How great our God is! Just fills me with awe and praise when I think about all the great things He is doing.
Last week we were in Jharkhand and Bihar so I'll start with Jharkhand:
Sahibganj, Jharkhand
We took a flight from Delhi to Kolkata (or Calcutta for some of you). The flight wasn't too bad, but they pretty much charge for everything. Okay everything except the bathroom... but I guess that's included in the ticket.
Me sitting Delhi Airport with a disposable mug of coffee in my hand:
Then from Subash Netaji Chandra Bose airport (in Kolkata) we took a taxi through Kolkata city to the train station. Wow I thought driving in Delhi and Kerela was crazy, this was just INSANE. Granted we were there at rush-hour time, but the sheer amount of controlled chaos was just ... exhilarating, (in a scares-you-to-death kind of way.) Driving to Howrah (pronounced HowDah, yea all the r's are said as D's) train Station we had to drive over the Howrah bridge. Its apparently a suspension bridge, but its purple. Literally the entire bridge is purple! It looked like some ride from Six Flags...
I googled it and apparently its illuminated to looked super purple... but no difference... It still looked pretty nice:
Then we took the train from the train station (duh) to Sahibganj, Jharkhand.
Us standing at Howrah station waiting for the train:
My uncle and aunt for the top berths:
Me in my side top berth:
Sahibganj, Jharkhand saw their first Youth Camp in its history. 24th, 25th, and 26th were days that changed the course of Christian evangelism in that city.
History
About three months ago, a few of the bible school graduates here in Delhi (graduates from my uncle's ministry here) decided they wanted to go back to their homelands and start a work there. So led by Pastor Samuel Soren, a team of 5 started the Sahibganj, Jharkhand branch church of Sacred Assemblies Fellowship (my uncle's organization). They have been working there for the past 3 months and are doing pretty well. They decided they wanted to hold a youth camp in that area so people could learn more about what was going on.
The team with my uncle:
The Camp
The 3 days were pretty awesome. My uncle from here (obviously) and my uncle from NY were the main speakers, Brother Martin Clarence, from Kolkata took one session and I also took one session =). Each day more and more people attended. For many it was the first time they were hearing the word of God like this, or even at all. Lots of lives were changed and people were healed and everything. It was just great.
Coincidentally (or not...) at the same time as our camp, the local college was having student body elections. It just so happened to turn out that the group of students who had attended the camp, their party won the elections. So they were all super happy. But in general there was a big desire to hear more and continue with what started in those 3 days.
Us at the Sahibganj Church/House for Nasta (breakfast =P )
My uncle from NY and me at our hotel room:
My uncle preaching (and me singing in the back =) )
People at the meeting:
My aunt taking one of the group discussions:
My uncle and his group:
The hall where the meetings were taking place:
Me pretending to play the drums:
The worship team teaching an action song:
And the crowd:
Me Preaching and Pastor Prem Marandi Translating:
The people are looking at each other because I told them to pair up and start praying for each other:
My Aunty with a baby:
Another shot of the music team... and this time with me trying my hand at drums:
Katihar, Bihar
Then after the three days at Jharkhand, we crossed the Ganges River over into Bihar. We took the first ferry in the morning and it was PRETTY COLD. But being from NJ, I braved the cold with just a small jacket. B). Actually what happened was that we didn't know it would be that cold, and I actually just got stuck in that skinny little jacket. It was okay, I'm still alive. =)
Me on the ferry at the crack of dawn:
At that same time, the rest of them were freezing:
He's fine though: =)
But check out this marvelous shot I got:
The beauty of the creation of God!
In Katihar they were having the youth camp during the day and then a public meeting at night.
They expected a lot of people and so they arranged a tent in the field outside the hall:
heheh a goof-up:
Anyhow...
The camp was great. A lot of people came and they too were wondering about what they were hearing. Many people asked us if this was what Christianity was really about. They had been told lies or have had misconceptions their entire lives and they were just so curious and all the more ready to accept the word of God.
My uncle speaking at the camp:
Then at night tons of people came, mostly just to see what was going on. But here again so many people were wondering if this was what Christianity was really about. They were wondering whether what we were speaking and preaching was actually the stuff from the bible. They couldn't believe that it was from the bible because of all the misconceptions that they have had.
Here at the Public Meeting we are praying for and blessing two officials who attended:
My uncle preaching in the night meeting:
Me preaching in the camp and Pastor Sushil translating:
My uncle from Delhi preaching during the camp:
My aunt playing "Raja kaytha" (the equivalent of Simon says...):
"Kadeojaye!" Aww that kid lost, Raja didn't say "Kadeojaye":
Before the night meeting:
My uncle speaking at the night meeting:
On the last night of the meetings, after the service the people started doing a tribal dance, and of course, pulled us in also:
The meetings were a great blessing and here too lots of people were healed and Blessed. The name of the festival- Bless Bihar, was made a reality as Bihar was truly blessed.
In Katihar most of the days we went to the restaurant near our hotel for food. One day we tried the soup and fell in love with it.
After a long day of preaching and teaching, enjoying some soup:
MMMMMMM YUM, Tandoor Chicken: (I think this was our Thanksgiving night as well)
In Bihar, goats sit inside, people sit outside. Bihar is a land where animals have put humans in their place:
On Sunday our train was at 4:25 from Katihar Station. It was late, of course, by like an hour... so we took pictures while we waited:
Ah finally on the train. Now for a traditional picture with the soup stick:
I made it tradition that all first time soup stick eaters should get their picture taken. You may remember my first soup stick (or not, since I never uploaded it before):
My aunt eating Ice cream (yum) and I think my uncle just bumped his head uh oh!:
They gave me a broken paddle.. erm I mean Stick:
and I ate with it too... not even realizing it...
And then, since it was time to go to sleep, I decided to put my bedsheets up. I had the top top top berth, so I told my aunt to hold my ice cream while I made the sheets. Yea well, as I was making the sheets, she got distracted and put down my ice cream and completely forgot about it. Me, occupied by my bed making, also forgot about the ice cream for a bit. When I suddenly remembered, my aunt was already under her blanket ready to sleep! It was so funny, she suddenly jumped and frantically started searching for the cup of ice cream. She finally found it under her blanket. Thankfully it didn't spill, but the sheets for a little wet. And even though we found the cup, she still couldn't find the little stick! So we decided to just forget about it and figured we'd find it in the morning... I couldn't eat the ice cream anyways, it had blanket fibers in it =P =( It was good ice cream too.... But anyways, so we just went to sleep. Less than five minutes later, though... this is the scene I see and hear:
"I FOUND IT I FOUND IT":
It was one awesome trip.
In other news in India, you all probably heard about the Mumbai terrorist attack before we did. In the middle of camp and preparing for our messages, no one took time to watch any TV. So we were effectively disconnected from the outside world. My uncle called my aunt in NY and that's when we heard about the attacks and about other stuff going on in the world.
I've said this before and I'll say it again, India is on the brink of a social revolution and desperately needs your prayers. Prayers asking God that there will be peace in this land and that corruption and poverty will be cut down.
You can also see the album on Google Photos, but its pretty much all the same photos as here
Next Plans
Tomorrow morning at 5am we will leave for Arunachal Pradesh. We will fly to Guwahati and from there take a Helicopter into Arunachal Pradesh.
We have been told to expect much checking and that sort of business, so pray that all goes well. There will be 3 days on meetings in AP and then we will fly back on the 8th.
My uncle from NY has been suffering from the food here, so pray that he will feel better. I've been told the food in AP is quite different from the rest of India so, that MAY become a problem.
So keep praying for us, and God Bless
Final Note
One lassst thing: I wrote before that I had been healed of my asthma and now its been tested. Train, Hotel, Plane.... I'm really truly actually CURED!! Praiseeeee GOD!
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God Bless You!
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