Testimonies:
Things we hear repeated over and over after every conference. They call Pastor Moses and tell him these things after the conferences as well:
“We never had a conference like this in 20 years I have been coming. Please come back next year and stay longer.” (Except for one village we visit every year we always go to new places every year. We can make the biggest difference here by going to new pastors, teaching them and leaving books with them.)
“Now I understand the Bible and about God’s plan of salvation for me. I see how the whole Bible fits together and speaks of Jesus throughout. I want to use these pictures and teach these stories of the Bible Overview to my people.”
“Now I know how to have victory over demons in my church. I am no longer afraid of them.”
Almost every session someone comes to be taking they get attacked by demons at night, or in their body, every day, and don’t know what to do about it Now they know!
“I have learned how to be a good husband. I want to be a better shepherd to my number one sheep.” One man told us he made a vow that morning to never beat his wife again.
“Thank you so much for these wonderful books. We don’t have anything like this. I will study and learn them, and I will preach them to my people. Thank you so much!”
Nancy’s observations and comments:
You know you are in India when:
children come to church and sit for 3 hours, equipped with a bag of chips.
at 5’ 4” I am the tallest female of any age here
women are clean and spotless but streets are not
women are gentle and quiet, and the men are exuberant
People think it is totally acceptable to ask a woman her age, her weight or her income
Goats stroll along a 4-lane highway medial strip by a shepherd talking on a cell phone
Lanes lines down the middle of the road are for decoration
Driving in India is best suited for those with serious thrill issues and a death wish
You can identify the type of vehicle behind you by the sound of the horn.( Pastor Moses would be safer with a fog horn !)
Women ride side- saddle on the back of a motor scooter, carrying 1-2 children and a goat
It is polite and expected to honk as you pass a car, on either side of the car or road
Cheese is really butter
Hot spicy curry chicken & rice is a breakfast item
Time is a fluid concept…. No one seems to wear a watch and there are no clocks in the rooms or stores, churches etc. Scheduling a time frame seems to imply “open house” approach…. “come any time between the start and finish time” ! (January 31, 2016 Vijayawada, India)
This is my short list.. more coming tomorrow !!!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal…..
Look at your life in America through the eyes of someone from a different culture who is now in the USA. Pray for those you know who grew up in a different culture. Ask God to bring some into your life in the near future, then commit to reaching out to them in love and acceptance.