us. Pray also for my time of study as I prepare to preach next Sunday.
Saturday was a full day at the church. We began the day with an early morning prayer breakfast and a nice time of fellowship with a few of the other people from the congregation. In the afternoon I joined Arvind and his roommate for a meeting with the youth group leaders (more like a young singles group) and had a great time with them. In the evening, the church held its first Family Life Conference with a good group in attendance. Arvind's mom and dad gave a very good presentation on parenting. It gave me a good opportunity to meet several people in the church and see some of the ministries they are involved in.
This morning was a great time of worship and teaching. The church was full and the worship was wonderful. I'm most impressed with the friendliness of this congregation. I've been very warmly welcomed by so many people. The biggest surprise so far is how cold it is here this time of year. I'm glad I was in China last week so I was prepared for cold weather.
This week, I'm looking forward to good conversations with Arvind and others here about some of their needs and the ways our congregation might come alongside and work together. I'll also be meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday with Sheila Massey. We'll be traveling to the Taj Mahal one day, and she'll be giving me a look at some of her ministries as well. I'm grateful to be here, getting a feel for the area and seeking the Lord's direction for us as well. Continue to pray for me, that I'll be sensitive to the Spirit's leading and open to all He has for us. Pray also for my time of study as I prepare to preach next Sunday.
Friday, January 9, 2009
In Delhi
It's Friday afternoon and I've arrived in Delhi. Today has been a good day of travel, being met by Arvind, and getting settled in his home. It's good to finally be here. We've already had plenty to talk about . . . I'm sure he's going to get tired of my millions of questions. It's the way I always enter a new area. I'm so curious to learn about everything. So, pray that I'll ask all the right questions and the Lord will direct our conversations.
Though today was uneventful, yesterday was quite a different story. Typically the flight from Kunming, China, to Bangkok was uneventful and quite routine. Yesterday was anything but typical. I arrived at the airport for my 3:20 flight to discover the time had been changed to 5:00. We boarded the plane, got settled in. And sat. And sat. And sat. Finally we were told that we would have to wait for the wind to change directions before we could take off. That was a new one to me. So we sat on the tarmac for more than 2 hours. We finally took off. En route to Bangkok, the pilot announced we would be making an unscheduled landing in Chiangmai, Thailand, to drop off the 100 or so passengers who would otherwise miss their connecting flight to Chiangmai out of Bangkok. We all had to disembark, go through immigration, get back on the plane and continue on to Bangkok. We finally landed just after 10:00 and were put on a bus to take us to the terminal. The bus dropped us off at the international terminal, and we followed all their instructions and wound up at immigration. That's where things got really messy. We had already cleard immigration, so the officials didn't know what to do with us. The airline personnel were confused. The passengers were all very tired, impatient, and getting very testy. Anyone who spoke Thai was yelling by now (which is very unusual in Thailand---you NEVER raise your voice). After a half hour or so, they finally figured out where our luggage was and what to do with us. We passed through a special screening area, and out into the baggage claim. Just after I left the holding area, I heard very loud yelling. Lots of it. It sounded like a riot. The next thing I knew, Thai police were charging past me and heading into the holding area. I could only think, "Great, I made it out before the riot started." I grabbed my bag and got out as quickly as possible. Normally, my curiosity would have gotten the better of me and I would have watched. Not this time. I finally got to the hotel, checked into my and looked at the clock. 11:20. I was supposed to have been here 7 hours ago. I had a 4:30 wake up call . . . just five hours away.
So, an uneventful day of travel was wonderful in a virtually empty plane. I'm looking forward to getting to know Delhi, seeing some of India, meeting other people around here, and seeking the Lord's plan and purpose for us as a church and for the people here. Keep praying. I'm grateful to be here and ready for all the Lord brings my way.
Though today was uneventful, yesterday was quite a different story. Typically the flight from Kunming, China, to Bangkok was uneventful and quite routine. Yesterday was anything but typical. I arrived at the airport for my 3:20 flight to discover the time had been changed to 5:00. We boarded the plane, got settled in. And sat. And sat. And sat. Finally we were told that we would have to wait for the wind to change directions before we could take off. That was a new one to me. So we sat on the tarmac for more than 2 hours. We finally took off. En route to Bangkok, the pilot announced we would be making an unscheduled landing in Chiangmai, Thailand, to drop off the 100 or so passengers who would otherwise miss their connecting flight to Chiangmai out of Bangkok. We all had to disembark, go through immigration, get back on the plane and continue on to Bangkok. We finally landed just after 10:00 and were put on a bus to take us to the terminal. The bus dropped us off at the international terminal, and we followed all their instructions and wound up at immigration. That's where things got really messy. We had already cleard immigration, so the officials didn't know what to do with us. The airline personnel were confused. The passengers were all very tired, impatient, and getting very testy. Anyone who spoke Thai was yelling by now (which is very unusual in Thailand---you NEVER raise your voice). After a half hour or so, they finally figured out where our luggage was and what to do with us. We passed through a special screening area, and out into the baggage claim. Just after I left the holding area, I heard very loud yelling. Lots of it. It sounded like a riot. The next thing I knew, Thai police were charging past me and heading into the holding area. I could only think, "Great, I made it out before the riot started." I grabbed my bag and got out as quickly as possible. Normally, my curiosity would have gotten the better of me and I would have watched. Not this time. I finally got to the hotel, checked into my and looked at the clock. 11:20. I was supposed to have been here 7 hours ago. I had a 4:30 wake up call . . . just five hours away.
So, an uneventful day of travel was wonderful in a virtually empty plane. I'm looking forward to getting to know Delhi, seeing some of India, meeting other people around here, and seeking the Lord's plan and purpose for us as a church and for the people here. Keep praying. I'm grateful to be here and ready for all the Lord brings my way.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A Few Pictures from Kunming . . .
Wang Qui was Sue's first Chinese teacher. The other man is Dr. Doug Briggs. He and his wife are our dearest friends in China. He and I had the privilege of performing Wang Qui's wedding ceremony. The only wedding I've ever done all in Chinese! She now has a beautiful six year old daughter.
Luo Jian was my first Chinese teacher. He was impressed that I could still speak so well after being gone for two years. He was a great teacher, a dear brother, and a good friend. He was the one who gave me my Chinese name: Jin Le Ping, which means "Man of Peace."
Morning exercises in the park across the street from our old house.
Greenlake Park. Still my favorite place in Kunming. This was my "de-stress" place for all the years we lived here. Take a stroll through here . . . and fall in love with China all over again.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sunday Night, China
It's late Sunday evening. Had a great day. It was wonderful being in our former church this morning. I preached from 2 Chronicles 20 about the need for courageous faith, focusing on the character of God, His faithfulness in the past, and our confidence to trust Him for the future. There were so many old friends to greet and former coworkers to catch up with. It was truly wonderful. By the time we left church, I had every lunch and dinner opportunity scheduled for all the days I'm here.
It's hard to describe the joy of walking through our old neighborhood, running into old friends and chatting and catching up with them. So many of the shopkeepers are still in the neighborhood, the tailors who made our clothes, the restaurants where we liked to eat. It's been a delight to hear of their lives and for some their growing faith.
This afternoon, a friend and I strolled through my favorite old part of the city. It's a large park with a lake in the middle. Very old Chinese layout and design. We stopped to watch dancers, listen to musicians, and enjoy the beauty of old Kunming. What a delight. We then sat over dinner for more than two hours, just sharing wonderful fellowship and talking about matters of faith and work.
Thanks for your prayers. I have appointments all these next three days with various people. Lots of opportunity for encouragement, ministry, and fellowship. Pray for wisdom and stamina with so many appointments. I want to give each one all that I can.
It's hard to describe the joy of walking through our old neighborhood, running into old friends and chatting and catching up with them. So many of the shopkeepers are still in the neighborhood, the tailors who made our clothes, the restaurants where we liked to eat. It's been a delight to hear of their lives and for some their growing faith.
This afternoon, a friend and I strolled through my favorite old part of the city. It's a large park with a lake in the middle. Very old Chinese layout and design. We stopped to watch dancers, listen to musicians, and enjoy the beauty of old Kunming. What a delight. We then sat over dinner for more than two hours, just sharing wonderful fellowship and talking about matters of faith and work.
Thanks for your prayers. I have appointments all these next three days with various people. Lots of opportunity for encouragement, ministry, and fellowship. Pray for wisdom and stamina with so many appointments. I want to give each one all that I can.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
In China . . . at Last!
This is going to be really short. It's nearly midnight here in China. I've just arrived at my friends' home and am getting ready for bed. I left LA Thursday night at 9:30, and finally arrived in Kunming Saturday night at 10:30. I feel like I've been awake for three days. But I can't tell you how good it is to be here. I instantly wrote Sue and said, "It feels like I was just here last week." More later . . . but just know I'm here safe and sound.
Friday, January 2, 2009
In Bangkok
Hi from Bangkok. I arrived this morning after a very long 18 hour flight from LAX. I got on the plane at 9:30 Thursday evening (New Years night) and got off the plane at 7:00 Saturday morning in Bangkok. No Friday.
After clearing immigration and customs, I went directly to the customer service desk to explain my situation regarding. They couldn't have been nicer. They gave me two options for getting to Kunming today. One was to fly through Vientienne, Laos, then connect on to Kunming arriving this afternoon. The other was to fly later tonight direct to Kunming, arriving at 10:30. Normally I would have jumped at the chance to go to another country (even if only for two hours) but after 18 hours of flying and very little sleep, I opted for the later direct flight. No connections and transfers. So, to compensate me even further (as though that weren't enough!) they put me in a really nice hotel, and gave me vouchers for breakfast and lunch.
So, I'll be in China this evening, in my old church tomorrow morning, and among dear old friends and coworkers. Keep praying for the Spirit's presence and leading all along the way.
After clearing immigration and customs, I went directly to the customer service desk to explain my situation regarding. They couldn't have been nicer. They gave me two options for getting to Kunming today. One was to fly through Vientienne, Laos, then connect on to Kunming arriving this afternoon. The other was to fly later tonight direct to Kunming, arriving at 10:30. Normally I would have jumped at the chance to go to another country (even if only for two hours) but after 18 hours of flying and very little sleep, I opted for the later direct flight. No connections and transfers. So, to compensate me even further (as though that weren't enough!) they put me in a really nice hotel, and gave me vouchers for breakfast and lunch.
So, I'll be in China this evening, in my old church tomorrow morning, and among dear old friends and coworkers. Keep praying for the Spirit's presence and leading all along the way.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Last minute prayer request
Late at night New Year's Eve, I went on-line to check in for my flight today. As I was checking in, I looked over my itinerary and discovered that Thai Air has changed its schedule into Kunming, China. They no longer fly on Saturdays, so they've re-booked me on the Sunday flight. Unfortunately this means that I won't be able to be in my old church on Sunday morning. I have two other options before me, and I need to know what the Lord has in mind. Option one: there is a flight on another airline later in the evening. I can't book this until I land in Bangkok (not unusual for Chinese airlines). Option two: Our former agency is having their annual conference in Bangkok at this time. If I'm stuck overnight, I'll probably go there and catch up with some of our old coworkers. I'm asking the Lord if there are a few divine appointments He's setting up for me.
Please pray about these things with me. I'm holding it all very loosely and want only His best in this.
Please pray about these things with me. I'm holding it all very loosely and want only His best in this.
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