In other words, I’ve already been where you are right now.
It’s the way time works.
Our team of James-Michael Smith, Brent Burdick, and I, along with host P.R. Misra, spent our first day with our Indian pastor friends at the Orissa Follow Up Ministry.
Here’s what greeted us:
The campus of OFU is part bible college, part children’s home, and part pastor’s retreat center.
James-Michael Smith was his usual commanding presence as he taught on the book of Revelation. Teaching with simultaneous translation takes special skill and patience, and JM weathers the adjustments better than most.
After I taught on leadership based on the 2012 message series Royal Pains — based on several of the “however” kings in 2 Kings, I shared that what you tolerate today will dominate you tomorrow — we had a time of prayer.
One of our pastor friends traveled 18 hours to get there — all on the Indian bus system.
Another pastor drew 400 people to his church’s Christmas celebration . . . and in response, the rest of the villagers have ostracized him. If he is that effective in talking to people about Christ, they say, then we won’t talk to him at all. He assured us his faith remains strong.
I pray ours will as well.