This was originally written on Thursday, 5/12, but due to internet problems and busy schedules I'm posting it today...

First off, our deepest apologies for not updating the blog in the last week. Let me assure you, we are healthy, happy in the Lord, and having a wonderful time. If you had been here you would not blame us at all, because you would have seen how busy we’ve been (we haven’t done laundry in almost a week either – yeek!) It would take hours to tell you all about everything we have seen and heard in the last week and everything we have thought about it, so instead of trying to cram all that into one post, I’m going to share some pictures with you and give you the highlights and once again you will just have to wait until we get home to pepper us with questions :)

Wrapping up where I left off in our last post, here is a picture from the last day of VBS…

You will notice three shining, white faces in this picture instead of only two. Allen Graham, a long time supporter and friend to HBA and Pastor David’s family was with us visiting from April 19 – May 9. We had a great time visiting with him, hearing stories about his life and previous visits to India, and carrying out ministry with him. Much of Allen’s life has been dedicated to children’s ministry, so he especially enjoys being in India during VBS. Throughout the week, we averaged about 50 children each day, with the most kids coming on the last day – about 65. A large number of children came from Muslim families – maybe a third of those attending. What a privilege it was to be able to get to know them a little and teach them about the Lord Jesus Christ. David said most of them have never been to church at all before. Several of them also showed up for Sunday School this week. Please pray with us that the seeds that were planted in their hearts will land on good soil and bear much fruit!

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday last week we also got to travel to villages where HBA is working with David and Allen. Wednesday and Friday were a wonderful time of fellowship with the believers in the village and with each other; both nights we had a wonderful time praying on the drive back to Nellore, asking the Lord to work in the lives of those we had met and prayed for and praising Him for His goodness. The working going on in village we visited on Wednesday is very new and there are still only a handful of believers. We shared a very simple Gospel message with them, inviting them to know the one true God. The evangelist in that village, Simon, drives an auto to make the money his family needs in addition to HBA’s support. (At this time, HBA is only able to support the evangelists for about a sixth of their basic needs, so all the evangelists have jobs where they work in addition to being in fulltime ministry.) Simon makes it a point to share the Gospel with every person who gets into his auto. Please pray that the Lord will give Him a great harvest as he tells all who come across his path of the love of Jesus Christ.

Thursday’s visit was scheduled to be along the same lines as Wednesday and Friday, but the Lord had different plans. Early in the afternoon, David received a called that one of the church members in the village we were planning to go to that evening had died. Because Indian tradition says that no one in the family or village may eat until after a dead body is buried, the bodies are always buried promptly. After David had purchased a simple woven basket as a coffin, we left for the burial service. It was much like many other funerals or memorial services I have attending, people paid their last respects to the body and Allan shared a short message about the hope that we have in Jesus Christ and the importance of how we live and die. Afterward, the body was carried out into the rice fields, where a deep hole had been dug at the edge of the field. We prayed and she was buried. What stood out to me were not the slight differences of culture and tradition, but the great similarity we share with all people. I look forward to the day when I will meet this sister and be able to hear her story and praise God with her.

All of life has seasons, and Wednesday and Thursday this week we were able to witness a very different season in the life of two Indian couples. Bethany and I had the great honor of attending two Indian weddings this week. The first wedding was early Wednesday evening, and was a very small simple wedding in between two poor young people.

There are so many Indian wedding traditions that I can’t possibly tell you about all of them, in the picture above I’ve highlighted a few. Marriage in India is not a only personal choice, sometimes it has little or nothing to do with the desires of the young people. In this case, this was a “love marriage,” one initiated by the couple, but it still must be officially blessed by the families (left). The wedding chain is worn by all married women in India. In this case, it is a thin yellow rope (yellow is the color for long life and health) with a small gold medallion on it. Even in the poorest families there is gold on the wedding chain; in weddings among the middle and upper classes, the rope is replaced after the wedding with a gold chain (see center picture). The picture on the right is of the family blessing the couple at the end of the wedding. After the spoken blessing, everyone threw rice that has been tossed in turmeric at the bride and groom symbolically blessing them with long life, health, and plenty.

Many of you will remember, in February, we attended a betrothal ceremony. Wednesday, after the wedding, we piled in to the jeep with the whole family and traveled to the festivities marking the night before the wedding. We saw many, many traditions played out we had only a vague knowledge of before. Our favorite one involves more turmeric… :) At the end of the night, the bride was seated on a sheet and in front of her were placed several dishes, in one of them is turmeric mixed with oil. The woman of the bride’s family and her close friends take a scoop of the turmeric and smear it on the bride’s face and hands (her sister even made her lift the hem of her sari and smeared it on her feet), then they sprinkle rise mixed with turmeric on her head, blessing the young woman with health and long life.

She looks so happy. We could tell that she felt very loved by all her family.

Because we’re Americans, we got to “bless” her as well. Our hands are still yellow :)

The wedding of Swarnalatha and Chakravarthi was today (Thursday). We are praying that the Lord allows them a wonderful life together serving Him!

That is a quick overview of the last week – I hope you enjoyed it :) On Saturday, we are taking the train to Chennai to visit a friend for a few days. We will be back in Nellore the middle of next week. Please pray for safe travels and opportunities to love those around us even while we are resting.

Grace and peace to you!