So far India is what I envisioned my World Race experience to look like.
It’s hot. The food makes me sick. Internet is minimal to non existent. I’m sleeping on my sleeping pad under a mosquito net. The culture is the opposite of what I am used to. Even more than any of those things I am preaching the gospel one to two times a week, praying everyday for people in villages and relying on God for strength and faith as the heat and foreign food brings my energy down.
The very first night I experienced ministry here I went out with my team and translators to a nearby village. We went to ten or fifteen houses praying for families. As we walked along the dirt roads filled with cattle, water buffalo, chickens and goats, people began to stare and follow us. Most villages we go to, the people have never seen a white person. Everyone was curious to see why we were in their village. As we finished praying for individual families we made our way to the center of the village where our night meeting was to take place. Large tarps made up the seating area for the audience and we were each given plastic chairs to sit in at the front of the tarps. Over two hundred people were there waiting to here what we had to say. My team sang a few songs performed a skit and listened to our translators sing songs in their native language, Telugu. After the singing ended I was invited up to share my testimony along with the word of God.
(A portion of the crowd that began to gather as we walked the streets of the village)
As I gave my testimony I eventually shared from John 8:1-11 and spoke of a woman who was caught in adultery. By law she was to be stoned to death. Instead of joining in stoning the woman, Jesus spoke and said “let you who have never sinned throw the first stone.” As the crowd dropped their stones one by one, the woman was left alone with Jesus. He looked at her and with grace in his eyes said to the woman “you have been forgiven go and sin no more.” I spoke of the gracious love Jesus has not only for that woman but for everyone. Just as he forgave that woman and allowed her to walk away with no punishment, He forgave our sins against God. Once and for all, Jesus bridged the gap between us and God. And the choice is up to us if we want to accept Jesus as that bridge.
When I finished speaking I turned to those in the crowd and asked if anyone wanted the relationship with God that is available through Jesus Christ. After a long silence a man from the back stepped forward. It was clear after he said his name that he was intoxicated. I prayed with him and through slurred speech he prayed and accepted Jesus as his savior. (I never expected to pray with a drunk man in India in front of a crowd of 200 people, but this is the World Race and what is unexpected is always expected.)
I said a closing prayer and sat down. As I allowed the moment to sink in I found myself wishing more people had stood up. I knew there were already believers in the crowd but I also knew many people from the village were there just because my team was there with white skin. Later on our main contact and translator, Sam, told me it would be very rare for somebody to step forward because they would be going against their family believes and bring shame to their family. Over 90 percent of India is Hindu meaning they believe in numerous god’s. So to believe in just one God would go against everything the culture and their family believes. I took a step back and thanked God for allowing me to share his heart and my heart with a village in India.
After a closing prayer from the pastor my team and I were asked to go into the crowd and pray for the people. I prayed for babies to grow and be healthy, for women to be strong for their families and have great faith and for children to be well educated and passionate about serving Jesus. We prayed and prayed and prayed before being pulled away by our translators to drive to a near by home who had prepared dinner for us. As we drove off, the people crowded around our van saying “thank you!” and “good bye!” We ended the night eating curry chicken and rice at 10pm and took a 45 minute drive home.
As I laid my head on my sleeping pad, exhausted from jet lag and culture shock, I had a huge grin on my face.
This was it.
This is the World Race I had been waiting for.
