Heading Home!
Thursday, 19 July 2012 [Chennai, India] — This morning I awoke to learn that my wife had spent most of yesterday in the hospital back home where she was eventually diagnosed with kidney stones. I was happy to hear her voice following a message from a friend back home. I hope you will pray for her in these days of pain. The feeling of helplessness that comes when I am this far away from home reminded me again that it is ALWAYS the Lord who cares for us — even when we are at home.
We have just completed this ministry project in southeast India. As I hope you can realize the entire time here has been smooth and without incident. We were received warmly and our host for the project was extremely gracious. I am thankful for my old friend, Rev. James Sundar, and his obvious passion for seeing that the Gospel is carried to the people of this land. I hope you will remember to pray for James and the ministry here. There is a great need and responsibility for the work of the Gospel here and James certainly wants to be diligent in joining in the work that God is doing. During this project alone we have witnessed 7,686 individuals indicate their decision for Christ. This was all the work of God.
The people of India are a sweet people who are open to the Gospel. As in many places, I am keenly aware that man’s only hope is in Jesus Christ. While I do not pretend to understand the culture or mindset of this land, I do know that the Gospel is penetrating in great ways. The groundwork that has been laid by so many Christian missionaries who have gone before us has certainly made our way a much smoother path. My dear friend Jeff Andler and I have once again enjoyed working together and are looking forward to the continued path of opportunities in front of us here. Whatever the future holds will require your prayers and support.
We are scheduled to start our journey home at 4:10 pm (EDT) on Thursday. Please pray for safety on all of our flights home. By God’s grace we are scheduled to be back in Charlotte by 9:00pm on Friday. It’s a couple of long flights, but we are thankful that God allows us to be a part of His work around the world.