John's Recap of Our Mission to India

 

Our 2009 trip inspired us to re-visit India, but in 2010 we wanted to do leadership training in more remote areas. Thus, we were invited to HBI’s regional training center in Jaipur, in the northwest Indian state of Rajasthan, which borders Pakistan. Only .13% of the population of Rajasthan is Christian. On the way to Jaipur we met with fellow believers in Delhi, India’s capital city, and had the privilege to speak to the Christian Legal Association, a group of believing lawyers who gather together regularly for meetings and fellowship. 

After a five-hour bus ride to Jaipur from Delhi, we met our host from HBI Jaipur, Raj. From the minute we met Raj, we felt welcomed and cared for. We were encouraged by his enthusiasm and servant’s heart. Raj and his new wife are both graduates of HBI in Chennai.

We were scheduled to teach a pair of two-day seminars, with me teaching the pastors and Laurie teaching the women. We were blessed to find that HBI Chennai had sent a national team to Jaipur to facilitate the leadership seminars, including Abash, Esther, and Robbie the videographer. Our teaching was translated into Hindi, since many of those attending are not fluent in English. After the sessions many asked for my notes and outlines.

A pastor named Walter Masih came up to me after one of the sessions, introduced himself, and told me that a couple of years before he had been beaten by a gang of Hindu thugs who ransacked his house-church and left him bloody. Walter told me that a camera crew filmed the incident, and it was on the internet. When I got back to the U.S. I looked up the video of the incident, and all I can say is I am humbled to have had the privilege to teach a man who was nearly killed for his testimony. The video is difficult to watch, but I encourage you to go to this link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl2iYWwN4kY) and see what Christian leaders in other countries often must endure. Walter is seen in the video calling to Jesus during the attack, then standing outside his house-church afterwards, preaching love and forgiveness to those who had persecuted him. Thankfully, no bones were broken, but Pastor Walter still suffers some residual physical problems from the attack.

We thank God for the opportunity to see with our eyes how dedicated Christian leaders are building congregations from the ground up, with few resources, but with a mighty faith in the Jehovah Jireh, the God who is sufficient to meet our needs. Please continue to pray for India, and for protection for the persecuted church there, so that the making of disciples in India will continue as the church grows in numbers and strength.

 

See Photo Gallery for photos of mission trip to India.