Wednesday started off better, if not early. Micah’s eyes had stopped the weird watering thing they were doing, and he was coughing less. The new room had completely fixed the mosquito problem.
We got an early start since we would be traveling. Jose and Pastor Daniel showed up around 6am. Becca and I were just a little late because Micah had done us a favor by filling his diaper before we got on the road. Good boy.
There are 8 seats in the Voice of Gospel ministries car. We filled every one with Micah on a lap. We headed south past Cochin to a more rural area and at a higher elevation. The twisting and turning on those mountain roads combined with Indian driving (constant breaking and aggressive passing) to cause a very long 3 1/2 hr trip and a little bit of nausea. We had breakfast at a little restaurant around 7am, which was basically a curry mix with flat bread, and we continued on our way.
Around 9:30 am we arrived at a little church in the mountains. This was a larger room about 10ft wide and maybe 30 ft long. To get to the church, you had to walk up this stone path with a shoulder high wall on both sides. We walked into the woods and the church was under the shade, so it was a litle cooler there. Chickens and roosters were around, and Micah was very interested in the rooster.
Everything in the building was concrete and stone with a thatch room. The big room was connected to a small house where the local pastor lived. Pastor Daniel took Laura and me out behind the building to show us the renovations being made. More than 100 people attend that fellowsip, and many stand or sit outside during the meeting. They are extending the room another 20 ft and adding three rooms opposite the pastor’s house for Mercy Home kids to live in.
It was another meeting for women in the ministry. This week was the first week that Pastor Daniel had arranged for special meetings for the women in ministry to come together and be encouraged. We really felt as if it was a success.
The meeting began with a prayer by the local pastor. Then a woman got the singing started. The room was already packed and more women came trickling in. A few male pastors were sitting up at the front and a few more were outside sitting near the door so they could see. There were close to 100 women and pastors there.
After the singing, the team was introduced. One by one the ladies got up to share. We also sang a couple songs while I played the guitar. Emily had a good message bout being the Bride and fixing yourself up for your husband.
Last I shared about abiding in Christ and how Christ is your primary ministry. Our first obligation is to please Him, then all other ministry to others will flow from that. I led them in spontaneous song before I shared, and it was glorious. They just kept on going. Pastor Daniel facilitated the end of it only because he wanted to have time for us to share before people had to head back.
The greeting here is “praise the Lord” among the saints. They may not know much English, but that is their greeting. They are hungry and on fire. They traveled hours to get here, as did we.
I’m going to be one of those annoying missionaries that will body slam anyone who complains about what their “church” doesn’t have. All this fellowship had was a concrete room and they were thankful for it. They sang without any instruments and many were off key and and off beat. There was no PA system, no A/C, barely any lighting and pnly two ceiling fans. But I saw more joy in that fellowship while they sang and worshipped than most fellwoships I’ve ever seen put together.
Micah is officially the most passed around child in the world. He has been loved and grabbed by people in 3 countries and 2 continents so far, Korea, US, and India. How can you not love Micah? He’s the cutest guy in the world and he smiles at everyone. He did get tired of it after a while on this day and lunged at me and gave me a great big hug. It was nice.
Right after the meeting, the workers placed the large stone door frame on the new extention. I helped them lift it up (the frame was made of stone!) and Pastor Daniel had me pray for the new building. I mostly prayed for the spiritual one.
Everyone was eating, so we joined in. Pastor Daniel provided food at these gatherings since most had to travel so far. Unfortunately another meal was being prepared for us. So some ate twice.
We said our goodbyes, made a last potty stop in the outhouse near the church, piled in the car and started back to Trichur. After the long trip back, we met David and his brother from Andhra Pradesh at the hotel restaurant when we returned. Micah and Becca were tired, so they went up to the room early. Becky was also not feeling well, so she stayed back and rested.
David desperately wanted to share about his ministry with us. Communication wasn’t the best between my exhaustion and his English, but he really is in a tough place to minister. They have four churches there in one area, two in a separate building and two in house churches. Between some violent Hindu threats and witchcraft, they are in a battle. He and his brother shared about an attack of witchcraft on one of his other brothers who eventually died but after five minutes was brought back to life while the church was praying over him. David also has a heart for some isolated villages where there is no education or health care and horrid poverty. He had already shared about his children’s ministry. I encouraged him to get connected with Pastor Daniel. David kept talking about me coming to train him and visit him and help him, but I explained how we didn’t have the time during this trip or the resources in general to come back soon, nor is it really on our hearts to do so at this point. We would definitely pray for him, but it seemed to make more sense to be connected to someone locally, at least in the same country, and Daniel also has connections there in Andhra Pradesh, some churches and Mercy Homes. I counseled him that Voice of Gospel ministries was closer and had much to offer in training (training at the VoG Bible schools is free!), so he could at least see what Pastor Daniel had to offer as far as wisdom and assistance.
I prayed for them before they left, but unfortunately I don’t know if he’ll move on any of my counsel. We will pray and hope that God moves in his life and ministry.
I got to bed early because we were going to get another early start!