Pictures from India

The team is leaving now, going back to their various cities and towns in the UK, US and Canada. Once again, it is hard to imagine that we have not all known each other for years; I never cease to wonder at how God joins people's hearts to quickly and deeply in the midst of Kingdom activity. As always, saying goodbye is bitter-sweet. Christina and I remain for two days, then off to Australia for a tour of conferences and meetings.

For now, just a few memories and images from the past two weeks.

While driving in the vans to feed the beggars around the railway station, we see a man half-naked lying still on the sidewalk. I think he is dead. Vijay jumps out of the van and goes over the check him out. There is a filthy blanket nearby-more a rag really-that he covers the man with. He is mostly unconscious and trembling. So little to be done in the midst of overwhelming poverty that I have no words to describe. Yet Vince's simple gesture touches my heart deeply. Mother Teresa was so right when she said that we can do not great things, only small things with great love.

Sunday evening. Vince's team has worked for weeks for this moment-a concert on the beach in the center of town. As the band plays the people gather. Then Ken and Deb begin to sing. I had no idea how talented they are, how much stage presence they carry.  Now the crowd surges forward. The young ones begin to dance and shout, waving their arms to the beat of the music. In a few minutes there are over 10,000 people. The traffic on the main road that runs alongside the beach is stopped as people get out of their cars to listen. The energy is palpable, electric. After some time, Vince and I address the crowd. They are really listening. We finish with an invitation to pray with us to ask Christ into their lives. Then we ask those who prayed that for the first time and from their hearts to raise their hands. Hands everywhere. The Impact team prays for hundreds. More salvations; people sharing with them their deepest hurts. We leave thankful, but deeply moved.

About 50 of the boys from the prison gather outside, sitting on blankets as we sing songs, do skits and generally try to bring some joy. Danielle is incredible, leading them in songs, at ions, impromptu games that she makes up on the spot. Everywhere I see smiles. Yet as I look just thirty feet away, I see the 20 foot high prison walls rising ominously. Many of these children have no memory of life on the outside; they don't know who their parents are, or if they have siblings. Now two boys jump up and run into a building. In moment they emerge with a large box. They now have something to shoe us. It is a magic show. Some of the tricks are simply charming; to my surprise, others are mystifying. All the boys cheer their friends on wildly; so do we. Somehow in the midst of this prison, in the midst of profound abandonment, the boys find some joy, some pleasure. What a lesson for us all.

The final medical clinic is now over. The tents are being taken down for the last time; the meeds are being counted and sorted. We are preparing for a final gathering in a church with the Impact team and the Friends Meet team. I go back to the tent to find my friend so that we can look at a piece of land for a few minutes. Coming around the corner, i am momentarily confused by what I see. There he is with another team member and the Hindu doctor who has served so diligently for all six clinics. Then I understand: he is leading the doctor to Jesus. Something about this final salvation, after seeing perhaps 3,000 or more come to the Lord over these past two weeks touches me deeply. The faithfulness of our wonderful Savior. 

There will be time for more writing, more reporting; but right now I simply want to savour the memories.