I did make it to India again. This was my 17th time and every time gets better.
Here is a bit of information on my trip. I left home on October 29 and returned on November 12 although my head didn't seem to get home when I did. Too many time zone changes.

I claim Psalm 139: 9,10 on a journey like this and the Lord was with me all the way.
It is a joy to see the growth and scope of this ministry since my first days here in 1986 and subsequent trips. They have enabled millions of Indians to know Jesus Christ and to have a better life here as well as hereafter. People were coming from all over India, the U.S. and Australia for the wedding first of Samuel’s son and then for the pastors conference.

The wedding was quite an occasion. There were over 1000 people there in the conference center that IGL built 5 years ago. It has a great auditorium seating around 1200. This wedding was typically India covering three days with an engagement party, a bride’s party, the wedding and the reception. There were 14 clergy involved including me although the Bishop of the South Indian Church didn’t know how to respond to a woman. All guests were fed dinner of curry and spices placed on banana leaves (their form of paper plates).

One thing about India, you arrive in the middle of the night and you feel the darkness heavy everywhere. When you get to Sharon Gardens, Samuel’s campus, you see the light , the joy, and the hope in Christ. On the roads you also see the multitudes as Jesus did and cannot help but have compassion on them. There are all kinds from the lepers, to the crippled, to the extremely poor to those driving Mercedes. Yet only 2 percent in India are Christian. They are mostly Hindus but also Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Muslims of course.

We went to a church in Thammanpatty to give micro loans to women. There were 130 women sitting on the floor waiting for us. We had a great service and then gave each one funds to buy a goat. They are to repay the loan so other women can be blessed later. It was a joyful time for them.

I had made friends with an attendant on Air France. Finding out that she flies to Bangalore regularly but has never been out of the airport or their chosen hotel, I offered to take her with me to Salem. She got permission so she spent the first two days in Salem and saw India through different eyes. Here is the email she sent me after she returned to Paris which is her home. Pray for her.

“Hello Donna,
Back from Bangalore, I can’t stop thinking of you and all that you made me discover. Thank you so much! I’ve been to your internet web site and looking forward to reading your book. Many thanks.
Claire.”

The ministers conference was by invitation only and they completely filled the conference center with 1200 pastors from across India. There was a wonderful spirit in every service. Forty pastors were ordained and our team spoke most of the sessions but not all. I have attended scores of ministers meeting but never have I felt the spirit of God among us as I did there. These pastors were drawn to take the gospel to the areas where the Hindus are militant and killing Christians. They are addressing the need to go to the north of India where there are few Christians and churches. Every offering was to take the gospel north. 25 pastors were commissioned to go soon to north India and start introducing Christ and planting churches. The spirit of that meeting was that they would do whatever it takes to reach those for Christ even if it costs them their life. What a service. What a commitment.

Samuel and his teams have planted 45,000 churches in the last 10 years. They made the commitment there to reach for 100,000 churches by the conference time in November 2010. They see the need, they hear God call, and they are responding.

There in a nutshell is the essence of the trip. Some of the team went on to have a pastor’s conference in Sri Lanka and I came home. It is so rewarding and fulfilling to have had a part in the development of this. I am also so very glad that others have stepped forward to continue the ministry allowing me to now focus on reaching internationals around us here.

Send me any questions you might have. Dthomas29@indy.rr.com

Blessings,

Donna