Mission Trips » Sharon India Foundation

Easter Sunday in Hyderabad!

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Apr 052010

Easter Sunday was fantastic! Celebrating Easter with our Indian brothers and sisters was a time of great fellowship. We started the day early to attend Satyanandam’s church for the sunrise service. After that, Andy spent the remainder of the day with Pastor Samuel, while Kevin and I visited our last three churches of the trip! What a great blessing it was to celebrate our Risen
Lord with these sweet people. Sis. Lily was so kind as to buy us some nice, new Easter threads for our visits!

: Here are Andy, Mark, and Kevin receiving garlands from the Elders of Sharon Church, the congregation Satyanandam shepherds.

: Our photo with Kezia, Lily, Satyanandam, and Praveen. What a great family!

: Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

: Alleluia!

: Kevin and I first visited pastor Nahum’s church. After the service he showed us the orphanage his fellow brother in Christ operates.

: Pastor Nahum is very fluent in English and translated for us many times during our church visits and conference speaking engagements.

: Next, we visited and encouraged Pastor Mark’s church. He is currently praying for a shelter for his congregation.

: And lastly, we visited our dear Bro. John Joseph’s church. John Joseph translated many, many times for us during the trip. It was great to visit his church. John Joseph is sitting next to Kevin.

Saturday Youth Conference Photos

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Apr 052010

: Youth Conference held at the OM center April 03 2010

: Kezia and 2 other girls lead in song.

: After delivering two talks, with the day winding to a close, Kevin takes a break on the swing.

: Several of the youth lead the participants in Telugu worship songs.

: Of course we break for tea in between sessions.

: Kevin, Andy, and I learned a Telugu song that we sang for the youth.

: A well respected political leader was invited to the conference and share a few words. He is supportive of Pastor Satyanandam’s efforts.

: Satyanandam gives thanks before lunch time.

: We had the joy of serving the youth when we broke for lunch.

: Photo we took with Satyanandam’s family. Praveen, Satyanandam, Kezia, and Lily

Good Friday in Hyderabad

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Apr 042010

The three of us delivered the Good Friday sermons at individual churches. We started the day as we usually do, meeting Satyanandam’s driver at our condo, and we were dropped off at the respective churches we were going to visite for that day. Andy visited Vara Prasad’s congregation, Kevin visited Satyanandam’s, and I visited Satyanarayana’s church. Kevin’s camera ran out of space and I have yet to receive pictures from Satyanandam and Andy…. so here are the photos I collected from my Good Friday visit to Satyanarayana’s church.

: Satyanandam, Kevin, and I take a quick break in the shade at Satyanarayana’s church. We are drinking coconut water, an electrolyte-rich drink.

: The hall is packed in Satyanarayana’s church for the Good Friday service.

: The young men of the congregation lead the church in a worship song.

: Today’s service called on 7 of the youth to read the 7 sayings Christ spoke from the cross.

: Video of Satyanarayana’s son reciting the books of the New Testament in Telugu. This boy is 8 years old – he has a growth hormone condition which prevents him from growing taller.

: John Joseph translates the sermon I gave on Psalm 2 in light of the crowd’s demanding to pilot: “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” Matt 26:25. Christ’s blood is on all of us, but if you know him only then does it covers over you.

Video of Satyanarayana’s son reciting the books of the New Testament in Telugu. This boy is 8 years old – he has a growth hormone condition which prevents him from growing taller.

Holy Thursday: K Abraham, Rama Mohan Rao, Pastor Moses

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Apr 042010

On Holy Thursday Andy took a respite with our friend Kumara, and Kevin and I visited three more churches. It is such a great encouragement to see these smiling congregations and a profound honor to preach the living Word.

: Our first stop took us to K Abraham’s church. Below are two photos of his congregation.

: Kevin Prays before delivering his last address of the day.

: This pregnant woman at Pastor Moses’ church asks Kevin to say a prayer for her unborn child.

: Kevin and I pose with him and his wife.

: We pray for Abraham’s wife, who is 5 months with child.

: Our second stop took us to Rama Mohan Raio’s church. His older son, pictured below in the red shirt, provided musical accompaniment on the drums.

: Kevin teaching how Holy Thursday looks back to the Passover and how its fulfillment is seen in Christ’s institution of the Lord’s Supper.

: Pastor Moses’ church is a cloth structure in the middle of a desert landscape strewn with garbage and the smell of incinerating trash is in the air. He is located in a neighborhood very hostile to the Gospel, and he has been arrested many times for preaching. His congregation was incredibly welcoming to us. His son asked me if he could come home with us!

Visit to the Tribal Area

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Apr 022010

: We hit the road early to visit the Tribal peoples this particular morning. The drive each way is approximately 4 hours out of Hyderabad. Here we are stopping after a few hours of driving to have breakfast that Sis. Lily, Satyanandam’s wife, prepared for us.

: Andy shares some Bible stories with the children after we finish giving our greetings.

: We pray over the site where the well is to be dug. The local Christians are hoping this well can be a powerful witness of the Love of Christ to this village.

: We take a quick photo, grab a bite to eat at the leader’s house, and we are off! A wonderful day – a near unrivaled experience in our lives.

: While we were on our breakfast break, Bro. John Joseph explained that this man was collecting the sap that seeps out of this palm tree in order to ferment and make wine out of it. He is affixing brown jars to the sawed off limbs.

: As we were pulling into the tribal village we were met by several of the peoples from the neighboring village. They had us participate in a circular dance the words went something like, “Jesus, Jesus is the Word of life”.

: Group photo with pastor Solomon. The SIF is building a well in the Tribal Villiage which is a 100% Hindu populated area.

: We walked into the village with a procession of singing, drumming, and dancing.

: Here are the Tribal people who congregated to participate in the service. You can see the older women wearing traditional Tribal formal wear in the left hand side of the picture.

: Their leader introduces us.

: The tribal women awarded to us garlands and formal hats which designated us as the kings of the village on that particular day. So next time you ask me what village made me king, I will have an answer for you.

: They invited all of us to share a few words – the Gospel and exclusivity of Christ was proclaimed. Bro John Joseph translated, the 3 pastors and leader of the village look on at the right hand side of the picture.

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