So last time I posted a blog I talked about 11 different expectations I had so far about the World Race and India. In this blog post I want to share about what we are doing here in Manipur.
First of all, we are in the city called churchandpur, which is in the state of Manipur, for those of you who want to look up where I am staying. We are staying with an organizations called Bibles for the World. However don’t let the name deceived you, they do much much more then distribute bibles. They have a bible college, a grade school, a hospital, work with the local people in Churchanpur and They also work a lot with the hill villages which are actually in the mountains, an 18 hour drive where one of our teams has been the past two weeks.
They have been giving us different ministry’s everyday so far, so what we have been doing varies greatly day by day. We have worked at the hospital a couple times, helping with construction they are doing to add on to the hospital. The construction workers keep asking for our team because they say that we are the hardest workers. Are leader though doesn’t want us working everyday saying “you have eleven more months to go! You have to save your strength.”
We have also helped out/put together VBS’s for the kids in the area. The one we helped out with was put on by a group from Lancaster, Pennsylvania who came here to put on the VBS. We went to help out the last day they were holding it and throughout the week, everyday more and more kids came. By Friday, the day we helped out, over 2,200 kids came to the VBS! It was insanity chaotic but you could tell the kids absolutely loved it. We have put on a VBS once so far and will be doing so again tomorrow.
Last week we went out to a local village about 15 minutes away. I know I stated that this area was highly Christian, but I think I was informed incorrectly. Although this area of India is much more Christian then the majority of India, there Hinduism is still quite prominent. The village we went to was a mix of Hindus and Christians. The Christians there were all outcasts from there families for believing in Christ. There family no longer talks to them and have been discarded from there communities.
We held a medical camp at this village, the only medical treatment most of these people receive for the whole year. We had people doing many things throughout the day. It ranged from helping the medical staff, playing with kids to praying for the sick. I took people’s blood pressure all day, which the staff loved because the nurse who was assigned to my job could do other things. I took around 80 peoples blood pressure that day. Even though none of them spoke English besides one gentlemen, I could tell by there body language how grateful they were for the free medical treatment.
Overall I have been doing really great. I have been enjoying all of my ministry’s, the time with all of my squad members and the people in the area. I have been stretched by leading worship already, something I wasn’t expecting to do at all during the World Race. The past couple days I have been plagued by back pains. One day my back started hurting and that night my back just locked up. I was bed ridden for two days because my back would not let me move around. It has been loosening up the past couple days but prayers would be appreciated for my back to get better and stay better. I did get a nice back massage though by a local man, who really helped loosen up my back a lot.
We will be leaving to Nepal on February 2nd, to Kathmandu. I should have much better and constant internet access when I get there. If any of you have any specific questions for me about what I’ve been doing or anything else please email me at [email protected] and I will do my best to respond once I get to Nepal.
Love you all,
Scott
