January 23, 2004

Loose ends...

Final day of Gannavaram preacher's conference yesterday. My sessions appeared to touch areas of great relevance on the first day, so I took Ephesians 5 in concert with 1 Timothy 3: 4 - "The Pastor and his home life" as the basis for most of our sessions. Again, God impressed the talks on the men, with real expressions of thankfulness for the messages.

Lunch was pork bellies and chicken. Pork fat in huge pieces attached to tiny bits of meat, covered in a thin curry. I have a strong stomach and a willing spirit, so I ate it. Eew.

At this point I am reminded of the song 'My Way' - 'Regrets, I've had a few...' Yup. This is one of them. Have you ever read anything about pork tapeworm? Some articles and warnings are horrific!

After lunch I was offered a lift in the Gannavaram traffic by a 10 year old who is training to be a driver. Not only did he look about 7 due to poor nutrition, he also was dining with less than a complete picnic basket, I think. The offer, however, was very real, and several of the brothers urged me to give it a go to encourage him. They must think I have chapatis for brains. Driving the wrong way up a dual carriageway and weaving through oncoming traffic is scary enough with an experienced adult driver - but with a ten year old behind the wheel? No thank you.

We then ministered at Sunday school at the church. For the first time in my life, I understand the desire to adopt. 20 children, all of whom I could easily love. We were presented with towels, a fabric rose, and a garland. Gannavaram has been a deeply moving experience in so many ways.

Tonight we have been invited out for a meal with Dinekar & his wife Suweta, the son of the family who is hosting us. Tomorrow we travel to Ludhiana via 1pm train to Hyderabad, where Pastor Ashkavadam Kumar will meet us for an overnight stay, before taking an early flight to Delhi. There we meet Varadaraj, who will guide us for the next 3 weeks. He flies in from Chennai arriving at approximately the same time. We then take a train to Ludhiana in the Punjab, where we are staying with Drs. Abraham. We will meet Mohan Philip and travel with him from Delhi.

Ate with Dinekar and his wife at probably the most extravagant hotel I have ever been inside. Clearly the only folk that eat here are the very, very wealthy. I haven't seen a white face since leaving Hyderabad, but there were 4 of them in there! The most expensive meal was 160 rupees, which is the equivalent of just under £2! We then went for ice cream at another expensive place. Beginning to smell like an Indian now, as the odour of spices etc is starting to bleed through my pores. Mmmm, yum. \ôô/

All packed for the next leg of the journey. Can't believe I did it on my own, and that everything fitted. I am no longer a cessationist - miracles do happen!

Seeing as how we are being honest, I may as well tell you that the concept of being in potentially hostile areas preaching the gospel makes me nervous. Were it not for the sake of the gospel, I would be at home hiding in a cupboard. I'm sure it will be ok, but I really hope that this bloke Varadaraj and Mohan Philip are wise in their use of us. A mixture of anxiety and excitement are probably normal.

We are in the hands of Almighty God. His will is best and I am in his hands. As the famous British missionary of the last century, C. T. Studd once said,

"If Christ be God and died for me, then there is nothing too great I can do for Him."

C. T. Studd was a young man from one of the wealthiest families in England. He gave up fame and fortune to go to India, China, and in his later years inland Africa to serve Christ. He faced far worse than most of us will ever face.

Lesson? Get on with the job and leave the rest with God. Sensible advice.

Posted by Danny at January 23, 2004 2:22 PM | TrackBack
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