By Rev. Patricia Torok
<%end if%> <%if pageodd=1 then%>In the beginning was the email....and the email was from India!
A “God Thing” is what I would like to call the string of events
that eventually lead to my trip to
In the midst of this I was in contact with a very amiable lady in California, who has a ministry helping feed the poor and needy. While corresponding with her I made mention of this impending predicament and she said, “Oh, I have a friend in India who is a medical doctor and also a pastor.” She gave me his email address and I immediately emailed him of Sujatha’s condition and need. I informed him that if he would send her the medications I would be happy to pay for it including the shipping charges if needed. In a country the size of India, who but God knew he was only thirty-five miles away. He assured me of his co-operation, and invited Pastor Jaya Kumar and his wife to attend a graduation ceremony of the pastors of 2000 from the Progressive Faith Bible College of which he is the founder. He later examined Sujatha and gave her the medicines she required, after which he wrote to me that she would need to undergo treatment for a period of at least six months. Fortunately, his son Ravi worked for a pharmaceutical company and suggested that he could get the medications at a discounted cost, a small Blessing. Amidst all this no one knew that Sujatha was carrying, it is while I was there she visited the hospital and the doctor determined she was in her third month of pregnancy. She was very weak and anemic and it is doubtful she would have carried the baby without proper treatment. By God’s grace and proper treatment she delivered a healthy baby, Rachael Rose is now six years old.
All along pastor Jaya Kumar and ten other pastors were fasting and praying for God to bring me there. Let me just assert right away, I am not a missionary. I am a Gospel singer and Evangelist. I had never traveled outside my country and did not aspire to do so. Nevertheless, not my will but God’s will be done. I prayed to God to confirm his will to me in a way that I would be absolutely sure that it was God’s plan and no other. At that time I was employed as a switch board operator for the corporate office of a bank. It was a very anxious day at work and I prayed much of the day for God to confirm to me this was His will. On my way home that very same day, a neighbor stopped me at my driveway and said “I have something for you, I have had it in my glove compartment for weeks, I’ll get it for you.” She knew nothing about any of the events stirring around me. She came back to my car and handed to me a small blue tweed covered hardback book written in 1899 called “The Missionaries Handbook.” I still have it to this day. That was the sign I was looking for, but even after I was sure it was confirmed I began to waver for the fear of the unknown. That night I lay awake praying for peace and asking for another conformation and so I said, “Lord, if Dr. Rao invites me then I will know it is you.” That was at 3am, and when I checked my e-mail around 8am, there was a letter from Dr. Rao asking me if I would consider spending a few days ministering in his churches while I was in India! He is an ex-Hindu with an amazing testimony. He has many ministries including a Bible College, free health clinic, a refuge for women and children, and his wife has many women’s ministries also. Now it was certain that I was going to India to minister the word of God. I planned to minister in the southern part of India in the state of Andhra Pradesh from Nov.5-19. I had purchased my plane ticket (by faith), which cost $1,879.00, not to mention the expense of passport, visa and immunizations. Had it not been for an unexpected sum of money that I received, I never could have afforded the trip. God made sure that everything was intact, including the finances. It seemed to me that God had not called me to go 10,000 miles across three continents to do any small thing, and so I was confident there was a good reason I was to go. All that has transpired since was beyond the thoughts or intents of this heart; it is from the heart of God.
“Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:1
On the wing of a 747 and a prayer to sustain me, I traveled to India alone; trusting fully in “the call” of God. I had no training in missionary work, and my only guide was a manual written one hundred years ago and the Holy Spirit as my traveling companion. I stood in the jet way looking at my husband with a heavy heart as if I might never see him again. The thought of being separated by 10,000 miles was agonizing. I turned away and could not turn around for another glimpse of my beloved husband. I did not want him to see the tears in my eyes. Walking onto the plane I felt so completely alone and afraid, but there was no turning back, I was a woman on a mission.
I did not know anyone from India, but there just happened to be an Indian Pastor and his wife from Bombay. They had come to America for the first time and were “coincidentally” preaching at my church one week before my scheduled trip. I arranged for my airline schedule to follow their travel itinerary as far as Bombay.
We changed planes in Detroit and then took off to Holland. I knew I had a thirteen-hour layover in Amsterdam, but I thought it would be great to spend the day in Holland. The odds were against me, it never stopped raining, and I never left the airport! The only gratifying incident about that day was the delicious coffee and a T-shirt I got for Ed…the love of my life I left standing at Gate-E in Pittsburgh International Airport.
After an exhausting day in the crowded airport I boarded my flight and settled down into my seat with the realization that with every passing moment I was getting closer and closer to my aspiration. It was about half way between the Amsterdam and Bombay flight over the ocean when the most terrifying thought went through my mind. As I looked down at the vast ocean as far as the eye could see, the thought accrued to me, my luck I would survive the crash only to be eaten by sharks. That was the beginning of a panic attack that left me clinging to the “silver throne in the sky” and searching in vain for a brown paper bag. There I knelt at the “throne” and “prayed!” As I shared this with Dr. Rao later, he assured me I did not have to fear being eaten by the sharks; hypothermia would set in less than one minute. I said, so I would be eaten as a Patty–popsicle! I am not sure he got it (local Indians are not aware of popsicles, they are familiar with the term ice-lolly, Brit. usage.) We changed planes again in Dubai and had another long layover. It is there I saw with my own eyes, Oil Sheiks in their long exotic robes. The Dubai Airport is the most beautiful airport I have ever seen. There were tall columns, about seventy feet high made of gold and resembling palm trees. The women were fully covered with only a see-through screen for visibility at the eye-level, but I could feel their stares. I could not help wondering what they thought of me, a bare-faced American girl. I felt strange and vulnerable, and I felt like an alien, I felt like I had landed someplace I did not belong.
After leaving Dubai it was a four-hour flight to Bombay and we had brief stop to refuel at Abu Dhabi International Airport in Saudi Arabia. It was a refueling stop only, no one was allowed on or off the plane. This was obviously strictly enforced by the men in sand-colored fatigues that blended so well with the surrounding, contrasted only by the dark shiny metal of the automatic machine guns as they patrolled the perimeter. I could visualize in my mind the final composition of an image and I wanted so badly to get a picture but the “voice of reason” in my head said sit tight and quiet, leave the camera in your purse and try to blend in.
Bombay was my first port of entry in India and as most people know you have to check your baggage through customs first thing. I trusted my traveling companions from India to lead me in matters such, having no experience or knowledge at all in international travel, but when we got to Bombay at 1:30am they were so exhausted from the flight it must have slipped their minds (or since it was their first ever travel abroad even they were not aware of such matters.) I just assumed my luggage, a large suitcase and an Ovation guitar I had had since 1979, would be waiting for me to pick up in Hyderabad, but wait that is Nightmare in Hyderabad.
Our plane landed at 1:30am in Bombay, but my connecting flight to Hyderabad was not until 8:30am, which meant spending the night in Bombay. I needed to use the restroom at the airport and that was the first time I ever saw or even heard of an “eastern toilet!” It is flat with the floor and one “squats” over it, some more gracefully than others. Balance is important here; a little bit of yoga practice will be helpful indeed. When I walked out into the night air of Bombay for the first time, having been in air conditioning since I left Pittsburgh, the heat and humidity were so heavy it actually took my breath away. As one freezes in extreme cold weather, one can become immobilized due to the sizzling conditions. I had to stand still for a few moments while my lungs and senses adjusted to the atmosphere. It was probably 95 degrees or so, with at least as much humidity. Some friends from their church met us there with an auto (a three-wheeled taxi) and took us to their small apartment a few miles away. We went inside and settled in for a while and then the pastor suggested we go out for a coke (at 2:30am.) The moment we started walking down the barely-lit narrow filth-ridden street I was startled to see rats the size of Chihuahua's scampering back and forth, flea-infested mongrels going through heaps of fly and insect-infested trash strewn along the road. The stench emanating could have caused irrecoverable damage to my olfactory senses. This was my first impression of India. It was chaotic, my senses were overloaded and I wasn’t sure I could adjust. I remember thinking to myself, what have I done, and I seriously did consider an immediate return to the States in the morning instead of going on to Hyderabad, but the spirit is stronger than the flesh and I went on. I knew that Pastor Jaya Kumar and Dr. Rao would be meeting me at the airport and I was delighted to find them waiting with flowers as they greeted me with open arms.
They were the most welcoming, warmest, and friendly people I have ever met. Like long lost friends we immediately embraced without hesitation. I had been addressing Jaya as “son” and Dr. Rao as “brother” for some time in our correspondences over the past couple of months and when we finally met it felt as natural to me as being met by my family. Fortunately things were beginning to look up, that is until I tried to get my luggage. As I had failed to check my luggage through customs in Bombay they refused to release the luggage. Dr. Rao, Ravi and I went to the customs office right away where I was interrogated for a couple of hours. It took Dr. Rao’s son Ravi five full days at customs on my behalf to finally have my luggage released after being searched. Fortuitously everything arrived in one piece. Had this happened in America I am told, I would have been arrested for not going through customs as soon as I landed and so for that I am grateful. After the ordeal at customs and the realization all I had with me now was what I had packed in my carry on (thankfully my undergarments and personal effects were in that bag) we went to their very nice large apartment where their bedroom was mine, I was their guest. Here in America if a spare bedroom is not on hand then a fold out couch or an air mattress is inflated just for company! Ravi is Dr. Rao’s eldest son; we hit it off like a brother and sister who enjoyed ribbing each other, always trying to “get the other’s goat” so to speak. The hospitality of my newfound Eastern friends was overwhelming to me at times. Jaya and I spent the day in Hyderabad with the Rao’s, had a fine meal of yellow rice, curried chicken, hard boiled eggs, home made bread, and….cold Coca Cola! I got to call my husband from a pay phone. Yes, things were definitely getting better. We spent the rest of the day resting from my flight before the four-hour drive to Vijayawada where Dr. Rao lived, and then another hour to Tenali to Jaya’s house and church.
We were now driving on a dirt road that seemed never-ending, at some points hedged by jungle and tropical foliage with beautiful flowers mixed here and there, stopping for the occasional crossing goat herd. All along there were distinct signs of human presence; a common sight was the deliberately planted banana farms by the local inhabitants who made their living by selling their produce. The banana plants had quite tall pseudo stem and huge leaves; they are a comfort from the sun, as well as a good source of nutrition. During summer babies are actually laid on banana leaves to keep them cooler. Looking out through the rear window of the car I was amazed to see an Indian man in his white linen cloth shirt and pants walking along side two large white oxen held together by a yoke with hand baskets filled with food to sell or carry home. It was an amazing sight for me. The scenery near and yonder were changing constantly, now along this road were canals on both sides. There were women washing cloths and kids in the water at some places and people washing their buffaloes in other places. Buffalo milk is very rich and tasty and the water buffaloes are well-suited for tropical climate. I looked around at this beauty with a sense of awe as seeing something for the very first time, and yet I was not blind of the things that were not. It was on that road to Tenali that I uttered a simple prayer “Lord, open my eyes to the beauty around me and give my grace through what is not.” And so it was…Amen!
As we drew closer to town it began to be much more residential than I had expected and a lot more people than I had expected. The population in Andhra Pradesh alone is sixty-five million and half of them were in Tenali on that day I suppose! It reminded me of New York City in a funny sort of way. I had gone to the Consulate of India in New York City to get my visa on the same day. Applicants can go there at 9am to submit your passport and other needed documents and come back at 5pm for collection and they will hand you your visa. In the mean time we rode the sub ways, but wait that is….Nightmare in New York! In fact, I loved New York City. I would not want to live there but it is definitely a great place to go with a lot to do. Walking through Central Park on our way to the boat to visit Elis Island and the Statue of Liberty was a mime. He was dressed all in silver, even his face and hands were silver, but there was something about him. He placed his hand in mine and the very touch brought such a peace. He never spoke a word, but gently placed his hand in mine and I felt a peace come over me I may never fully understand.
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares.” Hebrews 13:2.
We took the boat to the Statue of Liberty and just enjoyed a beautiful day. It is funny how one never realizes; standing on deck I looked out toward the city. The sky was beautiful blue and I took a picture of New York City from the bay side. The Twin Towers just appeared to be centered in the picture as if they were the point of focus but they were not. I do not know why I took that picture but I am glad I did.
Well, I have gotten off the beaten path again comparing Tenali to New York, certainly not in fashion, mainly just the activity and buzz of people. There were carriages drawn by men on bicycles, three-wheeled autos, bicycles, motorbikes and all those cows! Cows parading down the streets, cows sleeping, cows swatting flies with their tails, I sure could have used one of those tails, I had not thought to pack a fly swatter! Along side all those cows there were pigs, dogs, and chickens as well. At that moment, it seemed to me it was the best of both worlds, country in the city.
I did not mind at all, it was all so different, completely new and exciting. As we rode through the narrow winding streets my excitement grew even greater. I knew we were very close to Jaya’s and I would begin my ministry in this town. He had already planned an itinerary for me and I was well advertised for a couple of months ahead of my arrival. I was billed as an American Gospel singer and I had a twelve-string guitar to sing and play. Of course, it was still being held in Hyderabad but at least they did not detain me and they could have. I thanked God for every Blessing big and small! I thanked him that the plane had landed where it was supposed to and that I was not eaten by sharks! As our car turned onto Andhra Ratna Rd. past the local school I could see the cheerful neighbors and children laughing and saying things I could not understand. Sujatha came running toward us to greet us and welcomed us wholeheartedly. She quickly brought us indoors so as to allay the sweltering heat and offered refreshments. Dr. Rao and Ravi said goodbye as they had a long journey back to Vijayawada. Pastor Jaya’s mother Sarah Abraham, his two daughters Parimala and Shulamitti and his sister Vijaya Kumari were also present and I was glad to have finally reached my destination in Tenali.
When nature calls we will all heed, eventually. There is a saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” There was no way this gal could ”hold it” for eighty kilometers! We were on the road for about an hour when nature called. Well, I am a country girl so ducking in the bush was no big deal, but every time I would try to duck amidst the bush Dr. Rao’s wife Shobha would frantically drag me out in the open and tried to explain the many dangerous critters in the bush and why it was so important to be in the open. Wild animals, poisonous snakes, poisonous lizards, ants, you name it were lurking in the bushes, too many poisonous insects and reptiles to chance! However, being sensitive to my need for a little modesty, she ever so graciously spread her skirt like a peacock guarding me from sight of the main road. She insisted I stay on the beaten path for safety. So there I was, finally feeling content yet dignified being assured I could not be seen from the road when very regrettably I was looking at the backs of two men walking away from me who could have only come from behind me! My first reaction was utter embarrassment and the next was “huh…they did not even notice.” They never paid me any mind or even gave a slight snicker and when I pondered over the embarrassing moment I had a very good laugh. Suffice it to say, I was cured of my shyness the very first day.
After leaving the Rao’s with Dr. Rao driving and Ravi and me in the back, we talked all the way to Tenali. At a certain point we passed a man casually relieving himself on the side of the road and Ravi said ”so…what do you think of that?” I said “Ah, that is nothing, I got to moon two guys my first day here! Actually my first time ever, only the heathen do that here. I then had to explain, “Mooning” to him and we all had a good laugh to the point of tears. It was laughter for my weary soul and much needed relief from the events thus far. I now had a better understanding of the term “Culture shock” which I was warned to expect but could not relate to it until I actually experienced it for myself.
Once inside, I was immediately offered the best seat in the house, a hammock-type cloth-woven chair that gently hugged the contour of my body. My mind raced back and forth trying to adjust to the distinctive change in my surroundings. It was hard to fathom that just thirty some hours ago I was on the other side of the world, sitting in my living room with my husband Ed, in front of a large screen television in an A-frame house with central air conditioning and wall-to-wall carpeting. Here I sat examining the design of the flagstone floor, each piece of stone carefully placed according to its size and shape by Jaya’s father who had built their house forty-three years ago. Pastor Abraham who had passed on less than a year before had taken great care in the construction of their house and church. The living quarters were down stairs and the church was on the second floor. He actually built it around a coconut tree which serves as good support and shades the top of the building. There were three rooms down stairs, the kitchen to the left, family room in the middle, a bedroom to the right, and Bless his heart….an inside bathroom with a western toilet! This man was a visionary! I say that partly in jest, but he had made adequate planning in the beginning that would later pave the way for such changes as inside plumbing. Outside, in the street was a hand pump shared by all those who lived on that street, but Pastor Abraham had put a hand pump inside their house that was protected from contamination, and was the foundation for what would later be internal plumbing with hot and cold running water. He also had electrical wiring, something few houses on the street had, only the school next door to my knowledge. Something else that he had done was to mount a speaker on the outside wall on the second floor where church services were held. With a small sound system he effectively broadcast his sermons that could be heard by passers by for several blocks. It was regrettable that I did not get to meet him and that his life ended at such an early age. He was only 47 years old when he passed. There was a late night prayer service and one of his parishioners from another village needed a ride home which he obliged, using a motor bike. It was during the hot months and on the way home he subcommand to heart stroke and by the time he was discovered he was near death. He was brought to the local hospital, and although too much time had lapsed to save him he was at least comforted by the presence of his wife and children when he departed.
Yes, he was a man who thought ahead. He had sent his three children, two sons, Jaya Kumar and Vijay Kumar, and their older sister Devamani to the Bible College. Devamani was away at Bible College when I was there and returned home a couple of months later. When I was there one of the most requested prayers from the people was for spiritual growth. When I would ask them if they could read, the answer was usually no. Hearing and receiving the basic salvation message is a heady start, but to grow spiritually beyond that requires that one reads the word and build on one’s knowledge of God and forming a “relationship” which is the way to spiritual growth. I saw a need for an adult literacy program and so we established one which met for the first time the night that I left, tutored by Pastor Jaya.
When I went to turn in for the night in “my room” there was a very beautiful comfortable bed. It was very ornate and beautiful, and there was even an air conditioner! Naturally I thought this was Jaya and Sujatha’s bed, but the truth was, they had borrowed the bed and the air conditioner for my comfort. Jaya and Sujatha had never slept in a bed in their life. Well, I did not want them sleeping on a single cot, especially with Sujatha in her third month of pregnancy. I enquired the cost of the bed, a mere $150 and worth every penny and I told them, when I am not here you can sleep in my bed! I brought home the straw woven rug they used to sleep on which decorates my living room floor and is a constant reminder of how Blessed we really are.
The next morning Sujatha was right there with coffee, which is made with buffalo milk and some powder that more or less resembles cappuccino. She prepared some eggs and breads for me to eat. There was a service to honor me at 10am that morning. At first Shulamitti (their youngest daughter at the time) kept her distance from this red-haired white-faced woman, but in days to come she became my shadow and I grew to love her as my own.. I sat up front in the company of such seasoned men of God. I was honored to be counted as one of them. Later, three of the men seated there would take part in my ordination as Reverend. I was adorned in flowers and there was a special celebration ceremony. The man to my right with his head bowed is Pastor Isaac from the village of Emani. It was such a beautiful, highly spiritual service, because the spirit of the Lord was always with me. Often I would awake around 3am and there would be an awesome communion with the Lord that would strengthen me and also give me what I would preach on the next day. I had no experience as a preacher, but I knew whom God calls, He also equips. Jaya and I gave our sermons together. We would study the message we wanted to present, and I would speak and he would translate, except when I sang! One night in a very big service in Emani village, I sang a song by Hank Williams Sr. “I saw the light” and how delighted I was to see their reaction to that song. I remember thinking between verses “If Hank could see this, Hank are you watching?” They were swaying and clapping and drumming on anything they could get their hands on. It is etched in my memory as so many things are from those days in India. Later that evening, I performed a dedication service for Jaya’s brother’s baby whom I was asked to pick a name. I chose Hannah.
This was a wedding held at Pastor Jaya's church the following Sunday. The man was converted to Christianity and the young girl told Pastor, although she wanted to believe and be a Christian like her husband, she felt it necessary to wait until after the wedding. Her mother and father being very devout Hindus, she was afraid that they would not allow her to marry him and bar them from their family. That is a sad truth about the division in families over religious differences. I was asked to sing at their wedding and give my Blessing. I was honored, and sang the only thing I could think of “Amazing Grace.” Jaya was the only one there besides me who knew what I was singing. He interpreted for me while preaching but singing was a matter of melody and style and the lyrics did not seem all that important to them. It was a very beautiful service. She was a very shy and reserved young lady, and did not speak directly to me, but expressed her gratitude to Jaya for my participation. When the ceremony was over everyone went down stairs and celebrated for a short time. Then, an auto was rented for them and they were saying goodbye to their family while I stood inside admiring how beautiful she looked. She was trying to say goodbye to family and friends but kept looking up at me. I wanted to say something to her and all of a sudden, she turned and ran into the house and threw her arms around my neck and hugged me. Of course, I cried, and as I embraced her, I said a silent prayer that she and her family would be saved.
After that ceremony this man “Sreenu” had been attending church there for a couple months, but his wife was still clinging to her traditional Hindu ways. That day Sreenu was touched by the Spirit of God in such a mighty way that he did not want to wait for a group Baptism, he wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. So we took him to Emani village where there is a traditional spot in a canal where Baptisms are usually done. Sreenu was the first soul for the Lord during my visit, in the service that followed the ceremony. He is a gentleman in his thirties, no children; a wife who still holds to her Hindu beliefs, but Sreenu is “sold out” for Jesus! One day, he came running to the church and asked me to accompany him to his house, he said his wife was could not breathe. I am an EMT (emergency medical technician) so I knew what that “could mean.” It could mean a lot of things. In her case she was suffering from a severe asthma attack and had a prescription for an inhaler and medications but she did not have the money to pick them up. We went to the nearest drug store and got the medications and a short while after administering the drugs she was able to breathe normally. Since the humidity is so high, it is particularly hard for people with respiratory problems such as asthma and tuberculosis which is so common there. Later that day Sreenu came by with his cart of banana’s he sells each day in town that he picks from his small banana farm on the outskirts of town. Actually we would pass his small plantation en route to Emani village, a place we frequented so often. He was the first, but within three days we could no longer count the decisions for Jesus. Praise God! We did hold a group baptism later but Sreenu could not wait so we obliged. He never missed another service and would come and visit every day to the church and say “Mum” please pray for me. They called me “Mum” which is a title of great reverence, as in the queen Mum. God has put a supernatural love in my heart for these people and India is my second home. I will visit again soon, God knows when. I have had two trips planned that had fallen through so I know that when it is God’s timing it will come to pass, just like the first time. He will call, and I will go.
The next day we decided to do some shopping in the town. I had to buy some appropriate Indian clothes for the upcoming crusades. My own clothes and guitar had not yet been released by the authorities, and it was as good a reason as any to shop. The three of us, I, Sujatha and Jaya shopped for hours, and I told Sujatha it is a very good American custom called “shop till you drop.” When we had too many packages and were tired of walking, we paid a man who pulled us in a cart that looked like a tricycle. I felt so sorry for him. It was so hot and it has to be hard riding a bike pulling three adults in the hot sun, but he was glad to get the work. He is the Indian version of a taxi driver, who more than earned his tip eventually and importantly without begrudging. He seemed so grateful that we chose him out of the many people trying to do the same for us. There was something about his countenance that I liked. He was a pleasant man in his thirties perhaps and his muscular legs looked like he was fit for the job. We treated him to a cold coke-a-cola each time we got one for ourselves. I bought a fantastic pair of leather sandals for a mere $3.00. The most beautiful outfit I saw was only $20 in American money, and for what I got it was such a bargain. The garment was really quite beautiful, so were many on display. Sujatha and I had a fine time. I got the girls; Parimala and Shulamitti a pretty dress and I got fitted for my sari as well. Jaya and Sujatha had already bought the material for my sari, a beautiful purple wrap with gold trim. The halter-top worn under the sari is measured and fitted according to one’s measurements, but the sari itself is one long piece. Another important stop was the internet center to e-mail my husband and daughter. We also borrowed an electric guitar for the crusade in Emani. By the time we got back it was around 4pm and the heat and humidity was more than I could take and I settled in for a long and much needed nap.
Oh how I enjoyed that nice bed and air conditioner, a comfort I did not expect. Another thing I did not expect was the poisonous lizards which thrived in every house, every restaurant, hut, they are everywhere. They are as abundant as chameleons and alligators in Florida. They just lurk around on the walls mostly near any light source where they like to go for the warmth and easy prey. They are not aggressive and do not bite, but their skin is very toxic. As long as you do not try to pick one up they do not present a problem. However, there are occasional deaths due to the fact they love milk and other liquid delicacies. Milk is stored in containers for a short time because it is typically used up before it can spoil. Unbeknownst to some people, one falls in trying to drink the milk and it poisons the milk and many have died that way. Life is very harsh in India as I am sure it is in all third world countries that present their own unique dangers. I thank God for I was divinely protected from them all. I had the usual immunizations from certain diseases and carried a good supply of Imodium D. I made myself a promise that I would not drink anything that was not in a sealed bottle but that was a promise I broke very early on. I have to admit at times I was so thirsty from preaching and praying, and when I was handed a glass of water I did not even look at it. By the Grace of God not only did I not succumb to any illness, I never had to use the Imodium! While I was there I stayed with Sujatha who at the time still had TB, (she was divinely healed an year later, with before and after X-rays to prove it,) I laid hands on a man who died of AIDS three weeks later, and laid hands on people with all kinds of illnesses. As an ambulance attendant here, given the same case scenarios I would have shown up in full turn out gear. In India, I trusted God completely to keep me well, and so it was.
This was the first evening of a three-day crusade in the village of Emani. It is a thatched-hut village about eight kilometers from Tenali. The road connecting Emani is straight for the most part lined by canals on either side. You would see women washing clothes, children swimming, people washing their buffalos and all sorts of activities unfolding as you go along the long stretch. I was amazed to see that women actually pound the cloths against the rocks to wash them. I have watched Sujatha do this very thing, but only on a corrugated walkway over a trench that runs on either side of the street. Life is still so primitive there, yet life thrives unabated. The really amazing thing for me was the attitude of the people. They had nothing of value, but valued everything. It is often the opposite here in America. Look at the happy faces of these children. They have no Play Stations or Barbie dolls. I’m not carrying a sack of presents on my back, not even food or water to offer them. They are so excited because a “Friend of Jesus” was going to pray for them and “bless” them! If they only knew what a Blessing they were to me. What an honor for me, to be known as a “friend of Jesus” wherever I went. The Hindus believe that Jesus is a God and has the power to heal and to Bless, but they believe he is only one of thirty-six millions of gods and goddesses. This picture was actually taken at around midnight, and we prayed for the children and the sick first. This particular crusade was a three-evening event. It was at this crusade that I encountered the first demonic manifestations. I had not looked for it, and certainly did not expect it, and if it were a matter of personal preference I would almost immediately leave that part out. Nevertheless, this is my story, just as it happened; the good, the bad and the evil, which I shall narrate to you truthfully. Every night people were slain in the spirit, healed of many illnesses, delivered of demons and saved, all by the Grace of God! By the third night there were more miracles than could be counted. Salvations, healings, and deliverances, all combinations, hundreds! What an awesome God we serve!
I will take a moment to present my companions, some of the ministry team. Pastor Yesudas was beside me was one of the pastors who took part in my ordination. Sister Suyra was on my right, whose very imperative job was handing me water at frequent intervals and snatching the bugs that took a liking for me, some trying to make me their domicile by flying into my clothing. I did not stop praying to deal with them, but she took it upon herself to intercept as many as she could and catch and remove the ones who made it too far! In short, she was my flycatcher on a mission to protect me from alien invasion. You can laugh out loud, but this is no laughing matter, I once had a bug fly down my dress at this meeting the size of a humming bird. Well, it felt like it anyway. I suppose it looked rather comical, me praying as sober as a church mouse while Suyra is reaching as far as needed to retrieve the enormous bug. I had to assume they were all harmless to keep my sanity and composure. It is funny how God begins to train certain individuals according to an ordained call. I was a tom-boy while growing up. I loved catching bugs, certainly was not afraid of them. Actually, I liked them, still do. Truth be known, I am a nature nut! And I suppose God has given me that kind of disposition that made that aspect of India tolerable. Well, back to my companions, behind me was a dear fellow I simply called “Jolly”. He had the most wonderful countenance and I loved being with him. In all the prayer services that followed the meetings it was important that I be completely surrounded by “the team”. Crowd control and being mobbed were some of the concerns we had to encounter on a daily basis. There were also dangers I was unaware of and had two officers who were around a lot for my protection, certainly not at my request. On the last night of the last crusade held in the street, the two officers, one Hindu and the other Muslim, stood for a photograph with me. It was the only picture on that role that did not turn out. I can still remember their faces vividly. It was a sight to behold I think. An American Christian woman, a Hindu man on the right, and a Muslim man on the left, my arms around them both, posing for a picture. It would have been a great statement that people of all faiths can respect each other as members of the human race and not members of this religious group or another. More wars have been fought and enough blood has been shed in the name of religion than any other cause.
The last service lasted well into the late hours, until about 2:30am. We were deliriously exhausted and yet there I was, walking through this village in the middle of the night, shuffling my bare feet through the dirt and grass, with only an occasional lantern shedding light into the darkness. I felt a kinship with this elect group of people whom God had chosen, all from India, as if they were my brothers and sisters in the most unfeigned sense of the word. We had labored in love for the souls of these people, for that was the will of God, and to Him be all the Glory.
It was now time to spend some days with the Rao's. That is Ravi beside me in the rear row. I was not there long enough to master the language, but sometimes I would mimic him with impeccable clarity. Not that I knew what he was saying, which I imagine is why everyone laughed so hard the first time I did it. To this day, I do not know what I said but everyone had a very good laugh. There were many very serious times when it came to ministry, but when we were together as a family, we shared some very lighthearted moments. There are so many interesting stories I would like to share about them, many miracles of their own by the Grace of our Lord. I will link Shohba's miracle on this page for you to read just as they have written it. Sujatha on my left, standing beside her husband who is also a pastor, told me a very interesting story that makes one shudder at the thought. I will call it “the king and the cobra.”
Sujatha and her husband live in a tribal community amidst the mountains. Her husband had gone away to carry out his Gospel work and Sujatha was home alone, home being a one room thatched hut. After finishing her domestic chores, she was bathing from a pail and was washing her hair. She felt something entangled onto her leg, when she looked down, to her horror, there was a cobra which had wrapped itself on her leg up until her knee. She knew there was no one within the sound of her voice or a weapon at her disposal, and so by faith she took the sword of the Spirit and said “In the name of Jesus I command you to leave” and it slid down her leg and slithered away. For about a week she still had red markings on her leg where the snake had been. Do I believe her, absolutely, and why not! Does it not say in Luke10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” If you think that is amazing, wait till you read Shobha's Testimony to which there is a stock pile of medical evidence and hundreds of witnesses. Sujatha's story will have to stand on her own merit. You believe it or you do not, I for one believe her; having spent time with her I do not take her to be a liar.
This is a fort that Dr. Rao brought me for a visit. Here is a bit of History I gathered from the internet.
GOLCONDA (Andhra Pradesh) is eleven-and-half kilometers from Hyderabad. A magnificent deserted fort-city of the Qutub Shahi Kings, built on a steep, granite hill. In the fourteenth century the Hindu Kakatuya kings of Warangal gave the modest hill fort to the Muslim Bahmani Kings whose capitals were Gulbarga, then Bidar. Sultan Quli Qutab Shah (1512-43), the first of seven Qutab Shahi rulers, and his two successors, the brothers Jamshed Quli built the fort which was lost to Emperor Aurangzeb after his long siege of 1687. It followed the pattern of Gulbarga and Bidar fortifications but was larger and more impregnable. The legendary diamond bazaars lined the road up to the Fateh Darwaja guarded by Abyssinians. A curtain wall across the gateway made it difficult for enemy elephants to gather momentum. Inside the fort, there is a sophisticated Persian-wheel water system, hot and cold water pipes etc. Nearby are the more complete and just as impressive Persian-style, bulbous -domed tombs of the royals, silhouetted against the clear blue Deccan sky.
Visiting this fort was an awesome experience. I have a picture of the abyss. That little person down by the water is me. Dr. Rao was frantic that I was so close to the water’s edge. He said, “If you fall in there you will never be found.” There are several abysses around the fort. This is the only one I had the nerve to get close enough to. I will also put a picture I call “The Pinnacle”. Dr. Rao's son Gospel (second from right) stands bravely with friends on the edge of the mountain just behind the abyss.
I stood there and looked out and down for miles and envisioned the experience Jesus had when he was led into the desert to be tempted.
“Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, if thou be the son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, he shall give his angels charge concerning you, and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, it is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil took him up into an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, all these things I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall thou serve. “Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” Matt 4:4-11.
I pictured in my mind Jesus and the devil standing on a high mountain. Never in my life have I ever stood on such a high place where I could see as far as the eye could see. I imagined Jesus, looking out over all the Kingdoms. There I stood, thinking, in Heaven there will be only one Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, and there will be no other. No sickness, nor pain, nor sorrow, nor wars, nor anything unholy. What a day that will be!
The one thing I wanted to do in the few days I had off from ministry was to go fishing. I was staying with Dr. Rao and being the good sport that he is, he took me to the river. The first thing I saw when I got there which was completely appalling to me was a group of people sitting round a tree worshipping the tree! As a woman who believes it is wrong to worship anything or anyone but the Living God Jesus Christ it just did not sit well in my spirit. However, I have had to learn over the years not to judge others for their beliefs or how they worshipped. That is called judgment and is a sin. If those things be wrong, let God be the judge. I have lived and learned a few things since then.
When Dr. Rao said we would rent a boat I thought he meant a “boat.”
When the fellow pulled along side in his home-made boat made of
slats of what I think was bamboo I had to think twice about getting
in. I looked about for life preservers, there were none! The entire
time I was in the boat I kept watching the floor for bubbles!
As I looked towards the shore I noticed a fine-looking little
boy fishing from the bank. I could not take my eyes off him. I
kept photographing him, and I like this image so much that I have
decided to use it as the cover photo for this book. Finally, I
asked to go to him and asked him (through translator) if he would
like to join us in the boat. His smile was a definite yes ma'am!
We had bought the finest bait, in my opinion, jumbo shrimp. At
one point a man came rowing over to us with his one oar on a raft
made of wooden slats tied to a tire. It was probably more water
worthy than what I was in.
When he got close he smiled so big and bright, and extended his
arm and handed us something. It was a gift, for me, the largest
shrimp I had ever seen until then. He rowed all the way to me
just to offer me his best catch. It was so touching. No, I did
not get any fish; all I managed to get on that day was an incredible
sun burn in the matter of a couple hours.
Church service in Vijayawada
This picture was taken at a service the evening of the day we went fishing. Notice how burned my face is! I would read a passage from the Bible, and Dr. Rao would interpret it for me. After that I would just speak on that subject as the Spirit led and trusted the Lord to put the words in my mouth and anoint them with power. After the message I always let anyone who wanted to be prayed for come forth, which in many cases was everyone present. This was the second service with the Rao's. The first service was at their home church, a fairly small group of people, and I sang as I always did at the commencement of the service (not that they could understand the words but they seemed to enjoy it anyway.) After this service when the time came to pray we started the evening off with a full blown demonic manifestation. When a person is possessed by a demon, you cannot exactly pick them out of a crowd, but the moment I touched them, it was war! There was a very large lady amongst the people attending the service. She was the first in line for prayer, and mind you there were children in the line also. Imagine if you can, for every word is the truth of the matter, just as it happened. She was an obese woman, twice my size. I stretched out my hand and put it on her forehead and she started to struggle and down she went. No, I did not push her down; it was a kind touch to the forehead. She was slain in the Spirit immediately. I dropped down to my knees instantaneously alongside her and in the name of Jesus began to command the demon to come out. There was a low tone, a barely audible growling sound. In all the deliverances I can tell you for certainty it is almost never the same. They manifest in so many myriad ways. I asked Shohba to fetch the anointing oil and soon she was beside me assisting me. By then the woman was thrashing about uncontrollably. During deliverance it is important to keep the person from hurting themselves or anyone else from thrashing about. It took about ten minutes, but she was finally delivered and stood up and began Praising the Lord! Now since the situation had resolved, I looked up at the very next individuals in line, to my surprise they were two little girls, looking intently at me. I thought for a moment that they would be terrified of me because of what they had just seen and heard. Much to my astonishment, the girls came right to me and I put my arms around them and said, “Do not be afraid, I just chase away the bad ole devil and Jesus is on our side.” The girls, who seemed to be about eight and the other might have been ten years old, smiled and said “we are not afraid”, and truly, they were bold and unwavering. I asked them what could I pray for them and they said they had just lost their parents in a road accident. My heart broke for them. Later I realized the Lord had brought me to India because he would place in my heart a burden for orphaned children.
This is a tent revival in a village about a two-hour drive from Vijayawada. We traveled in a car driven by Ravi while Shohba and I rode in the rear seat. The road to the village was desolate with an occasional small town where we would stop for a cold cola break and then were on the road again. Dr. Rao told me that he had prearranged a resting quarters so that we would be able to rest and freshen up before the service. He is a medical doctor and well connected, but I never expected to have a room at a place reserved for diplomats. It was a large beautiful white building, with marble floors and a beautiful garden. It was more like a hotel but not accessible for the general public. We were escorted up a beautifully ornate staircase to a room with an air conditioner and a bathroom, eastern style. There was a balcony with a magnificent scenic view of the mountains and a garden area. Some parts of India are breathtaking with tropical flowers, coconut trees and lush foliage, a real delight for the traveling kind. I was grateful for the accommodation as it rendered a very good rest and a chance to cool down and I was utterly rejuvenated. Lord knowing what dwell ahead I believe it was a divine reprieve. This photograph does not begin to reflect the number of people who were there. People were shoulder to shoulder, back to back in an area the size of a football field. Those in the tent would be like those with box seats. There was standing room only and the only seats were the ones you see up front for the Rao's and me. Here I stand singing a song I wrote called Living water. After the song and an introduction by Dr. Rao, I was asked to give my testimony, at Dr. Rao's request. We then spoke on John 4:14, for which Living water is written from. It is a country ballad about the woman at the well, and much to my surprise the Indian people seemed to take a liking to my style that had a distinct flair of country music.
After the meeting the village pastor closed with a prayer and announced that I would be staying to pray for people. There were hundreds of people and nearly all of them stayed. The prayer service started off with people eagerly rushing forward to receive Jesus. The power of God had drawn these souls, who could not wait to be saved. There was a powerful anointing that hovered like a blanket over that place. There were several pastors attending and they were all needed in one way or another. Two of them brought a woman to me who was wearing the usual sari wrap that virtually covers the entire body and a prayer shawl worn over her head. She was helped on to the stage by the pastors and they said “this woman had a demon that caused her to set herself on fire.” She removed her shawl and some wraps that concealed such critical burns I thought to myself “ this woman should be under intensive care in a burn unit!” In every service demons were encountered, and that I was getting used to as a matter of routine. In a country were they worship so many “gods” and go to witch doctors and charlatans who give potions and chant rituals it is no wonder that there are so many tormented souls. Such an atmosphere and conduct is very conducive for demonic doings because they are worshipping “other gods,” out of ignorance rather than a spiritual decision but the consequence was the same. Some people are not even sure which god to worship or revere as there are an abundance of gods. I reached for the anointing oil and turned back to her and she was already beginning to show signs of manifestation. I do not think the details of this particular deliverance are important to narrate; but the fact is that she was delivered and I prayed for a complete and speedy healing.
The most wonderful part of deliverance is the change in the countenance of a person who has been set free from torment, a torment that has taken total control of their life. She was weeping with joy and we hugged for several minutes. I could feel God’s love for her in my heart, that was His love, not my own. I am happy to have been able to help. Soon after, there were so many to pray for with sicknesses, fevers, sick babies, and all kinds of illnesses. Then a young woman came and lifted up her sari up to mid-calf to reveal her foot and asked me to pray for her. She said she had gangrene. It was a horrible sight. Her foot was swollen and deformed; the flesh was rotting and foul-smelling from gangrene. I always laid my hands on people, with fevers, even AIDS and I was not afraid to do that. That was part of God’s plan that I laid hands on the sick and many people were healed through the laying on of hands by the power of the Spiritus Sanctus. She said she had gangrene which is not contagious, but I could barely force myself to touch her foot that in a word was grotesque! I asked God to give me the strength to continue. I was getting very weak by this time from the hours of praying and the heat and I was not hydrating properly. I bent down to put anointing oil on her foot and lay hands on her when I received a shocking revelation that the origin was demonic. Sometimes demons are within; sometimes they are “attached.” I stood and stretched forth my hands and by the power of God she was slain in the spirit in an instant. This was a very difficult deliverance, second only to that of a woman in Tenali. The demon resisted for a long time and many pastors helped as it was necessary, but I just kept commanding in the name of Jesus and I found myself saying things I had never heard like “you must leave the woman. You have no choice, you have no authority. The only authority here is that of the Holy Spirit. You must leave...it is the law!” And then I chucked to myself and thought, and what shall I do, give it a citation!
At that moment I had the realization that there are two kinds of laws, man’s laws and God’s laws. Man’s laws can change and have to change. They are made by man and they are changed by man. Spiritual laws never change. The demon must leave in the name of Jesus. It is a spiritual law. I have a saying. “Natural things are ever changing. Supernatural things are never changing.” Even the earth is ever changing. It is a natural process, an integral part of earth’s existence. A piece of coal will eventually become a diamond through a natural process, but supernatural things do not change. The demons have always had to leave when commanded by Christians in the name of Jesus, according to the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. There are innumerable references in the Holy Bible where demons caused such havoc, and yet there are some who believe that when the last apostle died, they just....went away. And why would they do that? Preposterous!
When I began writing this book, it was to share my experiences in India, but when it came to things that were evil or “unbelievable” I was tempted to leave those things left implicit. Shortly after starting my book, a friend gave me a book called “A Chance to Die, the life of Amy Carmichael.” She was in Japan at the time but served most of her missionary work in India. If you are having trouble with believing please go through the pages of “A Chance to die” and you will see there are similar circumstances, not jut in India but Japan as well.
Amy might have deliberated about including these experiences. I can only surmise. She was a missionary over 100 years ago. She may have even read from the same Missionaries Handbook printed in 1899 that I have in my possession to this very day. It is at least conceivable. I hesitated to include any stories concerning demons although there were as numerous deliverances as there were salvations and healings, but I felt bound to tell it all, the good, the bad, and the evil. It is not my intention to sensationalize a single event. Quite contraire, I probably gloss over many details that add nothing, and God is to be praised, for he heals the sick, saves the soul and delivers those tormented by demons. There is one more story of a deliverance that I am bound to tell when I come to the time in which it happened in Tenali. I have a picture of Elizabeth (her new Christian name) and interviewed her the next day about her experience and have it on live video tape. Elizabeth tells of her experience before and after, but she has no memory of the actual deliverance. She was slain in the spirit and lost consciousness for a brief period. She said in the interview “I have freeness in my heart”.
It gives me much pleasure to tell the story of Jeremiah's salvation, especially after recounting such unpleasant details as the women at the tent revival. There was a day of well-deserved rest for me from my itinerary and then we were to go house to house/hut the following day to pray for our church members. We left around 10am that morning and began to make our rounds to the homes of our church members. But we could not just visit our believers. I was known as “Friend of Jesus” and the Hindu's, believing that Jesus is a God and one with power to heal and to Bless, would crowd around us and bring their children in huddles to have them Blessed. They would come out of their homes or huts and beseech us to come in and pray for a sick family member, and so we did. I went into a hut to pray for an old woman suffering with fever. I laid my hand on her forehead which was very hot. I began to pray and in an instant the fever left and was cold to touch and to God be all the Glory.
Now it was dark, late evening, and we were near the end of our street to visit and then we would be going home. It was a long but productive day. One of our stops was at Pastor Jaya's brother-in-law who was a Brahman Priest and also seriously ill besides from alcohol addiction. Alcoholism is very common in India. Even amongst the tribal’s, as it is very easy to make in toxic strengths from a common flower in abundance. He was slain in the spirit and remained on the floor basking in the spirit of God. and was saved and delivered of his addiction to alcohol. In later correspondence I would inquire of certain individuals and to my utter delight he had quit drinking and was living a Christian life.
We were almost ready to return to home when a woman ran out of her hut speaking frantically in local tongue. I did not know what she was saying but Jaya said “Mum, we must go quickly.” I started to walk briskly to the hut and all of a sudden in my spirit it was like anti-lock brakes! I stopped and Jaya and his brother Vijay and Jolly turned and asked “what is the matter mum?” I said, “We must pray the Lord’s Spirit go before us and prepare the way.”
I had never feared going to any hut or house even though you do not know the situation until you are actually there, but I knew we needed to pray for the Lord's Spirit to go before us and prepare the way. When we entered the hut, lit only by one small gasoline lantern, we could see a man who was literally skin and bones and barely responsive. I said, “This man is dying. Ask him now if he wants to receive Jesus, for there is no salvation beyond the grave.” The man was suffering from a type of pneumonia prevalent among AIDS patients. His life style and condition was no secret among the villagers. He received Jesus and though I believe in immersion and not sprinkling, we made an exception due to his grave condition and he was baptized. We went back the following day to see how he was doing and I had to know for myself if he could recollect or remember the events of the night before; did he remember that he was baptized and what that meant. He said yes, and he was actually looking and feeling better. He said he felt very happy in his spirit. I offered to acquire medications for him from Dr. Rao but he promptly declined. I left India within the week but pastor Jaya took him a “meat meal” on Thanksgiving Day and visited him almost every day until he died. One week prior to his death, he spoke and Jaya wrote his words as he gave his testimony to me. His old name was Ramulu, named after a popular Hindu god. He wanted to receive a Christian name which I chose for him. He was pleased with his new name, and he liked it very much.
Jeremiah's words. November 30, 2000
Once I was a sinner and a dancer. I destroyed many girls’ lives. I have committed many sins in my life. Now my age is twenty-seven. I contracted AIDS from a girl I met a couple of years ago. After that I visited many hospitals to find a cure. The doctors told me that I would die soon. Fearing the worst I adored many Hindu gods. I performed many rituals to all the Hindu deities, but there was no hope, no positive results. I lost all the strength in my body. I knew what was to come now; I knew that I will die. But on 16th November, 2006, evening Sister Pat and you (Jaya Kumar) came to my house. From that very moment my life was changed. When I heard about Salvation and received Baptism I got more strength in my spirit. I truly felt inner strength; and I had true peace for the first time in my life. I tried to please the Hindu deities for salvation but everything was in vain only causing more desolation. But I know in reality that night Jesus came to my house through Sister Pat for me. Now I am very happy in spirit and I have peace. If I got death right now, I know I will live with Jesus. So, I need not medicines. I got new life and new name. Please tell Sister Pat to pray for me daily.
Jeremiah went to be with the Lord three weeks to the day after the night of his salvation and Baptism. He wrote this letter to me through the translation of Pastor Jaya, one week before he died. I know I will see him again.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
There was only one incident that I can remember feeling threatened, I knew I was in danger, and that was the night we left from Jeremiah’s. He lived in a slum area that was situated at least a couple of miles away from the nearest town. Though physically exhausted from the long busy day, we were high in spirits. We bid farewell and began to walk toward home. The street ran parallel to the canal which was dark as coal, not a light in sight. Even if one screamed at the top of his voice no one would ever hear. Soon we realized that we were being followed by a group of men. No benefit of a cell phone and a quick response to a 911 call if you found yourself in a pickle. Just me, Jaya and Jolly (since I cannot pronounce his name I gave him a name that suits him because he is at all times laughing and making others laugh.) Even the jolly good fellow Jolly found nothing to joke about as we noticed the mob of men following us by a hundred yards or so. I only glanced over my shoulder once but there were six or eight men, some carrying some objects and they were very intimidating. We were overcome with an overwhelming feeling of uneasiness and anxiety. Jaya was frightened, so was I, but only one thing occurred to me and it was not to run. Instinctively, led by the spirit I said “Sing Jay” he said “Mum???” I said “sing Jaya.” I started to sing hymns, Amazing Grace, Angels Watching Over Me, Joshua Fought The Battle At Jericho, what ever came to mind, but I sang all the way home. The mob was tailing us all along at a close distance but never closed the gap. They followed us all the way back to the church and we were so relieved to reach the church and that they kept on going and we were greatly relieved. Burning down churches is nothing new in this part of the world especially.
Here is what I believe. It is written “He inhabits the praise of his people.” I think if they could have attacked us they would have. Just nine months prior, about sixty kilometers away, a missionary who had lived in that country with his family for years, he and his son were torched alive as they sat in their car for no apparent reason. I do not know why some are murdered and martyred while others seem to find divine deliverance and protection but I thank God we were in the latter. I believe there were angels between them and us and they did not overcome us because they were supernaturally hindered from doing so. Angels are supernatural. Ghost and even demons are all supernatural beings. So why do some people find it so hard to believe in the supernatural? Yet there are those poor uninformed and misled individuals who seek answers and knowledge of the future by consulting mediums, fortune tellers and other forms of divination. Their powers are supernatural as well, but the source of that power is demonic and there will be Hell to pay, literally! Saul lost his place as King and died in battle having thrust himself through with his own sword (Ref: 1 Sam 28:7-16). Disobedience and divination are serious crimes against God. Obedience and a Godly lifestyle is the key to the abundant life and life eternal in Paradise. Choose this day whom you will serve, for tomorrow is promised to no one.
Yes, I believe in the supernatural. I believe in supernatural healing, deliverance, blessings, provisions and providence. I am a believer of great faith and some of my experiences have contributed to that. Well, we were on a mission for the Lord, and I trusted fully in His ability to bring us through anything and everything.. We prayed and sang songs and made it home safely. Though the gang was never far behind, they stayed close enough to be nerve-racking. We never acknowledged them and we Praised God for his divine protection.
I believe His divine hand was upon my health as well. I made a personal vow when I left the United States that I would not drink water that was not in a sealed bottle, but that rule lasted for about a day because I had never experienced that level of thirst before. While preaching in Emani Village and praying many hours without ceasing, Surya would tap me on the shoulder at least once every half-hour and hand me a glass of water. Honestly, for all the tea in China I could not tell you what color it was. I did not look at it; I just guzzled it down and continued where I left off praying, leading people to Christ, casting out demons, working up a thirst. The water I drank was from an open well in a remote village that raised buffalo and chickens for food and milk. There were plenty of pigs too but pigs were thought to be of the inferior, having the nature of mice. The mixture of buffalo, chicken, dog, pig and human feces was overtly abundant, but the locals have probably acquired immunity to a lot of it because their bodies are used to it while mine was not. Contaminated water is also a source of many diseases, yet through it all I never once broke open the Imodium D, I did not need it. I can only imagine the bacteria that could have been in that water, yet with God's divine hand on my health I returned home with nothing more than a bad case of jet lag. I was aware of the fact that Sujatha was diagnosed with tuberculosis, yet I slept in her bed, ate what she prepared and hugged her often. In my mind there is only one explanation, and that is God's Divine Protection was always there for me.
The last scheduled crusade was a three-day street crusade, for which we had to obtain a permit, and the Hindu and Muslim officers were present most of the time, for my protection but I did not know that at the time. Putting all fear behind, we arranged for the crusade and all that entailed. We had to rent a sound system, lighting system, a band for adulation, mats to adorn the street which doubled as a comfortable seating area for public. Some elder men sat in chairs toward the rear end. We put together a stage and had microphones set up. We had a very large and beautiful sign painted on cloth as a backdrop to the stage. Besides myself, there were approximately seven other pastors who took the stage to preach. Jaya translated for me except when Dr. Rao presided as a guest, and he kindly took upon himself to do the translation.
The street was blocked off from either side and the traffic diverted, there were very few seats, but eventually even standing room was scarce. Hundreds of people had descended to witness our humble event, which was to last for three consecutive nights. At the end of each night, as many as who wished (which was most) stayed over for the concluding prayer. This is when people would be slain in the spirit, saved, healed and delivered. God's power was greatly manifested in these crusades and it was the substantiation for those who were there and received that God is still present and all powerful; still doing creative miracles. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
These crusades lasted long into the night, sometimes past 2am,
starting just before sun down around 6pm. These people and children
stayed as long as it took to be prayed for and blessed no matter
how long they had to wait, “so much faith.” They wanted to be
blessed, healed, delivered, saved, and would wait as long as necessary
to have hands laid on them by this “friend of Jesus.” Of course,
the actual outcome was the proof of God’s power and strength.
I did little, but God did much.
One example of a healing was that of Pastor Yesudas, one of the
pastors who two years later would be one of the seven to ordain
me. He gave a testimony of how he was instantly healed of a high
fever. He was one of our ministry team, and after all the people
had gone and they were tearing down the stage he asked me to pray
for him. He said he had a fever for three days. I put my hand
on his head and it was very hot. Indeed this will test anyone's
faith. Each time I laid hands on somebody I would not know who
would be healed. Some were healed, some were not, and only God
knows why. I began to pray for him and in a few minutes I felt his forehead
go cold while my hand was still on it. One second it was hot and
the next second it was cold to touch. The moment the fever subsided
I knew that he was fine. I am not telling this to present myself
as some self proclaimed healer. There is only one healer and his
name is Jesus! He is the true healer.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
Only God knows the full extent of how each one was touched, but it changed so many lives and it was evident. The crusades were fruitfully accomplished. I had two days to rest before my travel back to America. After a long late afternoon nap, I went out into the street to socialize with the street people and neighbors. Immediately they began to gather in the street and before I realized, there were at least twenty people gathered around me. It is illegal to have gospel meetings in public without a permit and yet here they were assembled together asking for a prayer. I could not refuse, but had to be careful not to break the law, so I requested all who were present to come into the church.
Elizabeth was the first person to ask for a prayer and the rest followed. Nothing seemed unusual at the time. Elizabeth (her new Christian name) said she wanted to come to the crusade but was “warned” to stay away! “By whom” I asked? “The devil” she answered. She said “I wanted very badly to come and hear the word of God but the devil in my heart would not let me and warned me to stay away from the Gospel meetings. Elizabeth had come to me and simply asked for a prayer. As I had stated earlier, a person could have a demon, but it would not necessarily manifest until the laying on of hands when Holy Spirit meets evil spirit.
The moment I stretched out my hands and placed them on her forehead she was immediately slain in the spirit. She began to thrash about violently as the demons resisted. It took four people to restrain her to keep her from injuring herself during the deliverance. We took authority over them, one by one and commanded them in the name of Jesus to come out. One would come out and she would appear rested but there is a “knowing” it is not over. Many times the demons will cease the struggle to make it appear they are gone so that those not cast out can remain and eventually the person ends up in as bad a condition as before if not worse. When a person is set free, it is very much evident and obvious. Such was not the case with Elizabeth and we continued to cast out demons, one after the other. Pastor Jaya's mother heard the commotion from down stairs and came up with a Bible in her hands. She put it on Elizabeth's chest and she started gasping for breath and saying “I cannot breathe!” As a medic I should have at least considered this a cardiac symptom but it did not occur to me at that point. I thought it was trickery by the demons to get us to stop. All of a sudden, she went limp and lifeless. She was at least unconscious. We will never really know for sure. I let go of her hand and it hit the floor like a lifeless limb. I felt for a pulse...I felt none! At that moment I panicked. These thoughts ran through my head.
My God I have killed her....her heart could not take it, is there a doctor in the house, I need to start CPR, Oh my I'll be arrested in connection with her death!
You have heard of how your life flashes before your eyes. My future flashed before my eyes and I was momentarily seized with fear! Then suddenly, Elizabeth opened her eyes, looked around and said “what is everybody looking at?” I took her by her hands and helped her up. She began jumping up and down praising the Lord and shouting “I am free, I am free! The next day I video taped an interview of Elizabeth and asked her to tell about her experience in her words. She had no memory of anything that happened from the time she was slain in the spirit until the time she opened her eyes, finding herself on the floor with everyone looking at her. When asked how she feels now she said “ I have no the memory, but I have freeness in my heart ” end quote! Elizabeth began to come to church regularly and discarded all her Hindu idols. She is free indeed!
It was a clear night and the sky was brilliant with a million stars and the temperature was tolerable. We had to go to the railway station to get our train tickets to Hyderabad, the nearest airport to Tenali. From there I would fly to Bombay to make my international flight connection.
Jaya's brother Vijay and his cousin Babu have motorbikes much like mopeds here. Jaya and I were on Vijay’s bike and can you imagine...three on a moped! Vijay, Jolly and Babu were on the other bike. It was a comical sight. Sometimes you can see an entire family of two adults and four children riding on a bike-like moped. All but Jolly (Jaya's best friend for seventeen years) are pastors too. As we rode through the streets of Tenali I felt so much joy, it was like a night out in the town with my brothers. It was a time to just play and have fun. The crusades were over, the Ministry was effective and it was perfectly alright to have a little fun. We drove to the train station and purchased three tickets. Jolly was coming with us to help carry my baggage, see me off and accompany Jaya on the six-hour return trip by train. We purchased our tickets for the sum of $3.50 each and decided to take the long way home. It was such a fun time. To this day, I can close my eyes and remember every moment of that evening and relive a little joy. We were laughing and racing and acting like, well, they were in their twenties and I felt like it! It must have been a sight to behold. It is not everyday you see a white faced red headed woman zipping by on a moped, at least not in Tenali. The next morning was a Sunday. We had a very nice service and all our friends were there to spend a little time with me. I missed my family and husband and was glad to be going home, but there was a sense of sadness in my heart about leaving them. I did not know for sure if I would ever see them again. The train was leaving at 12:30pm. By noon it was at least 95 degrees and the train was not air conditioned. The train was so crowded I felt like we were jammed in cattle cars, with about the same comforts. We sat on wooden benches for six grueling hours. The only thing that made it bearable was the company and the ever fleeting beautiful scenery. Mountains in the distance and flowers and foliage were just breathtaking, it would inspire just about anyone.
The train station in Hyderabad was a nightmare. You had to go up three levels of stairs to get to the main exit. Poor Jolly was carrying my heaviest suitcase, Jaya had the other and I had my guitar and carry on luggage. I can still see Jolly going up those stairs balancing the huge suitcase on his head, and still managing to smile, he was actually glad to do it. I was feeling sorry for him having to carry that heavy suitcase up those stairs in that heat and yet he looked as happy as one could be. I call him Jolly because that was always his countenance, no matter what. Truly a servants heart.
From there we caught a cab to the airport. I got my things and proceeded to check my baggage in and we had lunch in a restaurant within the airport premises. The best part of that was the cold coca cola. I do not think I have ever appreciated a cold drink so much in my life. It was time to go to the boarding area and we hugged bidding goodbyes. We hugged for a long time. I turned back once to look at my beloved son from India, and it was not much different than leaving my son in Georgia, it hurt. I knew how much I would miss him, and I was right. I blew him a kiss and walked straight away to the boarding area.
As I walked into the waiting area my attention was immediately drawn to an Indian man sitting alone who seemed, in a word, distraught. There were many people and plenty of seats in the main area, but he was sitting completely alone in the row of chairs by the window, away from the other passengers. I hesitated to bother him since it appeared he wanted to be alone, but I felt strongly led in my spirit that I needed to approach him in a subtle way. He was a handsome man in his mid thirties. I was wearing an Indian outfit with a rose on my scarf. I sat one seat apart from him and just gave a friendly smile, not flirtatious, but approachable. He started the conversation. He said, “That is a beautiful dress, do you like Indian cloths? Do you live here?” I told him I was here as a Gospel singer and was involved in crusades with fellow pastors from India.
I told him I was from America, the state of Pennsylvania, and I was quite surprised when he said he lived in Georgia. I asked him what brought him to India. His answer at that time was “I was visiting my uncle and attended some ceremonies. I am Muslim, but I have not worshipped properly in a long time. My uncle is very devout Muslim.” I nodded in agreement and then asked him if it made him uncomfortable that I am obviously Christian. He did not answer immediately. He looked into my eyes for a long moment. His countenance was so incredibly sad but I knew I could not pry; I could only hope that he would eventually open up to me and talk. He finally spoke and said “No, I don’t mind. I am glad to meet you, I am Adiah.” I extended my hand and said “I am Patricia, very nice to meet you .” We exchanged small talk for a few moments and then we were called to board the plane. We were seated at opposite ends of the plane and I could not see him. I continued to pray for him all the way to Bombay and said “Lord, if my work here is not yet finished in India, let it be so, let him come to me in Bombay; if he does not, then I still ask your Blessing for him and to help him with whatever problem he is facing.
We landed in Bombay as night fell, and the airport was swarming with activity. I had to take the shuttle bus to the international terminal and I could not see him for all the people. When I got on the bus I thought to myself we are going to be crammed in like sardines! People were even standing in the aisle. I saw a hand waving in the air and it was Adiah. I was delighted to see him and he motioned for me to come and sit. The night was so hot and the air conditioning was not working. I sat down and smiled and told him how glad I was to see him again. We exchanged more small talk and then I asked, ”What do you do in Georgia, may I ask? “I am a psychiatrist, but I am planning to go to medical school to be a cardiologist very soon.” Well you could have knocked me over with a feather! “You are a psychiatrist? I do not mean any offense but I was concerned for you because you look very distraut to me and I felt that you needed someone to talk to.” That is when he began to open up. He had indeed gone to visit his uncle and partake in some ceremonies and worship in India, but that was not the main purpose for his trip. He was on the way back from Taiwan.
November 1, 2000: SEI President Dr. Deborah Brosnan and Vice-president Dr. Steven Courtney were involved in a plane crash at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan on Tuesday, October 31, while en route back to the United States from the 2000 International Coral Reef Symposium in Bali. Following the accident, in which Dr. Courtney reportedly assisted several passengers in escaping from the wreckage, he was taken to a local hospital. Dr. Brosnan was treated and released. Both scientists are doing well, and we expect them to return home sometime next week.
According to the Associated Press, the Singapore Airlines jetliner struck an object on the runway and then burst into flames while attempting to take off in heavy rain and wind at 11:18pm, local time. There were 20 crew members and 159 passengers aboard; 79 were killed in the accident. As of 4:00pm ET this morning, 39 people were still hospitalized and the death rate was expected to climb.
Adiah's mother, father and youngest sister en route from Cleveland, Ohio were on that plane. The family members of those aboard were all contacted but all they were told was that there were survivors. He was told he needed to come and see if his family was among them, or identify them if they were not. They would not tell anybody whose loved ones had survived, and so each went with the hope and prayers that their loved ones were among the survivors. Adiah’s family had perished in that crash. He went alone, and so he had no-one with him for support during the agonizing task of identifying the charred remains of his mother, father and favorite sister who had just turned twenty-one. He was devastated. Not only did he suffer the loss of both parents and sister at once, but he had to see them in that horrible condition. I cannot imagine the pain and trauma he faced, alone in Taiwan, but the effect it had on him was obvious. I believe God in his mercy put us together for many reasons. He told me that he hated psychiatry and that he was already enrolled to begin his training as a cardiologist within a few weeks. I told him I felt he would be making a big mistake taking on such a task at this time. He had just suffered such a horrendous loss, aggravated by the trauma of having to see them in that condition, and that he needed time to heal and recover before he took on something as demanding as medical school.
I knew I was treading on thin ice here, given the fact that he was Muslim and I am Christian. I could not mention Jesus without offending him and putting up walls and so I said “You need to rest. You need time out and time with God. Seek God; in however you do that, seek God and draw near to him, you will need him to strengthen you if you are to get through this. I understand you want to get out of psychiatry and become a cardiologist and you can still do that, but right now is not the time.” He looked at me and said, “yes-yes, I know you are right, my friend told me the same thing, I know you are both right.” He said he had already paid for his books and tuition and could not get it back. I told him the books would keep and given the circumstance, I felt there was a good chance they would allow him to use the tuition in the next class.
After processing our things through customs in Bombay we had a couple hours before our flight departures. We sat there on beautiful orange S-shaped chairs talking until his flight was called. I can honestly tell you that as he got up to leave, his countenance was so much better than it had been in the beginning; it was the first time I saw him smile. He said he was glad he met me and thanked me for being with him for that brief time. As he walked away I could not help but think, God has surely rescued this man. He might not know it yet, but God did not put us together to accomplish nothing and part empty-handed. I believe when Adiah seeks God, he will find Jesus. “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalm 34:18.
I spent the next half hour in awe of what had happened. God had put an American Christian woman, dressed in Indian apparel, to minister to an Indian Muslim man. It was his darkest hour, but the “Light of the World” was with him now.
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My flight was announced and I boarded the plane, filled with a peace I cannot describe. I did not worry about the plane going down in the ocean and surviving the crash only to be eaten by sharks. God was with me, and he was with Adiah. I know that God is omnipresent, and I am sure he was on at least two flights that night, one to Pennsylvania and one to Georgia.
I spent the next twenty-two hours in the air for the most part. When I got to Amsterdam my connecting flight was waiting for me. The stewardess was saying, “hurry, hurry, the plane is waiting for you.” The next thing I knew we were landing in Detroit where I had to go through customs and change planes for Pittsburgh. My guitar was still in one piece when I landed in Detroit, but when I went to get my luggage in Pittsburgh it looked like they dropped it out of the plane! My guitar case which was a steel reinforced hard-shell case was destroyed, and the neck of my guitar which I had had since 1979 was cracked! I was not a happy camper, but the sight of my husband was so wonderful it did hold my anger at bay, somewhat. We filed a claim with North West Airlines and they assured me they would take care of it. It took seven months, but they paid to have a new neck put on my guitar and a new case.
Meanwhile, it was so good to be home, but I missed my loved ones in India and had a bad case of jet lag for about a week. As soon as I arrived I e-mailed Jaya and let him know I was home safely. Things eventually got back to normal, but I was different. My experiences in India have changed me forever.
Shortly after I returned home from India I received an email from pastor Jaya about an orphan boy he knew of and how he had prayed to God for years for a son, to raise him as an ambassador for Christ. He wanted to raise him as his own but said he could not afford another mouth to feed. I asked him how much could it cost? He said “Oh, $25.00 for food, clothing, school books, school uniforms, exams and such.” I told him to get the boy and I would send him support. He wrote that he brought the boy home just before Christmas 2000, and sent me a picture of him. He even wrote a letter of thanks from the boy he named Sampson, age five.
Dear Sampson was the first, followed by his sister Maya, but eventually over a period of three and one half years, a total of thirty-two children would be brought to what we now called the New Shalem Family Center. We received pictures that were sent to us of all new children, and monthly support for each child was promptly transferred. In addition there were many improvements made to the center. Where there was once a hand pump, we had an electric pump installed and a got water tank and within the first year the center had hot and cold running water. Toward the end of year 2001, there were twelve children in addition to Sujatha’s three children. They expressed their concern about washing the children’s clothes, and we acknowledged that washing clothes by hand for that many was a burden, and we sent money to purchase a new washing machine. The second year we arranged to purchase a stove, refrigerator and new kitchen utensils and such for our family had certainly outgrown the existing kitchen capability. We continued to make improvements as we could through fund raisers and each year we sent money and Christmas boxes from America filled with gifts for the children. The third year was the most exciting as we built an entire third floor to the center. We were sent pictures of all the developments and improvements carried out to the center. The pictures were beautiful and a delight to view what it had become from what it was when I was there in 2000. I could not wait to return, but until this year, 2007 it just was not possible.
In addition to regular schooling, vocational training was also implemented so as to make possible a foundation for employment. In the area of vocational training we bought two sewing machines and sewing supplies. Pastor Jaya’s brother-in-law Israel who was a tailor gave the children sewing lessons. Several times we considered purchasing computers but other necessities including the occasional unforeseen medical emergency would take precedence over the funds available.
In time, with that many children; we knew it was becoming very congested and when the opportunity arose to procure some land in the nearby village of Angalakuduru, we sent the needed money for Jaya to buy the property and build a new building which was to double as an orphanage and school. We entrusted Jaya to hire a school teacher with proper credentials who agreed to work for a reasonable salary plus board.
In September 2004, I met another pastor on-line who resided in a nearby state and we began corresponding. In fact I wanted a second opinion concerning the qualifications of the new teacher and an inspection of the new building. Since I had not been able to return to India and oversee the developments personally, I wanted someone to visit on our behalf and give us a report. If the teacher’s credentials were not of a stipulated certification it would mean certain dilemma when the children took their exams because even if they passed they would not graduate with a formal certificate and education was one of our primary goals. With an education they could find gainful employment and live productive lives. Pastor Joshua agreed to look into the matter and inspect the new school and evaluate our new teacher.
Nothing in this world could have prepared me for what was exposed as an elaborate scam that had lasted for more than three years! As it were, there were no children, no orphanage, no school nor teacher. The pictures of the children that we received over the years were that of poor local children being masqueraded in new uniforms for a few dollars. Parents of these unfortunate children are prepared to anything to earn an extra buck, for the sake of survival. Of late, I have realized that this is a common practice in India.
It was devastating to say the least. I had trusted my friends completely. My heart was broken and it took some time to recover from such a grand and drawn out deception. But, to this day I have a heart for India and especially orphans, in any part of the world. I have learned not to hang on to old hurts and disappointments and I have forgiven Pastor Jaya. His problem is with God now and I leave it in his hands where it belongs.
I do not count this against the Indian people. There is a supernatural love divinely planted in my heart for India. One individual does not represent an entire country.
I have made many Indian friends over the years and now this year in April 2007, I am returning to India with an Indian pastor who lives in Okalahoma City, but whose brother and sister-in-law live in Kerala and run two orphanages there. Pastor Alex also has a Bible College.
Our itinerary is already being planned. We will fly to the beautiful southern state of Kerala first where pastor Alex’s brother lives and cares for the two orphanages and the Bible College is located there as well.. The class of 2007 is graduating and I will be able to take part in the ceremony and offer a performance. The state of Kerala is primarily Hindu. We plan to spend a couple of weeks doing various ministries and I am especially looking forward to visiting the orphanages. The American dollar does go a long way in India. It is my desire to take all the children shopping and let them pick out an outfit and shoe. In India they do not use the plural. An outfit and shoe can be purchased for about $5.00. Then we will fly to New Delhi which is primarily a Muslim region and some crusades are in the planning. We will minister in Punjabi, God willing, at least that is the plan. This is an exciting new year and I am very much looking forward to returning to evangelize, to share my gift of music, and to see real orphans with real success stories and all that God has in store for us and the people of India. We cannot save the world; but with God all things are possible. I expect there will be a much greater outpouring of God’s spirit. I believe there will be great manifestations of his power with Signs and Wonders. I still have a heart for poor children with no parents and without our help they have a very bleak future. Unfortunately, we cannot save the world, but I still believe we can save a portion, one child at a time, and one soul at a time.
If I have learned one thing, it is to seek the Lord for discernment and walk so closely with him that I shall know His will for my life every step of the way, for the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord, not by man. That was my mistake. I trusted without question and was deceived. Sad to say, I am amongst a great number of people who fall into this kind of deception every year and this is what some Indian pastors are counting on.
In conclusion I would like to say that I have not shared this story to deter anyone from lending support to such worthy causes as these. But I would not have you ignorant as I was. It is a fact, that the number one scam in India today is orphanages.
But let us not become weary in well doing, for it is written, “Religion that God our Father sees as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from becoming polluted by the world.” James 1:27 I believe that God has chosen India as my field to reap a harvest, for he is the Lord of the Harvest, and he is coming soon.
“Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature." Mark 16:1 That is the Great Commission, one I am still intent on fulfilling, for the love of God, for the love of children, and a burden for the lost.
The Indus Valley civilization is one of the oldest in the world and it dates back about 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest migrated onto Indian Territory around 1500 B.C.; their assimilation with the native Dravidian populace created the established Indian culture. It is about one-third the size of America with a total territory of 3,287,590 sq km. It is second most populated country in the world with a population of about 1.3 billion people. Its ethnic group consists of Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% and religious groups Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.9%. Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated here, while Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, arrived in the first millennium CE and created India's variegated culture. English is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication. Hindi is the national language and primary spoken language of 30% of the populace. There are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit. There are 28 states and 7 Union Territories. New Delhi is the capital city situated in the north most part.
Andhra Pradesh is the fourth largest state in India by area and fifth largest by population. It is the largest and most populous state in Southern India. It is also considered the rice bowl of India. The state is intercrossed by two principal rivers, the Krishna (one of the longest rivers in India at 1300km) and Godavari (second largest river in India). Andhra means “leader in battle” and Pradesh means “region” or “state”. India became independent from the United Kingdom in 1947. The Muslim Nizam of Hyderabad wanted to retain his independence from India, but his state of Hyderabad was forced to become part of India in 1948 as the Hyderabad State. Andhra State was the first state in India that was formed on a purely linguistic basis by carving it out from Madras Province in 1953. Andhra State was later merged with Telugu speaking area of Hyderabad (Telangana) to create the Andhra Pradesh state in 1956. Andhra Pradesh can be broadly divided into three regions, namely Kosta (Coastal Andhra), Telangana and Rayalaseema.
Tenali is a town in Guntur District in the Kosta region of Andhra
Pradesh, just 30 km from Bay of Bengal. It has a population of
nearly 150,000, located 16 miles south of Guntur City. Guntur
City is the heart of tobacco, cotton, and is a textile industry
hub. Three canals of the Krishna River flow through Tenali making
it a part of the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh. Tenali is a major
railway junction connecting Guntur, Vijay Wada and Chennai (Madras)
routes. Tenali is known for its rich cultural and literary legacy.
It has produced many famous poets, actors and educationists. The
major important villages are Angalakuduru, Burripalem, Kollur,
Kuchipudi, Pedapudi, Chinaparimi,Chinaravuru, Pedaravuru, Munnangi,
Kancherla Palem, Modukuru, Jampani, Yadavuru, Emani, Chivalur,
Kollipara, Moparru and Chiluvur. Tenali is very green through
out the year in and around Tenali. It is generally hot and humid
during summer with temperatures ranging between 32-39 C. Winters
are milder with temperatures between 15-23 C.
Below is a photograph I took one glorious morning on a country road near my home in New Galilee, PA. I then inserted Jesus and to me it just brought the picture to life. I remember thinking, Jesus indeed walked the roads in Galilee, and apparently, still does today!
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" I am the light of the world, he who follows me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life." John 8:12
I have written and recorded a song called Living Water that I hope you will enjoy. Just click on the picture below..
