Good Experience FOUR

On a mission trip in India, one day we were going into town to get some things needed for a festival.  However, we had a few difficulties executing that plan.  The first one was that it was a national holiday celebrating the Hindu festival of colors called होली (Sanskrit or Holi) which can last up to 16 days. Because of the festival, all the shops were closed so we couldn’t buy the things we needed.  Turns out it didn’t even matter because all of the gravel pits were closed too.  We decided we would have our driver take us to Senapati where we’d meet up with the medical team and figure out a new plan.  We began the 2 hour drive but every few miles we’d abruptly stop.  On either side of the highway were youth standing with small buckets.  Just before we’d pass them they’d walk out into the middle of the street or pull a rope so we’d slam on our breaks in order to not hit them.  The youth were brightly dressed and smeared with different colored paint.  They would ask us for money so they could have a party celebrating Holi.  Our driver would tell them we were part of the medical team and then they’d usually let us pass without any defiance.  One roadblock did throw stuff at our car as we were pulling away.  We didn’t ask our guide what the clearish liquid now covering our bodies was.  We thought it best not to know.  After several encounters I felt the Holy Spirit convicting me of all the opportunity to share Him we were missing out on.  I asked my team what they thought about going back and sharing with the girls we had just passed.  After some debate we told our translator, Thomas, and our driver, Rhaju, that we’d like to go back to the people we just passed.  We did a u-turn on the highway and were back in eye-sight of the girls.  We got out of the car and walked across the street near the market and began playing some music.  Instantly we drew a crowd.  The drama team performed creation and then Mike Scheel presented the Gospel.  Deep down I knew that God was going to do in this place just as he had planned before I was even born.  But I couldn’t help pray God please, PLEASE let at least one person come to know you so that my team doesn’t think I’m crazy.  They’ll never listen to me again if no one raises their hand! Mike then gave an invitation to accept Christ.  In a crowd of about 200, 152 came to Christ.  Praise the Lord! The day had started out discouraging and ended as one of the highlights of the whole trip.  I remembered that although I may not understand it most times, God had been in India well before me and laid the exact path that our team was supposed to walk.