To the Limits: India Part 3
On the last episode of Travel the Road, "To the Limits: India Part 3"
Build Us a Church
In Devarkonda, Tim and Will speak at Pastor Joseph's church. After speaking there, they are invited to visit his village. The people there ask for a church-currently, the nearest church is a 10-kilometer walk away. Gideon observes that Jengali is in great need of pastors, and informs them that a hut church can be built for only 12,000 rupees, which is about $225 in American currency. The guys decide to take some action, and they get the money to build 3 churches in this area. They leave the funds with Gideon and prepare to leave their ministry in India. With Gideon and Bennet in charge of building the churches, the travelers take time to attend a church dedication in Atmakur. What one might expect to take place during a church dedication does not take place during this church dedication. Instead, highlights of the festivities include dancing, wrestling, and numchucks.
See a clip from the show: "Build Us A Church"
Missionary Vacation
Everyone needs a vacation once in awhile-and missionaries are certainly no exception. The guys take some time off in Sri Lanka after three months of solid ministry in India. Will describes it as "absolute paradise." The weather is perfect, the water is beautiful, and everything is just right. They utilize their time by studying the Bible and preparing their hearts for their next ministry. After two weeks of relaxation, they go to New Delhi to pick up gear for an expedition north. They plan to go into the mountains of Leh and minister to the nomads there. Before they leave, they check their e-mail for the last time until their return from Leh. When they do, they get a disturbing message. An e-mail from Gideon tells them that "Joseph is angry," and "the people are turning against us." What could the problem be? Without fully understanding the matter, and unable to do anything until after the trip, they focus on their expedition to Leh, in the northern mountains of India. But the mysterious e-mail echoes in their thoughts.
See a clip from the show: "Missionary Vacation"
From the Mountaintops
Leh is a troubled area that sees frequent military activity. Add that to the fact that the place they're headed is only 60 kilometers from Tibet-a country where they had a very difficult time trying to minister and obtain a translator only 10 months earlier-and they're facing a difficult task. One of the first things they do when they get there is visit a church. Their plans are to go to Tso Moriri, but when the people at the church hear this, they tell them not to go for safety reasons. Tim and Will, two missionaries who have never backed down for fear of their own lives, boldly press on. They sense no danger, and the call of the Holy Spirit beckons. Due to military activity, they can only obtain a 7-day pass in Tso Moriri. They trust God to find a translator-and they do! They find a man who is the leader of a tribe, and he promises to bring them to people who never heard the Gospel. They set out, adjusting to the altitude as they go, and find the people they were looking for. Tim presents the message to a man who has never before heard the name of Christ, and while he works at shearing his sheep, Tim makes a visual demonstration of the cross. In the end, the man accepts Jesus into his heart. After their short ministry ends, they are quickly on their way back to Devarkonda, and arrive there within 48 hours. They must learn what Gideon's e-mail was about.
See a clip from the show: "From the Mountaintops"
Et Tu, Brute!
What they discover there is betrayal and destruction. The church in Joseph's village lies in ruins, and most of the building materials stolen. One man in the village even stole 5,000 rupees from the fund. The only evidence of the church site is a hole in the ground. As they dig for the truth, they learn that Joseph falsely suspected Gideon's church of getting more money than they did. Greed took over, and he demanded more money for a larger church building. After being denied the funds, he went to the government authorities and told them of the church being built in his village. The government told the people of the village that if they didn't stop building the church, the government would not build their houses. The people gave in. After learning all these things, Tim and Will could hardly sit still. They decide to confront the village on their sin. Tim finds the man who stole the 5,000 rupees, and publicly confronts his sin. The man is moved, and admits his sin, begging forgiveness. He tells of the pain in his hand that occurred after he took the money. In fact, the entire village had experienced much sickness. Tim begins the process of reconciliation with the man, and prays for his forgiveness and healing. The next morning, Tim, Will and Gideon hop in a rickshaw to search for Joseph. They have some hard questions for him. When they arrive at the church he is supposed to be preaching in that morning, he is nowhere to be found.
He skipped town altogether, hiding from the village, the missionaries, and from God. The story is not all bad-two other churches were built in Jengali. The events that took place here are a solid reminder that the church of God is not a building. This is at the forefront of the travelers' minds during their last stop in India-an afternoon at the Calcutta zoo.