(Monday, February 11, 2013) I’m starting my trip home Tuesday morning 4 AM (5:30 PM Monday evening East Coast time). I’m scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia Tuesday, 8:20 PM. I hope Nancy remembers to come get me! Pray that everything will be safe, smooth and quick.
PASTOR’S CONFERENCES We had 19 pastors’ conferences this trip for 750 men and 290 wives. Since we started we have had 72 pastors’ conferences for 2,600 men and 770 wives! Remember we don’t try to have large conferences so we limit the attendees to those who will most benefit and use what we teach. The average cost for a pastor or wife for all these years is still $13 a person!!!!
WHAT COMES NEXT I need to send Pastor Moses $8100 as soon as I get home. $5100 is to cover the cost of the 5 new conferences, garage to store books for another year and enable Pastor Moses to go back to these places in March to encourage those who came as well as train new pastors. The additional $3000 is towards getting the Marriage and Ministry book started in translation and printing. The writing in finished and it is in the final stages of being reviewed. The total cost of the book will be about $15,000, the rest being due this summer. Of this $8100 I know of at least $2500 that has already come in. We’d also like to sponsor more pastors’ families for $25 a month. Let me know if you can commit to this. Please pray God will provide these needs. If you, your church, or anyone you know is looking for a foreign mission to support please consider this ministry in India! Thanks!!!
7 PM Wednesday, Feb 13, I will be showing PowerPoint pictures and video clips and talking about my time in India.
10 AM Sunday, Feb 17, I will show some pictures and preach abut the first (and foundational) truth God showed me in India. Everyone is invited to a church luncheon afterwards.
WHAT I’LL MISS IN INDIA
Going barefoot or in sandals 7 days a week
Caribbean climate
Colorful saris
Indian food
Moses & Krupa
The Pastors and Christians here
Women whose dress is always both modest and feminine
Fresh bananas and fruit everywhere
Respect for my gray hair
Never having to convince anyone that Satan and demons are real
No phone calls
The children in the churches
Praying for people after the services
Being able to look at the tops of women’s heads!
The way people are amazed at my magic tricks
Krupa waiting on me hand and foot all day
Spending hours a day teaching the Bible
Receiving encouraging emails from those reading my blogs
Total dependence on God daily – and His very real presence
WHAT I’LL NOT MISS IN INDIA
Living out of a suitcase and drinking out of a water bottle
Carrying my own spoon everywhere
Using hand sanitizer multiple times a day
Dirty feet, even after they are washed
Mosquitoes (& malaria) buzzing in my ears at night
Sleeping in different beds
Noise and smell of the city
Dodging traffic to dash across a street
Constant honking of horns outside (and heard inside)
Scenes of unbelievable poverty everywhere
White rice!
Not knowing what people are saying when they talk about me
Washing in a bucket of cold water
Carrying my Passport, credit cards and all important papers everywhere
Continual wailing from mosques in Moslem communities
Hindu shrines and idols wherever one looks
Not having to constantly make sure I step over or around stuff every step I take
Juggling my laptop on my lap while using an external keyboard
WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE USA
Nancy
Nancy
Nancy (get the idea? Can I move on?)
My children and their families
Main Street Baptist Church
Sugar
A good long hot shower
Exercise, especially running
Salads and vegetables
Drinking from a faucet
I’ll try to send out a blog letting you know I arrived home safely. I have a 3-blog series based on my Sunday sermon about the most important, and foundational, truth God has been teaching me here. I’ll send those out next week after the sermon
Thanks SO much for your prayers, encouraging emails, support, etc. You cannot imagine how much difference you have made in helping me make it through all this! You are wonderful and I thank God for every one of you!