We spent most of the day Wednesday with the Clayton group in Hyderabad. We learned a lot about the work in this part of India and got to go to some areas of the"real" India, the places you see everywhere, not just the tourist pictures. The traffic in India....well picture L.A. or New York at rush hour and multiply it by 10. Hyderabad is populated by 13 million people. The state of Andra Pradesh is about a third the size of Texas with a population of 90 Million. All our work will be in Andra Pradesh...Hyderabad abd Kakinada
We met most of the staff at the office both Indian and American. It's about as busy a place as you can imagine with constant comings and goings. I am just overwhelmed by the task they have undertaken in a very organized manner to reach people with the Gospel. Some 20,000 native preachers from 40,000 congregations all look to this office for help and guidance. Most of the preachers have been trained in one of the schools. As the scriptures teach, each church is autonomous and NONE of these preachers receives salary from the US. The only ones paid by our American churches are instructors, directors of the schools and the orphan homes. Most of them "double up" as visiting preachers on Sunday as well.
Today I will be teaching at one of the preacher training schools. I am instructed to teach until I am tired and then come back to the church office. I am just astonished by these people's desire to hear the Word of God...and how they respond to it. I get my first chance to help and encourage them today. I know many of you are reading this daily...keep us in your prayers.
The events of last night in Mumbai are a bit unsettling but Mumbai is a ways away from here. ((78 people killed in hotels and restaurants---mostly American or other foreign tourists.) Those who cannot win support by logic and words still try to take it by force. God bless us all in His service.
