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NOVEMBRE 2001
Hhey there Olivier...
como tele vouz?
Well, it's my last days in India...and by faith I am flying to Africa...from here. I have tickets to fly to London on DECEMBER 1...then the day I arrive (provided enough money comes in to purchase the tickets!...please pray...thanks), I'll fly to Sierra Leone. I will be there for 3 weeks..then I go off with a pastor to about 7-8 other countries for seminars. And I have been invited to a church of 20,000 in one of those countries as well. This all will carry me through the end of FEBRUARY. I will fly to the States on FEBRUARY 27.
Ministry and teaching has been fabulous. It's hard to believe that I have been in Nepal & India 4 months already! The ordination seemed like a dream long ago. I am thrilled at the doors the Lord is opening here. From meeting a known author (also with National Geographic) and him asking me to write the Christian's perspective on Paradise...to Seminars on Men & Women (focusing on value of creation etc...especially on women), marriage, Leadership, Bible books, to helping families etc...
I have taught about 10 books of the Bible in the School of Biblical Studies-in 3 different schools.
And the counseling of some couples and families with fruit coming from it, although Pavithra's family some big difficulties have risen again. If they come to your mind, can you pray for them Balraj & Kumari. She's been beaten bad again, and she locked herself in a room with 2 of the 3 girls (one was hiding under a table in the next room of the neighbor), and threatened to poor kersosene on themselves-and burn themselve alive. (She was also accused of wrong relations with his brother--publically-but it is very untrue). I am now working on a plan to get Kumari and the girls to a safe place for while-when needed. I have spent some more hours with him. We will see.
I have begun sponsoring a friend of Pav's, Thulasi, (the same age-10), for English...then I have a mtg on the 29th-in Bangalore (4 hrs from here-Mysore) with them & and a Christian Engish School for her to begin going to at the new school year...and others I hope to help in the future...I am also helping her family with a lawyer to help them get back their land that their extended family cheated them out of. (They cannot read & write-so the family had them sign a docment of sale...but didn't know what they were signing.)
Then "training" to another state-on a 24 hr train, I did 3 days of seminars there on the same subjects. One pastor really touched my heart, as he was the first Indian pastor I've that expressed great emotion-tears. He was cryign after one of my sessions the first day. He led a prayer of forgiveness-first for himself, than for all there, for how he and they had been treaing women etc... He was very convicted and touched. Then the next day on Marriage, again he was crying...for how he had been treating his wife...and others. I use many big photo illustrations that graphically-and sometimes humorously illustrate what I am teaching. So far--by far, the photo that has had the most impact is the photo I took of Ian & Carolyn's wedding, where he was washing her feet. There has not been one-not one Indian so far, that has seen anything like it...or having the thought of doing that. I explain, "Why it is such a shock for you to see this....and it reminds me of someone in the Bible...ah, Jesus!" And I then talk of how it was in the beginning...God's original & continual intent for humanity...marriage etc....to serve one another-to function together. One was not created to just serve the other etc...So these seminars are having a big impact...The people I was with told me I cannot come back for any less than 2 weeks next time...they want to arrange much more and bigger meetings...so Praise God ayy?! It's so thrilling to be a part of scales being broken off and people being set free!
I have only been sick once in 4 months! Though the cough has come back again...and I have some back pain (Sciatica nerve)...and some nerve pain in the roof of my mouth...but doing well! He is so good!
And of course the joys of using my friends motorcycle to go here and there...and the adventures that that alone brings-is another story! Dodging frogs, snakes, and dogs, humans, and the myriad of people who drive as the only one on the planet!
I am sobered and thankful as I see by the thousands who will have never experienced what it's like to have a turkey...to walk into a restaurant-and order whatever they like...to those who never had the luxury of trying on a new pair of shoes-a new outfit...to run a bankcard through the machine to get "fast cash"...to step into a home-with solid walls, windows & electric- without battling off the myriad of critters...to bathe with clean hot water-and to have a tap to turn on and off at their leisure--and that is their OWN--they don't have to walk a 100 meters or more for...to those who can wash what food and containers they have with soap that will keep them from being sick...to walk-or drive(!) to the shop to pickup anything they wanted that they forgot...to sleep in a bed-and alone-in their own room...and to type with their fingers on keyboard emailing...as you know well...
I am tremendously thankful for the privilege of what I have, who I am, and what friends I have like you. And for You Jesus!
Bless ya-
jonnythankful