I arrived back in the US Wednesday afternoon after traveling almost 20 hours from India – literally half way around the world. It was  a marvelous, fascinating, exhausting trip. A host of wonderful memories of sights and sounds.

Last Sunday as we drove to the tent (a temporary, bamboo structure covered with cloths of many colors) where the convention was held we saw people beginning to gather. The tent was set up in dry rice paddy fields – very flat except for the dried mud berms that separate the paddies – like high speed bumps. It had a real festival atmosphere. There was excitement in the air.

The ladies dress in such beautiful colors! But they were gathering from every corner – East, West, North and South – they told me 40,000. A beautiful sight. It reminded me of the verse in Luke, “And He will send His angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.” They were gathering. With that many people you would expect it to be noisy and raucous. It wasn’t – it was quiet, orderly and peaceful. They sat on the ground quietly, patiently, packed in tightly – maybe sardines would give you a clearer picture!

The convention is their annual event – each church builds its own tent for sleeping and eating and fellowship times. It was a city of tents – I would loved to have seen it from the air. I was amazed.

In brief, I came away from India with a profound sense of gratitude for all Jesus has done for me. I do not have to appease my God. He loves me and sacrificed His only Son so that I might be free from the bondage of  sin and have a personal, intimate relationship with Him. He loved me. I need not live in fear.

What a profound message for the dear people of India.

As it would happen as I got on the plane in DC to go to India my iPhone gave me this message, “your phone has been disabled”. Great. No camera! But my assistant had hers so when she is ready she’ll forward them on to me and I will post them for you all.

Great joy to see the Himalayas from the Bhutan border. Magnificent. And what I saw were just the foothills!

We serve a magnificent God Who loves us and has provided the way for salvation. No sacrificing to Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Durga, Mahadeva…etc.  Over 6000 gods. We serve the one true God who paid it all for us. Hallelujah!