Today was the last day of the lectureship and an eventful day it was! We are somewhat sleep deprived since we had a Hindu wedding in the event center right out our window. Drums, horns, and loud music all night long. It concluded at 6 this morning. Indian weddings can go on for a week. Then 24 hour ceremonies and parties on the day of the wedding.
It was a great closing service today and inspirational to hear these people praise God in song even though we know none of the words. I was privileged to close the lectures with the final speech this morning and we are taking the afternoon off before going out to preach and teach all day tomorrow. People take off work, give up a precious days pay and come to hear the Gospel all day long. I am afraid I am not going to be too sympathetic to those in America we have to beg to come to worship let alone give up anything to study the Word. Seeing the hunger of these people for righteousness, it disgusts me to think of those who have none.
Then, how 'bout this dedication....after services today 2 men asked to be baptized. One a business man and one a Baptist preacher..(Now former Baptist preacher) This man has to give up so much! His church, his financial support--- everything ---in order to obey the truth. I had a chance to visit with this man for a while and must tell you, men like this are very special. And yet, this is typical of India. They have a willingness to seek the truth and then the backbone to follow it. It's happening everywhere. I told him how proud I was he was willing to do what he was doing---he was grateful for the encouragement....but I was very aware he was much more thankful he was doing what God wanted him to do than my being proud of him. He will probably convert his entire former congregation.
I met some men from Orissa last night. They came from hours away to attend. You may have read the "sanitized" media version of the violence against Christians in Orissa. Orissa is north of here a couple of hundred kilometers. The version in our USA papers is BULL to say the least. These men recounted how Hindu militants went through villages and if people refused to put up the Hindu flag and professed to being christians----they burned the house. They burned down the houses of hundreds of Christians. They have burned all the church buildings and every Bible they could find. They made people renounce Christ or die...... no numbers appear to be accurate but from their reports, they have murdered thousands. Their government stood by and did nothing during all these attacks. They brought the names of 580 Christians in a compound outside Khandhamel who have lost everything. There is some question if the government has them there for their protection or to jail them.
Bro. Gootham offered to send 500 Bibles back with them but they said the government guards (sympathetic to the terrorists) would not let them bring them in. The church here sent blankets and food by truck we hope gets through. They have no where to go and are afraid to return home. I can hardly contain the tears just writing about these wonderful people. I pray for their safety as they return to the compound today.
Terrorists fired on police in Hyderabad today and 8 were arrested. We go back there on the 10th. We are careful but who knows.... Pray for this work and the safety of it's workers.
