A special day in Bangalore

Hello all,

I have caught up on rest and Scott is still trying to catch up. Last night he couldn't sleep b/c he was still on Houston time. It is late here so he is getting ready for bed. We are so thankful to be feeling well and adjusting to the the time difference and food. Our hotel food is very good and the staff continues to treat us like royalty. They all anxiously await to meet Hope Anjali just as we do on Monday.

Today we were able to see some of the city of Bangalore. It is quite a sight to see. The streets are very crowded and busy with people everywhere. The traffic is crazy and they have no lanes, so you can imagine how many close calls there were. We just laughed and told our driver what a good one he was. He stays with us the whole time we are here.

We started off our day meeting a guy from Waco who serves here in Bangalore with college students to plant churches across the city. It was great to hear what he and his team are doing and also hear places for us to visit and eat. We then met two Indian men who are part of the mission india team in Bangalore that our church is supporting. They picked us up and took us to two parts of the city. The first place was where adults learn to read and hear testimonies of Jesus Christ. All of the people welcomed us with kindness, smiles, and handshakes. We felt so honored. Scott was able to share a little of his testimony and then prayed over the people. It was very special for us to be there. Many of the adults do not know Christ but still come everyday to learn how to read and to listen. Pray that God will move in their hearts to want to accept who He is.

We then went to the "slums" and into a room where many children greeted us with smiles and waves. They gather together everyday for sports activites and then have time for learning verses and hearing about Jesus. They sang for us a praise song and then several children recited verses from the bible. We then heard a few share their testimonies. It was pretty amazing to see what God is doing in their lives. One little girl about 11 shared how God cured her of stomach cancer. It was pretty cool to hear.( Kathy shared her testimony and prayed over the children. She told the children that if they know Christ we will all meet together, again, in heaven.) (Scott woke up read and added this.) All day Scott and I were overcome with emotion we had to fight back while with all of them. They are beautiful people who have the same needs and wants of us but who live in extremely difficult circumstances. Christianity is not really accepted in Bangalore and if not in a four room walled place, nothing can be said of Christ.We learned there are also several Christians persecuted for their belief. One of the men with us had been in jail and mistreated a few months ago. We were amazed though how the leaders all continue to be obedient to God even with such opposition.

It was a wonderful time meeting new friends and hearing of how God has been working in India. It was also a blessing for us to learn more first hand and see Hope's culture in reality. We are so grateful for God's timing and protection in bringing us here to experience his greatness.

Tomorrow we will tour the city gardens and places of interest and get some shopping in before meeting Hope Anjali.
Better get some rest. Scott is already alseep.