Currents and Winds

New Wordpress Blog

2011-05-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Check out our new "Life Blog" location:
http://blog.lifechurchaz.net/

or access it from our website:
www.lifechurchaz.net

Thanks!
Pastor Terry R Baughman

Changes in the Wind

2009-02-13T22:28:00.001-08:00

It has been my privilege to participate in the ministry of Christian Life College for the last fifteen years. This college has been an important part of my life. Little did I know how much my life would be changed when I met the evangelist at the Arkansas District Youth Camp in 1973. His name was Kenneth Haney and he was the former international Pentecostal Conquerors’ President. He asked me to come to Stockton, CA to attend Western Apostolic Bible College. I enrolled in college that fall and graduated from WABC in 1977 with a B.A. in Bible and Theology.

I don’t recall when the desire to teach at the college first came to me, but it was within the early years of my ministry. I readily recognized the difference this Bible College made in my life and I wanted to see others experience it in the same way. In 1994, seventeen years after my graduation, I was invited me to come back to Stockton and join the staff at Christian Life College as the Campus Pastor. The following year I was asked to be the Dean of Students when Phillip Dugas resigned and moved to Portland. When Dr. Raymond Crownover accepted a position with UGST in St Louis, I was asked to fill the role of Academic Dean in 2001. I became the Executive Vice President in 2003 when Dr. Jeffery Garner accepted a pastorate in San Francisco. I continued to fill the position of Academic Dean while serving as Executive Vice President until 2007 when Jarrid Younkin joined the staff and assumed that responsibility.

I appreciate the opportunity to have served in so many facets of leadership at Christian Life College. My life has been enriched by my association with each faculty member, every student and the wonderful heritage of this institution and the Haney family. I am proud to have worked with them and been a part of this ministry. Gayla and I have grown and developed in ministry and in our personal lives. Gayla completed her B.A. in Christian Music and I was able to earn a Master’s degree in Exegetical Theology through Western Seminary while teaching at the college.

We have been able to minister to hundreds of young people, become acquainted with many of our alumni, publish books, and plant a church in the Bay Area. As of the first of the year, I have resigned as pastor of the church we planted in Pleasanton seven years ago. Stuart Young, pastor of Victory Point Pentecostal Church in Livermore has been elected as pastor and we have merged our congregations. Stuart and Darla Young assisted us in planting the church in Pleasanton and were with us for three years before they started their church in Livermore, CA. They will do well with the increase in size and finance as they continue the great work they are doing in the Tri-Valley.

I have been elected as co-pastor (and pastor-elect) of Life Church in Gilbert, Arizona, where my father-in-law is currently the pastor. For several years Pastor Robert Bibb has wanted us to come and assume the pastorate where he has been for the last eight years. Last summer we agreed to come and the church unanimously voted for us to be the pastor of this growing congregation in the east valley of the Phoenix metro area. We were committed to complete the academic year at Christian Life College and assist in a smooth transition of leadership. It is our intention to make the physical move to Arizona during the summer of 2009.

This will be my last year as Executive Vice President of Christian Life College. I have offered to come back and teach on a limited schedule in the fall of 2009.
Pastor Nathaniel Haney spoke very positively in response to that offer.

It was my desire to make this public statement of our decision so as to allay any rumors or misunderstanding concerning our transition from the leadership of Christian Life College. We have had some great experiences and have many good memories of our years in Stockton. We have no regrets and are very grateful for the opportunity to have been able to serve God in the ministry at Christian Life College. I see good things happening and believe the best years are yet ahead.

An Invitation to India

2008-11-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

A small prayer group based in Texas provides spiritual support for the work of God in Gujarat, India. They continually pray for a revival of Holy Spirit baptism in a predominantly Hindu nation. The leader of this group, Sister Elizabeth, has a tremendous passion to see her homeland come to know the saving power of Jesus Christ. Not only does she pray, she contacts ministers in the U.S. and asks them to go to Ahmedabad to teach and preach in one of their annual church and minister’s conferences.

Two years ago, Brian Henry and I accepted one such invitation and went to India to minister in the conference. Again this year Christian Life College was contacted to see if we could send someone to teach and preach in this conference. I accepted the invitation and prepared to go. Initially, another minister planned to go with me and applied for a visa. Two weeks before our departure he advised me that he would be unable to accompany me for ministry in India.

After agreeing to go to Gujarat, I text messaged my son, Rhette, in Arizona, “How would you like to go to India?” He instantly replied, “I would love to go to India!” I was happy to hear his enthusiasm and we began to make plans for him to join me on this ministry trip. This will be his first international trip other than Mexico or Canada. He has an interest in international business and is currently enrolled in college classes working toward a degree in this field. It means a lot to me to be able to share this trip with him and give him the opportunity to see the broader picture of the world and ministry in a very different culture.

International travel has certainly affected my worldview and given me a different perspective of the Scriptures, such as “God so loved the world,” and “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Our world can be mighty small if we never see more than our home town.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

2008-11-06T06:54:00.000-08:00

After a very busy week, today is the countdown to our departure for India. Two weeks ago my wife and I flew to Greensboro, North Carolina, for the General Conference of the UPCI. We attended our respective committee meetings: the Board of Regents, Division of Education, and a special study group for the Women’s ministry of the UPCI. It was also our responsibility to represent Christian Life College at the annual conference.

After a week of conference and travel it was back to school and the office. The last week was filled with faculty meetings, teaching classes, and preparing assignments or substitutes to cover the classes I will miss while in India. Of course, there are always the unplanned calls, emails and issues that must be addressed. I maintained a detailed “to do” list so that I would not miss anything that had to be done before my departure.

Gayla and I picked up Rhette at the Oakland airport Friday evening about 10:00. He flew in from Phoenix after work so he could be with us for a couple of days before we fly out. Saturday was filled with packing (what do I really need?), last minute purchases (gotta have snacks!), and preparation for Sunday in Pleasanton (what will I preach?). We had a music practice Saturday evening with the praise team and pizza following!

I was up until 1:00 AM taking care of countless details: online bills, church arrangements, and communicating with classes about assignments by email. Finally, when I went to bed I was still going through my mental checklist (What have I forgotten?). Unable to sleep, I got up, logged on the computer and checked in online with Singapore Airlines, before I was finally able to go to bed and sleep.
Dawn was barely breaking Sunday morning when I got up and pulled my sweats on for an early morning walk. A walk is my way of clearing the mind, praying, and thinking.

Before we left for church, we had to have everything completed and packed for India as well. We left the house about 11:15 for an hour commute to Pleasanton. In the service I shared some of the burden I have for India and a video presentation of my last trip. I preached on Spiritual warfare and how we are “Mighty in God!” My focus was on India and the spiritual battle in the U.S. with the upcoming general election. It is time to prevail in the Spirit! Prayer is our only recourse!

Following the service, several of us went to Fuddruckers to eat. Since our flight didn’t leave until after midnight, we had plenty of time to eat and fellowship. I fueled the car for my wife and then we went to Starbucks for coffee and to “hang out’ for about an hour before making the drive to the San Francisco airport. Gayla dropped us off at the International Terminal and we said our goodbyes. She will be attending the district board planning session the next few days so maybe she won’t miss me too bad!

Rhette and I had time to spare as we checked in about 9:45 for the 1:00 AM flight. He was impressed with the upscale shops in the airport after we went through the security checkpoint. There is Gucci, Coach, Mont Blanc, and other ritzy shops to take your money before you leave the States. We found a comfortable spot to wait out the time before our scheduled boarding at 12:30 AM. We made calls and I worked a little on the computer while I had an a/c plug-in!

Rhette watched my stuff while I went to the restroom. When I returned an older Chinese gentleman was lying on three chairs with his head on the arm of my chair. It was rather awkward sitting two inches from his bald head  but I refused to be pushed out of my seat near the electrical outlet. Rhette got a nice picture of me!
Since we were on row 61, near the back of the Boeing 747, we were among the first to board. We sat in the center section by the aisle. The plane was nearly full, but God was gracious. The other two seats in the middle section of our row were vacant! Rhette moved down and we had a little more room to stretch out. Very nice for a 13.5 hour trip to Hong Kong!

I settled in for a good nap as we took off from SFO. About two hours into the flight they served supper! I had the chicken and vegetable selection, complete with Waldorf salad, dinner roll, cheese and crackers, and chocolate cake! Very nice!

After our early morning dining, I had no trouble sleeping for about four hours. Flying west and crossing the International Date Line thoroughly confuses the senses of time. Not only do you feel the time is mixed up, you lose a day flying west. We chased the darkness so it did not get daylight until we reached Hong Kong. We left SFO at 1:00 AM Monday, but it was Tuesday morning about 6:00 when we arrived in Hong Kong, China. We flew all night across the Pacific Ocean. According to the flight path screen, we were flying between Japan and the Philippines, and across Taiwan. As I write this, my wristwatch says it is 12:30 PM (Monday). No wonder I’m hungry again. But, it’s still dark outside!

Stop in Singapore

2008-11-06T06:53:00.001-08:00

A seven hour layover in Singapore gave us time to meet Missionary Steve Willoughby and look around downtown after touring their church facility.

Our ride from SFO to Singapore

2008-11-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

After 13.5 hours in the air we stopped in Hong Kong for a crew change and refueling before proceeding to Singapore.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

2008-11-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

We landed in Hong Kong about 6:00 AM local time. We were allowed to get off the plane even though we were continuing on the same 747 to Singapore. We took our carryon bags and boarding passes and stepped out on Chinese property, the Hong Kong airport facility. I turned on my world phone and called my wife. She was planning to be in Bakersfield today for a meeting with Sister Mullings as they outlined the agenda for the planning session with the Ladies Ministry department of the Western District. Fortunately, they were a little late getting started. It was 3:14 PM Monday in Bakersfield and I got through on the first try. Technology is amazing. It sounded like she was standing right there even though we were talking from China to California. Technology also has its price. This particular phone is about $4 per minute. However, it doesn’t take long to say “I love you” and “I miss you!”

Fortunately, the signs in the Hong Kong airport were bilingual – Chinese and English. We found it amazing to see some of the various terms used that are different from the U.S. The restrooms were identified as “toilets,” the elevators were “lifts.” We only had an hour in the airport but it gave us an opportunity to stretch our legs and walk around before the next flight. A free internet display was sponsored by some online business colleges. There were about eight work stations set up for internet access. I was able to check my email and respond to some before boarding the flight to Singapore.

The continuation of flight SQ1 scheduled three hours from Hong Kong to Singapore. We had a nice breakfast as we began the journey. One good thing about Singapore Airlines is their quality service and meals. We were well taken care of.

The ride got bumpy as we finished our breakfast. It was the most turbulence we have experienced yet. I’m thankful the overnight flight was smooth. At least it did not interfere with our sleeping!

We arrived in Singapore on time and made our way through immigration and out into the ticketing area of the Changi Airport, Terminal 3, a new terminal since my last visit two years ago.

Missionary Steve Willoughby met us in the lobby and took us to their church in the Chinatown Point business complex. They lease the fifth floor of one of the pavilions, a section that was once a theatre. One of the theaters is setup as a studio where they can film video productions. The larger theater holds about 500 and is where they have church. When we arrived they were preparing to baptize a young woman who had been attending Bible Study. We met several people there including one of the native pastors and an associate missionary (AIM), Brother Dabbs.

We looked around at some of the shops in the center and then went to a food court area where we had some of the local fare, noodles with some strips of meat. I had pork; Rhette had beef. We also had some soup with dumplings in it. It was very good. With all the food vendors cooking in this indoor area it was sweltering. The fans did little to refresh us. Brother Willoughby had some errands to do so we took a walk around several blocks of the city in this area. We went by a large Hindu temple and a Muslim mosque. The religious conflict is evidence by these diverse worship centers in close proximity to the Pentecostal Church! We found a clothing store where we browsed around a bit and almost bought some tee shirts. However, the sizing was so different it looked like they would not fit us very well!

We made it back to the complex where we met Brother Willoughby again and he took us back to the airport. We took the connecting train to Terminal 2 from which we would be leaving for India. We strolled around looking at some of the shops and found a free internet area where we checked our email. About an hour before our scheduled for a 7:00 PM departure, we found our gate for Ahmedabad and waited for them to open up the security checkpoint. In this terminal each gate area has its own security area. A team arrives about 45 minutes before the flight to screen the passengers as they are allowed into the gate waiting area.

There were few passengers on this Boeing 777 for Ahmedabad. I would estimate 50 or less. As a result, we had all the room we desired! In the entire back section of the plane there were only about eight people. We were definitely able to stretch out – but still not exactly like my bed at home. The arm rests would not fold up all the way which would have helped! We ate a little. The masala on the menu definitely told us we were on the way to India. We slept most of the way. The turbulence was rather consistent during the five hour flight. I guess we were rocked to sleep!

As approached the city and looked across the lights of Ahmedabad we saw a variety of fireworks being set off. This is the evening before the Hindu New Year, Diwali. They love fireworks and especially loud firecrackers! We heard them all day on New Year’s Day and occasionally throughout the week.

It is always a little culture shock to land in Ahmedabad. Motorized stairways are driven up to the exit doors of the airplane. You then load onto buses with windows open wide inviting the evening air to cool the passengers. The arrivals are shuttled across the tarmac and dropped off by the doors to the terminal where a line forms to clear immigration. Due to the fact that there were few passengers on this flight, the lines moved quickly and we were able to get through before our baggage was delivered on the carousel.

Every nation has their way of handling tourists and other visitors to their country. Here, it seemed like there was some redundancy. The immigration form had a tear-off tab on the bottom. After the customs officer cleared us and stamped our passports another officer intercepted us and said, “Put your passports away. Hold this in your hand.” He emphasized his English words as he handed us each item. Okay that was simple enough, except we had to pickup our luggage and go to the “washroom.” When Rhette came back out of the restroom he had put the tab in his passport so he took it out to retrieve it. The same security officer saw him again and emphasized, “This in your hand, passport in your bag!” We laughed at the incident all week!

I was a little nervous about getting our luggage as we watched bag after bag come out on the carousel. They were collected and placed on luggage carts and still no sign of ours. Finally, near the end, Rhette’s came out. At least we had one! Mine followed close behind. No problems!

The next step was to take your bags to be screened on the way out. I thought that was unusual. A security guard took our famous little immigration tab and handed it to the screener. We walked around the x-ray machine and picked up our luggage. The screener had laid our tabs on the edge of the scanner. Rhette asked if we needed them. “Yes, take them!” We cautiously took the tabs and made our way about 10 feet where another officer was collecting them! We finally got rid of them and out the door, after exchanging some U.S. greenbacks for Indian rupees. Our $120 US became $4900 rupees.

Pastor JP was waiting for us at the door and led us to a taxi that would take us to Anand where the conference started the next morning. Earlier he had taken his family to check into the hotel and he rode the train back to Ahmedabad to meet us at the airport. He was unsure how much luggage we would have so he had arranged for two different taxis. Because we were traveling light, only one check suitcase and one carryon each, we were able to get into a small Tata to make the 1 ½ hour journey to Anand.

It was great to see the first impression for Rhette in a taxi as we dashed through the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The confusion of the traffic and driving on the opposite side of the road is always a thrill when you come to India. We had many more experences, but this was a fun introduction to what lay ahead. The Expressway between the cities is very nice and tempts you to think it is the US other than the large antiquated buses and trucks that travel the Expressway. It is a toll road and bicycles, scooter, mobikes (motorcycles) and motorized rickshaws are prohibited. It allows for much safer travel at higher speeds than what is possible on other roads.

We arrived at the Surabhi Regency Hotel where we stayed in our previous visit and checked in about midnight. I was relieved when Pastor JP said that we would begin the conference the next day, Wednesday, at 11:00 AM. That would give us one morning to attempt to sleep in if possible. We got some bottled water from the hotel, ate a few snacks, showered and retired. It was not over 35 hours from the time we left SFO to our arrival in Anand, Gujarat, India.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

2008-11-06T06:50:00.001-08:00

Due to the time change I was wide awake at 6:00 AM. or it could have been the bomb blasting. Apparently this conference always coincides with the Hindu New Year celebration, Diwali. They celebrate with abandon. Fireworks and lots of firecrackers punctuate the day. Some of the explosions sound like a supercharged M80, the largest firecracker I can ever remember as a child growing up. Rhette got up shortly after I did and began to get around. We ordered the service coffee (two cups, hot water, instant coffee, milk and sugar) and two cheese omelets that I remembered being tasty from the last trip. The omelet and toast was 40.00 rupee (about $1 US). It makes a good meal and it is safe! (I hope.)

I prepared for the ministry today printing out the sketchy notes I have made for each day of the conference. About 10:45 Chrione (Pastor JP’s son, also called Kenny) came to our room to see if we were ready. We went next door to the room of Pastor Jaiprakash and met his family. Chrione is 13 and already about 6’3”, a tall good looking young man, and the drummer for the conference. Glory is the middle child and she is a senior in high school. The eldest girl, Blessing, is completing her second year of college, majoring in Commerce.

After a brief visit and prayer, we loaded up to make the 10 minute drive to the conference grounds. It was the same location as the conference I attended in 2006, convening on the old grounds of a hospital that has been closed for nearly 20 years. A Christian organization now owns it and makes it available to various groups for meetings such as this one.

We met Gabriel, Pastor Anil (JP’s cousin from Anand), and some other pastors and leaders of the camp. They had to offer us some masala tea as others prepared the music and equipment for services. We had a time of worship and then the traditional welcome, the presentation of a flower garland for the guests and leaders of the conference. Rhette was thoroughly embarrassed when they called him to the platform and honored him with the floral garland. We were allowed to return to our seats and then after another worship song I was introduced to preach the first message of the conference.

After making the appropriate remarks and greetings I introduced the concept of what I felt led to speak this week in the day session. I plan to speak on some areas of fundamental doctrine of Scripture. Today I began with faith, the “one faith” of Scripture, and the importance of believing in a living relationship with Jesus. It went pretty well, however the people are adjusting to the conference and to me. They did not immediately respond at the conclusion of the message, but Pastor Anil had them come forward when I turned the service back to him and led them in prayer and commitment.

We ate our first authentic meal with the people at the conference. It was a dish of white rice, roti (a type of whole wheat tortilla), potato and cabbage stuff, and a spicy mix you could use on the rice or bread. It was tasty but I worried about the spices. It caused me a little indigestion this afternoon and Tums became my friend again. We came back to the hotel about 3:00 PM and rested this afternoon. I felt worse when I got up from my nap at 5:00. Jet lag works both ways!

Service was planned to begin at 6:00 but there was a problem with the lighting so the start was delayed for a little over an hour. They are trying to get enough light to make good video copies of the messages for their new website. The lighting contractor finally arrived and patched in three more lights to add to the stage during the worship service. Pastor JP preached tonight from the book of Ezekiel and the valley of bones, “Come to life, Stand up, and speak the word of faith.” He challenged everyone to accept what God has already done but to speak out the faith of their heart and receive the miracle and the touch that they desire from God. One lady came to Pastor JP after service and confessed to receiving a miracle in her eye. She had lost the vision in her right eye and came praying specifically for that need tonight. God healed her during prayer in the altar service.

Rhette and I struggled with jet lag tonight in service. After taking the nap this afternoon we were very tired and fought to stay awake during the preaching. It was very good and Pastor JP had everyone stand a couple of times (I think it was to help us!) during the message. After service we had some more local food. This time it was yellow rice with a potato stew. I ate the potatoes out of it and a little of the rice. It was still rather spicy. I think that is a requirement of Gujarati food!
When we returned to the hotel, I ordered two American Cokes and we prepared for bed. The Cokes were in the old 10 ounce glass bottles and were 20.00 rupees each, so about 50 cents.

Indian Women

2008-11-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

Rhette captured this candid photo of two women and a child resting on the grass during a break at the conference.

Speaking with Interpreter

2008-11-06T06:48:00.001-08:00

Gabriel translated every session and led worship throughout the conference.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

2008-11-06T06:48:00.000-08:00

I awoke a little before 5:00 AM. I tried to sleep a little longer but eventually gave up and got up. I reviewed my sermon notes and updated my travel blog. I hope to get something posted before I return! Due to the lack of an internet connection at the hotel and the full schedule for the conference, I haven’t found time to go to the internet café (haha) down the street. I’m not sure they have been open the last two days. They were definitely closed on Wednesday for Diwali (the Hindu New year celebration). I’ve learned that many places close from two to five days for the holiday (They know how to observe holidays!)

Rhette and I ordered the cheese omelet once again with coffee. Today’s order was a little heavy on the green onions. In the present state of my digestive system I purposed to order the omelet without onion after this! O yes, today the toast was not buttered but they brought salt and pepper with our tray. I guess there are trade-offs! Every day holds surprises! We enjoyed our simple breakfast and got ready for an early start today.

We met Pastor JP in the lobby at 8:30 and made our way to the conference grounds. They were already singing when we arrived. We entered into the worship service for a few minutes when Pastor JP asked if we wanted tea. It has become somewhat of a ritual already. We have to have tea before each service! They serve us their traditional masala (or spice) tea. It is very tasty and hot. It is served in a small cup (about 3-4 ounces).

In the first session Pastor Anil (local pastor in Anand) preached in Gujarati. I have no idea what he preached, but it sounded good! I used the time to review my notes and the scriptures. We had a break between sessions and had more tea.
The next session began at 11:00 AM and after a time of worship I was called on to teach. I continued the doctrinal study from Ephesians 4:5-6. Today I emphasized the oneness of God and preached the message, “What is Jesus to you?” There was a decent response and people seem to be warming up to my ministry and adjusting to the conference environment.

After the session, they again brought food to us prepared on the grounds. It was a good variation from our previous dishes. They had grilled chicken, very tasty, and white rice, roti (the wheat tortillas), masala (very spicy), and a raw cabbage salad for us to try. While it was easily my favorite dish of the week, I have been battling indigestion and stomach problems from the spices of our new food. So, I ate cautiously and tried to avoid the masala (which means spices).

When we had finished with lunch and visited awhile with some of the leadership, we returned to the hotel to rest for the evening service. I laid down for a nap, but about the time I dozed off, the power went off and the A/C quit. The room was cool enough but without the noise of the fan I could more easily hear the honking of traffic, the occasional explosion of firecrackers and celebratory bombs, and the noise of people on the streets below. After a few minutes I decided to get up and work on my notes for the evening service. Rhette was reading a book he brought with him. He decided to stay awake this afternoon and try to get more accustomed to the time so he could sleep better tonight.

We met Pastor JP in the lobby about 5:45 and returned to the conference center. Again, we had tea as the service began. Each service has begun to build in excitement and participation. Tonight Pastor JP sang one of their traditional songs (I believe he wrote it) adapting a Gujarati dance beat. The people responded and they danced around the front of the stage area. They seem to really enjoy these times!

Tonight I preached on a series I’m using in the evening sessions, The Ministry of Jesus, from Luke 4:18-19. I emphasized the themes of being “led of the Spirit” and the preaching of the Gospel. There was a wonderful response to the Word and many came forward for prayer.

As I prayed for a few people, especially some children, I began to feel stomach cramps and a little sick. I walked outside the tent for a few minutes and reached the conclusion that I had to get back to the hotel. Pastor JP was singing with the praise singers and I was worried that it might go on awhile. As soon as they concluded, I asked if we might come back to the hotel and explained my problem. He graciously consented to bring us back and he returned to the grounds to visit with everyone. I took some Tums and the indigestion seemed to pass. We considered ordering some food from room service (another omelet?), but then decided to wait until morning to eat. Maybe giving my stomach a rest from any food will help! I called home and talked to my wife. It was good to talk without worrying about the money. By using the local SIM card (from Blessing) in Rhette’s phone it is very inexpensive to call the States. Gayla was getting around to go into the office. She got home from Bakersfield last night and was planning to be back to work today. She had a couple of voice lessons scheduled with students.

I considered looking over my notes for tomorrow, but being tired after a long day, I gave into the temptation to go to bed early. Rhette beat me to sleep. I think he must be exhausted from the jet lag and was asleep before I got off the phone. I went to bed before 10:00 PM.

Conference kitchen

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Here's the chef, a 70 year old man who headed up the team cooking for the conference feeding around 200 each day.

Friday and Saturday

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Wow, we have been so busy I haven’t had time to write in this travel blog since early Friday morning when I woke up at 4:00 AM. We have been attending at least three of the four sessions each day and I have been teaching/preaching twice each day since Wednesday. Any spare time I spend pouring over notes, seeking God’s direction for the next service, and catching a few z’s so I can keep going! I have been getting up between 4:00 and 5:00 each morning to have some quiet time of preparation for the day. It is usually after 11:00 before we get to bed. If I can get a short nap in the afternoon it helps keep me going in the later service!
I’ll try to summarize the last two days before I return to my sermon preparation for this final day of conference.

Friday, we met in the lobby about 8:30 AM. Blessing, Glory, and Chrione (we found out his nickname is Kenny) went before us in a rickshaw (a motorized three wheel taxi). They are praise singers and the drummer so they have to be there and ready to start on time.

I preached in the early session about 9:30 AM. The lesson was an extensive lesson on Baptism in Jesus’ name, entitled The Name that Saves. Pastor JP preached on the importance of the name of Jesus. He referred to the Hebrew names of Yahweh and emphasized “YAH” in the names given to God.

This afternoon we went to Subway for lunch with Pastor JP, Gabriel, and Pastor Manoj (conference director). I guess they were feeling sorry for us having to eat Indian food everyday. Rhette rode on the back of the motor scooter with Manoj (pastor of two churches and conference director). He held on for dear life! We had a roast chicken sub and shared some salad. It was good and very similar to what we get in the States. It was very thoughtful of them to consider our tastebuds!

Following lunch we came back to the hotel for a little rest and to get ready for the evening session. Rhette agreed to play the keyboard for me and harmonize with me, We sang the course Jesus in English, and then in Hindi, Yeah-sue! I guess they enjoyed it! Asked for an encore!

I preached from the series, The Ministry of Jesus, a message on The Healer of the Brokenhearted. There was a good response. There was a wonderful spirit of brokenness and seeking God for restoration. We sang some more of the same chorus for the altar service. I felt better today (my stomach and digestion) after a little break from the Indian spices! So, after service, I declined the camp food and we returned to the hotel and had room service. Rhette ordered the Toast cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich. I made a mistake by ordering the club sandwich thinking it might be American style. It wasn’t. It was three pieces of toast with cucumber, tomato, and a fried something that might have been mostly potato … full of Indian spices. Masala club sandwich would have been a better description! Rhette ate some of it and shared his grilled cheese with me.

Saturday morning, Rhette went to the conference in a rickshaw with Blessing. He wanted to experience the whole adventure! It was only 10.00 rupees for the taxi fare to the conference grounds, quite reasonable according to our economy. About 25 cents!
I taught in the first session Saturday morning. I have been developing the lessons for the day sessions based on fundamental doctrines of Scripture. Ephesians 4:4-6 provides a basis for these lessons, “one body, one spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, etc.” However, since Pastor Jaiprakash expressed his intention to make Saturday night the time for people to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and have special prayer for healing and deliverance, I swapped the lessons for Saturday, saving the message on The Promise of the Father for the later session. Saturday morning, I preached the third lesson on the ministry of Jesus in Luke 4:18-19, Deliverance from Oppression.

Following the morning session we had a break for tea before beginning the next session about 11:00. Pastor JP preached on being a love slave of Christ from the book of Exodus. It was very touching at the end of the message as he referred to Christian persecution in India and how as a love slave you continue to serve God whether you live or die. The recent uprising of radical Hindu fundamentalists in the state of Orissa has caused Christians all over India to be concerned for their safety. The radical Hindus have focused on disturbing baptisms of Christian groups in Gujarat. I suppose it is because they view baptism as a sign of one’s conversion to Christianity. The church here has two locations where they bring converts to baptize them. They have quit baptizing them during the conference to avoid attracting persecution to the believers.

In the afternoon break Pastor JP took us to the veg restaurant we went to last time we were here. It is in the basement of another restaurant. It was tasty but still very Indian!

Gabriel and Pastor Anil went with us there. After lunch we went by the hotel for about 45 minutes. I laid down but did not get a nap. We went back to the conference grounds for the late afternoon session. Pastor JP has been really choked up from all the dust, especially after the dancing in the service Friday night. He changed the schedule and made the late afternoon and evening session all one long service. He asked me to just go ahead and do it all! When the service began they had one of the village churches singing a special song. It was basically just the drums and congos and went on for 30 minutes or longer. They really got into the dance! Pastor JP said in the local village services they can go on all night singing and dancing.

When the service was turned to me I taught on The Promise of the Father and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I told my experience in receiving the Holy Ghost as a young teenager and some of the obstacles I had to overcome. At the conclusion I turned the service over to Pastor Anil. He called for all those who wanted to receive the Holy Spirit. Many came forward, probably close to 100 people. He led them in corporate prayer of repentance and encouraged the elders to pray for them. Many received the Holy Spirit. When asked, at least 50 raised their hands. I’m not sure how many of them was first time. Pastor JP estimated 20-30. I guess we don’t have to concern ourselves with numbers as long as people are receiving the Spirit and growing in God!

Following the prayer for the Holy Spirit, Pastor JP had people line up for special prayer for healing. He took them one by one praying for specific needs with Pastor Anil and Gabriel. As the line continued to grow, he asked for my help and between Pastor Anil, Pastor JP and I, we prayed for three at a time. I had to have an interpreter to find out specific needs to pray for. Pastor Anil helped me and then one of the elders from Ahmedabad stepped up to help me. We prayed for a lot of people, probably about an hour or longer. Several confessed to receiving instant healing or miracles.

Finally, Pastor JP asked for all who were possessed or oppressed by demons. We prayed for at least six who needed deliverance. An obvious peace came over several of them after prayer and casting out the devil.

We concluded the service about 9:30 --- about 6 hours for this service!
We returned to the hotel about 10:30 exhausted and a little hungry. Rhette and I ordered grilled cheese (cheese toast) and Coke before going to bed. I also called Dad for his birthday. It was 11:00 in India but about 12:30 Saturday afternoon in Arkansas when I called. He was actually down at Toleda Bend lake in Louisiana. When no one answered at home I called dad’s cell phone and caught him there.

Rhette with young men

2008-11-06T06:29:00.000-08:00

Rhette with Sanvedan, Linus, and Aditya, young men of Faith Church.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

2008-11-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we met in the hotel lobby a few minutes before 9:00. We went to the conference grounds where service was just beginning. The Sunday schedule was a little different from other days. We basically had two services. The first was planned to be about four hours, there would be a break for lunch and we would return about 2:00 for the final service and conclude about 4:30. They have to vacate the grounds to make room for another group that is coming in for a conference.

The morning service had two features that we haven’t seen this week. Apparently, they observe the Lord’s communion on the first week of each month. Being together on this Sunday was a special observance as they were able to share communion together. Pastor Jaiprakash led the service by first offering the communion to his elders. They in turn served the people who lined down the aisle to come forward to receive communion. The Bread was a sweet bread that would be similar to a small square of cake. They shared a common cup … Rhette and I were happy to go first following the elders. It was a most unusual tasting fruit juice … I didn’t ask questions!

They also received the only offering of the week. Two large square cans (previously vegetable oil containers) were painted and used as offering receptacles. People marched around and gave their offering to the Lord. It was touching to see them come and give knowing how little many of them had.

Since this was the last service, time was given to honor several people who had helped with the conference. The leadership were honored with garlands and we again were so honored. Pastor Anil said many nice things about us coming and the blessing we were to them. Today was also Gabriel’s birthday! I gave him a copy of my latest book, A Season of Purpose, as well as my notebook from the conference. I also gave copies of the book to Pastor JP, Pastor Anil, and Pastor Manoj.

My last message (the ninth!) focused on the Great commission. Due to the schedule I kept it brief and tried to make the possibility of reaching the world more real. I used a illustration involving several people. First, I picked about 12 people and talked about how I could be close to a small group and lead them but I would be limited in how many I can effectively reach. I had them sit down and then called three: Blessing, Eddie, and Steven. I talked about mentoring and discipling them to reach others. I had them go out and bring three each. That made twelve. Then I had each of those go out and get three each. It really illustrated the power of multiplication in discipleship. “Go therefore making disciples in every nation!”

We lingered a good while after the service. The sound company tore down their equipment. The chairs were picked up by another group. The church had to collect all their music and media equipment. Several just set around visiting as though they hated to say goodbye. Plans were made that we would go to Pastor Anil’s home for dinner so we returned to the hotel for a little while before going over there about 9:00. They were very hospitable and fixed chicken, roti, and rice. Then they brought out apples and bananas. After dinner we retired to the living area and had masala tea (some of the best I’d had) and then they set out chips! We were filled physically and spiritually after a full week of ministry.

Rapid Transit

2008-11-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

Many modes of transportation are used in India. One of the most novel is the camel drawn wagon occasionally seen among the traffic.

My Response to The Washington Post Comic

2008-09-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a copy of the email I sent to The Washington Post last week, in response to the controversial comic ridiculing Sarah Palin for speaking in tongues. TRB

-----------------------------------------

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in opposition to the flagrant disregard for a major religious segment of our nation exhibited in Mr. Pat Oliphant’s comic of September 9, 2008. Speaking in tongues is a common practice of Pentecostals as noted in a study by The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life:

"Pentecostalism and related charismatic movements represent one of the fastest-growing segments of global Christianity. At least a quarter of the world’s 2 billion Christians are thought to be members of these lively, highly personal faiths, which emphasize such spiritually renewing “gifts of the Holy Spirit” as speaking in tongues, divine healing and prophesying. Even more than other Christians, pentecostals and other renewalists believe that God, acting through the Holy Spirit, continues to play a direct, active role in everyday life."
(http://pewforum. org/docs/ ?DocID=140)

The faith of Governor Sarah Palin and her religion (whether or not she speaks in tongues) should not be ridiculed in a respectable newspaper. Take issue with her politics, her policies, or her public life, but to berate her private religious practice is akin to mocking a Muslim’s prayer rug, a Jew’s tallit, or a Catholic’s rosary.

Personal attacks of this nature belie the professionalism of your publication. Though it will not undo the damage done by its publication, I would request a public apology for this offensive printing. In the future, kindly show the same tolerance and respect for Pentecostals that you do for other religious groups. If political correctness is your mantra let it be extended to include all religious faiths, including conservative Christians and tongue-talking Pentecostals.

Respectfully,

Terry R Baughman

The Washington Post "form letter" response

2008-09-18T14:18:00.001-07:00

Dear Reader,

Pat Oliphant is a syndicated editorial cartoonist carried on news sites across the country. It is the nature of an editorial cartoonist to be provocative and offer up unique -- and often controversial -- viewpoints on the issues of the day. I have always opted for the approach that we should not limit the cartoonist's freedom of speech. We prefer to present the cartoon and allow you, the reader, to make the choice on whether to read it or not, and to express your own freedom of speech if you're bothered or offended by it.

Thanks,
Jim Brady
Executive Editor, washingtonpost.com

Madison's Dedication

2007-06-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our World

2007-06-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a special day. My wife became a grandma. I'm not sure I'm ready to be called "grandpa." However, a very special girl was born at 8:24 AM to my daughter and her husband of almost 6 years. They are wonderful parents and seem much better prepared for this moment in life than we were twenty-five years ago.

We are so blessed to have a healthy mother and child. The birth was a C-section, something we never experienced, and as a result there was no labor or long hours of waiting before the birth. Madison Nevaeh Sullivan entered the world after a scheduled surgery weighing exactly 8 pounds and measuring 20 1/2 inches long.

To Madison I say, "Welcome to our world. We will join your parents and the broad network of family members and friends to create a safe and loving environment for you. I met you in your mom's room and you slept in my arms, seemingly quite content and trusting. You already have a place in our hearts and will always have a place in our lives. We love you! (p.s. you can call me anything you want!)"

Click here for more pictures!

Pics from the Trip

2007-03-27T05:03:00.000-07:00

I've started uploading pictures from our trip to Spain and Portugal. To see our postings click here!

Missions trip to Spain and Portugal

2007-03-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

If you want to read about the missions trip to Spain scroll down to "Another Missions Trip" and read the installments as they were posted. Enjoy!

The Long Day Home

2007-03-26T22:40:00.000-07:00

The night was way too short when my alarm rang at 4:00 AM. However, after spending the last nine days in hotels and traveling about the countries of Spain and Portugal we were ready to get on board the airplane that would begin the journey home. We met in the lobby at 4:30 to load up the vans for the last time and make the fifteen minute commute to the Lisbon Airport. Since it was so close we didn’t bother tying down the suitcases on top the van, rather we put them in every available spot in the vans and held some on our laps. We unloaded at the international terminal and said goodbye to our new found friends, Missionary Gary Sones and the Wiggins family. They were driving back to Madrid this morning so they could return the rental van before noon.

Missionary Markham parked his car and came in to assist us with check in if we needed help. We roamed around the arieport until we found the appropriate counter to check in on the Luftansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany. There was an Asia soccer team lined up at the counter that seemed to be taking a lot of time. Finally another counter opened and the agent took those of us who were lined up behind the team. However, she had problems with the printer for the boarding passes and each transaction was taking 15 minutes or more. At this rate we would never get everyone checked in before take off even though we were two hours early. We were about the third in line and finally got checked in. They must have opened up more ticket agents after we went through because the progress improved and everyone was able to get checked in and to the gate prior to boarding.

We were a quiet and subdued group, probably due to the early hour and the emotional drain of the last week’s events. I just wanted to get on board and take a nap! The plane was an A320 to Frankfurt and was similar to the one we rode from Munich to Madrid coming in. I went to sleep almost before we left the runway and only woke up long enough to eat the cold cut sandwich they served for breakfast.

The Frankfurt airport is a large modern structure and a major hub for air travel through this part of the world. We had about a three hour layover there before our final leg of the journey back to San Francisco. There were a number of shops in the airport, a virtual mall for duty-free shopping and tourist souvenirs. We were sucked into a couple of shops and bought some postcards and a couple of items to prove we were in Germany. When our flight was close enough (about an hour and a half) we cleared security – a real pat down. My laptop was selected for additional screening. They did the explosives test on it. The agent was a very tall woman with the voice and manners of a man. Not too sure about their security personnel!

We boarded a United 747 scheduled for a 2:00 PM departure from Frankfurt bound for San Francisco. We flew northward over the artic and down across Canada, Washington, Oregon, and into California. I was stuck in a window seat (I prefer the aisle any day), however, I enjoyed seeing the snow, the plains of the Yukon territory, and the Canadian Rockies as we chased the sunlight. We left Lisbon at 7:00 in the morning and after about 18 hours we arrived in San Francisco at 4:30 the same day. Gotta love flying west! It is usually easier just to accept the local time and forget trying to figure how long you’ve been up or how many hours you’ve lost!

It was a pretty uneventful flight (that’s a good thing) with only minor delays on the meal service. They were having electrical problem in one of their galleys where they were warming food. The idea of having “electrical problems” 36,000 feet in the air over the ocean or the frozen artic is not a very comforting thought! Eventually, they warmed our entrees in another galley and brought them after we had eaten the salad, bread, and cup of ice cream. I wrote some and did some planning on the computer, but tried to sleep whenever possible. The blow-up neck pillow is a “must have” on these long international flights. It sure beats a crick in the neck!

The flight attendants were warned of turbulence about thirty minutes out of San Francisco. They rushed the final snack service bringing us a cold sandwich, chips, and a Mars candy bar. Strong winds were expected on the approach to San Francisco so the flight attendants were instructed to keep their seats and forego the final cabin inspection before landing. With that kind of warning we were a little apprehensive about our landing. However, it was not as bad as it sounded. There was a pretty dense cloud cover and low lying fog over the Bay Area so we couldn’t see a lot until we were nearing the airport. I got a good view of the San Mateo Bridge and just a few minutes later we were touching down on the runway that brought us back to the USA.

We cleared the passport checkpoint and waited on our baggage. When we did not get our bags for awhile it made us a bit apprehensive due to our experience of delayed luggage going over. However, pieces of our bags begin to appear eventually and we were greatly relieved when the last piece was picked up from the conveyor. When we left the Underwoods were waiting on one last garment bag. I’m not sure if it was retrieved or not as we continued on through customs and headed for the BART terminal in the international terminal. The Miraflors had also arrived on BART so we were able to ride together as far as the Eastbay where they had to transfer to a train that would take them on to the Pittsburg station. The Dublin/Pleasanton train is the one that is direct from the airport and doesn’t require a transfer. We called Marcy to arrange a meeting for our arrival in Pleasanton. She had kept our car at her place during our absence. We arrived in Pleasanton about 7:00 PM and had to have an “In N Out” burger before we headed over the Altamont and home in Stockton.

Tomorrow is class, a staff meeting, and back to work and reality. Home, sweet home!

The Lord’s Day 2.0

2007-03-25T23:21:00.000-07:00

The local churches schedule their services for the evenings so there was not a morning service to attend. Instead the opportunity was taken to get all the missionaries and the “Pastors on Missions” team together for a special time of worship and devotion. We got up the same time as usual, had our breakfast in the hotel dining room and then met with our group in the lobby at 10:30. Most of us got the message that it was to be a ‘casual’ service. The other’s arrived in typical Sunday morning attire. I’m glad I got the memo.J

We van-pooled to the little church we met at Friday evening in the area near Missionary Markham’s apartment. The service began without preliminaries as we sang a couple of older worship songs including “I could never out love the Lord.” Gayla played the keyboard, Brother Wiggins played their guitar, and Arthur Law played the drums. There was a wonderful presence of God as these pastors and ministers joined their hearts and voices in praise. Missionary Markham spoke for a little bit with a great burden and evident passion for the work in Portugal and Spain. He shared a bit of the personal struggle that led him to leave the work in Brazil to come to Portugal.

Missionary Gary Sones spoke next. His message addressed four areas: 1) You must know you are called. 2) You must have a God directed strategy. 3) You must have passion and a burden. 4) You must have a vision. The power of God moved in us all and spoke to our hearts on different levels. You could tell that God was speaking individually to pastors concerning their own calling, burden, and direction for their churches. The missionaries moved around the room praying for each couple. This was probably the most significant service for us personally on the trip.

Brother O’Keefe concluded the service with some remarks from Acts chapter 13 as he made application to the call and burden of missions. He concluded by calling Missionary Sones and Markham to the front where we in turn prayed for them. At the conclusion of the prayer he presented them with a monetary gift from the pastors on this trip in excess of $1000. It was our way of thanking them for the organizing, planning and directing of this tour.

We returned to the mall that we ate at on Friday for lunch. Everyone had euros so we split up and ordered what we wanted from the food court with the instructions to meet again at 2:30 for our trip back to the hotel. We had just enough time to spend some more money! We bought another gift and I picked up a shirt to wear home. Everything I have is dirty by now! Gayla finally found a purse from Spain and purchased it in Portugal. She can rest easy now…

The group was split into three for services this evening. Paul Bertram preached at one of the services, Arthur Law preached at the little church we were at this morning, and Clayton Brown preached in Cha where we were last night. Gayla and I joined the Browns and Miraflors to ride with Missionary Sones to the service in Cha. After one wrong turn we corrected our course and arrived at the church just as they were ready to begin. Within fifteen minutes the place was packed and the extra chairs were set out and occupied. They begin with jubilant singing and worship. During the worship one lady was taken to the baptistery for baptism. When the service was turned to Missionary Sones, he again introduced us to the congregation and asked me to testify. There was no English to Portuguese interpreter available so Brother Sones interpreted into Spanish which most of the people can at least understand most of what was said. They seemed to anyway! Stacy Miraflor sang and played the chorus “You Deserve the Glory.” After she sang through it in English she switched to Spanish. Immediately, the congregation recognized the song and began to sing along in Portuguese and there was an anointed response. It was beautiful.

Clayton Brown preached in Spanish with a Portuguese interpreter. The interpreter was a young married woman in the church. It was also the first time she had interpreted. Though many could probably get the gist of the message in Spanish the translation helped more to understand what was being preached. He read from Matthew 5:14 and preached about the light of the world. Being English only I had no clue what he said so we nodded our heads and said “amen” at the appropriate intervals! There was a good response at the altar call with sinners crying out to God. This is a wonderful church with a good work going on.

Following the service, Sister Ruth’s husband announced that it was her birthday! They brought in a huge birthday cake and invited everyone to stay for the celebration. We had to stay and had to eat a few of the things prepared as well as a piece of birthday cake. It was rather good, not too sweet, with a strawberry layer filling.

We visited for twenty minutes or so and then headed out. They had to send some food items with us, more for Brother Sones who will be driving back to Madrid tomorrow with the Wiggins. It was a wonderful gesture, but there was no place to keep the food overnight to prevent spoiling. They are giving and loving people.

We met up with the rest of our group at the KFC/Pizza Hut that we went to last night. I didn’t eat much at the church so I ordered some pizza and salad. We fellowshipped a little more for our last night in Portugal though things were a little subdued with the prospect of our early morning flight out of Lisbon. Brothers Wiggins and Sones completed the accounting and gave us the total of our expenses for the week. We reimbursed them for all the food they purchased and the tickets for the tours and attractions that we participated in.

When we returned to the hotel at about 11:00 we went immediately to the room to complete our packing and to post my last blog from the country of Portugal. I also made a copy of all our digital pictures for Clayton. He will take pictures from everyone in our group and compile them on a DVD for each couple in the group. I offered to make the DVD available of all the video I took on the trip. It will require five DVDs to record everything. I’m not sure when anyone will have the time to watch it!

It has been a most fulfilling and productive missions trip. We have enjoyed a balance of ministry, sightseeing, fellowship, and the extra blessing of being ministered to by the missionaries and from our fellow ministers. Our lives have been enhanced, our burden for ministry challenged, and a greater desire to see the world reached with the gospel. Thanks to the Western District Foreign Missions for making this opportunity possible!

Christ Life Community

2007-03-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is the Christ Life Community church that we attended Saturday and Sunday night. It is a great church in Cha (pronounced Shaw).

Scenes, shopping, and salvation

2007-03-24T23:19:00.000-07:00

I woke up early this morning so I caught up on my blogging for the last two days before going online to post my latest updates. I also checked email and the headlines to catch up a little on my lack of internet time this week. I also uploaded a couple of pictures onto the blog and copied all the photos off of our camera so I would have plenty of room for more!

We again ate breakfast in the cafeteria at the hotel before our scheduled departure at 10:00. The plan for the day is to visit an area north of Lisbon called the “mouth of the devil” on the coast and then go shopping at the largest mall in Portugal. The ladies (and Wayne Miraflor, no doubt) are ecstatic. We again took a drive up along the coast only this time we stopped to see the natural crater in the rocky shoreline that formed the “mouth of the devil.” It is a huge hole in the rocks where water rushes in when there are high waves and tides. Today the waters were very calm and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. It was on the cool side but the sun shone warm on us. After taking pictures and viewing the natural beauty of this Atlantic coastline we walked up the hill to a little flea market area where several vendors were selling various goods from Portugal and beyond. Gayla shopped for some gifts and looked at leather purses.

From there we drove 20 to 30 minutes to what was reputed to be the largest mall in Europe when it was built and still is at least the largest in Portugal, Centro Colombo. I would have to say it rivals any I have seen. It was three to four stories high and was sprawled out as well in different directions. It boasts of over 400 stores and 19 anchors. We arranged a meeting place for 3:00 and everyone went their own way. I went with the three missionaries (Sones, Markham, and Wiggins) and we found our way to the food court. I was able to treat them to lunch and the Americans ate food from an Argentine grill, prepared by Brazilians, sitting in the largest mall in Portugal while discussing our experience in English – truly an international experience! When they turned their attention to missionary business I excused myself to go looking around and ran into my wife and the Krantzes. We shopped a little more before our appointed meeting time to head back to the hotel.

We were again able to take a bit of a nap before getting ready for church. We met in the lobby at 6:15 for a planned 6:30 departure for two different services this evening. Gayla and I were assigned to a group with Brother Sones that were going to Cha (sounds like Shah) for service. It is a small rural church about 45 minutes from downtown Lisbon. The Bertrams, the Krantzes, and the O’Keefes also were a part of this group. Brother O’Keefe was scheduled to preach tonight. We got to the church about 15 minutes before time to begin. The pastor of this church is a woman and she was meeting with the ladies when we arrived. There were a few minutes after the closing of the ladies meeting before we got started. The pastor from the church we were in last night also came and brought his family and a young man that would serve as the interpreter tonight.

It was a beautiful, if simple, little church building built right at the side of the road. It would probably hold about 80 people or so and it was filled by the time church started this evening. They had a guitar, keyboard, drums, bongos, and large congas as well. Their singing was beautiful in spirit and it seemed everyone joined in and sang in unison with all of their hearts. After about four worship choruses and the offering, Brother Sones was given the service. He introduced each of the pastors and had us stand. He spoke in Spanish so I’m not sure what all he said about us! The Portuguese are usually able to understand a Spanish person, especially if he talks slower and more clearly. That way Brother Sones was able to communicate without an interpreter.

Loraine Bertram sang a worship chorus in Spanish and English. She has a beautiful voice and sang wonderfully. Brother O’Keefe followed with the message for the evening service. He preached from Hebrews 11:6 a message of faith and salvation. The young man that interpreted is a shy youth just out of high school. His family attends the church we visited Friday evening. He is only 21 and this was his second time to interpret. He has spent some time in Italy and has a good command of English. Though he was quiet and unemotional he was able to communicate the message and there was a wonderful response in faith when the altar call was given. The people are so open and receptive to the Spirit of God and His Word.

The Portuguese people in these churches are very friendly and loving. We greeted those we met from the first service like old friends we had not seen in a long time. Though we are unable to communicate with many of them due to our language barrier there is no barrier in the Spirit and the love of God is felt between us.

We made the trip through the little communities and back down from the hills to the freeway (or should I say toll road) toward Lisbon. We stopped at a little station and dining area beside the road where we had a choice between KFC and Pizza Hut. We chose the pizza combo which included two slices of pizza, a small salad, and a coke for about five euros. It was really quite good. We made it back to the hotel about 11:30 and then had to set our clocks forward an hour. Daylight savings time began tonight in Portugal. This is the second time we have been through the time change this Spring besides the international travel and adjustment of our clocks. It will surely take us awhile to get our biological clocks back on schedule.

2007-03-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Pastor and family in Lisbon, Portugal. The kids all play music and sing in church. Wonderful family!

Seeing the city – Storming the castle

2007-03-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

We were able to sleep in a little more this morning since we are through with our traveling. We got up about 8:30 to get around and ready for breakfast. Our room here at the Holiday Inn includes a nice breakfast buffet in the cafeteria. We ate with the Krantzes and Gary Sones, and were soon joined by the Bertrams. It has been interesting to see the development as a group between the individual pastors. We have been able to know each other much better in the short amount of time we have been together. Shared experiences help us grow in our interpersonal relationships. I have begun to feel the passion and burden of the pastors in our group as we have visited, ministered, and relaxed and had fun together.

We met in the lobby of the hotel at 10:00 this morning and piled into the vans. I was unsure of where we were going, but it really did not matter because I planned to go anyway! We took a route around the city of Lisbon where we had many wonderful views of the Atlantic Ocean. Lisbon is a port city and the capital of Portugal with an apparent thriving economy. The waters of the Atlantic seem much prettier from this side of the globe. The colors were rich blue and green. We didn’t stop along the route so I’m not sure if my pictures, hastily snapped from the windows, will come out at all.

Our route led back through the narrow streets of a city neighborhood that could just as easily have been in some of the coastal California towns. We ended up on a very narrow switch back mountain road that led to one of the highest points outside the city where an ancient castle was built hundreds of years ago on and around the rocks of the peaks. It is called the Pena Palace. We drove as far as the gates (and the ticket counter) and then paid our ticket fare for the trolley that would carry us on up the mountain to the palace.

The sheer size and color of the Pena Palace is extraordinary. The influence of many cultures and art are evident. There are turrets, guard towers, a clock tower, and lookouts all around. You can see the entire valley area and it overlooks the ocean. It was originally built as a summer palace of one of the more extravagant kings of Portugal’s history. When it became hot in the lower elevations he moved to the mountain top palace where the ocean breezes come blowing through the windows of the palace. The Palace dates back to 1839, when King Fernando II (1816-1885) bought the ruins of the Hieronymite Monastery and started to renovate it for use as a residence.

We took a lot of pictures from the various vantage points around the castle. They did not allow any photographs inside the castle, but there were abundant opportunities for pictures on the outside. The interior rooms were fully furnished with gorgeous antiques, many of the items originally belonged to the royal residents. There was even a chapel, ornately furnished, reflecting the Catholic influence.

From the castle we drove back down the switchback roads to the city. Our destination was the favorite chicken place of Missionary Gary Sones. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for a two week vacation. It appears we will be unable to enjoy the blessing of his favorite restaurant. Plan B was to go a small restaurant in a mall where you pay six euros for all you can pile on one plate. (I practiced restraint here!)

The mall was very similar to one in the States. There were different brands of stores but the normal variety of electronics, clothing, accessories, books, cameras, and a large department store called Carrefour. According to Gary Sones it is somewhat like a Wal-mart super center. The food court had some recognizable labels, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Haagen-Dazs ice cream that I recall.

Today we had enough time after our morning tour and afternoon lunch to return to the hotel for a little siesta before going to our first service in Portugal. It was a welcome break as we have been on the go constantly since our arrival.

We met in the lobby for our commute to the service at 7:30. This small church is a storefront building not too far from Missionary Markham’s apartment. It is about a 30 minute drive from the hotel, depending on the traffic and the speed of the drivers! We have made many comments on the latter, but have to admit that we have been driven safely about the country and have had the luxury of not driving, something very different for me.

Their service began at 8:30. Many people in the large cities commute to work on public transportation. By the time they get off work, commute home, and eat a meal, it is not possible for them to get to church very early. So they have a later service and just cut out the unnecessary preliminaries. Most of the group came in right about 8:30 with some arriving after the service began.

Our group of twenty (including the missionaries) more than half filled the small church building. The pastor of this assembly has a wonderfully talented family. They range in age from about 8 to 12. His oldest son plays the drums. His daughter plays the keyboard and sings beautifully. Another son sings and received the offering for the service. Their mother led the worship working with the children. There were about thirty in attendance besides our group. The place was packed and two or three stood in the back.

After the singing and worship Missionary Markham introduced the visitors from the States and called on some to testify. Ron Krantz was the preacher for this service. He preached to build the faith of this small church. He brought some visuals to help illustrate his points. He spoke of the problems we have, but emphasized God’s great ability to cover our problems using different size balls and a clay pot to cover them. The interpreter was a young college student, a black girl from Angola who was articulate in English and Portuguese. She did a great job of staying up with Brother Krantz. There was a great move of God and a response of faith to the Word of God. As people began to respond in prayer, the service turned into a prayer meeting and many of the visitors (several have been in home Bible studies) began to pray and open their hearts to God. This was a wonderful congregation and the people were open and receptive.

We returned to the hotel after a brief visit with the people of the congregation. The restaurant in the hotel and the one we ate in around the corner was already closed when we arrived. There was a small deli café where some purchased pastries or drinks. Gayla and I retired to our room and ordered a ham sandwich and a fruit salad to share. The “ham sandwich” was a dinner roll cut in half with two thin slices of ham on it. No lettuce, no cheese, no tomato, no spread! I guess if you want something else on it you have to ask for it!

We are now in our final weekend and our thoughts are turning toward home. We can’t stay away forever! Soon, it’s back to our world.

Sevilla and the trip to Lisbon, Portugal

2007-03-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

The Hotel Ibis provides a modest buffet breakfast for six euros. We came down to the café about 8:30. After eating so late in the evening we are not usually hungry but we eat anyway! I had some cafe con leche, coffee with milk, a croissant, some cold cuts and cheese, jelly, fruit, and whatever else looked good at the moment.

The plan developed for this morning, to prevent having to guard the vans all morning, was to take all of our luggage to room 17, the overnight residence of the Wiggins. Sister Wendy Wiggins would stay there with their daughter Meagan while we shopped and saw some sites about town. We got an extended check out for 1:00 on that chosen room.

Those that desired to go shopping were dropped off in the same area as last night only this time they knew more of what was there and where to go. They hit the sidewalk with determination while some of us stayed in the van to go find parking near the river walk area and the Plaza de Toros. Brothers Sones and Wiggins, Clayton Brown, Arthur Law, and I set out toward the bull fighting stadium, Plaza de Toros, Real Maestranza de Sevilla, where we took the guided tour that was delivered in Spanish and in English. (See http://www.exploreseville.com/events/toros.htm for more information about the bull fights in Sevilla.) We learned that this is the second oldest bull fighting ring in the country but possibly the most famous. Not only did we sit in the seats where the crowds come every Sunday from April through June, but we were guided through the museum where the heads of the more famous and courageous bulls were mounted on the walls. There were also stories of some matadors who were killed in these barbaric rituals including two as recently as 1992.

The most exciting thing occurred on our exit from the Plaza de Toros. We were looking over a few souvenirs sold at a table on the sidewalk in front of the Plaza. This was also near the stop for the horse drawn carriages that give rides to romantic couples along the river walk. While standing there a large and loud cement truck came down the street. The horses were spooked and begin to jump and jerk. The drivers were quite unable to control them and one turned its carriage over in an attempt to side step the conundrum. That in turn caused the horse to fall and she was unable to get up while harnessed to the capsized carriage. The lead horse bolted and was heading for the street. Clayton Brown assisted in calming the horse and getting hold of the reins. Motorcycle policemen in the area were almost immediately on the scene observing the whole fiasco and no one seemed to know what to do. I knew what to do … step back, stay out of the way, and don’t get run over!

When things were somewhat restored to controlled chaos we crossed the boulevard to walk along the river. I took several pictures along the walk which included the golden tower. It is no longer golden, but is a very old navigational tower build by the river to help direct the traffic from years gone by. The river continues down to Cadiz which is the port where Christopher Columbus set sail for the New World with the Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria. When much of the trade came by ship this was an important river to bring goods into Spain and other areas of Europe. Cadiz once served as home for voyagers Ferdinand Magellan and Amerigo Vespucci.

While we continued our foot tour, Brother Wiggins went to the bus station to see if a package had arrived for Brother Sones. Some items that were to be taken back to the States were inadvertently left in Madrid and they were having a difficult time getting them delivered in a timely fashion to meet up with us along the way. We will be flying out of Lisbon and not returning to Madrid. Unfortunately, the package did not make it. The bus company only sent them out this morning. So much for overnight delivery.

After a quick McDonalds stop for a Coke (still no Dr. Pepper), we headed back to the vans and worked our way through the noon time rush hour to the arranged spot to pick up the shoppers. We returned to the hotel on a scenic route (i.e. Brother Sones tries a new route and ended up lost) but we found our way back to the Hotel Ibis. We loaded up, tied the bags more securely than ever, and made our way to Burger King! I ordered a number 7, a chicken sandwich, and ended up with a double whopper or something. Oh well, it wasn’t a bad hamburger. If I was here long I would definitely learn Spanish, if only to communicate my order correctly!

Today was one of our longer drives. It was estimated to take about four hours to travel to Lisbon. Of course, with a large group and stopping for the sandbox, fuel, or to check the vehicles, it turned into a longer journey. To pass the time and to keep Brother Sones awake we asked and answered questions concerning the Bible, ministry, and evangelism practices and theories. Brother Sones is a great soul winner and a believer in Bible studies as a means of converting and developing people. It was interesting and challenging to hear his views and feel his passion on the subject. We managed to keep our discussions to civil subjects and avoid divisive issues with controversy! Arthur Law who had been sick for two or three days and sleeping most of our day trips was awake and in fine form. He added to the discussion and even challenged Ron Krantz to chess on the laptop (on a Mac, I might add).

As we continued on the scenic route we found the countryside to be beautiful valleys and farms. There were some olive orchards but they became less plentiful and other agricultural production seemed to be taking place. Some of the small community towns we went through seemed like something out of the past, almost like a small country town in parts of west Texas complete with grain silos, but all built right along the main road coming through. There is a different feel to it. It seemed like they were frozen in the past and you got the impression that very little had changed in the last century except for the cars coming through. One thing I’ve never seen anywhere else (and I hope small towns in the US never see) is the placement of a red light as you come into town. Just as you stop it turns green much like a metering light for freeway access. It was very successful in slowing traffic before you got into town. Dumb, but successful! There was no crossing street at the light. Its sole purpose was to slow the traffic coming through the community!

We crossed the line into Portugal some time later in the afternoon without a lot of fanfare. There were no crossing guards, no customs, inspections, or protocol. It was much like passing from one state to another in America. A simple placard on a signpost indicated we were now in Portugal. The only difference I could detect was that the roads seemed to become a little more narrow! Also coming into Portugal we save an hour; a new time zone caused us to roll our clock back an hour. Now we are only seven hours later than Pacific Time. I believe Sunday they start their daylight savings time and will spring forward thus causing us to lose the hour that we just gained. As long as we get to the airport at the right time on Monday I will be happy!

Some where along the route we stopped for gas and the “sandbox.” I intended to purchase another one of those exquisite ice cream bars but was unable to communicate with the dear lady commandeering her post as proprietor of the wayside station. While I was asking someone in our group how to say ice cream in Spanish she turned her attention to help someone else in the other room. Since she spoke Portuguese she might not have understood anyway, so I just went back to the van without my ice cream! We made one final pit stop before coming into the city of Lisbon. I finally got my ice cream at this progressive little joint that could speak a little English and had the ice cream out where I could pick it up and present it for payment. We also bought some bottled water and snacks for the hotel room. We get to stay in the same hotel room for our last four nights in Portugal!

It was dark when we arrived in Lisbon, but it appeared to be a large and beautiful city. The downtown area is very modern where we are staying in a Holiday Inn – Continental Hotel. It is rated at four stars and is very nice. The lobby is very modern looking and would fit at home anywhere in the States, except for the acrid smell of cigarettes in the public areas. They have not adopted the smoking ordinances that we enjoy in California. Fortunately, the rooms we have are non-smoking and very comfortable. The rooms appear to be newly refurbished and have hardwood floors with all conveniences including a king-size bed. It has one of the tea kettles I love. It is basically a water heating coil in the bottom of the water picture, but with the 220 volt current it boils the water in a matter of minutes for making tea or an instant cup of coffee, Nescafe!

We are on the ninth floor looking out over a beautiful city. The airport is not far away because we see the large jets coming in low over the city. The lights of other high rise building are on the cityscape.

After we checked into our rooms we met at a little café around the corner from the hotel. We immediately noted that the taste of the food here is superior to what is the common fare in Spain. After eating we went back to our room, #912. While Gayla washed her hair I blogged our journey.

Gibraltar to Sevilla

2007-03-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

Plan A (we often went through several plans during the course of a day) was for us to rise early, have our breakfast, and leave the hotel for a tour of Mount Gibraltar promptly at 8:00 AM. We were to have our suitcases packed but left in our rooms until we return at noon to check out and load the luggage in and on the vans. This would prevent having to stay with the vans all the time. To prevent theft of our suitcases and valuables someone has stayed with the vans at all times when we have been touring or eating. Brothers Wiggins and/or Markham have usually stayed behind to keep an eye on things. We all appreciated their sacrifice to insure the protection of our luggage.

We set our alarms and rose early with the seagulls. You could hear their cries in the early dawn over this Mediterranean seacoast town. I slept much better last night and woke refreshed. We showered and dressed, repacked our bags, and made our way downstairs for the complimentary breakfast about 7:15. It was really quite nice, especially to be included in our accommodations. It was a buffet with some hot items, like fried eggs, some rare looking bacon, fat and greasy sausages, pork and beans, and something that appeared to be scrambled eggs. There was an assortment of breads (typical European) fresh fruits, cold cuts (I’ve never understood that for breakfast), cereals, juice and coffee. We made a nice meal and met our group in the lobby on time.

We made the drive to the city that surrounds the base of Gibraltar, which we learned is still under the crown of Britain. They speak English, trade in the British pound or the Euro, are mostly of Spanish descent, and have talked of independence from Britain for many years. As a result we all had to show our passports for entrance into the country and when exiting the area back into Spain. The rock is an important area for defense in the region. All shipping, trade, and defensive craft must come through the straits of Gibraltar or the Suez Canal to gain access to the Mediterranean Sea. Just eight miles across the straits is the continent of Africa and the country of Morocco. Something else I learned was that there are two fairly large Spanish cities on the African continent. Spain retained control in that area to ensure their protection.

The first stop on our tour was at St. Michael’s Cave. After a short drive about half way up the mountain our vans dropped us off and we entered a large cavern. Cement walks, ramps, and wooden bridges provided easy access through the cave. Accent lighting provided adequate light and lit up the various formations in the cave. The main room of the cave was large enough that they created a stage and seating in an amphitheater design that would accommodate over 100 people, I would guess. Someone said that weddings have been conducted there besides other events. It was interesting and obviously totally exploited for commercial tourism! We made a bathroom stop and shopped for curios before proceeding to our next stop.

We were able to see about six or eight monkeys while in the next area. We found that there are about 300 apes in all that live on the island and that they divide themselves in about 6 packs. Ron Krantz was the only one who got close enough to allow one of the apes to jump on his back. It was rather short-lived and I missed the opportunity to get a picture!

A good stiff walk up the road (maybe ½ mile) there is an entrance to a man made tunnel that goes around near the outside of the mountain. There are holes cut out through the rock where ancient cannons were once used to defend their position from invaders. The entire tunnel is about one mile down the inside of the mountain. I may have gotten halfway down when some of our group started coming back out. I had taken a lot of pictures of the cannons, displays, and the city and sea down below, so I returned to the surface with our group.

We took more pictures from this vantage point outside the tunnel that is probably about halfway up the sloped side of Gibraltar. The Mediterranean is so beautiful from this viewpoint. It has a rich blue-green color. Across the bay you can see the city where we spent the night. It is an incredible view.

From this last stop on Gibraltar we headed back down the mountain in the attempt to get back to the hotel on time to retrieve our bags. Well we didn’t make it in time. First there was the traffic that was difficult to maneuver on the narrow and twisted streets. We also had to stop for diesel (both vans are diesel powered). At the little gas station Missionary Sones found Dr. Pepper! He, being a true Texan, could not resist the purchase of two cans of the heavenly brew. I’ll have to remember that passion when he comes to the states. Shouldn’t be too difficult to remember since I usually have an adequate supply.

Spanish signs do not always provide sufficient direction to get us where we need to go. Brother Sones headed off a different direction than that we came because he saw a sign pointing in another direction. We eventually found our way back to the Autovia, but we were sufficiently delayed that we did not make our checkout time at the Reina Cristina. However, after a call from the missionary, they kindly allowed us back into our rooms to retrieve our bags.

By the time we got out suitcases tied down and everyone loaded it was time to eat again! We headed out to find a Burger King (great Spanish food) but ended up looking for a McDonalds. There are more McDonalds that BK’s so it proved to be a little faster to find one. It was quite a nice McDonalds. I felt like I was back in the states except the attendant couldn’t quite understand my English (which sometimes happens in the states) and the signs were all in Spanish.

We took the scenic route to Sevilla, the location of our next night stop in Spain. Driving along the coast provided some outstanding views of the Mediterranean. We stopped at an overlook for picture taking and marveled at how clear and close the mountains from Africa appeared. There was also a tourist shop at this little vista. I purchased two ice cream bars. Mine was a chocolate covered vanilla on a stick with almonds chopped up in the chocolate shell. It was absolutely the best I believe I have ever tasted. At 2 Euros each it was well worth the extravagance!

Most of the roads through the scenic route were “Arkansas style” roads, that is two lanes, narrow, with little or no shoulder. On one occasion we had come onto a broader three or four lane road and Brother Sones attempted to pass another vehicle that was impeding his progress. Just as we whipped around to pass there was a popping sound and one of the suitcases tied to the top of the van slipped over the edge and dangled along the side window of the van. He slowed, found a safe place to pull off the road, and came to a stop before completely losing one of the Bertram’s suitcases. Some of the more gifted rope artists among us secured our load and we continued. We were thankful not to have lost another Bertram suitcase!

We arrived at Hotel Ibis about 7:00 PM just as it was getting dark in Sevilla. The ladies had been promised for two days that there would be time to shop in Sevilla so they were holding us to it! The plan was to check into the hotel, get back into the vans for a trek downtown and shop for a bit while Brother Sones scouted out a place to dine for our evening meal. Among the beautiful old buildings of the area there are narrow pedestrian streets lined with stores and shops of all kinds. All were rather expensive (some were very expensive, like Burberry) but there was a distinct European feel in the shopping here. I priced a few pairs of shoes before deciding that I would save my US dollars for Marshalls, Ross, and TJ Maxx at home! With the current exchange rate of 1.33 per 1 Euro it is not to our advantage to shop in Europe.

I escorted by wife from shop to shop (being interpreted --- I followed my wife from shop to shop). She did however find the perfect purse for our daughter but she was undecided. I suppose we will have to return tomorrow to complete the purchase! (An excuse for more shopping!) However (due to my sharp skill of observation), I spotted a Starbucks on a street corner across from some of the shops. Well, I had to try out Starbucks in Europe! Even with the barista’s limited English skills I was able to communicate in Starbuck-ese and ordered a venti White Chocolate Mocha! It was very near to the taste of what we get at home. I did not attempt to request decaf coffee or fat-free milk; neither did we discuss whipped cream. So it was delicious!

We met with our group outside the El Corte Ingles – which they say is something like Macy’s (I thought it more like Sears). Regardless, it is the largest retail chain in Spain and provided a recognizable meeting place for our group. From there Brother Sones had us follow him on foot several blocks to our dinner spot. It was a small café with a decent and clean appearance. We rearranged the place to line our tables along the way for our group of twenty. We are trying to adjust to some of the European customs. One is eating dinner so late in the evening. I’m not sure they all do it but it has been our custom here. It has been 9:00 or later every evening! Another is custom of having meals in courses rather than all together. Conceptually, I like it. However, it seems a bit strange to eat cold vegetables out of a can and call it salad. I had the potatoes drowned in a white garlic creamy stuff … also cold. The next course was a choice between meatballs (served on a few French fries a spoonful of canned vegetables and some broth), pork (chunks of meat served over a few French fries with some gravy), or paella (the yellow rice stuff with chicken or seafood surprises)! Most of us went with the meatballs. After some ketchup and salt it wasn’t bad. I didn’t ask what the meat consisted of!

We made it back to the hotel about 11:00 and were instructed to meet the following morning at 9:15 for another adventurous day in Spain and the trip to Portugal!

Mediterranean Sea

2007-03-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

On the Mediterranean seacoast near Malaga, Spain.

Alhambra to Gibraltar

2007-03-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

My stomach cramping continued through the night and fever and some nausea further complicated my sleeping. When the alarm rang at 8:00 I didn’t really feel like going anywhere. But, since staying in bed was not an option I rolled out and begin to get ready for another day.

We met at 9:00 AM for departure from the hotel and to make our way out to Alhambra, the ancient fortress city just outside of Granada. It was the last holdout by the Moors when the Spaniards retook the country in the past (I purchased the visitors guide and will worry about the facts of history later). Missionary Sones entertained our van with a mixed monologue of fact and fiction of his own version of the historical events of this area. He adopted a somewhat British/Stoneking accent adding to the effect.

For 10 euros per person we were granted access to the final fortress holdout of the Moors. We toured the royal palace which was absolutely phenomenal in the intricate carvings and décor that the Muslims left on it. White marble flooring covered most of the palace interiors. Arches, columns, and windows provided a photographers dream throughout the place. Courtyards and water pools were seen inside the palace grounds. Though the whole idea of a “palace’ sounds wonderfully romantic, the truth is they were probably cold, drafty, and have a sordid history of war, attacks, and bloodshed to the royal family when there was an overthrow of power.

After the palace we toured another area where we had access to a lookout area higher on the walls. It seemed the stories of medieval times, even biblical times, came alive while gazing up at stark walls and massive doors that secured the ancient cities. The location of some of the areas also provided natural defenses by their position on a hill and surrounded by ravines and streams. Some distance away the snow topped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains were within sight. These are the mountains for which the California mountain range was named. I have seen several names and references here that the Spanish explorers bequeathed to us in America.

We left Alhambra about 2:00 and planned to drive to Malaga on the Mediterranean coast for lunch. By this time I was feeling much better and began to think I might be able to eat today. The trip was enhanced by Abigail O’Keefe who ran a constant commentary on the beach ministry on the Mediterranean seacoast. Fortunately, we are early enough in the year that it’s a bit cold to worry about the clothing situation on the coast! We also passed the time by singing some of the old songs as off-key as possible. We started with some of the ancient classics of the hymnbooks and ended up with some Lanny Wolfe favorites and classic worship choruses. At least it kept Brother Sones awake as he drove us further south and toward the sea.

We came through some more hills and miles of Olive orchards. Spain is a major producer of olives and olive oil as evidenced by the agricultural bounty. As we got closer to the coastal areas even the residential structures begin to change. The appearance seemed more like some of the coastal areas of California. Coming into Malaga it also seemed more like California because we got in our first major traffic jam – home, sweet home!

By the time we got to Brother Markham’s favorite buffet we were ready to eat anything and call it good! The restaurant was just across the street from the beach and offered some traditional Spanish foods (not to be confused with Mexican food), some Chinese, and some traditional buffet items. I started out with the wok selection. I picked out the raw makings of a stir-fry and took it to the chef who boiled it for a couple of minutes before frying it all in a wok to perfection. On my second round I sampled some of the other offerings. Though I felt 100% better, I tried to refrain from eating too much because I sure didn’t want to be sick the rest of the day!

Leaving the buffet we walked across the street and down to the beach where we picked up a few shells and took some pictures to prove we were really here. Some of the shells were similar to those we find in California while others were of unique designs and colors that were new to us. We made our way up the beach for a block or so and then back to the vans for the final hour or so of our journey today.

The final leg of our journey brought us to Gibraltar, named for the rock along the straits to the Mediterranean Sea (or was the rock named for the town). This is another very beautiful area. These coastal areas are very popular with the Europeans for vacation spots during the warm summer months. We are staying in a beautiful old hotel, the Reina Cristina, that reminds me some of the Coronado Hotel in San Diego. It is very old but a beautiful facility that has earned a four star rating.

We met our group in the spacious lobby about 8:00 PM. We visited a bit then decided that salad or soup and bread would be a sufficient dinner tonight since we had eaten so well in the mid afternoon. They have a beautiful restaurant in the hotel so we had our soups and salads on linen tablecloths and drank our bottled water in wine glasses. We sat with the Ron and Deena Krantz and visited over dinner.

About 10:30 we came to the room and I purposed to catch up on my blogging before retiring. Internet service is available; I’m just not sure what the cost will be here. I guess I’ll either get up early enough in the morning to find out or post these ramblings later when I get access again.

2007-03-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

In the old fortress city of Alhambra outside the city of Granada, Spain.

Madrid to Granada

2007-03-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

I still felt a little under the weather this morning. Initially, I attributed my ailment to too much Chinese food last night. As the day wore on it felt more like a stomach virus. This is not the kind of feeling you want to have this far away from home and with so many miles to cover!

We skipped breakfast and packed up our suitcases for the next day of travel. There was just enough time to go to the dining room for a cup of coffee before the appointed time to meet the others in the lobby. By 9:30 we all gathered with our massive amounts of suitcases to pack in two vans and Missionary Markham’s car trunk. One of the vans was a rental, a diesel powered Mercedes van, from Pepecar.com. It has a fair amount of space behind the last seat. Most of the luggage was packed in this space. Missionary Sones has a SFC van which we also packed with bags. The remaining four suitcases went on the top of the van secured to a luggage rack. We may have looked something like the Beverly Hillbillies as we headed down the road.

The first part of our journey was about an hour and a half trek south of Madrid to the ancient town of Toledo. We stopped once on the way for a “sandbox” break while several took advantage of the stop for various snacks. Toledo was once the capital city of Spain and is famous for its swords and knifes, Toledo steel. The oldest part of the city still has the ancient walls surrounding it and the ancient gates still stand. Access to the city comes through the wall around the gate since modern vehicles would not have fit through the old passage. We roamed around the streets and alleyways of the old city which is now a major tourist attraction. There are numerous shops with assorted souvenirs for purchase, Missionary Sones advised us of one shop where anyone in his group is given a 20% discount. That is where most of us purchased some souvenirs: pocket knives, postcards, letter openers, fans, hair accessories, etc. I didn’t see anyone buying the swords or fencing supplies!

Lunch was an adventure. Missionary Sones cautioned us that it was an experiment. It was a different place than he had tried before. They seated us in a small backroom where Krantz started getting claustrophobic. I noticed he sat where he could get out easily. The first course was either salad or spaghetti. I chose the salad. It seemed like this is kind of a traditional salad because we begin to see it everywhere. It was lettuce, tomato, a few other vegetables with a spoonful of tuna on top. Oil and vinegar is the dressing of choice with nothing else to choose from! The second course was a traditional Spanish dish of yellow saffron rice with a few seafood surprises (or chicken) in it, called Paella. The final course was a meat dish with fried potatoes (French fries seems to be a staple). The choice of meat was lamb, chicken, or pork. That was easy; I chose chicken. Basically, it was a roasted drumstick. Oh, yes we topped it off with dessert. The choices were flan, pudding, or ice cream. Flan seems to be the consistent choice of Spanish fare. The food was good but according to Brother Sones it would not be a place on his recommended list for the future.

Following lunch we took a drive outside the city to a vantage point where you can view the entire city from another hill. It was a beautiful spot for pictures. Which is why Wayne Miraflor suddenly realized that he had left his camera behind at the little restaurant. Brother Markham drove him back down the hill to the city in the vain hope that the camera might still be in the bathroom where he has laid it on the sink. Amazingly enough it was turned in and was waiting for him to come back and claim it. God must be with that man!

Today was one of the longer drives of the week. When we left Toledo we continued south to Granada. It would take about three to four hours but seemed much longer in the packed vans. I’m afraid we all took a little siesta as we drove through the flat land plains southward. When we awoke there still wasn’t too much to see but an occasional house in the distance. I must say the road system in Spain is very modern with freeways (Autovia) providing safe and smooth travel around the country. As we got closer to Granada we drove through a mountain range with deep canyons and gorges. It was a beautiful drive.

We finally arrived at our motel for the evening after 8:00 PM. It was the Hotel Ibis, a conservative but clean accommodation. We all met in their small café for dinner about an hour later after we settled in our rooms. I still was not feeling well but hoped that by eating something I might feel better. The menu selections were similar to lunch. I’m catching on that the menu and items offered don’t vary too much at restaurants in Spain. After I ate some spaghetti, bread, turkey (instead of Chicken) and potatoes, I excused myself and went to the room to try to rest and get over this virus or whatever is plaguing me. There would be no blogging tonight.

The Lord’s Day

2007-03-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

I awaken feeling alert and refreshed. Knowing the way jetlag feels from previous trips abroad I thought perhaps is was the middle of the night and worried that I would be unable to sleep anymore through the night. Reaching over to touch the button on my Treo 700p I was pleased to see it was only 10 minutes prior to the sounding of my preset alarm at 7:00 AM. I arose and begin the process of getting ready for our first full day in Madrid and the services that we were scheduled to attend.

A complimentary breakfast was served in a small dining hall on the floor below ours. Though it was a simple menu with selections including toast (looked like Texas toast from home) topped with butter and preserves, churros (minus the sugar and cinnamon), and an assortment of packaged Danish delights (or should that be Spanish delights). Coffee was offered (with or without hot milk); and packages of cocoa mix could be added to hot milk to make hot chocolate. A few members of our group were already there and availing themselves of the offerings.

Upon returning to our room I examined the programmable safe in the closet. It seemed simple enough to use. You just enter a number of your choice and hit the pound key. It automatically locked until you entered the same number again. It was of an adequate size to hold both of our laptops, our phones, and my wife’s wallet. I carried her passport with mine. With our service schedule today I really didn’t want to lug our laptops in my backpack but I was reluctant to leave them unprotected in the hotel room. We assembled in the lobby and divided up into two prearranged groups for transport to the services. My group was to attend service with the congregation of the pastor and missionary Gary Sones. From our group Paul Bertram, pastor from the San Diego area, was to preach in the morning service while Wayne Miraflor, Antioch, CA, preached in the other church in the southern part of the city of Madrid.

We arrived early at Tabernaclo de Vida but some were already assembled for prayer. The auditorium was a former bridal hall where wedding receptions were once hosted. It was tastefully decorated and six huge chandeliers were suspended from the high ceiling. The sanctuary was thoroughly furnished with musical instruments, sound system, computer projection and lighting. The padded chairs (dining room style) were arranged in close rows and would accommodate about 400 people (388 were present this morning). The service was well organized but spiritual and lively. A praise team sang out in harmony with the worship leader. A young man read from the Scripture. Another led in prayer. Missionary Sones dedicated two small infants brought by their families in the course of the service. Ron Krantz and I were called on to leave a brief testimony and greeting to the congregation. Paul Bertram preached from a Scriptural setting in Genesis 14 concerning the four kings that were defeated in the slime pits when Lot was taken into captivity. He related it to 1 John 2:16 as the present kings of this world that could bring us into captivity: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life, and the devil. The message was well received and many came to prayer in response to the altar call. At least four received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the morning service.

We met up with the other group for lunch following our services at Vip’s café, a Denney’s style establishment. I sat by Missionary Sones and we discussed Christian Life College among other things. He gave me permission to speak with his daughter about visiting the college in about a month as she is making some life decisions. The Sones are originally from Texas and were in Life Tabernacle in Houston. Texas gave us something else in common to talk about. Texans have to stick together!

We left the restaurant and the vans transported the group back to the hotel for a siesta! I volunteered to go with Missionaries Sones and Markham, and Pastors Miraflor and Krantz, to the airport to check on our missing luggage. We stepped through the international arrivals gate (like we knew what we were doing) and approached the guards separating us from the baggage claim area. They allowed us to go to the counter but denied access to Missionary Sones. Brother Markham stayed in the background and came along with us to help us at the customer service counter. I presented our baggage claim tickets and the form we received the previous day. We were directed to a conveyor at the opposite end of the huge baggage claim area where an assortment of luggage was awaiting someone to claim it. Joyfully, I recognized one of my suitcases. We began to check off the numbered tags and pull them off the conveyor, loading them on baggage carts. According to our inventory there were still two bags missing when we finally checked off all that were available. Brother Markham and I waited with one cart for the arrival of another flight from Munich or Frankfurt. One of my suitcases had a tag that indicated it had arrived through Frankfurt.

When the suitcase did not appear to be among the arriving luggage we reluctantly left for the hotel. It was after 4:00 PM and we were scheduled to leave for the next service at 4:45. There was a lot of jubilation over the 16 bags that were delivered to the waiting recipients at the hotel. Unfortunately, the one suitcase we were missing belonged to Lorraine Bertram. She was pretty bummed but was coping with it. We quickly freshened up and changed into our dress clothes for the evening service.

Tonight our group attended the church in south Madrid, Tabernacle of Praise, where Brother Gerardo Guervara is the pastor. Missionary Markham took us there in one of the vans. This auditorium seats about 250-300 people and was very close to being filled for the service. I met briefly with the pastor who was going to translate the message for me. I gave him my Scripture text and a brief overview of the message so that he could have a frame of reference by which to interpret. We entered a very exciting worship service. Again the music was well organized, the presentation was good, and a wonderful spirit of praise was evident. Worshippers filled the altar area, dancing and praising God as they sang out to God.

Missionary Markham introduced me and the pastor interpreted into Spanish. After a few remarks, my wife and Lorraine Bertram joined with me and we sang an English worship chorus, How Great is Our God! I preached on the subject, Built on the Rock, from Matthew 16:13-18. I brought out that the church is built on Jesus Christ. It is not built on a man (like Peter), nor is it a physical structure, nor is it built on our own ideas or philosophies. It must be upon the solid rock, Christ Jesus! There was a good response and it appeared that several visitors came forward during the altar service.

Brother Markham drove us back by the other church where they were still in the altar praying so we returned to the hotel and met them there when they concluded. We walked several blocks from the hotel to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. The meal was brought out family style. They continued to bring food out until we were all stuffed. It somehow seemed strange to see Chinese waiters conversing freely in Spanish as we dined on fried rice, almond chicken, and assorted other dishes. I guess it is no more strange than hearing Chinese speaking English in America!

We got back to the hotel about 11:00 PM. It was a long and exhausting day, but one filled with the blessings of the Lord. I was too tired to stay up and blog so I took a Melatonin and retired. It was either Jetlag or indigestion that kicked in about 3:00 AM so I got up, turned on the computer and begin to relive the events of the day. Since we are eight hours ahead it is still early evening at home. If I can get online I will post these ramblings and try to get some more sleep before breakfast.

Arrival in Madrid

2007-03-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived on time in Munich, Germany. It is a beautiful airport, not too big, but modern and utilitarian in design. It seems consistent with some other areas of Europe, not that I’ve seen that many. We were very glad to be off the plane after the trans-Atlantic flight. The only consolation in rushing off to another flight was that it was the final leg of our journey to Spain. We only had about an hour to get to the next gate for departure to Madrid. The connections seemed way too close for international travel. It left no room for tardiness or mistakes. We found our gate easy enough after a brief pit stop, and stood in line for maybe ten minutes for boarding on an A320. It really seemed small after the wide bodies we had been on previously. I would compare it to a 737. I’m more acquainted with the Boeing line of airplanes than the McDonnell-Douglas planes or other manufacturers.

By then we were all a little dazed as we sat and waited for our departure. My wife engaged in conversation with a young girl next to her from the western slope of the Rockies in Colorado. She was with a group of school youths who were coming to Spain for Spring break. While others go to the Rockies to sky for spring break, the natives go to Spain for nice weather, I guess.

The airline was still Lufthansa, but a third language was added to the safety announcements on this flight. After the routine German and English, a female attendant came on with a Spanish translation for the benefit of the Spanish speakers on this flight to Madrid. How many ways do we need to hear where the exit slides are located and how to fasten a seat belt? The diet changed also. I have no idea what I ate but it had a different smell and taste that the choices we had enjoyed earlier. We were quick to discover that Spanish food is different than Mexican food. Food in Spain is more Mediterranean than what we normally identify as food for the Spanish culture. No jalapenos or habaneras here!

We arrived in Madrid two hours later around 2:00 in the afternoon on Saturday, local time. It was clear and mostly sunny looking out over the farmlands and clusters of communities across the landscape. The airport was a little older and didn’t have the look of modernity seen in Germany. It was spread out over a lot of territory and we drove for several minutes after touchdown before arriving at the appropriate gate. We made our way down the last gateway and followed the universal and multilingual signs to the baggage claim area.

We clustered around the designated conveyor belt that was expected to present our baggage. We waited as suitcase after suitcase appeared in the doorway and was snatched up by various international travelers and nationals come home. It soon became apparent that none of our group was receiving baggage. Much to our disappointment the doors closed and the conveyor stopped without a sign of our suitcases. We lined up with other disappointed, agitated, and somewhat angry passengers at the “Lost and Found” window representing Lufthansa Airlines. Missionary Gary Sones got permission to come past security and to our rescue. He was able to explain our situation and the agent took notes of our descriptions of each missing suitcase and our claim tags that would match them. They promised to let us know if any word of our baggage was received.

Missionaries Markham (Portugal and Spain) and Wiggins (AIMer to Spain) met us outside the customs doorway. They brought vans to transport us from the airport to our hotel for the first two nights in Madrid. We checked into the hotel and settled in. It doesn’t take long when you have no luggage. Fortunately, we packed some underclothes and a few toiletries in our carryon bags. We took a nap and stretched out our tired and aching bodies after a long 26 hours from leaving Stockton to arriving in Madrid.

We freshened up and prepared to meet the group for an orientation session and dinner with the missionaries. The orientation was held at the local Bible school where they train the national students for ministry. It is a second story rented flat about a 15 minute walk from our hotel. The original church in Madrid was started in this facility until they outgrew it. The church had about 33 members when Missionary Sones arrived to assume the work. It grew quickly and eventually they split into two groups so one could begin in the southern part of this city of 6 million people. Since then both groups have prospered and been responsible for beginning 20 more works from those who were converted and sent out from here. The orientation was presented by D.H. O’Keefe and Missionaries Markham and Sones. The purpose of the trip and the burden for missions was presented by Pastor O’Keefe and Missionary Markham informed us of some changes in service schedule. In all we will be ministering in 10 services during our stay. I was asked to speak in one of the churches in Madrid Sunday evening.

The missionaries also explained our travel schedule and asked us to be prompt when a meeting time was set for our transportation. Missionary Sones is handling all the logistics of moving our group and making arrangements for our meals and services. At the end of the week we will be given a total of the amount of meals we have consumed … eat now, pay later!

We left the Bible school/headquarters building and walked two or three blocks to a restaurant nearby. It was a good meal served in three courses. It was a simple little restaurant you probably would never pick out as a tourist hot spot, but the food was very good and we enjoyed a time of getting acquainted with our traveling partners. We enjoyed a salad (or soup), choice of meat dish (I chose beef) with fried potatoes, and dessert. We walked back to the hotel and retired about 11:00 this evening. Of course, I had to stay up longer to catch up on this blog. It is only 5:00 PM at home … but 1:00 AM here. I’ll have to try to adapt to this time zone and ignore my biological clock!

Hope you enjoy reading along as we experience our mission!

The Journey Begins

2007-03-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last night, we had our weekly Friendship Group meeting with our church (our brand of small groups). This week we met at the Pleasanton Public Library, community room. Occasionally we are able to secure the room for our group meetings. It was a good turnout. Perhaps the awareness that it would be our last meeting before our departure to Spain caused them to be present! Ethan Brumfield, our former youth pastor, was with us during his spring break from the University of Central Florida so we returned home rather than staying overnight in Pleasanton. It made for a late night, but we were so thrilled to have Ethan with us that we wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. We finished our packing and preparations for the trip and finally got to bed about 1:30 AM.

An unwelcome alarm sounded at 5:00 AM. The earlier the setting, the more obnoxious the sound of any alarm! We drug ourselves out of bed and prepared for our 6:00 AM departure for the Bay Area. Though the early morning traffic was heavy as anticipated, we made it to Marcy’s place in Livermore by 7:00 AM. She went with us to the BART station in Pleasanton and will keep our car at her place during our trip. We purchased our tickets to the San Francisco Airport and made our way up the escalators to the boarding platform dragging our suitcases and carryons with us. Thank God for wheels on suitcases. Since the Pleasanton/ Dublin station is the end of the line we were able to get good seats with room for our bags. We dozed a little along the hour and 20 minute trip to SFO.

From the BART station we took the Air Train to the International terminal before realizing that we needed the domestic terminal (the first leg of the journey is to Washington D.C. - Dulles Airport). We took the hike to the domestic terminal and found the United ticket counters. Standing in the check-in line we saw the Bertrams and the O’Keefes coming along behind us. We attempted to use the electronic check-in but for some reason it only showed our itinerary to Munich, Germany, rather than Madrid, Spain. I sure didn’t want to arrive in Madrid to find that our bags had gotten pitched out in Germany! An attendant shifted us to another line where we again were told to use the electronic check-in. I explained the situation and the attendant walked us through the process. She finally had to do the check-in herself and got our seat assignments, our bags checked (all the way to Madrid), and our frequent flyer miles credited. We’ll definitely rack up some miles on this flight!

At the gate we were formally introduced to Paul and Lorraine Bertram from San Diego and Ron and Deena Krantz from Oroville (Gayla works with Deena Krantz on the Ladies Ministries board). Also on the trip are Bro. & Sis. Morgan Underwood from Yuba City, Clayton and Jan Brown from Napa, Wayne and Stacy Miraflor from Antioch, and Donald and Abigail O’Keefe (Western District Foreign Missions Director) from Pittsburg. Arthur Law from Bakersfield was also on the trip but was not present at the gate. We begin to look for him and worry just a little that he might not make it in time. However, just prior to the boarding process he arrived and our group of 15 was completed.

Due to a large number of reservations for this segment of the journey to the nation’s capital, United Airlines substituted a Boeing 747 aircraft. Normally, the 747 is not used for domestic flights so the switch caused a little back log as they had to reassign many of the seats, especially business passengers and those in First Class, as well as those who had their seat assignments early. We made it on board, a beautiful sunny day in the Bay Area with a near on time departure, just a little after 11:00 AM, and headed east for a cold and snowy reception in D.C. United’s domestic flights no longer have complimentary food service so we purchased a cold sandwich in the airport to bring with us. We ended up buying another turkey wrap and snack box during the flight … fine dining at 36,000 feet in the air!

We had an on time arrival in Washington D.C., actually a little early. Unfortunately, because of the cold winter storm, the Boston and New York airports were either closed or severely restricted thus creating a back up of traffic at other airports in the region. There was also an ice storm just prior to the beginning of the snow at Dulles causing all departing flights to be grounded until the ice could be cleared. As a result the gate we were supposed to arrive at was blocked by another airplane waiting to depart. The captain advised us that we would have to wait about 30 minutes on the tarmac. Later he came on and updated the announcement that we would have to wait for the departing plane to be “deiced” – another 20 minute delay. After over an hour we inched up to the gate. The flight attendant came on the intercom to advise us that, unfortunately, the tire on the jet way had blown out while it was about 8 feet from the door! I’ve never heard of that happening. The alternative back up plan to get us off the plane was to bring “people movers” to deliver us to the terminal. These people movers are like huge buses on hydraulics! They crammed about 50 people in each vehicle. Fortunately our group was not split up and we were all in the first transit to the terminal. We quickly located our needed terminal and gate and sprinted off for an “on time” departure. According to the monitors we were to leave from gate B36. However, when we got there no one was around. We continued down the concourse and found that the correct gate was B45 … wow, they do things different in our nation’s capital. Half of our group made the sprint and we boarded the aircraft first. The other half (the older half! Sorry) waited for another “people mover” to bring them across the tarmac to the B terminal. They made it on time. We were all onboard, together again! One minor concern (at this point) is the fear that our bags may not have made the close connection in Dulles. We may arrive in Madrid with the clothes on our back and whatever we carried on! We have been assured that if our bags are not with us they will be delivered to the hotel we are staying at in Madrid.

We were delayed at least 45 minutes in our departure from D.C. because we had to wait for the crew to deice our plane before take off. This plane is smaller than the 747, I think it is an A340, a wide body. It still has two aisles but only 8 seats across the plane instead of 10. It is also all one layer rather than the two story behemoth. This airplane and flight crew is Lufthansa, the German company that is also a partner with United Airlines. We immediately saw the difference as the announcements were all bilingual (German and English)! Other differences included complimentary service of alcohol (I didn’t), German speaking flight attendants (fortunately bilingual), and the meals served (with a European flair). The service was good and the meal was tasty (or I was really hungry). After sleeping for awhile I decided to update my travel blog before our snack time and the arrival in Munich. Hopefully, they made up some time in the air (it was a 7.5 hour flight) so that we will be able to catch our Madrid flight in Munich. We only have about an hour scheduled between these two flights. We have the promise of a nice long night in a Madrid hotel before we start the week with services and sightseeing. I think I’ll be ready to lie down!

Thanks for your prayers! Remember to pray for me Sunday! God bless.

Another Missions Trip!

2007-03-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

What a surprise just one week ago when Pastor D.H. O'Keefe, WD missions director, called to say there had been a cancellation on the "Pastors on Missions" trip and I was the next one on the list! He invited me to join them for a missions trip to Spain and Portugal leaving March 16th ... just eleven days away. I asked for the details and the costs for my wife to join me on the trip and then promised to get back with him the following day. We weren't really able to talk about it too much until my wife returned from a ladies prayer meeting late Monday evening. We discussed all the commitments we would have to cancel, find substitutes for, or rearrange in order to go. Never knowing when another opportunity like this might come we finally decided to make the decision to go and spend the rest of our days before the trip making arrangements for our absence.

Our church has been very supportive. They were thrilled that we were going together on this trip. The last three international trips I’ve taken with other preachers. My wife made one trip to Canada to speak at some ladies meetings without me. So this is our time to go together! I certainly prefer it that way. Because we have such good and dedicated people attending our church I have great confidence that everything will go well. I invited guest speakers to minister and my assistant, Jarrod Wilson, to take care of the teaching load. I think everything is organized and ready!

Dr. Daniel Segraves, president of Christian Life College, was also very supportive of us taking this missions trip. I discussed the opportunity and he assured me that we should go. With that approval, I set out to find substitutes for my classes and arrange tests and some cancellations for the week and a day that we will be missing from classes. I only had to cancel two classes; I’m sure my students will be disappointed!

There has been a strong missions emphasis at the college, this year in particular. Brian Henry and I made the trip to Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India last October to minister in a conference in Anand. Just one month ago a team of eight students went to Hyderabad, India to minister in some of the village areas of that region. Following that a team of about 15 students went on a missions trip to Mexico. I feel that this exposure to various parts of the world gives enlargement to the vision of our students for an enhanced concept of world ministry. It also increases my frame of reference and passion for other people of the world. As a result our church is blessed by this exposure to the worldwide vision of the Gospel through our ministry. We are very thankful for another opportunity to participate in international missions ministry.

India Photos - Anand and Ahmedabad

2006-10-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

Check out my pictures from India here!

My India Travel Journal

2006-10-29T12:59:00.000-08:00

If you want this journal in a logical, contiguous reading, start with October 18th #1 “The Longest Night” and read in order. I intended to maintain live postings on the web but was unable to due to the difficulty of finding internet connections and time to post at slower speeds, both bandwidth and computers.

#1 The Longest Night

2006-10-29T00:17:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

It was the longest night of my life. It began just after dark when we left Stockton for San Francisco to catch an early morning (1:25 AM) flight to Ahmedabad, India. My wife and I drove to Brian Henry’s complex to pick them up. Our wives, Gayla and Esther, went with us to Pleasanton where we caught the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to the San Francisco airport. We arrived at the BART station about 8:00 PM, Tuesday, October 17, 2006, purchased our tickets, and walked onto a waiting train for the hour and 15 minute trip to the International terminal of the airport.

We checked in at the Singapore airlines ticket counter, left our two checked bags and headed off to find our gate, G93. Even with a modest line for check-in things went smoothly and we cleared security with two hours to spare before boarding. We roamed the shops, picked up a few snack items then found a deli for a sandwich just before they closed for the evening. I tried connecting to the internet from my laptop, but resisted the temptation to pay the access fee charged at SFO. I rather took advantage of the waiting time to catch “forty winks” as the long days of preparing for an international trip caught up with me.

Singapore Airlines flight SQ1 was a 747, the behemoth Boeing aircraft with two stories of passenger space in the first class area. Of course we were in economy seating – back of the plane, row 63, seats D and E. The 747 has two aisles, 10 seats across through much of the plane. I was impressed with the level of service and the professional presentation of the flight crew. They were dressed very nicely. The women wore long fitted dresses reflecting the oriental ethnicity of most of the crew members and the Asian home of the airlines. The men wore complementary suit jackets. The seats, even in economy, were comfortable having good lumbar support, a fold down foot rest, and a shaped headrest to keep your head from rolling off onto your neighbor’s shoulder while you are sleeping. Built into the back of the seat in front of you is a video monitor featuring a full array of “on demand” movies, television, news, and trip information programming. The food was good and the attendants were … well, attentive! They were constantly coming through the cabin, first offering warm cloths to freshen up with, then headsets to enjoy the media programming, offering juices and drinks, then a wonderful dinner. My choice from their tastefully designed menu was the baked fish with vegetables and potatoes. Real metal flatware was provided giving you a sense of “first-class” treatment.

After our “supper” about 2:30 AM most of us dozed off as we began our arch across the Pacific Ocean toward our first stop, Hong Kong, thirteen hours later. We were racing against the dawn and seemed to be beating it. I kept my watch on California time and at 1:00 PM (Wednesday) it was still pitch black outside. The benefit of the long night was that it encouraged people to sleep and keep the noise down much longer than normally would be experienced. Dawn finally began to catch us about 3:30 in the afternoon as we neared Hong Kong. We landed about 6:00 AM local time in Hong Kong after enjoying a wonderful breakfast of an omelet, hash browns, chicken sausage, blueberry yogurt, fruit, and a roll. The coffee was also tasty … or maybe I was just hungry.

I tried to take advantage of the long night traveling to catch up on some much needed rest. We didn’t know we were going to India until Thursday of last week. My life has been a whirlwind of activity since then, preparing our church schedule for my absence (Sunday and midweek friendship groups), planning tests and class sessions with substitutes while I’m away from classes at Christian Life College, and the other business details of bills, financial arrangements, and my last minute extension filing of income taxes. I won’t bore you with the other details of our recent activities.

Daryl Rash called me about 4:00 Thursday with the leading question, “How would you like to go to India?” I know him well enough—having made another international trip earlier this year to Sweden and Norway—to know that there is some substance to his somewhat rhetorical questioning. So I tentatively asked, while thinking about the prospects, “When?” “Next week,” he replied! I laughed heartily. He didn’t. Five days later, with visas in hand Brian Henry and I are setting off for a great Indian adventure to the Western state of Gujarat, the city of Ahmedabad, boasting a population of six million people.

After a brief stop in Hong Kong (about an hour) our plane was boarded for the next leg of our journey, a mere three hour and 10 minute jaunt to Singapore. As I type the first installment of our adventure breakfast is being served in the narrow aisle at my left elbow … so I’ll shut down my laptop, preserve my precious battery life and have another breakfast!

2006-10-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

Early morning arrival in Hong Kong after a 20 hour night and a 13 hour flight!

#2 Short Stop in Singapore

2006-10-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 19, 2006
- In flight to Ahmedabad

Singapore was shrouded in a tropical haze preventing any aerial view of the city as we dropped onto the runway in the giant Boeing 747. We taxied to a stop and were thrilled to be able to stand up again and walk. We even avoided the moving sidewalk (which they call a Travellator) to exercise our legs a little in the airport.

It was before noon (Thursday) in Singapore and about 9:00 PM (Wednesday) at home. I passed an area offering free internet service as we came out of the gate area. There you can log on to the internet, send and receive email, whatever, for 15 minutes. San Francisco airport could learn something from them. I quickly composed an email to let my wife and family know that I had safely arrived in Singapore and hit the send button. I logged out and caught up with Brian Henry in a line at the Ambassador Transit Hotel on the second level. The Singapore airport is like a small city with all types of services and business under the same roof. There are the normal food fare places, duty free shops with chocolates, perfumes, and liquors, as well as the currency exchange offices and places to apply for sales tax (GST) refunds for items purchased in the country. In addition to the expected amenities, there are designer shops such as Ralph Lauren and Coach, technology stores with all the latest gismos and gadgets, and just about anything else you might need. There was a gym, exercise rooms, hair salons, massage sessions, movies, and even a 7-Eleven convenience store.

The hotel rents rooms for your layover in the Singapore airport. You can take a nap or spend the night, have a clean private bathroom and shower, and a secure place to lock up your baggage if you want to go shopping or dining. Initially, when we arrived, the hotel was fully booked. However, Brian being the world traveler had called ahead and placed his name on a waitlist for accommodations. We were instructed to come back after 1:00 PM so with 45 minutes to kill we strolled around through the mall area. Brian was drawn into the Mont Blanc store like a bee to honey. He spent a few minutes salivating over a beautiful writing instrument with a floating diamond in the cap. It was only $1800.00. I’m not sure if that was Singapore or US dollars. It really didn’t matter. I drifted over to the electronic gizmos store. For the same money I could get a 20 gig hard drive camcorder complete with DVD burner attachment! I didn’t buy either.

When we checked back at the hotel we were in luck! They had a room available. We dropped off our carryon bags and headed out for some fine Singapore dining. Earlier we had spied a new Burger King on the second level! It will probably be over a week before we get to enjoy a beef hamburger, complete with fries and Diet Coke. The burger and fries tasted virtually identical to that found in the States. The diet Coke was disgusting! Of course, (Diet) Dr. Pepper is my drink of choice. I suppose I’ll be fasting Dr. Pepper for the duration of this trip.

Brian’s hairspray was confiscated in San Francisco. With some of the new security restrictions you are only allowed up to a four ounce size of any gels, creams, liquids, or hairsprays. His super-sized VO5 just didn’t fit the permitted profile. They did give him a complimentary Ziploc bag (the legal quart size) to contain the contraband specific items for the next security inspection. In a panic Brian had found a small pump of Tresemé hairspray in one of the shops in San Francisco. Now, he is concerned about running out before the week is up in India. The 7-Eleven store did not have hairspray. They had assorted gels, lotions, and potions, but no Henry style aerosol hairspray. They recommended a store down the way in the airport named Watson’s.

We found Watson’s without too much difficulty on the lower level toward the other end of the mall area. Sure enough they had all kinds of health and beauty aids for harried travelers (no pun intended!). When we inquired about hairspray, the kindly efficient sales staff (she must have been on commission) directed us to the shelf behind her. Just the thing, she said as she pulled the hairspray off the shelf. Available in either aerosol or pump it had only the best ingredients, natural stuff, not those damaging chemicals! I rolled the can over in my hand and choked over the 33.00 price tag. Hey, it was only about 20 USD. As Brian considered the merits of her sales pitch I strolled around the shelf to find the small travel size, propane laden, chemically-chocked-full can of hair damaging aerosol in the convenient and legal small size. Brian agreed that was the best way to go in view of the fact that he might lose a larger one again on our return to the domestic domain of Homeland Security.
Brian went on back to the hotel to freshen up while I shopped for a tee shirt to change into after showering. There was a tourist shop with novelty tees advertising the virtues of Singapore. I found a color that would match my travel clothes, paid the inflated price, and made my way back to the hotel. We were able to sleep for a while in a quiet darkened room in preparation for the five hour flight this evening to Ahmedabad.

My biological clock told me it was too early to be getting up after a two hour nap, but locally it was 6:00 in the afternoon as we checked out and made our way to the gate area. The Singapore Airlines flight (SQ442) departed out of E20 at 8:15 PM. Everything went on schedule.

The biggest difference I observed in the flights earlier today and this one is the people. People of Oriental ethnicity dominated the flights into Hong Kong and Singapore. Now, obviously, the majority is Asian Indian. Catering to the tastes and culture, the airline adjusted the menu to reflect food fare from India. The Hindu influence was immediately seen in the menu selections. Most meat items disappeared on this menu. I suppose the Lamb masala was there for the Muslims. I couldn’t identify either selection so I asked for the vegetarian offering. It included rice with some stuff on the side containing green peas. On the other side some other stuff featured kidney beans. The salad was basically garbanzo beans with something spicy. The taste of curry was evident as well as some other unknown spices. This will be an adjustment to my taste buds. No doubt this will help me understand how international students feel coming to America and adjusting to Mexican food!

There is something to be said about the irony of riding an American made plane with a Singapore flight crew, eating Indian food, listening to Dave Brubeck’s jazz hits on my stereo headphones, typing on a portable laptop computer made in China, flying 38,000 feet in the air, and traveling at over 500 miles per hour. The aircraft we are flying now is a Boeing 777. It’s a wide body aircraft, just not as large as the 747. There are two aisles but only nine seats across in this one. Everything seems a little closer as well. Brian and I got aisle seats across from each other in the 40th row. To my left is an Indian man from Malaysia. He and his family are traveling to India for a holiday. For the next few days there is a great India festival of some kind (later I found out it is Dawali, a Hindu festival) and following that is a Muslim celebration. He encouraged me to see some of the temples. That seems to be their biggest attraction and source of inspiration. I hope to have some more inspiration of my own so I don’t bore you with the mundane recording of my travel monologue.

We are supposed to arrive after 11:00 PM and we are to meet an associate at the airport to transport us to our hotel. I’ll post this when I can and keep writing for later postings. Once we leave the city I probably will not have internet access for a few days. Thanks for reading along and keeping up with our India adventure!

#3 Arrival in Ahmedabad

2006-10-26T00:24:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Well, change of plans. We arrived at the airport on time and immediately went back 50 years in much of the culture. We disembarked on stairs that were rolled out to meet the plane. Shuttle buses were parked near the stairs to transport passengers to the immigration office of the airport. A variety of large planes sat around the parking lot indicating that this was normal at Ahmedabad International airport. It was very much a “third world” feeling I had reminding me of a trip to Ethiopia five years ago. However, I think the airport in Addis Abba is still a nicer airport. The building looked to be at least fifty years old, very institutionally designed with little regard for aesthetics. (I later found out this was the new part, only about a year old!) Everything is dirty and appears to be disorganized. You line up to get your passport stamped then proceed around the corner to baggage claim. It seemed everyone took advantage of the free baggage cart (or trolley) and before long every spare inch of floor space is a congestion of carts and people waiting for their baggage to come around the track. Fortunately, my suitcase made it without incident. I retrieved it and retreated a safe distance before the mob pressed in. Brian was not so lucky. He waited and waited for the small suitcase that he had checked. Just when he was about to give up he pressed back through the mob, found his bag, retrieved it, and we proceeded to the end of the room where bags were being x-rayed to leave the airport! No questions or inspections, just x-rays, procedures and chaos. We then waited in another line to exchange some greenbacks for rupees (42.5 cents for 100 rupees). This economy will take some getting used to. My 100 USD turned into 4250.00 rupees. At least for a while I’ll feel like a rich man. One final check point and we were out the door in the dark and tropical evening. It was 85 degrees at midnight.

Once outside the Ahmedabad airport it was very similar to the atmosphere surrounding the Addis Abba airport, on the dirt parking lot a mob of people and taxi drivers lined the fence to greet the arriving passengers. As we emerged from the building, Brian spotted his brother-in-law, Everett McCoy, who was there to meet us along with the local pastor, J.P. who is the coordinator of the annual conference. They had procured the services of a taxi driver named Jackson. We found out that they use his services frequently because he is also a Christian.

Jackson had to tie three of the suitcases on the top of the Toyota SUV type vehicle that served as his taxi. Pastor J.P. sat up front with Jackson. Brian and I sat in the second seat and Everett took the drop down seat in the baggage area of the vehicle. What I thought would be a short trip to a local hotel turned into an hour and a half journey to the city of the conference, Anand. Even though it was dark outside it was immediately apparent that this is not your normal North American town. The British influence is seen in the cars and on the road system. Traffic travels on the left side of the roads—well, they are supposed to—and the steering wheel is on the right side. Our driver honked and flashed his lights at anyone who took too long to get over and move out of our way. Fortunately, as we got out of the city we were able to take a new highway and the traffic was greatly diminished.

We arrived at the Surabhi Regency Hotel in Anand about 2:30 AM. Pastor J.P. and Everett were hungry so they ordered room service and I retired to my room, room 405. It was a Spartan room with all the necessities provided. It contained a full sized bed, a four inch mattress covered only with a sheet, two folded blankets and two strips of rough sheet-like material for covering, and two very thin pillows. There was a window A/C unit and an overhead fan. Those were essential luxuries in this tropical climate. The floor was ceramic tile and the entire bathroom was tiled. It had the European style shower, basically a spray spout and a drain in the floor, a sink and toilet. They provided the complementary bar of hotel soap and a towel … nothing else. They don’t use toilet paper. I didn’t ask how they handled hygiene. I was just glad I brought a small pack of Kleenex. I also brought antibacterial hand sanitizer which I used faithfully … especially after shaking lots of hands! Sounds like I have a phobia of germs. Actually, my goal is to make it all week without getting sick! The room had a closet, four hangers, a counter / desk top, a small television, two sitting chairs, a small coffee table, and a gliding love seat (kind of like a twin size rocker except it swings rather than rocks … if that makes sense).

The sheets were somewhat stained so I used one of the blankets to cover the sheet and pillows. I put the sheet strip over the blanket, and then used the remaining sheet strip and blanket for covering once it got cool enough to cover up. I had no trouble going to sleep.

2006-10-26T00:10:00.000-07:00

Teaching at the conference in Anand, Gujarat, India. Gabriel was the interpreter for all sessions.

#4 – The conference begins

2006-10-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

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.

#5 A Full Day of Conference

2006-10-24T06:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Saturday was the first full day of conference starting at 8:30 AM. Brian asked that we all meet together before service to discuss the day’s schedule and objectives. We planned to meet at a café downstairs in front of the hotel. We found that the café was closed down so we went back in the hotel and met in Brian’s room, #406, and ordered room service for breakfast. We had cheese omelet, toast, and coffee. It was surprisingly good. Most everything in India is a little spicy … usually a whole lot spicy! The coffee was kind of a latte. To get just plain coffee you had to order “service coffee” – being interpreted that was a carafe of hot water a dish of instant coffee, another of sugar cubes, and a small container of milk. But, hey at 24.00 rupees that was only about .60 USD. The cheese omelet was less that 2.00 US and the toast another .60. Pretty cheap breakfast in our economy!

Everett preached a tremendous message on the dwelling places of God from the tabernacle, tabernacle of David, Solomon and Herod’s Temple and finally dwelling in our lives. It was a perfect complement for the message I was feeling led to preach, “Built on the Rock.” I continued the theme that God is establishing His church --- the people of God in this world.

We broke service about 1:00 PM and greeted some of the people before lunch. Pastor J.P. introduced us to two pastors from another area. One older gentlemen was a pastor in a remote area of much difficulty. A man that had been an enemy of this pastor and the church drowned in the river. When the pastor heard of it he went and prayed for him and witnessed the man restored from the dead!

Another pastor formerly worked for an airline based in New Delhi and had a very good salary. He resigned his position and returned to his home to start a church. He now pastors 9 churches. There are some incredible men of God among this group!

We went back to the little restaurant near our hotel, “Three Musketiers.” What I ate yesterday seemed to be safe so I ordered it again – actually Pastor J.P. ordered it for me without asking! We talked to Gabriel about coming to CLC. His application is pending approval for an educational visa. Pastor J.P. suggested that he come and prepare himself for future ministry in India. He and his wife, Delin, are prepared to come next semester if they can get their visas approved.

We returned to the hotel for about 45 minutes before the next service. I debated taking a quick nap but I also needed to email my family to let them know I’m still alive. There is a little Cyber café less than a block down the street from the hotel. Email and internet won out over the nap. I removed my shoes at the door (in compliance with the sign posted by the door) and logged on to my assigned computer. They had about eight computers lined in a tiny hot room. Ceiling fans fought furiously against the heat. The connection was slow and the keyboard a little dirty but I was able to log onto Yahoo mail and return four emails in about 20 minutes. I paid out. It cost 10 rupees (about .25 USD). I could get used to living here! … Well, maybe not all the time.

I got back to the hotel and sat down for about five minutes before it was time to go again. Back to church! Pastor J.P. preached on “God’s name.” God is revealed as the “I AM” but He wants to be called by other names. He was called the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Other passages identify Him as the God of Daniel, the three Hebrews, or of Elijah. He is looking for someone to stand in the gap. He wants to be called by your name, the God of YOUR NAME. The “Church of God” is mentioned eight times in the New Testament. All references are to the “body of Christ” not a building or temple. – People responded very well to his message.

Brian Henry preached the “God of water and fire.” He gave an altar invitation for those desiring the Holy Spirit, then for those with other needs. Twenty were filled with the Holy Ghost and about ten experienced healing.

Sunday Afternoon Tea

2006-10-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon, a little lunch and some Indian Tea before the next session. We really didn't plan to dress alike! But, it was Sunday ... seemed like a good day to wear a white shirt!

#6 Sunday, The Center of Conference

2006-10-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Sunday service started about 9:00 AM. Because it was Sunday the schedule was changed up a bit and we only had three services instead of four! Another difference in the service was that they received an offering. I noticed the offering cans over at the side in other services, but this was the first where an offering march was organized and apparently the people knew that this would be a part of the service because they quickly responded, joining the march to bring their offering to the front. Another feature of the Sunday morning service was that several people, men and women, were called on to come to the platform and share their testimony. Following the sermon there was also recognition of three birthdays this week. Candy was passed out among the congregation that was provided for by parents of a couple of young boys who had birthdays.

Everett preached in the first service, “I need a Rest.” He talked about the Sabbath under the law and how there was also to be a Sabbath rest every seventh year and a Jubilee on the fiftieth year. After the Babylonian captivity the Sabbath became a day of worship and assembly in the synagogues that were constructed in the restoration.

We had some lunch on the conference grounds. It was typical Indian fare, rice and Dal (a bean that looks like corn), followed by Indian Tea. The Indian Tea was quite good. It reminded me of the Chai Tea from Starbucks. Back at the hotel I was finally able to take a nap. When I got up after about thirty minutes I had time to study and to enjoy a Coke and some snacks. We returned to the conference center about 4:00 PM for the next service. I preached, “Follow Me!” There was a good response in the prayer service following the message.

Between the services we enjoyed another round of Indian Tea. Their teacups are very small and the tea is very hot. However, they have tea several times a day so you never need a lot at one time.

Tonight was a dance service! Certain songs just seem to bring the dance out of these Gujaraties. The women had a version of “ring around the roses” in their dance. The men were more freestyle and the young boys had a terrific time of jumping and leaping. While there is an element of natural expression, it also reflected their joy of the Lord.

Brian Henry followed with a powerful message as well.

Baptism in Jesus' Name!

2006-10-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

One of twenty who were baptized in Jesus' name on the Hindu New Year!

#7 It's Monday!

2006-10-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 23, 2006

We went to bed with the sounds of explosions all around us. These Hindus definitely know how to celebrate the New Year! I thought America was bad around the fourth of July with all the wasted money blown up in fireworks. This place celebrated for several days. Every evening you could see roman candles and other fireworks displays going off around us contributing to the cacophony of noises around us. On their New Year’s Eve celebration (last night) the noise maker of choice was firecrackers. It was similar to the Chinese New Year in the States. They set them off by the string, continuing their explosions for minutes at a time. An occasional louder boom sounded like M-80 exploding. This continued well after midnight and to my surprise started early this morning (by 7:00 AM). It made great video footage. I can narrate a story line as though we were under gunfire and heavy artillery attacks!

We delayed our departure a little this morning because Gabriel, our interpreter, had to take the morning off because of allergies from the dust stirred up in last night’s dance. He was suffering some congestion in his chest that began to affect his voice. He is an incredible worship leader and interpreter, fully pouring himself into the conference. He would sometimes lead worship and singing for over an hour and then turn around and interpret the message for another 45 minutes to an hour. This is repeated in four services each day. It is no wonder that he is beginning to suffer some limitation. Another young man, Linus, from Ahmedabad was also able to play the guitar and lead worship today to give Gabriel a little more of a break. Pastor Oneal was asked to preach in the first session today so that Gabriel would not have to interpret in that session. It was appropriate to hear from Pastor Oneal. He is the brother of Pastor J.P. and is the local pastor in Anand. He was the emcee in most of the services and was a blessing in the conference.

They were also preparing for a baptismal service during the early session. Because of threats against conversions to Christianity by fanatical Hindus the church has had to be a little more secretive about baptisms. Hindu is the official religion in India. Official estimates for the percentage of Hindus vary. Some say 70 percent while others claim more of the population has embraced Hinduism. In Gujarat, a more radical form of Hinduism is practiced. The current political leader has tried to repress Christianity which has emboldened the attacks by fanatical groups. As a result of some of these attacks, the church does not announce the baptisms publicly. One on one and in small groups they spread the word that baptism will be given and they will be notified when things are ready.

The service continued while those that were ready for baptism gathered outside the tent. Initially, there were 17 that professed their faith and desire to be baptized in Jesus' name. We walked down the dirt road and onto the narrow paved road to a fenced lot that we passed each day coming to the conference. It was only about ¼ mile from the conference center. We stepped off the road through an iron gate leading to a small pasture covered with grass and several trees and bushes. The church men had built a rectangular baptismal tank of cement in the middle of the lot surrounded by trees. Though not completely hidden from the road it did provide the feeling of some seclusion where people could be baptized without fear of interruption. The lot was owned by a Hindu man that Pastor J.P. had met. He agreed to the use of his property for the baptisms. Afterward the men will destroy the tank and remove it from his property.

The tank stood about four feet tall and was large enough for the pastor and candidate to get into the tank and have room to baptize. Two step ladders were used to enable people to climb into and out of the tank. One by one candidates climbed into the tank to be baptized. Pastor J.P. performed the baptisms. Because of abuses by some pastors who have charged candidates to be baptized, some ministers now ask for a signed testament from the candidate that they received no compensation for performing the baptism. It is safest just to allow local pastors to baptize the converts. When all was said and done, twenty were baptized in Jesus’ name!

Young and old lined up for baptism. The youngest looked to be about 10 to 12, the son of one of the church elders. The eldest could have been a grandmother. Gabriel told us the story of some of those being baptized. One had left Faith Church for awhile and had been baptized in the titles by a Trinitarian church. Now that she has come back to truth she wants to be baptized in Jesus’ name! Another man was very poor. He had been to several churches but because he was unable to contribute they were shunned. Pastors would not come to pray in their home and they were not accepted in the congregations. When they came to Faith Church they found acceptance and love and a pastor who would care for them regardless of their ability to contribute. Another lady came for baptism. She had attended churches, but when one of her sons embraced homosexuality she was shunned by the church she attended. No one would speak to her. When she came to Faith Church she found welcome and acceptance, people who would love her and pray for her son. The final one to be baptized was a former Hindu man. He is lame in one leg and requires a walking stick to get around. He was warned by the Pastor that if he became a Christian he could lose his disability benefits provided by the state. He still chose to embrace Jesus and be baptized in His name!

In the service following the baptismal service Everett preached on the increase of God’s presence and the illumination of the Spirit. His sermon title was “It’s getting bright in here.” He talked about the difference in reflection, refraction, translucence, and transparence with respect to showing God’s light.

After the session we went down the way to our “favorite” lunch spot. However, it was closed due to the Hindu New Year. We crossed the median and went by another place across the street. It was also closed so we went on to a third. It was a nicer restaurant. They had an air conditioned dining room downstairs. Today seemed a little more humid and still in the 90’s so the A/C was most welcome. The food was tasty, but very spicy. I was concerned that it would not settle. Thanks to my Rolaids I think I survived it!
For lunch “Hindu New Year” we found a restaurant still open

Before the next service we had a meeting with all the pastors in attendance at the conference. There were about 25 pastors present. The group has at least 62 churches total but not all were able to come. Pastor J.P. had the three of us (Everett, Brian, and me) speak to these pastors. We each spoke words of encouragement. They are a wonderful group of men. Two of them lost their homes in the recent monsoon floods, yet they were at the conference worshipping God, smiles on their faces.

After Pastor J.P. talked for a little while we immediately went into the next session. I spoke on “Recognizing the Voice of God.” A disciple hears the voice of the shepherd and follows!

After having a cup of Indian Tea we went back to the hotel for a pit stop and refreshment and then returned for the evening service. Brian preached in the evening service, “Press on, Hold on, and Move forward.” There was a good response to the message this evening.

Everett left after the service to return to Ahmedabad. He has an office there for his internet company and he needed to get some work done before he leaves on Friday. One of the men in the church has a van that he uses for taxi service. He used to have an auto-rickshaw and Everett called him “Brother Rickshaw.” Now he calls him “Brother Van!”

His ride came by the hotel where we had a quick bite to eat from the room service menu. Between cheese omelets and grilled cheese sandwiches we made it pretty good. Even their French fries were good!

The Practice of Prayer

2005-06-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” The aged cliché speaks volumes of truth of the effects of prayer. Logically, you may wonder what is it about prayer that can accomplish anything. You think or speak your desires into thin air. There seems to be no one listening. It is as though you talk to yourself in quiet retrospect.
However, our prayers are directed to God, who knows everything, is everywhere, and has all power. It’s incredulous to think that he waits on our directions, our requests, or our pleas, before he can act. Some may reason, “If God knows all and can do all why not just let him run things and don’t bother to talk to him about it.”
We are never to approach the spiritual with carnal logic. Some things will never be logical but they are correct. Jesus didn’t say, “If you pray,” but rather “When you pray.” He gave us examples of prayer and taught us how to pray in the pattern of “the Lord’s prayer.”
He prayed for the will of the Father so we may also seek his will. He prayed before major decisions so we would also seek direction before drawing conclusions. He prayed for others that we would intercede for someone else. He blessed food so we might also consider the giver of our daily bread. Jesus prevailed in prayer that he might be powerful in person. So let us follow his example.

Waiting on the Wings!

2005-06-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).
The purpose of God is fulfilled in us as we surrender our lives to him. Occasionally or often, in His Will, we may find ourselves waiting. What at times may feel like inactivity and stalemate may be purposefully applied delay to develop patience and Godly virtue in our lives. It is a whole lot easier to do “something” than it is to wait! Have you ever had to wait on someone when you were late or anticipating an exciting event. It is the most difficult thing ever done just to stop, sit down, and do nothing, while waiting.
Not all of our activity is tremendously productive. It is often “slow go,” incremental measures of accomplishment. We have known the snail pace of walking in His Will while seeing little return on our effort. We must not give up. We “shall walk and not faint.” “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9).
Also in His Will, we may run! Times of expended energy and rapid movement are often where we feel the most productive, the most significant. We may feel that if we have put forth effort, work, and energy, our own labor has produced the results. But, it is all a part of the process.
Flying is the fun part. When the waiting is done, and the walk turns to run, then it’s time to take wings and fly! Nothing is more exhilarating than flight; take to the air and watch the ground fall away as the mighty rush of wind lifts you to new heights.
But, anything that flies has to land sometime, especially when it is time to regain strength. Isaiah said it’s in the waiting that our strength is renewed, “They that wait upon the Lord.” So we wait, and we walk, we run, and sometimes we fly.
All of these postures are experienced in the foundation, growth and development of a new church plant. Be not weary in well doing. There’s a new season coming. While it seems that all we do is waiting … we will fly!

Miraculous Demonstration!

2005-06-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Miracles are commonplace with God and impossible with us. Whenever God speaks miracles take place; when he moves the impossible occurs. Bound by the flesh, we know our limitations, and by logic know the things that are not possible. However, when God is working with us we are no longer bound by the limitations of reason. Unexplainable things occur and God receives the glory.
If it were possible for us to initiate the impossible and activate the miraculous then we could also claim some of the credit. Since we are totally incapable of performing miracles or instigating the supernatural, when it does occur we must acknowledge divine intervention.
Throughout the ministry of Jesus the miraculous signs helped the people to see the source of the supernatural. When the impossible happens, Jesus is glorified. The skilled surgeon is caused to acknowledge a higher power. The one who is delivered must confess it was nothing of his own doing. An authentic miracle magnifies the majesty of God and humbles the recipient.
We desire to see the miraculous demonstration of the awesome power of God in our ministry, our lives, and in our churches. This will not happen if the purpose of the demonstration is to bring us to prominence and acclaim among our peers. The less we see of ourselves, the more we will see of God. As our motivation for self-exaltation is diminished, our passion to see the glory of God will be illustrated.
The world is desperate for a demonstration of the power of God. Jesus is the answer for the hopeless condition of our world. We can expect miracles to happen as we hide behind Christ and put him first in all we do!

Experience Grace!

2005-05-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

How does one “experience grace”? It sounds like an advertisement for a new ride at Great America, or a new game for your Xbox. However, the neatest thing about this billing is that there is no charge, no subscription fee, no origination fee or recurring maintenance fees. Christ has freely given us the opportunity to have the experience!
To experience grace is to experience salvation. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The act of grace provides salvation and also effects salvation when received by faith in Jesus Christ.
To experience salvation is to experience the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through his great grace he has extended grace to us in the offering of himself as a substitute for the penalty of sin. The message of Easter is the power of salvation, Christ’s death, burial and resurrection! The cross commenced it, the grave contained it, but the resurrection confessed the power of the Gospel and conferred to us deliverance from the bondage of sin and death! Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
The “experience” of grace continues in our lives until the day we stand in his presence! His grace is our guide, our inspiration, our hope! God, “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9).
Experience His grace again and anew today!