Independent Gospel Baptist Church

Sunday Morning: Church at Independent Gospel Baptist Church which Shaju Pastors

Independent Gospel Baptist Church

Sunday morning we were off with Shaju to his Church about 40 minutes away. It was a nice sunny day and hot even early in the morning! The drive was beautiful and interesting. We went through some more agricultural land with banana trees and tapioca trees and rubber trees. There are many rubber tree areas here. The ministry even has a small plot which generates some income for the ministry. It kind of reminds me of tapping Maple trees. They make a spiral cut around and down the tree and then suspend a “cup” to collect the rubber.

John Preaching with Shaju Translating

When we got to the Church they were holding their Sunday School. Most of the congregation is what they called “day Laborers” which means low paid workers, usually agricultural workers. Most walk to Church – some more than a few miles. One older man who finds it painful to walk still walks to Church and doesn’t accept rides. It was basically a one room Church and when we got there we were warmly welcomed.

90+ yr old Church Member 

As Sunday School ended and the service was about to begin, they started singing. The only instrument was a drum played very loudly. The singing was loud and passionate! Again the women were on one side and the men on the other. Children were in front and sat on the floor. After a number of songs they introduced us and John went up to preach. Shaju translated and the congregation listened intently. After the message they took a tithe. They had 2 plastic boxes on the table in front and first the ladies came forward and put their tithes in the box. Then the men. After this they had some singing and then took the offering. Again any who wanted to put something in the offering came forward and put it in the other box, first the ladies and then the men. These were all very poor people but almost all made either tithes or offerings. After the message we went to the back and everyone came by and shook our hands and welcomed us. One thing that is becoming very evident is that despite having very little, there is much worship going on here!

Happy Birthday!

Saturday Evening: Monthly Birthday Party at Children’s Home

Mercy Children's Christian Home

Part of the ministry here is the Mercy Children's Christian Home which is an outreach ministry to families and their children in Kerala State. It takes children to 20 ages of five and 18 and provides housing, education, and practical living skills for children who would otherwise not receive any. Each month they have a celebration for all the birthdays in that month. We were fortunate enough to be here for this lunch celebration. The children all gather sitting on the floor in front of the main table separated boys on one side girls on the other and they perceived to do songs, skits, Bible readings and memory verse reciting. It was really touching to see that!

Birthday Children

Then they called up the children who had birthdays which in this case one boy and four girls two of which were twins. Then each one came up to the table where there was a small metal coin box and bunch of coins and put the number of coins of the birthday into the box. After all have done that we were told that the coins would be sent to a missionary pastor of the children's choice. Then each one would come up and cut off a piece of cake. After this everybody went outside for refreshments.

Cutting the Cake!

Pastor and I got to tour the building. It had recently been added to which will give them more room. This will allow them to take in more children both boys and girls.

The living conditions every Spartan compared to what we are used to but the children seem very happy with it. The walls, the floors and the ceilings are all made of concrete and there is not a lot of decoration or pictures or things hang on the walls. The kitchen is an open fire kitchen in the main staple is rice. The plans are to build new kitchen adjacent to the building in the near future.

Shopping in Kottayam

John watches while Julie and Abby shop

Saturday: Shopping in Kottayam

Shibu and Julie and the children took John and I shopping in Kottayam. We had a great day seeing what a small city was like in India. It is very different from home. Most of the shops are small and crowded with their merchandise. Some of the larger stores have a huge number of employees. The one clothing store we went into had all kinds of saris which is the typical dress for Indian women. They had everything from everyday saris to wedding saris that cost a small fortune. The colors are indescribable. Every color imaginable!

I purchased a pair of sandals ($4.00) as that is the footwear of choice here and sin ce everyone takes off their sandals and leaves them by the door before they go into a building it made it so much easier.

Then we had lunch at an Indian restaurant, which was delicious! John couldn’t get enough of the buttered chicken!

We stopped at a Bible Book Store to get the gifts for the graduates – a commentary set. John browsed the books there (you know how he likes books!) because they had a large English section. Then it was home where we only had a half hour to get ready for the Saturday Evening Monthly Birthday party at the Children’s home.

Welcoming Prayer Meeting

Friday Evening: Welcoming Prayer Meeting for John and I at the Church

At the Church next to the Bible College we went to a welcoming Prayer meeting for John and I where we got our first glimpse of what worship in these India Churches

John Speaks with Shibu translating

 Is like. First of all, everybody wears sandals and leaves them at the front door and goes in barefooted. The men sit on one side and the women on the other with the young people sitting on the floor in the front – Girls on one side and boys on the other. We were instructed to sit up front in chairs behind the podium and facing towards the congregation. The time started with some singing lead by one of the students, Solomon, who played guitar. Then we were greeted with a traditional wreath ceremony, which entailed having John, and I to stand up front while representatives from four of the groups that were praying for us came up and put wreaths around our necks. Apparently from the time we told them we were coming we have had all these people praying for us! All the students and faculty, All the children from the Children’s home, and all the Church Plants in Kerala which are quite a few!  It was very touching and encouraging! Then after a few people spoke in the local language which we didn’t understand I was asked to give a “greeting” from AABC . It was a chance to see what it will be like to speak using a translator! Then John brought some words of encouragement and he got his first chance to speak using an interpreter. Then after some prayer we had some refreshments outside and enjoyed talking to many there. We talked to one pastor who wanted us to convey his thanks to Ed Phelps whom he had never met, but whom had been instrumental in providing a motorcycle that he could use in his ministry. Then we went back to the house and shortly went to bed exhausted and encouraged by all the wonderful people we met.

Answered Prayer

Answered prayer (I will add pictures later as we are having trouble uploading them)

John trying to work the iPod Touch

Well our prayers were answered for uneventful travel! All our connections pretty well on time and the flights were smooth. The first leg of our trip, the flight from Rochester to JFK, started with an unexpected bonus – Delta was able to check our bags all away through to Cochin. The travel agent had told us we would have to retrieve the bags and go to the international terminal and then check through again. When we go to JFK we walked to the international terminal which wasn't very far even if a bit windy and chilly.

On the way to Dubai

The flight from JFK to Dubai, our second leg of the trip, was a delight! The plane was an Airbus A – 380 and it was huge! There were two stories  of passengers and in the area where John and I sat was only about two thirds full. John and I had I'll seats across from each other with no one sitting next to us. The service by the flight attendants was superb and with the meals and snacks they served it almost felt like we were eating the entire flight. Both John and I were able to get a little sleep. Well maybe was more like sometimes of half awake slumber.

In Dubai are layover was only about one hour so he essentially got off one plane and onto another. The Dubai airport is extraordinary. It is huge, sparkling, modern, with a couple of waterfalls and fountains in so many stores you would think you are in a mall.

The flight from Dubai to Cochin was about 3 3/4 hours in this flight was full. But it was still a fairly comfortable flight again with great service.

After we went through immigration we found our bags which all made it there and then went through customs. John was concerned that the two drugs of maple syrup that he had in his bag might've exploded or leaked but was not the case. We went outside and Shibu found us right away. We jumped in his car and headed out on the three-hour drive to the ministry.

The drive to Shibu’s was really interesting. It was about 4:00 AM and there was just light traffic to start. The first thing is that they drive on the left side of the road here. And as it was dark it was really disconcerting to see the headlight coming at us in what I believe is our lane! A good thing I wasn’t driving or I would have had a head on or been in the ditch!

The first part of the drive was  through in a more urban area and the traffic was light and it was pretty flat. Then it got more hilly and the roads twisted and turned over them. Every time we came up on slower traffic we would pull out to try and pass with everyone else doing the same. So it seemed to me at first that it was kind of like a demolition derby about to happen or everybody was playing a really big game of chicken! When John asked if they had a lot of accidents here I knew he was getting a little nervous. The further we went the narrower and rougher the roads got until they were what would be considered one lane at home. The “demolition derby” passing still went on no matter how narrow the road was! But you will be happy to know that almost all the roads we traveled on were paved, sort of paved, and mostly with asphalt.

We drove through Kottayam, a fairly good-sized city and then through Kangazha a smaller populated area and then on to the Kerala Baptist Bible College and Seminary and Shibu’s home.