email from G.B.

Recieved this email from GB who is on a mission trip in India.

We had church this Sunday morning. I was to preach. The pastor picked us up at 9:15. We drove to his church, which was about 15 minutes away. They did some singing. A young fellow was sitting on the back row, in a chair. He started swaying during the music. He had his hands raised, his eyes closed, and he looked like he was in agony. He fell to the floor, and started writhing towards the front of the church, on his belly. He got all the way to the front and started jerking back and forth. He was right in front of me. The pastor was watching him out of one eye. He was getting more erratic. The pastor came around and started praying for him. He kept pointing at me and saying something. I found out later he was saying, "Keep that Englishman away from me." The pastor motioned me over. I started praying for him. He is going bizerk! He starts jerking around on the floor - holding my pants legs. I have one hand in the air praying. The other I am holding a microphone. I am praying. He is pulling on my pants legs. I start thinking, "I am about to lose my pants! Here I am - in the middle of this excorcism, and I am going to be standing here in my fruit of the looms! This is not a good thing. I shorten my prayer a bit. I am done. The pastor continues with the guy! He finally relaxes and his entire countenance has changed. He is at peace. He is raising his hands in praise. He is calm. I thought of the text where the Gospel said the demoniac was clothed and in his right mind. He is praising God.

I preached. We had a man with a burgandy turban come in and sit next to where I had been sitting. After I am done preaching, the preacher gave an invitation type thing. People put up their hands. Afterwards, he had us sit. Then Ted with the Turban came up. He handed me his card. He is a preacher. He starts to preach. For an hour he preached. Afterwards, he gave an invitation. Now Ted has not seen the writhing on the floor guy. During the invitation (second one) the writher heads towards the front again. He and Ted get into a shouting match. Ted has him by the collar. It is definitely spirtual warfare in front of us. It was amazing. Ted tells the crowd to splt, they do, like the red sea between the writher and the front door. Ted and the writher are going at it. Then the writher falls to the floor. Ted starts clapping. The whole place erupts in joy. You can feel the Spirit in the place in a real way. It was amazing. Then, we have the Lord's Supper. (By now, we have been there 3 hours!).

One lady takes the cup and starts writhing on the floor. The pastor tells everybody to back up. He leaves her to writhe on the floor by herself - unattended.

We have a closing prayer. The lady is calmed down.

After church we went upstairs to the pastor's house. He lives above the church. We have cookies and cola. He explains that he has been working with the lady and that she is not ready to be delivered. Oh, we say, as if this is the most normal thing in the world.

We came back to the hotel.

Then we went to the Red Pepper restaurant for lunch. It's now 2:30. We left for church at 9:15 - remember?

We struck up a conversation with the owners, who invited us to go to an open air bazarre with them. We did (kathy Edwards- my team member and Dale McClesky - my roomie). The lady owner is a believer. The husband is not. We go to the bazarre. I bought 3 elephants - but no boxes.

The took us to a Lebanese place where we had rotissary chicken. And then to have hot fudge ice cream sundaes.

They want us to come back and to let them take us to eat at the army base and etc. They are great folk.

We have had a great day. If India stays this much fun, I will be sad to leave. But, if I keep eating like I did today, I am going to have to buy me a sari to start wearing.
gb