“God was waiting for me to arrive.”

Grace and peace to you all, friends.

Let me start by saying how very much we all appreciate the prayers that you have been praying for each of us over these past two days. What we have seen God doing and what we have been blessed to be a part of is beyond explanation. It’s going to take quite a while to process.

Let me start by sharing our experiences in the house churches. Each service we were blessed to play a part in were each so very different and special in so many ways. One story. The small community church I was blessed to share the Gospel in saw almost 50 to 65 people attend, a majority were women. The pastor shared with me that the man who lives next door to the church does not like Christians. At all. So, he prepared us that during the service he tries to distract the services as much as possible. As the service began, the man next door began throwing bricks on the roof of the church during worship. Praise be to God, I never heard them (though many shared they were quite loud). It served as a reminder that there are some incredibly strong forces out to keep the Gospel message being heard. Ironically, the message was on the power of God and “greater is the One in me than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). We actually all declared that together in one voice over and over during worship. Afterwards, there was a time of prayer and so many came forward asking for prayers of healing and anointing. We prayed for those with ailments, for those under persecution, for those needing God in their lives, and all of it prayed in the powerful name of Jesus. It was a three hour church service that felt like it was only thirty minutes. I am so thankful that there is TRUE power in His name, thanks be to God.

Today, we spent our final day in India in prayer as we walked the streets of Patna, silently, praying for those we encountered. After lunch we went into one of the more impoverished areas of the city and were greeted by over 130 children, patiently waiting for the “missionaries” that had come to share the love of Jesus with them. It was a beautiful surprise set up by one of the pastors in the area.

Hearts are full and heavy, all at the same time.

When I was younger, I used to go on mission trips with a pretty naive perspective. I used to believe that I was going to take God into the third world countries I was visiting. Of course, the older I have gotten and the more I have grown I have learned a more powerful reality. I arrive on the mission field to find that God was waiting for me to arrive.

God is doing a great work among our brothers and sisters in India, friends. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is being shared. I can testify to that glorious truth. However, I can also testify to the stronghold trying to KEEP God’s children from hearing the good news among the people in this country. It’s a very real presence and we must daily pray for our brothers and sisters AROUND THE WORLD facing this real persecution. Pray for strength for these people and their families. As I have seen and witnessed many times on this trip, the prayers of God’s people is a powerful force

SO. Here’s our next few days. We leave for home tomorrow. Here’s the schedule as, yet again, we would covet your prayers as we head home. If my math is correct, we fly out about 1:00 am on Tuesday morning (CST) and arrive back in Houston around 10:45 am on Wednesday (CST). That, my friends, is a long trip back home.

I can’t wait to share more with you all what we have seen. And, when you see me, please ask me.

Thankful for these glorious words that I have held and will continue to hold in my heart:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -Eph 3:19,20

Amen, and amen!