India: October 24

Destination: OM (Operation Mobilization)
Team: Aaron Bailey, Luke Greenaway, Tim Barley, Adam Burke
Duration: October 18-28, 2009
Assignment: Education, Encouragement, Evangelism, Adventure
Today’s Log: October 24
Submitted by: Luke Greenaway


Today was a BIG day! Tim and I were asked to share in the sermon at a youth meeting at the Erukula Church, in a Dalit Village. An OM pastor (Bangarraju) met us at OM headquarters and we drove to the village along with Isaac, another OM staffer.

Tim and I prepared for the majority of the day, but we continued to have great fellowship with Adam and Aaron, and even took in another round of badminton with some OM staffers!

Bangarrau and Isaac drove us to the church, positioned in the middle of the village and about 20 teens and young adults showed up. The service started with a lot of traditional Indian worship music and even thought none of us could understand a word, we all joined in the with clapping and worshipping as everyone else sang their hearts out. Tim gave his testimony and then our team led a song for the youth (Every Move I Make). They all sang with us and laughed at our hand motions and it was really a great experience for all of us. Then I shared a message on 1 Peter 1 and talked about being strangers in this world, the struggles of teens in the USA, and the common trials we share with youth in India. I wanted to share with them that we should not be storing up worldly treasures but rather as followers of Christ we should be storing up our treasures in heaven as Christ called us to in the book of Mathew.

The message went well and the youth seemed responsive to the word and to us throughout the whole night--even though the song, testimony, and message were translated.

After the drive back to the OM base, we spent the rest of the evening resting and preparing for ministry the next day. Aaron, Adam, Tim and I will all be sharing tomorrow at another church in a different village. God is blessing us so and giving us amazing opportunities to see his hand at work and allow us to be used to share his power and love with so many!