This is the final chapter of a three part series
Check out Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 first!
It had taken 103 days in four countries on multiple continents for me to realize what was going on in my life. I muddled in my own mind, connecting lines to pieces and aspects of my life that I thought were connected. Delivering messages to hundreds of believers and non-believers almost every night – What was I saying? What was I doing?
I had spent the last two weeks, gliding from church to church in southeastern India. The definition of living in the middle of nowhere had become all so real for my five teammates and I, and I hated every minute of it.
The suppression of my past life was creeping upon me like a pack of African wild dogs, meticulously ready to take me down. What I hadn’t realized through the first 2,448 plus hours of my race is that I had long since been eaten up.
The crowd of local Indians sat peering up at me, waiting on a syllable to dribble from my tongue. My translator stood staring expressionless. “Brother?” he questioned, wondering what was wrong.
In a flash before I even realized what happened, I had a head and heart full of knowledge. Words began to flow from my mouth without me constructing them as I did for the first three and a half months on the field. I began sharing about my past and the hardships I faced. I explained how I had been viciously assaulted at my workplace and the mental challenges I was facing every day since, even as I stood in front of them in the moment. I was giving honest and true testimony straight from the heart for the first time in my life.
Everyone in the crowd had grown mum, paying close attention to what I had to say. It was in this moment that India fell silent for the first time in two weeks for me. I was able to hear myself think, or at least the Lord cleared my mind if for just a moment.
Finishing with my testimony, I told how much Jesus Christ loved each and every person in attendance, whether they were currently following Him or not. I shared how even when I wasn’t attending church regularly or reading the word, that God was continually pursuing me. I was just a lost sheep at the time, but that didn’t waver His undying love for me.
Following each daily service that my teammates and I would offer, every person in attendance would come forward in search of prayer. This again the case with the men, women and children all seemingly wanting the white skinned Americans to pray over them. “Touch and bless,” our pastor exclaimed, standing behind me.
After several minutes had passed and most of those in attendance had made their way back to their nearby huts and homes, it truly did grow quiet. Standing at the front, my right hand covered in an oily substance from all the heads that I had just touched while praying, I glanced at my surroundings. I noticed a group of young men approaching me, a few grinning and giggling.
One boy, about six feet tall, walked in front of what appeared to be his friends as they playfully pushed him towards me. “What’s your name,” I inquired, as he nervously looked towards the ground. “Ajay, my name is Ajay, nice to meet you Kevin,” he said looking up at me with a smile. He recalled my name from my introduction earlier that night from the pastor.
Ajay began telling me how his life was very similar to story I shared earlier that night, and how it directly connected with him. I didn’t have to say anything for a few minutes, as he talked to me about his past and that he felt God pushing him to attend the service this night.
He stopped suddenly, and stated that he wanted to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. A large smile overcame my face as well as all of his friends surrounding him and listening intently to our conversation.
I asked him if he knew what it meant to accept Christ and we walked through that process together, as I myself had learned about at Kentwood Community Church from Pastor Kyle some time before. Praying for Ajay, he began to weep and gave me a big hug, before looking up at me at the completion and thanking me for my story and willingness to share it. I said that I would be nowhere without the grace of the Lord and the extension on my life, and I was overjoyed to call him my brother.
Ajay asked for a photo with me, as several of his friends pulled out their flip phones to snap pictures to capture this life changing moment for him. Hugging Ajay once more, he said, “Thank you so much, Kevin. I will never forget you in my whole life. God gave me you.”
Laughing with joy and accompanied by his closest pals, he ran joyfully off into the Indian night. The questioning I had done about my serving on the World Race, had been answered. This is where I belong.
