Out and about in West Bengal

 

What has really moved our heart this trip is the welcome we have received in all the villages and houses. Being welcomed with gifts of flowers, food, prayer and praise. In the first Village of the day we were greeted by the village children. One little boy was very excited to introduce Tom to friends, getting them to tell Tom their names and shake his hand. The boy was very keen to explain the game to Tom. Although tom couldn’t understand a word said. The boys enthusiasm and welcome was infectious. A prompt that the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.   

We had several opportunities to share about Jesus and found the person of peace (Luke 10) in unexpected ways. One such was a bathroom trip. On the way to the Village toilet that had been checked out in advance we were invited into another house to use their facilities. After checking with our team member we would be safe we accepted even though we did not know what might await us. In truth this was the most basic of facilities we had used without even a hole instead a slanted concrete slab draining of straight to the river. Privacy protected we were humbled by their allowing us strangers into their home. "Joy Jesus" they kept say. It turned out they were not believers but by us taking appropriate risk and following the welcome as Jesus instructs to go where invited in Luke 10 seems by finding a person of peace we may have paved the way for the Biglife person to have further conversation.

A person who joined us in the yard in this house then led us to an older man who wanted prayer. It seemed his legs were painful, as were his back and neck which limited him to moving around his house. We prayed at his request for healing but also ascertained he wanted to know Jesus more. We prayed in the manner we had learnt from the prayerful people here with one louder voice but other voices also praying at the same time. Our words intentionally not for Him at this point but intentionally to our and His creator. We ascertained he once had a Bible about ten years ago but he had lent it to his daughter. We got him a Bible then, despite being a little distracted by a goat nibbling Tracy’s top, we dramatically told him of the story of the paralysed man being lower through the roof by his friends in the middle of Jesus’ teach (Luke 5). Jesus cares about pain and wants to bring healing. We shared with the man not only did Jesus care about the mans physical disability but also forgave him from the sins in his life the things that got in the way of his relationship with God, that the man in the Bible story was healed body, mind and spirit. We told the man that Jesus loved him and wanted him to have that wholeness too. We folded down the passage in the Bible that we had given him as a reminder.  The Man who could not read was planning to ask his grandson to read to him. The area leader would follow up with this man in a few days. If we had not taken an appropriate risk and took an invitation on a way to elsewhere we would not have been led to this place.  Our work is not to do all the things, or walk with each person through all the stages of discipleship but simply to do what we can with what we have where we are and pay attention to the opportunities God leads us too.

Reading the bible and retelling the word in appropriate way is something we have seen to be crucial here. We then had an opportunity with the children to retell in song and action the story of Jesus calming storm Matthew 8. The children joined in with all the actions and the story was translated in between two or three of these active scripture translations. The crowd were the told about our powerful creators ability to calm all the storms of life and how he is there listening out for us to cry for help in his love.

Zoey then shared about what life was like before she found Jesus, how she found Jesus and what life was like after Jesus. If you are reading this and know her then feel free to ask her story. If you know the rest of team - Tom F, Andrew S or Tracy G  - and are interested feel free to ask us our story of how we met Jesus. We have learnt here all testimonies and witnesses to faith and the love of God are powerful. We all have stories to share I wonder where Jesus will meet you in yours?