God is doing amazing things in Hyderbad, India!
Pastor Ray and I were met at Hyderbad airport on Saturday (1/12) by Pastors Moses and Zephania and Evangelist Yesu Das. It was first time we had met in person. Pastor Moses and I have been emailing one another for the past eight months preparing for this week-long visit.
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| Yesudas, Pastors Ray, Moses, Zephania |
The Berea Baptist Church (BBC) is a congregation of Christians in Chintal, Hyderbad. Pastor Moses leads this small but faithful group of Christ followers. He invited Truth Connect to come and conduct a Leadership Training Conference (LTC) for local pastors. Our introduction came through Emmanuel Baptist Church, Johnstown PA. Pastor Moses is a national pastor EBC supports as a missionary. He then asked if Ray and I could also conduct a two day “Spiritual Emphasis” for his church members.
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On Monday and Tuesday Ray and I worshiped, prayed and studied Scripture with the believers at BBC. It was a wonderful time! The praise and worship was unique and very different than Ray and I were used to. Hymns were sung with the distinctive Indian lilt and accompanied by various bongos drums - unique and beautiful.
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| Stephen plays the bongos during worship. |
Ray and I took turns teaching. Over 70 believers crammed into the worship center, with most sitting on mats on the concrete floor. Each person, even the youth had their Bibles and eagerly listened, laughed (mostly at Ray’s jokes) and took notes. Ray spoke on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. I taught from the book of Ephesians. This was the first time the church had guest speakers from the USA. It was the first time Pastor Moses and most of the church had met Americans. It was exciting and humbling at the same time.
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| All church "Spiritual Emphasis." These ladies sat on the floor from 10 to 4:30 for the teaching. |
A special event for me took place immediately after each teaching session. Men, women and children lined-up for Ray and me to lay hands on them and pray for their needs - headaches, fever, cancer, paralysis, wayward husbands, financial problems, and more - each humbly and with faith asked for God’s blessing. The ladies pulled a covering over their head and bowed - some would kneel and we prayed for each person in Jesus name. Last night my heart was broken. A young mother brought her young daughter to me for prayer - she has leukemia. This beautiful child was dying of cancer. It took me a moment to collect my emotions; God then filled me with His Spirit and I prayed in the name of Jesus.
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| Praying for those who come seeking God's help. |
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask and think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-12.
In my next post, I’ll share how excited how Pastor Moses was to host the Pastors’ Leadership Training Conference.
