One of my goals for this trip to India was to better understand the Yanadis tribesmen for a book project. Sunday night I went with an interpreter and driver and headed out to a group of Yanadis living much as they have for hundreds of years.
This is a special people of simple, carefree souls living off the land. They are exceptionally honest and hard working. I can see why God chose them for revival. Amazing things are happening.
Yesterday I interviewed an evangelist who, three weeks ago, prayed over a deceased man in his coffin. The man came back to life. This after the body was sent home from the hospital where a doctor pronounced him dead.
My Western mind was skeptical. I thought coma, but that does not explain the timing. It was when the evangelist felt God tell him to pray that the man sat up and yawned. I missed interviewing the risen man because he is very much alive and walked from the church an hour before I arrived.
Try as I might, I can’t whittle away at that miracle.
The simple truth is God continues to do mighty works that call Yanadis out of darkness and into light.
So I spent the night with them.
First we gathered in the dirt street outside the church and sang, performed gospel magic, and told children’s stories. Many of the adults were on the other side of the village dancing; something they do for entertainment most every evening. So our little service had competition. I was glad to see the children were more interested in the gospel stories and chose to gather with us. The average age of our audience was about 8. My kind of crowd.
For dinner, we had the usual chicken curry over rice served on banana leaves. After a stroll through the star-lit huts, and chatting by the stream while fireflies dodged about, it was time to sleep.
Most everyone lay down on mats outside their palm-leaf houses, next to their water buffalos and goats. As we walked back through the village, families were lined up on the ground, ignoring our noise and sleeping away.
Three cots were set in the street, under a bare light bulb, and we lay down. No bedding, pads, or mosquito netting; but we were fine. The bugs ignored us and I closed my eyes to shut out the curious neighbors hovering about.
As dawn crept up, there was no mercy for the weary. Roosters crowed under my cot, a dog licked my feet, and an auto-rickshaw put-putted around us. Some women and children were sleeping in the church behind us and once they vacated, I went in with hopes of privacy.
After reading my Bible, I closed my eyes to pray. I tried to block out tiny sounds of others coming and going. I lifted my lids to 12 small faces sitting around me, some bowed in prayer. These children do not go to school because non-tribal students revile them. It was a bit of coup that I was able to leave them behind to find a thirsty bush.
The brothers taught me to brush my teeth with the twig of a neem tree. The wood is aromatic and the process works amazingly well.
Lovely people; it was a joy to learn their ways better. I look forward to introducing many of them to you in heaven.
Today on the way to the airport, we stopped in another village where a small crowd waited under a canopy. I preached, then Rufus got into a lather as he summed up, prayed, and sang three or four songs. Because I can’t understand the words, I can observe the Spirit moving all the better.
Then there was a transition. People brought gifts of fruit, Indian clothes, candy, and money. It turned out to be a hair cutting ceremony.
Children are shorn bald as a right of passage. I had the dubious honor of cutting a four-year-old’s hair and her one-year-old brother’s as well. The scissors were brand new out of the package, but so dull it was a chore to gnaw on the precious lambs. I think the little boy will carry a deep fear of scissors and white people the rest of his life.
Oh yes, there was another naming ceremony, but I saw this one coming and had time to pray first. He will be Phillip.
All and all a grand way to wrap up the India portion of this trip. I came away with a touch of heat sickness, but joy in my heart; those two facts pretty much summarize the two weeks.
On to China. From here updates will come through Dani and I request you do not email me sensitive info. You can respond to Dani. Rufus will be joining us for the first two weeks and I am looking forward to ministry together.
Thanks for the prayers. I realize yours is the more Christ dependant role in our partnership for the gospel. I admire your willingness to intercede. You will have many friends waiting for you in heaven because of your travail.
Lk 16:9 NIV
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
Blessings,
More photos are at:
More photos are at: http://gallery.me.com/don_goulding#100131
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