Wednesday, November 29 -- Bangalore, India

This morning’s schedule allowed our team to tour several ministries in the inner city of Bangalore. We visited a slum area with almost 40,000 residents--it is one of 700 in Bangalore. During our visit we felt like we had been dropped into a National Geographic story and we couldn’t bring ourselves to photograph much of what we saw--extreme poverty, street children, polluted public wells, and row after row of homes that were unfit for the families that inhabit them.

However, even in the midst of that, we saw the Body of Christ working as it should. We visited two schools with 85 and 185 students, respectively, where the children in this area are given the education required to provide for themselves later in life, as well as a saving knowledge of Christ. We visited a tiny clinic that sees over 3,000 patients each month. We also prayed in believer’s homes where congregations of up to 35 people meet in the heart of this Hindu society--congregations where more people come to faith each month. We saw believers being salt and light in spite of their own extreme poverty. They were overwhelmed that we would take time to visit their homes and pray for them…we were overwhelmed at their faith and joy in spite of their situations. Photos could never tell the story of what we experienced.

We treated our tour guides, the pastors and ministry leaders in that area, to an American lunch at Bangalore’s only Pizza Inn. Then it was back to the campus for the afternoon sessions. It seems as though the momentum just continues to build as the conference continues. We are truly humbled and blessed to be participating and serving in this way. It’s just incredible!

Blessings from India!