#4 – The conference begins

Friday, October 20, 2006

The conference began with registration at 8:30 AM so we were not required until the 10:30 service which opened the conference. I tapped on Brian’s door about 7:30 and got no answer so I went down the hall to Everett’s room and knocked. He was up and had already ordered breakfast to his room so I went back to room 405 and ordered boiled eggs toast and jam. I’m still not sure what I can eat and what not to eat. I figured the boiled eggs would be safe. I also ordered coffee and bottled water. The room service is very reasonable and the staff is very eager to wait on you.

There’s somewhat of a language barrier. They speak English, but it’s not always the same English we speak! The young man had a hard time understanding “bottled water.” Come to find out they call it mineral water most places here. Oh well, I found out that the hotel carries “Aquafina,” bottled by Pepsi, so that’s what I started asking for. I lived on this water. I even brushed my teeth in it to avoid drinking any of the local water.

We met in the lobby about 10:00 AM and headed out to the grounds were the conference is being held. It is only about 10 minutes from the hotel. Pastor J.P. provided our transportation to and from the conference center. The grounds obtained for the conference is a very old complex that used to be a medical hospital run by a religious group (maybe Presbyterian?) around the turn of the century. It is now owned by CNI (Christians of North India). They used the old buildings for housing people attending the conference. They contracted a cook to fix meals for the conference and contracted another group to erect the tent. It is an attractive tent, mostly of white, but decorated with ruffles and bunting of red and pink. A beautiful fabric mural provides the backdrop for the platform area. Another company provided the sound reinforcement. Four huge Peavey speakers pumped the sound of singing, music and preaching for the surrounding area to hear. They are not shy about being heard!

The arrangement reminds me of a campmeeting from an earlier day where everyone came to the campgrounds and lived, and cooked on the grounds. Services are planned for four times a day. That also reminds me of earlier years! With everyone on the grounds it makes it easier to have more meetings. They have nothing else to do.

Each service started out with a lot of singing and worship. There were times of corporate prayer and individual response. They have a custom of welcoming their guests with a garland (similar to the lei in Hawaii). We were each presented with a garland of flowers. Most of the flowers were like an orange carnation. It was customary to receive the garland, get a picture made, and then remove them. I was glad I didn’t have to wear it all week. It would probably stir up my allergies!

Everett McCoy preached the first message on being “adorned with the anointing.” It was a fitting beginning service. Following the service Pastor J.P. took us to lunch along with Pastor Oneal and Gabriel. This restaurant looked a little scary to me. The huge bread oven was outside and the fried or baked bread was thrown out on top of the hot oven to be served up to the patrons. We went into a small dining area where you could see the well used kitchen behind the counter. We stopped by a washroom that had no running water. They provided a pitcher of water for hand washing. It was very dirty. Upstairs they had several old and faded tables lined along the open windows where you could look out over the street. Ceiling fans above stirred the hot air making it bearable inside. Pastor J.P. recommended a dish that was less spicy for me. Some of the others had very spicy foods. Surprisingly the food was very good. They provided bottled (mineral) water. When Brian ordered a Pepsi I saw one of the servers running back with some drinks in a bag from a nearby shop.

Following lunch we went by the hotel for about 20 minutes to freshen up and use the restrooms in our rooms. I looked over my notes and prepared to preach the next session. I preached, “God is in Control.” The message emphasized faith in God, an appeal to trust Him for the future. We had a good response in an altar service to conclude the service. They do not make a lot of noise while you are preaching but when it is time to pray they respond and begin to open up in prayer. Once you learn their habits and customs in worship and response it is easier to know what to expect.

We returned to the hotel for about 30-40 minutes before the next service this evening. It was another time of worship, music, and singing. Brian Henry started off the evening services preaching on Faith. Today’s services began the foundation for the ministry this week.