Harry & Andrea

Here in this part of South Asia, “the village” is synonymous with “the country.” Even though we went to several villages with different names that were all part of a larger district, they would say we went to “the village.” So, we went to the village this weekend in the next state over. And like the country it has a slower pace with many more open spaces and lots of friendlier faces.

We played the national passtime “chicken” with our car for about 4 hours to get there on roads–some dirt, some paved, some barely long enough for two vehicles–in a land without rest areas. A car would honk and refuse to move. A bus would be in the wrong lane or trying to pass another bus on a bridge big enough for one a half cars. But we made it.

We helped celebrate the opening of a sewing center for the women to use for sewing and incidentally for the sharing of the gospel. These people really know how to welcome someone. We were greeted as we stepped out of our cars with a crowd of people happy to see us. A brightly-colored tent was set up and it seemed like everyone had a smile and handshake for us. If that wasn’t enough, we were asked to sit on stage as guests of honor in chairs while everyone else sat on the floor. And if THAT wasn’t enough, we were given flower necklaces to put around our necks that reached to our thighs and shawls to wrap around us. It was humbling and even a little uncomfortable to be treated like this. Why us?

After the sewing center ceremony, we went to another village to lead a program that included skits, songs and speaking–all flavored with the gospel. It was dark; people were sitting on the ground; the speakers were hand-made; and we had to use interpreters. But looking at the faces of these people, you would have see nothing but happiness. At the end, we offered to pray for the people in a village that has a history of violence to Christians. Many came forward for prayers that they could not understand from people they did not know. But God knows.

On Sunday morning, we did a program for about 600 kids. It was amazing to see their faces light up as we sang, performed skits and shared the gospel through an interpreter. I offered smiles to the girls, praying that God would provide for them in a culture that doesn’t cherish girls and sometimes disposes of them. We did the hokey pokey. And at the end, they danced to traditional music and invited us to join them, as if to say, “We’ll show you the hokey pokey!”

I wish I could tell you the names of these villages or the people in them, but know that God has know them from the beginning. Please take a moment and pray that He will reveal Himself as the One, True God to these people who worship many gods and whose eyes have been blinded to the truth.

Two buses trying to get across a bridge that's too small!

The sewing center building, filled with people to celebrate its opening.

Harry and I being showered with flowers and shawls.

Harry talking and praying with some guys in one of the villages.

Harry being arrested (by a former police officer) in one of the skits.

One of our team members leading worship to the crowd of children.