Today was very full. Up at the crack of dawn for morning devotions followed by chilli omelette and moist pressed rice objects at 7.30am and out on the road by 8. Arrived at Machilipatnam and I shared for an hour in between two sessions by Merv. Interpreted by Pradeep Sudarshan, brother of Job, same as last night. He is a lovely spiritual brother. He interprets (or as he jokingly calls it, 'interrupts') with obvious feeling. He works with WorldVision and Compassion.
Lunch was more curry, surprisingly. Chapatis and fried chicken and some weird curried meat - probably goat. Asked to take part in baptising 3 converts from Hinduism, but refused. It seems that some of the brothers here have yet to shake the Raj, or worse, the Guru mentality: your baptism is somehow better if a white Westerner does it. Maybe I am being unfair to these beautiful Christian believers, but their own pastors are equally capable - they don't need an outsider to do what their own under-shepherds can just as ably accomplish. We watched instead of taking part, as baptisms draw enough attention without the involvement of blatantly white Westerners. Down-playing the anger of some in Southern India toward foreign preachers would also be a mistake.
Watching was very moving - seeing new believers standing out for Christ through baptism in this hostile setting was an emotional event. As far as their unbelieving families are concerned, these folk are now dead - they will hold funeral services for them now.
Many photographs with conference men during the afternoon - their attentiveness and hospitality will stay with me for a long time. The Ladies' Prayer Group encouraged us to pray with them and to have our photgraphs with them in order that we should not forget their faces and their burden for the work with which they are involved.
Late afternoon brought us an opportunity to go to see Tony Seager, another Brit who is out here teaching. It took an hour travelling through real rural Indian countryside to visit him - he came out alone at the start of the year to teach through the Book of Acts at the Maranatha Bible College at Chennai. He looked very Indian in his lunghi, reclining on his bed! Although we only had an hour or so with him, it was a profitable and encouraging time.
Passed a Hindu funeral in very rural village on the way to the evening meeting - strange to see body carried at head height just wrapped in a sari type covering ready for cremation. Huge procession of villagers brought the whole road to a standstill for ages - it seemd as though everybody had come out to pay their respects.
Paddy fields and 3rd world mud huts are everywhere here. More smoke from many fires made from dung bricks gives the twilight a purplish haze. Apart from the ethnicity of the people, it is just like a landscape scene straight out of Good Morning Vietnam or Platoon. If possible though, it is even poorer than that.
I felt that I preached with some liberty in evening for an hour - so much so, that the indigenous pastors wanted me to give an altar call. I declined for many reasons that apply both here and at home, but particularly because they may have come in droves, and it would have been impossible to judge the fruit and hearts. The idea of people coming forward for the Westerner sticks in my craw. If the work of conversion is real, they won't need to come forward.
I have a confession: I danced with another woman tonight! She was 8. Dressed as a Telegu speaking bride, and representing the church as Bride of Christ, she danced a bridal dance for the congregation inviting & welcoming Jesus the bridegroom to return for his church. It was actually very moving. I must be going soft in my old age.
Tried to be careful about praying with Christian folk who seem to want just to be touched. One woman just wanted me to touch her because God would bless her by me. Several occasions of that so far. Undiscerning dodgy Charismatic missionaries would have a field day in this sort of setting pandering to some of the superstition. Nevertheless, I did respond to many desires for legitimate prayer - particularly Julius Caesar(!) and his wife wanting prayer for God to open her womb (she can't have been any more than 16!). Prayed carefully and sensitively.
More food at love feast. The word 'Chalu' means 'enough' in Telegu, but they don't seem to understand it. After food, car journey home. Long and stinky with extremely dangerous driving. Passed many sugar cane carts heading home and pulled by those white cows with big knobbly shoulders. Feel physically and emotionally drained.