India

In 2009 I was invited to travel to Bangalore India, with the Hope Christian Church ministry team. Pastor Melvin Anthony led a team to minister in the rural areas, whilst I would remain in Bangalore to minister and teach in some of the Bible Colleges and churches.

We stayed with Pastor George Escottee and his wife Sandra who graciously opened up their home to us. Pastor George is the Senior Pastor of EL-Bethel Ministries in Bangalore, and whose ministry is spread across many parts of India. India is a country of many contrasts and culinary delights, and it is also home to many faithful Pastors and Christians, many of whom have had to endure persecution for their faith at some time or other.

       The above photographs are of the church and surrounding environment.

During my time in Bangalore I was able to teach at a number of Churches and Bible colleges including New Life College and The Southern Cross Bible College where I spoke on Worship and Prayer. I also had the privledge of opening a new bible college for Pastor Lester and ministering at his church where many were touched by the Word God had given me to speak.

I was also able to minister to a young lady after I had preached on Hearing the Voice of God. She came to me in tears, as she had since her conversion been able to hear God speak to her very clearly. However, she had entered into a relationship with a man who was not a Christian, but whom she believed loved her very much. She had since broken off the relationship but had lost the ability to hear God speak to her as previously. I was able to pray for her and counsel her in this area.

This showed me the perils of becoming unequally yoked with an unbeliever, which the scriptures warn us against. We are not to look back once we put our hands to the plough!

During my time in India, I was continually astounded at the faith of the believers. Many had been persecuted for their faith, yet they remained strong and committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. At my first pastors' prayer meeting, a pastor shared how a pastor had that very morning been subject to physical abuse for his faith. On my last day in Bangalore I ministered at Pastor George's church, where I had the privilege of praying for a group of about six youths who were about to travel North, to a part of India where there had been an uprising against Christians in that area, and many killed. Yet they were determined to go there and be witnesses for Jesus. Such faith I had not seen before anywhere.

On my last day I was given a farewell dinner party by Sandra's mother. In these photographs we see Sandra and her mother top left, Pastor George and me top right, Pastor George, Paster Melvin and me bottom left, and a group photo bottom right.

India was a wonderful time of ministering and seeing God touch people in different ways. I thank Pastor George and his family for making us so welcome in their home and for their faithfulness to the Kingdom of God.