For those of you on American time...we're about week late letting you know we are still among the living. For those on Indian time, we're about right. So here goes:
Russ and Alice left Stillwater early Friday March 1st. Almost three exhausting days later (lots of flight time and layovers) we arrived in the little Vijayawada Airport, debarked on the runway some distance from the terminal, the plane and passengers duly guarded by a soldier--at ease--with an FN/FAL rifle propped beside him. The heat and humidity enveloped us and Russ decided we had arrived in India.
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| Traffic Jam, Quarry Area |
Wednesday we took a loooong trip to a tribal village about 2 hours southwest of Guntur, the district capital. Behind miles of cotton and red chili fields were abrupt rocky hills/mountains rising steeply from the fertile plains. The hills nearest Guntur were being quarried and the stone crushed for use in concrete all across the state of Andhra Pradesh. Trucks, tractors, workers busy with the machinery needed to demolish the mountains for expanding human cities. Rock dust covered everything: People, roadside plants and trees, workers huts with a thin gray film. Maybe their lungs too... It was about 5PM as we passed this area--or tried to, since everyone was getting out of work or changing shifts, and we were in an impossible traffic jam for an hour.
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| Hindu Cemetery Between Guntur and Narasarao Pet |
Then came the rain. It is usually very dry this time of year, but Murphy (aka Satan) was working overtime. The sky turned black and a visible dark sheet of rain came down exactly where we were headed. Not just rain, but a gushing torrential tropical cloudburst, like the monsoon. We passed through the city/town of Narasarao Pet, where drenched people walked on drenched streets to the incessant noise of political campaigners roaring by in tractor/loudspeaker processions.
Sunset came and we lost our way among the rice paddies on the far side of town. The tarmac got very narrow, full of potholes, and covered with frogs hopping across in the downpour. We finally reached the village of Sathaguribordhu (don't even try...) three and a half hours from Tenali. It was pitch dark, both because of the tropical night and the rain, plus Murphy had caused a power outage. We finally found our way down the maze of narrow winding streets--clogged by a huge herd of goats coming home in the dark wetness--to our destination. There we found the meeting had been cancelled due to the unexpected severe storm and power outage. We would have been the first foreign missionaries to speak to these people, and I believe the enemy did everything to prevent it from happening. We are definitely in a spiritual battle.
Nevertheless we had a sweet time of fellowship with our host, a softspoken Christian man name Yurigagarin ("the first man in space" he explained). He is a social worker in this area and his heart bleeds for the poor tribals here--which is why he invited Johnpaul and ourselves. A candle flickered in a saucer set on the stone floor, rain pounded on the roof and dripped from the porch eaves, and we ate biryani together. To me, it was worth the trip. Please pray for a future opportunity to go to this distant area for God's kingdom.
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| Russ Speaking at Pastors' Meeting |
Thursday Russ addressed a Pastors' Meeting/Mini Conference with the testimony of how God had gotten us through the trials of the past two years. Many of the pastors have known us for ten years, and heard of Russ' amputations--so this was an encouragement for them to see him actively in ministry again. Russ used the verses in 1Peter (Don't be surprised by trials and suffering) and also our life verse, Proverbs 3:5 & 6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
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| Area Pastors at Meeting |
I'd better wrap this up before the electricity goes down again. BTW we do not have internet yet. I'm using Johnpaul's computer. More later, perhaps with photos. Keep praying for us: More ministry tomorrow and the weeks to come, more travel, the blisters on Russ' legs, the mosquitoes feasting on Alice's ankles and feet (Russ quipped that HE hasn't had that problem for two years....) More later. May the Lord be glorified among the nations, especially India today.
--Alice Sharrock
