God is Moving in Northern India

I just returned from our trip to Northern India where we participated in helping lead a conference with an emerging indigenous ministry network that we helped initiate last year. It was amazing! We also travelled into the mountains to facilitate further development of the clean water project that we have begun with a local Christian hospital. Our travels took us all over the north of India, from the Ganges River to the Himalayas. We even ended up on a safari and saw a herd of wild elephant one morning! The Father worked in powerful ways and we were able to meet many people who have recently come to Him through the work of these holistic ministries.  ALL of them have a story of some type of miracle that took place that caused them to change their direction. Something is happening in this region as people are coming to faith much more rapidly than they have in the past.  Our relationships with the indigenous believers have grown exponentially and we have seen amazing things.  We hope to go back again in the fall, or possibly next year and I wish that I could take everyone I knew with me.

Over the past week, we met with development workers, teachers and leaders, economic developers, medical personnel, and educators - all using their skills to better the lives of people and bring the Kingdom. We are helping the organizations of this emerging network with micro loan programs, clean water projects, church planting, and school start ups and development in unreached areas. I could not be more amazed at what we have stumbled into. We drove along mountain roads, tromped all over God's green earth, sat in huts along river banks and ate over open fires with Nepali farmers who had just recently had a change of heart.  We gathered in a house on the side of a mountain at around 7,000 feet sharing our really great news with over 20 Hindu tribal people in a village where we had just placed a water tank and sat at the feet of the giants of the faith who first brought the message to these mountains. People are opening up in amazing ways as the seeds that have been planted are beginning to bear fruit. I am privileged to be a part of it and to serve the Indian believers as they take responsibility for their own calling.

I have learned some pretty incredible lessons about what we are doing well and what the American Church is doing very poorly when it comes to this type of work and I will be sharing some over the next week or two. Since I just got home today, jet lag is taking its toll, so I'll just stop by sharing a heap of pictures - every one has a story behind it. The first is me on my favorite motorcycle, the Royal Enfield, which is made in India (if anyone wants to get me one, I'll be eternally grateful! -  Kidding. I don't think that would be a good idea just yet!). The rest of the pictures are more focused on the purpose of the trip. Enjoy, and please pray for Northern India. God is on the move!

   

 

Comments

[David Rogers]

Alan,

Awesome! I wish I could go with you too. In the midst of all "the other stuff," there really is reason to be encouraged. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[from the middle east]

Brother Alan,

I prayed for you guys and am excited to hear more!

May His face shine upon you,
From the Middle East

[Bryan Riley]

I was just reading about William Carey in that great land... what an inspiration. Praise God for your obedience. Great pictures and let us know more!

[Guy Muse]

Great photos! Thanks for sharing.

You write, "...and please pray for Northern India. God is on the move!" We have been praying daily for N. India for many years now. We have a young woman our network of house churches who has been a missionary to N. India for many years. We have been supporting her through our prayers and offerings. Currently she is on a sabbatical back home and we have the joy of having her serving on our church planting team while in the country. If you'd like to read a bit about her story click on http://guymuse.blogspot.com/2008/03/amazing-servant-of-god.html to read "An amazing servant of God"--she truly is!