Monday

Ron and I were both feeling well today, and had a full day. Ron taught the first class and the afternoon class, while I taught the session from 11-1.
We went to look at motorbikes, and have our choices pretty much narrowed down. Vijay will have to decide. Everything costs more, of course, but it isn't out of the range of possibility.
In the evening we went back for an hour session. We were going to show pictures, but I had forgotten the plug adapters in the room, so I taught on 1 Corinthians 13.
The students had already learned Ecclesiastes 12 by heart, and asked for another challenge, so we put on the love chapter. I have a list prepared to keep them memorizing as long as they have enthusiasm for it.
It's hot, and it feels good when a breeze comes up.

Sunday

Ron and I both had a rough night on Saturday, perhaps because of something we ate. We had to make adjustments in the Sunday teaching and preaching, but we got through the day, and we seem to be feeling better this evening.
We need your prayers.
I've had some messages that the blog was canceled. I hope it's up for you to follow. I'll be watching to try to solve the problem.

Good Start

We finished the first day. 62 people registered. Most of them are young and energetic. A couple of them are as young as 15. They are also small, so they look like they might be 12. They are responding well. Ron was having fun getting them to give back to him 5 marks of a mature believer from the book of James, and when they finally caught on to the game, they shouted back the answers.
I taught on Zecharias and Elizabeth in Luke 1, and we are having a drama group illustrate it tomorrow morning. Yes, tomorrow, Sunday. We will do it as a kind of Bible class, followed by a regular service. Then a teaching in the afternoon as well.
We have assigned the students to memorize Ecclesiastes 12:1-8. It's ostensibly about being young (remember your creator in the days of your youth) but when you read it you realize it's about being old (the "grinders" cease because they are few!). It should be fun teaching through it.
Cape Cod Covenant has a 24 hour prayer chain going for us while we are here. That gives us fresh courage in the face of the heat. Others are praying as well--in Argentina, Honduras, Pakistan (and the nation of California as well).

Good News

Today I talked with Ron, and through the generosity of Cape Cod Covenant Church, together with other funds from individuals, we have enough money to pay for the project and to buy the motorbike that Vijay needs.

The only possible glitch is that Vijay says we might have as many as 70 people, instead of the 30 we had asked for. When I was thinking about how to cut the number of students, Jesus' words to the disciples when they needed to feed 5000 people came to mind: "You give them something to eat."

So God is increasing our faith and our outreach.

I'm writing this on Tuesday night. We leave on Wednesday. I leave from Minneapolis. Ron leaves from Boston. We will meet up in Frankfurt, and then fly to Chennai together. When we get there, Vijay will meet us (at midnight Thursday) and we will drive a few hours up to Nellore. I hesitate to use the term "crash", but we will get some rest there after the very long trip and a jet lag of 10 1/2 hours for me and 9 1/2 hours for Ron.

Closer to the goal

We have committed funds for all but about 1400 dollars of what we need for the trip. We are praying for generous offerings this weekend.

Ron has a meeting on Cape Cod and I am presenting the project at Anoka Covenant Church.

We're thankful to International Bible Givers for a donation of English Bibles for the English speaking students.

Vijay tells me he has lined up 4 interpreters for us.

The weather all next week in Nellore is sunny and 100 degrees. Maybe Ron and I will lose weight while we are there!

video from India

Progress

We are getting closer to what we need for the project. We still need about 1700 dollars. You can give through the Herald of Faith website, http://heraldoffaith.org/

I am working on a book to help pastors teach through the Gospel of Luke. It won't be ready in time for our school in Nellore, but I expect to have it translated into Telegu and in print by the end of the year.