It all began for me last May when God began to direct brochures and flyers about a vision trip to South Asia. Over time God clearly showed me that I was to go, but throughout the months of preparation and even the mission experience itself, one question still seem to haunt me. Why? Why was I going to India? Why this trip where the emphasis was to prepare leaders to help create partnerships and mission teams to serve South Asia over the next three years? Why?
Around December God gave me a passage of scripture that help me connect to the question of What? What did God want me to do while in India?
I like to share that passage with you and interestingly enough a portion of this passage is on our own bulletin cover and even more amazing it shows a famous landmark from our last mission trip to New York.
If you have your Bibles turn with me to The Gospel of Luke chapter 10 beginning in verse one.
As Jesus sent out 72 disciples, as he commissioned them to be his witnesses, as they went out on their first mission trip. He spoke clearly to them in word pictures that they could understand, these men and women were fishermen, farmers, people who worked closely with the earth. He spoke to them of a harvest. A great harvest, In fact one translation describes the harvest as being white ready to be picked, but despite the great harvest in the field, they had a problem, not enough workers, not enough harvesters... And then amazingly Jesus told his disciples to pray, Pray to the Lord of the Harvest, to send out more workers into the harvest. He didn’t tell them to go out and manipulate, arm twist, trick, force, people to work the fields. He simply said to pray... Basically as they went to pray...
Later in the gospel of Matthew Jesus again reminds his disciples but this time an intimate group of 12 to Pray...
Listen to The words of Jesus recorded in Matthew chapter 9 beginning in verse 35:
Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the good news about the kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.
Upon arriving in Calcutta India I was reminding of this passage especially when my luggage didn’t make it to India. Jesus sent out his disciples and told them not to take a traveler’s bag or extra pair of sandals. God it seemed was really making me live out this passage.
We arrived in Delhi, India around 10:30 pm Monday night. Our team of six squeezed in a small conversion van and headed toward East Delhi where we would stay for the week. Our missionary warned us that our little motel wasn’t much, but that it would be enough to meet our basic needs. He told us that Delhi was a city of contrasts a city where the very very rich and the very very poor live, a city of 14 million people, a city where only about 1 percent of that 14 million was Christian.
When we arrived at our little motel, we were truly welcomed to India. Picture the worst dirtiest room you have ever seen and multiply that by about three and this gives you a picture of our home. I was grateful for this man dress because without luggage and without heat in the room that man dress became my sleeping gown for the night. I did well until I got tangled up in it trying to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. After a rough night and a early start to our day, a start of about 7:30 am, my mood was anything but cheery. A man who hates to camp and God always puts me in a place of roughing it. Again the question of why? flooded my prayers. Why am I here?
It was about noon on that Tuesday that God offered to me a reminder of what I had come to do? Our Missionary took us to a Hindu Temple and this particular Tuesday was a special holiday. At first we were to go in and see what the temple looked like, but because of the holiday, thousands of people blocked our entrance. As we got out of the car, I was quickly ushered into a whole new world. There is no way you fully see and experience what I saw, but as I try to describe it, close your eyes and picture in your mind what I will describe to you with my words:
As we got out of the car there was a metal fence that separated the sidewalk from the street, standing in front of the gate staring out at the temple with hands held out hoping that a worshipper would share some of their worship food offering with them. These men and even a few children were barely dressed, some obviously diseased, some with only nubs for hands and feet because of leprosy. Once inside the gate a half a dozen beggars mostly children surrounded us pulling at us in rhyme in the Hindi language for money. These children too were barely dressed and were obviously mal-nourished, perhaps it was because I made eye contact with them that they surrounded me. poking me, pulling at me. I was okay until a little boy barely walking about Caleb’s age came to me begging for money. It was all I could do not to empty all my pockets and give them everything that I had even the clothes on my back. But we had been told that it was unsafe to give, First, the kids were slaves of others who would get the money that was given to them and second, to give to one would create a mob scene that could threaten your life.
As we walked further down the sidewalk, I saw through an opening hundreds or worshippers offering an offering of corn and of yellow flowers to an idol. They were standing crying, dancing, kneeling, praying, and when we looked to see the idol. It was in the shape of a monkey. In fact a deformed monkey whose features were grossly exaggerated. I saw people of all walks of life, class, and income, buying their food offering- many who couldn’t even afford to eat themselves giving it to an idol without life.
It was here that I was reminded of Jesus’s words.. when Jesus saw the crowds he had great pity on them because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So pray for workers for the harvest is great.
So there in that chaotic maze and mess I prayed that someone who arise perhaps someone who is here even now. Who will preach and teach Jesus here? At this temple. Praying that workers would come to show and to tell the multitudes of lost men, women, boys, and girls, the good news... Jesus is alive... and he loved them so much that he died for them...
Later that evening we went to the home of a believer, about 40 people gathered in a small room, when you look at my pictures, you will see a few pictures of this worship. Men, women, boys and girls, who had the truth who knew where their help came from... Joyously praising Jesus... What a difference... A picture of darkness versus light.
The next morning I went with a portion of our team to a small school government approved but taught by our missionary and three young 21 year old Indian adults: As we walked to the school it was amazing how my eyes no longer were shocked at the poverty, or the sight of cows rummaging through trash. It was here where I was told if I wore my man dress I might blend in a bit and not raise too many questions. This neighborhood or colony was called______________. It was perhaps a middle class neighborhood where perhaps as many as six homes containing large extended families would live in about the space of this sanctuary. Upon entering the school the children greeted us by putting flowers around our neck, and bowing in our presence. In that room where the only light came from a small 15-30 watt bulb the kids busily learned math and writing. I was told later that initially the school was started for those children who didn’t attend school but later as more kids came it became a place of extra help. The teachers within the schools of India are government paid and can not lose their job, so the level of apathy and indifference is high among the teachers. In fact one of the teachers who I developed a friendship with said that when he was sixteen a teacher told him that in order for him to attend hi s class he had to pay him a certain amount of money. In order to attempt to educate the children kids either attend a morning session or afternoon session.
In another colony close by was another school that met in a slum area whose homes were basically concrete shells or caves. Though not the poorest of the people. Perhaps as many as 12-15 families would live in a space as big as our sanctuary.
It was here when I walked in these colonies, these neighborhoods that I prayed again for workers for this great harvest... I prayed that a church could and would be born in these communities.
Later in the week we met two other missionaries whose focus was the upper income or caste Indian. The missionary had used his love for the arts, to communicate the gospel in a way the people could understand. In the midst of it all a book was created with Indian art and with the bible stories placed in poetic rhyme for the Hindu religion is a religion of rhyme, music, and chanting.
We were each given a book and a cd On Friday as many of you know I got sick. I lay in that dirty guest house very sick praying that you would remember to pray. At about 4 pm I began to feel better so I went out to explore. While waiting for my team to arrive, I took the book and set in the inn’s lobby so all could see the book. Hoping that someone would take notice. When we were just about to leave, the manager asked me if I spoke Hindi, I told him no I was trying to learn, Could he read to me what it said? Although he only read a few lines to me, I was reminded about how the harvest is great it is ready, but the workers are few.
I could go on and on and in private conversations I would love to share more, but again I am confronted with the question that haunted me from the very beginning. Why? Why this trip? and what does God have for us to do as a congregation in response to it? You generously sent me, providing both financially and spiritually, but what is next? what does God have for us to in response to what he has allowed us to see and to hear.
To be honest I really am still not sure; perhaps as I shared the Holy Spirit was calling or pleading with you to personally get involved or even to go to India yourself. But as I prayed for the people, praying for workers for the harvest, I was reminded that one of the greatest things that we can do is to pray and also to physically encourage those working for God over their with our cards, gifts, letters, and other forms of appreciation. It was here that I believe God has given to a specific way we can as members of Sandridge Baptist further God’s kingdom in East Delhi, India. By adopting a colony or village...
