Its been one fantastic trip. As our plane touched down onto KLIA ground,the past week spent travelling in North India seemed almost surreal to me. This is the furthest north the missions team has gone to. 2 months ago when the call came asking who would be willing to go, in spite of the high expenses, I straight away signed up, recognizing it as the culmination of a vision given to me 9 years ago, that the gospel would be preached from south to north, from east to west of India. Especially as all reports indicated the state was reputedly the 'graveyard' of missionaries and even tho it had a long history of various religions carried down from its past, I knew God was gonna work His resurrection power over this land and its people. I also sensed a new phase in my own personal walk with Him, for i found myself desperately crying out to die to self that Christ may live in me. So it was with an expectant heart that God was going to do a great work through the team that I went forth. And truly God is faithful to answer desperate prayer.
We flew into India, and then drove 6 hrs into the country side. It was a loooong drive indeed; becoz the road was jammed solid with heavy trucks on both sides. Never will i complain about KL traffic jams again; this jam stretched some 60 km all the way.... we found ourselves bumping along road shoulders and short cuts into dust tracks across fields. It was absolutely back-breaking since there were 9 of us squeezed into a 4WD, together with luggage.
But all the discomfort counted as zero because the ministry was so so wonderfully blessed of God. For 6 days, every day, afternoons and nites we were running 2 public meetings all over the place. We would just set up 'stall' at road junctions, near open areas, (like public schools), under trees.... the local church mobile van carried only portable loudspeakers. All they needed was a guitar to start and as the sound of worship blasted out, people would start gathering around us... The youths were so talented they entertained the crowds with comedy skits. And as the Word of God was shared, people would respond. Especially at the last 3 nite rallies, which were held at the town 'padang' the crowds were huge. It was like a scene out of Jesus' days, they brought in the paralysed, the comatose and laid them out on mats. Hundreds of people would come up at the end of each service for prayer. And wonder of wonders, God worked miracles in their midst as people willingly called out the name of Jesus... many experienced healing just like that, as the power of God came and swept into and through hungry hearts. I was so so privileged to see a lame man arise and walk and a demon-possessed girl just fell by herself and was delivered. Many publicly testified there and then of their healing. I have never seen anything like this in all my 9 years of ministry in India. The anointing was so strong, thanks to a wonderfully talented pastor who traveled from another district some 9 hrs by train to join us as worship leader and translator. I had only 1 prayer every time - that the glory of God would come down... and He answered marvelously each time. His presence was so strong. We knew it was all His ministry, His work; becoz we really didn't even have to lay hands on the people. What a tremendous blessing for me to be there! I felt such a release; just speaking from the heart, no longer tied down to my notes. Truly Holy Spirit was at work, praise God. Before I left, a sister had given me God's word that everywhere I were to go, the land would turn green. Another had mentioned the glory of God coming down. How 'chun' His Word is. Everywhere I went, indeed life sprang forth from dry hard ground; truly this is the day of resurrection from the dead!
Right up till the last day in a church, when we faced a somewhat hostile crowd who were celebrating the state 'holi' day (where they simply threw colored powder on everyone, much like the Thai water festival), God was with us all the way, granting us His protection, for we were let go unharmed.
We even managed to squeeze in an hour to visit a quaint Baptist church set up by foreign missionaries who laid down their lives in the land of India and William Carey's house, which stands to this day nearby one of the River Ganges' tributary.It was a sobering and humbling moment, reading the dedication/memorial plaques, recognizing the extent some saints of God are prepared to sacrifice their all for the Kingdom. Compared to them, what is the little that I do, coming as/when i can to this land that God has put upon my heart!
As i settle back into the routine of ordinary life back home and recall His faithfulness, how truly signs and wonders are to follow the preaching of His Word, all i can say is AWESOME GOD! To Him be all the glory, honor and praise.
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." ... Jeremiah 33:3
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