Sunday blog

We are here a the Lucknow office only for a brief time, so this will be short, but just to give you a quick update. We have had quite the journey! We finally got to Motipur and the Hope Center; joy! The children met us at the gate and made us feel more than welcomed. We spent two days going to various remote villages, one very near the Nepal border, sharing blankets and telling the people that it is the love of Jesus that compelled us to come. These villagers were Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs...such a variety, and such contrasts. The Sikh area was particularly fascinating. They are excellent farmers, and driving through their fields was beautiful. They apparently are the only productive farmers, and they work extremely hard. This is in contrast to the Hindu mindset that does not promote hard work, since they feel destined to their lot in life. It was such a blessing to even name the Name of Jesus to these people! Extremely impoverished, shackled by fear and false gods, these people are desperate. Though we were probably viewed as tourists interested in village life, we came with a message as well as the blanket they needed. Everywhere we went, we were shown so much appreciation, as well as curious looks. To grasp a hand, pray openly or silently, to wrap a blanket around an old, crippled man or hunched over woman barely able to walk even with a stick, this was a blessing indeed.

As we stopped close to the Nepal border, we stopped for chai (tea), which is a “constant” here in India. It seems to always be chai time! We discovered that monkeys were everywhere, crawling over the shanties, all along the roads, and of course, we were captivated by them. You can picture our team, lined up with cameras in hand, snapping wildly at the monkey antics, and then a crowd of locals lined up behind us, staring at the spectacle...us! I don't know which was more amusing...the monkeys are us!

We have certainly been the novelty wherever we have gone, eliciting curious stares and bewildered looks. But not so at Hope Center. Perhaps the highlight of our trip was last night as we spent time with the children. As we shared the gospel message once again with an evangicube, we also shared the details of the birth of Jesus, the true meaning of Christmas. Though these children have heard these truths before, it is always refreshing to hear them again. At the end of our sharing time, I asked the children to sing a Christmas song that I heard they had learned. We were out in the courtyard in almost total darkness in the shadow of the lighted cross atop the center, and we experienced what was as close to a choir of angels as we could imagine as they sang “Silent Night” with such joy and emotion. Words just don't describe the beauty of that moment. Then they began what became an hour long “song fest” of non-stop singing. They stood throughout, not seeming to tire or be distracted, but sang “from their toenails,” as I sometimes describe it. Unrestrained joy! And even after about an hour, they didn't seem to want to stop! Pastor Daniel brought several of the boys forward to present some hand drawn cards the children had prepared for each of us. One young boy, Rajid, had been leading the singing all night with wonderful ability. As he approached with the boys, I said, “Here is our leader.” Rajid didn't hesitate a moment, but answered, “No, the leader is Jesus Christ.” I stand properly corrected!

John's mom is a part of a knitting group, and they had made numerous caps for us to bring to the center. What beaming smiles as we placed a cap on their heads! It is already chilly at night there, so they were thrilled to have something warm of their very own. Thank you, ladies, for blessing these children in such a loving way! You can be assured that your work has met a need in a special way that these children will not forget.

There are so many stories to tell, so many incredible scenes, people, lessons. I can tell you this: We have seen the face of suffering in the faces of old men, crippled children, young desperate mothers, malnourished, undersized babies, young boys and girls, and elderly women There is a world of pain etched in the wrinkles on their faces and reflected in their eyes. BUT....we have also seen the face of Jesus in three new believers who came to share with us at Hope Center about how they now know Jesus and have 200 people meeting with them in their village! One of the women sang a hymn that she had composed herself to praise the Lord. Her face, though haggard and worn, was radiant. We see the face of Jesus in Pastor Daniel as he cares so deeply for the children at the center and the people of the villages. We see Jesus in the house parents who have committed to raise these orphans as their own and are teaching them God's Word and sharing His heart with them in such a tremendous way. It is easy to be discouraged and overwhelmed by what you see here, but just as the hand crafted cross breaks into the night sky at Hope Center, the Light of the Lord is piercing the spiritual darkness of India. There is yet so much to do, so many who have not heard of or experienced God's grace, but the Holy Spirit is here in the lives of the believers, and we are praying, and asking you to join us, that His Spirit will invade and penetrate this land; the poor will be fed, the suffering ones comforted, and that the despairing will find hope, The Hope, that can only be found in Jesus. Our hearts have been pierced; we've been challenged and humbled by what we have experienced here. In many ways, we feel a world away and a world apart, but we know that every person God has created is precious in His sight. Those who know Him are united by His Spirit no matter where we may live, and how He longs for every one Jesus died for to come to know Him.