India Report # 7

It is Monday of our last week and I've noticed that they don't celebrate the 4th of July much over here. No parade, no fireworks scheduled, no hamburgers and hot dogs, no cornhole tournaments . . . I don't get it, where is their Patriotism??? To be fair, in September they do have their own Independence Day where they celebrate their breaking of the ties with England in 1949. What it is about the English that make other countries want to kick them out all the time? (im just kidding to all my friends out there in the UK)

Maybe you could already tell but I'm feeling much better, just about 100%. Fever gone, aches gone, headache gone, stomach nausea gone, stomach issues? Can you say "solid stool sample"? Because as of today, I can!!!! Hallelujah and thank you Jesus. Thank you for all your prayers.

I spoke at a church service yesterday in a village nearby on Psalm 27 "Tasting the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (Kingdom Now) There were about 40-50 people, they sit on mats segragated by gender and the children are always a part of the whole service, all 3 hours of it. I love their family style services here, children are a part of the whole community. The bongos were the only instrument used for leading worship and they clapped each song as well, it had a very tribal feel and really spoke to me. There were monkeys climbing the trees outside which was my first sighting of them here for me. They are neighborhood nuisances like Racoons are to us in the states. Afterwards, an elderly gentlemen who spoke no english came to me with a packet of like lotion oil and through much interpretation I realized that he wanted me to pray for the oil to make it a healing balm for his eyes. They have a wives tale in their culture of a great white healer, I guess he thought he'd give me a shot. I prayed over him and the oil in the name of Jesus.

Today I spoke in chapel to the seminary students for the final time on spiritual warfare in ministry. I decided since I was leaving soon that I would let it rip. The students and faculty seemed to appreciate it but they are not used to folk like me. I felt encouraged afterwards as a couple students showed me all the notes they took during my teaching and that they are usually timid and fearful but I had given them a different perspective. If my brashness can get the timid and fearful into this war with us then this trip has been well worth it. That really touched me.

I will be visiting some homes in surrounding villages tonight, tommorrow I will be doing a house church seminar and then my teaching will be pretty much complete. I am trying to arrange to visit a couple friends of Jim Hendersons in Bangalore then on Wednesday evening or Thursday before we fly out and that I'm very much looking forward to.

Stop and taste the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living today,