MISSION JOURNAL - FEBRUARY 2007

Friday, February 9, 2007

There is something about waking up in India after witnessing the saving Grace of Jesus Christ fall on the multitudes that makes your heart want to sing.

By the time we get back from the crusade and eat dinner it is usuall after midnight and we are up and at breakfast by 8. As you might imagine our bodies are beginning to show signs of fatigue, but our spirits are renewed daily by the Holy Spirit.

The Pastors' Conference and Believers' Conference have now been combined under the large tent on Manna's Campus. Today before Pastor Jeff left to speek to the masses about Joseph and how God remained with him through his trials because he maintained his faith and integrity in the Lord, the team gathered around him and prayed that God would annoint this message as well as his second talk about Joseph's dreams and visions and how God used them to guide Joseph and bring him to where the Lord wanted him to be... and God did just that. Those in attendance followed along in their bibles and hung on his every word. The hunger for a deeper understanding of the Lord that you find in these people is insatiable.... and it is quite humbling. If more churches in the US had this fire in their bellies, there is nothing God could not do with them.

Several of the team went with some Manna pastors to several areas where homeless families have found residense in grass huts along a muddy canal. We met the families and they showed us their humble homes... and I use the term homes because they take pride in their little shacks and keep them tidy... at least as tidy as one can be with dirt floors and no furniture except perhaps a makeshift cot for the adults to sleep on. The put pictures on the walls, usually something they have taken from a discarded magazine, or a something they have gotten from their church. In believers' homes there was usually at least one picture of Jesus on the wall.

We found one of the larger huts where 6 members of three families, from the same extended family live. Now when I say larger I mean that each of the 3 rooms was about 8'x10'. That means they have about 360 square feet total or 60 square feet of living space each. There are obviously no bathrooms and the only kitchen facilities consist of nothing more than a few rocks or bricks stacked together to make a stove. And yet in spite of their poverty they were welcoming and gracious, even offering us food and drink from their extremely limited provisions. We graciously declined.

The muddy canal outside their door is where they bathe and get water. And even though some huts had a "privacy" area outside, truth be told, many probably also use the canal as restroom as well.

Wild pigs scurry up and down its banks while children play in the dirt street outside. As you may know Matthew 10 Ministries has a huge heart for children. Come back soon and click here to hear Alicia's message about your gift of sponsoring a child.

It was humbling and heart wrenching, but when the pastor we were traveling with told us that for just $4000, they could have a 3 room concrete home plus bathroom, and the land it is built on ,we were blown away.

Just think about that... If 4 families committed to raising $1000 each, they could change the life of one of these families for generations to come. To learn more, click here and ask for information about this effort or other ways you can reach out to the beautiful people of India through Matthew10 Ministries.

As evening approached our anticipation built into excitement. Seeing God move in such mighty ways is almost addicitive. The looks on their faces as they lift their hands to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is like nothing else. When we arrived at the fair grounds, there were already even more in attendance than the previous night. By the time Dr. Pete rose to speak, the crowd had grown to upwards of 75,000 people.

His message spoke of God's power to do miracles in their lives and he called for them to examine their lives and what would happen to them if they died tomorrow. When Dr. Pete asked who wanted to accept Jesus as their saviour and ensure their place in eternity, once again, tens of thousands of hands shot into the air...

Then Dr. Pete and the team came to the edge of the stage, as pastors gathered down front to call upon the Lord to unleash a wave of healing power over the crowd. And once again, God touched both physical and emotional conditions. We saw several who suffered paralysis in there extremities and some who couldn't walk or bend over. Dr. Jesus took care of them and they were quick to testify. Again when Dr. Pete asked who had felt Jesus' healing touch, a sea hands shot into the night sky. Those who God touched then made their way to the stage to demonstrate what the Lord had done. The blind see, the deaf hear, the paralyzed move freely again...

As the evening wound down, those in attendance were challenged to bring someone with them tomorrow night. If less than half of them did that the crowd would spill into the streets!

We praise God for his favor on this trip. He prepared the way for us and he has provided for our every step. We are expecting an even bigger crowd again tomorrow night...

Please pray that God would continue to manifest himself in ways that touch their hearts and turn their heads toward him.