We began that work with a Pastors' Leadership Conference in Rayagada with about 50 pastors from the surrounding villages.
RETURN TO ORISSA
The pastors were very happy to receive the teaching and sets of NT Commentaries. At the end of the conference, my translator, Pastor Philemon, gave me a big hug and thanked me kindly for the teaching that he told me was so necessary for these pastors to hear.
From Orissa, I was on the road once more to visit my friends in Coimbatore. Although I was not able to hold a pastors' meeting there, Pastor John Williams urged me to come and share with his church leaders and congregation. "We are always so blessed by your teaching that we just want you to come." And so I made the trip there and shared the word of God for two days at The Full Gospel Center in Coimbatore.
I returned to Hyderabad just in time to complete the six-months training in the NT Survey Course with 22 village pastors not far from the city. We had a great time of fellowship and a celebration dinner with their families. We gave them gifts to bless them and a very nice certificate of completion for their efforts. Special guests included my friend Sis. Sasikiran President of the JJ Society, and Pearl City Pastors Anand and Prasanna. I have taken all my teaching notes from the course and written them in a narrative form for publication. God willing, after June I will have the English NT Survey Course in printed form and ready to be translated into Indian languages.
There was just enough time for one more round of ministry before I would have to start preparing for my visit to the US on April 1st. My closest friend and Indian brother, Pastor Paulraj Manickam asked to come and help with teaching and preaching in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh where Bethel Vision and Mission (BVM) is involved in evangelism and church planting. So I hopped a train with BVM worker, Pastor Nani and headed south to the Kurnool District where the massive floods hit late last year. Recovery has been slow, but except for a few small reminders, it is hard to understand the impact the floods had on that region.
From Kurnool we had to travel deep into the parched interior of the State. The peak of India's Summer dry season is fast approaching and the heat is rising as fast as the rivers are drying up. Most of the crops are in now, and the Deccan Plateau is just waiting for the Monsoons to come in June to revitalize the land. We stayed in the small farming town of Koilakuntla for three days. Conditions are very hard there and the less I say about them the better. But I can't complain too much because I am there for only a few days, but the rest the people are born, live their lives, and die in the same conditions without any hope of leaving them.
The first day was a Pastors' Leadership Conference for about 20 pastors from the surrounding villages. I did not realize when I came to India last May that these Leadership Conferences would turn out to be a cornerstone of my teaching ministry this time around. But there have been such great responses to the teaching and many demands for this kind of teaching that I could not refuse any opportunity to hold one of these conferences. Each conference is six sessions: Character, Calling, Commitment, Covering, Cooperation, and Conduct of the Leader. Every time I have presented this material I have been invited back; and every time I am told they wanted to invite another 50, 100, or more ministry leaders to come and hear the Word of God on Spiritual Leadership. And every time I have to respond that the only thing stopping me from returning is lack of funds to provide for the books and meeting logistics. Still the invitations are constantly coming for me to do more of these conferences.
After the conference, I was able to share two nights at open Gospel meetings where a good portion of the people were Hindus. We prayed for all who came forward wanting a touch from God. About 20 people prayed for Jesus for forgive them of their sins and to follow Him. I took the lead at the meeting in Owk and Pastor Manickam took the lead at the meeting in Giddalur. Sunday morning, I shared the word of God at a small house church meeting in a village near Koilakuntla.
Although the trip south was not a long one, the heat, travel, and hours of teaching and preaching took its toll and I returned home to Hyderabad, exhausted, but happy to know that my time spent was well worth the trip. Pastor Manickam and I bid our fond "farewells... for now" but not before I promised him I would see him in Chennai as soon as I return to India in June!
So now my attention is turned towards preparing for my visit to the US. There is still much to be done here. Business and personal meetings to attend; preparations for securing my flat here for my absence; and preparations for my return home in June. Already I have meetings scheduled through the month of September: June - Meetings in cities of Chennai and Bangalore July - Open Maharashtra State with Pastors' Leadership Conference August - Teaching Conference and Bible Distribution in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh September - Pastors' Leadership Conference with 100 pastors in Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu
Please pray for these meetings, and for my safe return home to India in June. Also, keep me in prayer as I visit with my church family, friends and family back in the States. Pray for funds for me to continue my work in India and pray about supporting my ministry here. I know times are tough, but I know God will bless you for giving sacrificially to win the lost here in India.
God bless you and I hope to see you all soon!
Fred