MORE FRIENDS FROM THE PAST
In a previous blog I shared some of the people I met during my early years in India. Their testimony has encouraged me throughout the years so I’d like you to meet them as well.
ANIL (PORTER) is a middle age pastor at whose church I spoke during one of my earlier visits and with whom I have been in touch since. We visited in his home Sunday evening. He, his wife, and his children are well educated and very intelligent. He and his wife are school teachers with several degrees in history and English literature. He pastors without a salary. His testimony is interesting. He grew up in a nominal Catholic home, although his mother was Hindu. His sister was paralyzed until her 20’s when she had a dream that Jesus spoke to her and said she would be healed. Three days later she was totally healed. That so impacted the family that they became believers. Anil was working on a master’s degree at the time.
Before we met he had introduced a young man and woman to each other. The young woman was from a family that recently became Christian. As a result, no one they knew would marry their daughter, and now they wanted a Christian husband. So, they asked the pastor (Anil) to find a Christian husband (marriages here, even among Christians, are arranged). Anil asked other pastors if they know of a strong Christian man looking for a wife. Coming from a Muslim background, like her, was also important. Not only would they have that in common, but if her extended family thought she was marrying someone other than a good Muslim there would be extreme physical danger for her and her family. A young man with a Muslim name would cover that. So, without extended family or caste support, the church became their only family and support. Anil found such a man and introduced them when we were there. They are never alone so he sat with them. He said the girl was shy and wouldn’t look up or say anything the whole time. They will have several weeks to see if they want to continue. Either one can end it at any time, but unless there is a strong reason to do so they trust those who make the match to know what is best.
MAXWELL (DAVIS) is another man I met early in my time in India and have stayed in touch with. I was even invited to his son’s marriage. He lives in the same building as Anil. He is very highly education and teaches, counsels and ministers in many areas. Mainly his ministry is in spiritual warfare and marriage teaching/counseling. We share those interests in common. He is a refined gentleman about my age, very easy to talk to and very knowledgeable about many things. I always learn much when talking with him. His wife has a special testimony. Her mother was the second wife of her father and he much preferred the first so ignored the second and wouldn’t support her or her children. He even tried killing her at one time. She found peace and hope in Jesus but faced many dangers herself in trying to follow Him and letting those around her know about her faith. It was a difficult life she lived but has matured her in Christ and gives her a special spiritual glow when she speaks.
My translator at a day long spiritual warfare conference in northern India some years ago was RAKESH, a young Indian man who came to the Lord as a teenager. He has been serving the Lord ever since, first with Campus Crusade for Christ and now as a pastor. He has an MBA and earns his own support so he can minister without a salary. He has a great, great love for the Word of God. He reads and memorizes as much as he can. He likes reading and memorizing in English because he says it is closer to the original than the Hindi translation. He was impressed with my limited ability to quote Scripture in Hindi.
RACHEL is a young Indian woman who uses her time serving the Lord at OM (Operation Mobilization) instead of developing a career of her own. She comes from a village an hour away and visits her family each month. She is quiet and reserved. She attended A day long spiritual warfare conference several years ago and ate lunch with us. She told me that everything I said was if God was speaking directly to her.
LUCY became a friend of Nancy’s at a conference a few years ago. She is a very pleasant Indian woman who works in child evangelism in Singapore. She was greatly impressed by the effectiveness of my magic tricks in communicating truth to children. I showed her some simple ones she could make and use. I sent her some when I got home. (June 17, 2024 Doylestown, PA)
Think of some Christians that are a good example and encouragement to you now in your Christian life. Thank God for them. Call or write them if you can and thank them. It’ll be a great encouragement to them.
INDIA UPDATE & PRAYER REQUEST: Pray God will bless and use our web site. All our books are available there in English, Telugu, Hindi, Spanish and some in Swahili and Odia. Many good articles are there as well. Pray pastors would make use of it and it would work well for them. Pray for the LifeWay training course for pastors based on my books and for the other online ministries of LifeWay. Pray God continues to bless and expand our ministry of training pastors.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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