Now in London

150 Year old Bridge-Vast River

Mr. Venketa Reddy owns the Royal Park hotel where we stay in Kakinada and is the highest elected official in the district. The hotel is outstanding and he is such a nice man. He had attended the official opening of the children’s home as the Government representative for that opening. The government owns a nice tract of land behind the church building that has no access from any direction.  We are hoping to get the government to turn it over to the children’s home for it’s use and have made formal request for that. Mr. Reddy is an important factor in that. As the representative for the area, we are hoping he will exert his considerable influence to achieve that goal.
Also we paid the fees from our travel funds for opening a school there at the church building to begin next June.
We left Kakinada at 9:00 A.M. after saying goodbyes to everyone and headed for the airport.  When we left Kakinada it was still raining and again rained on us most of the day.   Water was over the road in many places and the flooding is widespread.  Some rice is laid over by the water and will probably be lost to the farmers.
After a very wet drive to the airport in Rajamundry we encountered a problem we had more or less expected. The flights from Rajamundry to Hyderabad were cancelled due to the weather.  The small planes that fly to RAJ are just not equipped to handle the heavy rains. Since our flights were cancelled, we had a lunch with the Rao family there in RAJ.  We had put a back up plan in place so we could make it to our International flight from Hyderabad.  Ricky Gootam and their driver drove us to on Hyderabad arriving at Rajiv Ghandi airport at 11:00 P.M. The drive from RAJ took us 9 plus hours of rough narrow roads with traffic you could not understand even if I tried to describe it. Just feature big trucks, cars, goats, scooters, bikes, etc. all trying to weave in and out passing each other for nearly 600 kilometers.  I slammed on my “Back seat” brakes (not there, of course) so much my feet felt as if I had walked. We made a couple of stops along the way to walk a bit and bathroom breaks and were able to see a few places we had not seen before it got dark. Crossing the Godavari River and the Krishna River on the way, we got a look at vast waterways that are the life line of all of Southern India.  Under British rule, the Godavari was diverted into what are really 12 river channels enabling irrigation to millions of wide spread acres of land area. We are grateful they were willing to drive us on what was a very LONG day!

"Water, Water Everywhere..."

Thankfully we made our flight to London.  They have some little sleeping rooms in the airport but we don’t sleep well in them. It is better than the floor in the airport but you feel like your head hardly hits the pillow near midnight until the alarm goes off at 4:30 A.M. The security is so tight you must give plenty of time for getting checked in, through customs, and security. Once in the secure terminal, we were able to have coffee and an omelet before boarding.

Hindu Crematorium at Rajamundry

Many houses filled with water

We have now arrived in London for a short stopover before coming on home although a bit of a task getting here! Our flight to London was uneventful but long and we need some sleep!  I will write more later about this great work and some random thoughts about the people involved in India.  Stay tuned!

On our way home

Thank you for making this work possible!

Sunday lunch in the Gootam home.

This will be the last post for a while since we are headed out early tomorrow to begin making our way home.  We are supposed to fly out of Rajamundry but the small planes that fly out of that airport have been grounded for several days because of the weather.  It is solid rain here and the outlook is the same.  Ricky is taking us to the airport and if they cancel our flight he is going to drive us on to Hyderabad to get to our flights home.  The big airport and the big planes are flying OK so hopefully we can make our connections. It is about a 9 hour drive but Ricky assures us the road is good and will be well above water. It makes for a hard day but we'll make the best of it.  Ricky has a bunch of cartoon DVD's in their SUV and a player so we may watch cartoons all the way. :) We had a great Sunday service with the church in Kakinada and lunch with the Gootam family. I have truly enjoyed preaching to these people and know they appreciate it. They continue to be insistent that we come back next year (and every year) but that remains to be seen.  I have no doubt that with the overwhelming success of this years lectures, next year will be even larger.  It is wonderful for people to be so hungry for the Word of God! A lot of tears flow as we leave --- especially from the little girls who have become so attached to Elaine -- but we are anxious to get home.  One little girl asked Elaine "will you be my mother" and you can imagine how difficult that is.  She was not asking to come with us to the USA---just love me and care what happens to me like a mother would. I know of no one to be a better mother than Elaine. (I'm probably a little prejudiced) We are looking forward to the first Sunday "pot luck" at home---Asher, and being with our family there. You know how I am about first Sunday! I have so much I want to share with you and will make a movie about this work this year and see to it all who have supported our activities get a copy.  I am also anxious to go and report to the congregations who have helped make this possible.

Even with the rain-Life goes on

One block from the church building

Saturday 10-30-2010

I cannot begin to tell you how much respect I have for the wonderful people of India.  I have found them to be intelligent, thoughtful, and open minded.  There is no fooling them--they just want to know the truth and solidly build their lives on it. In our village work today there were 3 more baptisms.  These people are spiritual people and when shown the teachings of one God and how to be His follower----well they just respond...and remain stedfast. We have been able to re-connect with so many we have seen in previous years. I am so impressed by the Christians here.  They are truly dedicated to Christ.  Their young people well versed in scripture and unfailingly faithful in spite of trying conditions and circumstances.  They are an inspiration to me and I am humbled by their great faith. I wish you could meet each one of them. With God as our father, we are truly brothers and sisters in Christ.

Preaching in the Villages

I have explained to them I am but an insignificant small town preacher and am almost embarrassed at their reception of us is as if we were someone important. I think they know we love them and that they are the important ones. We have come 10,000 miles, halfway around the world not because we are important but because they are. Not because I am some "big name American" preacher sent to tell them what to do but a servant of Jesus Christ here because He loves and died for them. They listen and respond to the power of the Gospel. Elaine and I are ordinary people but we serve an extraordinary God. It is to Him any "glory" for this work belongs.  What we do here is not for any personal acclaim but to bring precious people to the Savior of the world. In working with the hundreds of preachers and elders gathered here, I have reminded them that it is proper for them to be respected for what they do but the people must be converted to Jesus Christ not to them.  They may respect us but they worship God---exactly as it should be.  It is not about us, it's about Him. I have asked each of these hundreds of men to promise me personally that they will study hard and remain true to the scriptures. Every hand in the house went up and I am confident they will do as they have promised without wavering. We have talked about principles of preaching and doctrinal issues in depth and I have given them every ounce of energy and information I can. I know the association with each other in such large numbers has enthused them. So, hopefully, these lectureships have lifted their spirits and strengthened their resolve. It gives us such joy to be associated with them.  To each of you who have financially supported this work and have kept us in your prayers---thank you! The God you and I serve has moved mightily here this week. The funds you have spent will bear fruit both here and in eternity. Here are a few more pictures.

A village congregation

The village building

Preacher training classes

Village church Leaders

Friday In the Villages

We spent the day today visiting various village churches a couple of hours from Kakinada.  I was a very nice day except it has rained all day.  The rivers are full and the streets and roads don't drain well so there is a lot of water standing everywhere.  There is a large river which starts in North central India which provides the irrigation and water for this whole end of the country. A British engineer devised a way and built 12 channels to divert the water all over instead of just one river.  Each of those channels make our Mississippi look small. This is about the third day it has rained since we got here.  It does not seem to deter any activity, the people just keep going---wet. Just when I think I have seen everything, something new comes up.  Today we stopped to observe a group of men roasting a hog burning palm leaves right along side the road.  I guess if you dug a pit to cook it it would fill with water!

The view out our hotel window

Preacher and Son

I met one preacher today who has been preaching the gospel in his village since 1981. The Blue River church in Kansas City built their building for them in 2004 and they have about 100 members. He lost his wife since the last time we were here and has had some serious health problems but is some better. His family has 4 generations living in that village and his son preaches as well.  They have lot's of young people who are being well grounded in the Faith. I preached at another congregation composed mostly of women who have converted from...........You will know who I mean and they are faithful in spite of personal danger. Their families don't like it but they worship and work anyway. They have a good group with a good preacher and men who lead.  We go to villages again tomorrow.  

Wednesday Lectures

The "JayKay" Ice cream man

Wednesday Lectures:

Preparing Lunch

Elaine and her Interpreter

We are again between services.  We have finished the afternoon workshops and are awaiting our ride back to the building for the evening service.  The pictures you see all have interesting stories.  I don't know that you can read the caption on the ice cream mans cart but I just had to picture it.  It says: "Jay Kay's Ice Cream." Since my  initials are JK....well you get the idea.  Of course these vendors move to where crowds are and they have obviously "hovered" here. Webought ice cream for all the children last night----such a treat to them. Bro. Gootam said teasingly to me this morning:  "Jim Kelly has drawn the candy man, the ice cream man and the balloon man." The numbers are astonishing.  Each person pays a 50 rupee registration (about a dollar) which entitles them to 3 meals a day and publications, afternoon tea..etc.  They receive a ticket that allows them to obtain those things. One picture is of the ladies cutting onions and potatoes for the noon meal. 

They have registered over 2500  people. They know there are more here than that since many local area people don't register but eat at home.  None of us ever expected this kind of turnout! People from Orissa, Madras, and other places I cannot spell.  Those are distances of 1200 kilometers away.  It takes the people from Orissa two days to get here.  The other two pictures are of me and my interpreter--Bro. Rao from SRIKAKULAM, (he has a school of preaching there) and Elaine and her interpreter who is the superintendent of schools here in Kakinada. (one of the Elder's wives.)

We know that this work is the result of so many people in the states who have made it possible financially. I do not have enough words to convey to you how grateful we are for your gracious contributions to this cause of Christ. Because of you, the Gospel is preached, orphan children helped, preachers encouraged, lives changed and souls saved.  This is YOUR work. Thank God for you.

Jim and Bro Rao

Tuesday at the Lectureship

"Preacher's wife to Preacher's wives"

Part of Elaine's Ladies Class

Arrived in a truck

Need some Rice?

It is Tuesday afternoon and we are taking a short break before the evening session.  Again this afternoon Elaine had the women and I spoke to the men in a 2 hour program after lunch. The services this morning were great and the workshops profitable.  So many people are here they spill out in to the street at times.  Joshua told me today they are cooking 700 pounds of rice every day---Plus the sauces they put on the rice. It is hard to imagine but these cooks have 5 huge pots on big burners cooking rice from morning, well before daylight, the till evening meal is complete. One group arrived today--over 80 people who arrived in a big truck---like one of our grain or dump trucks.  One of the pictures today is of them. We continue to do our best to communicate and encourage these people but I believe they probably are more encouragement to us than we to them. It is an amazing work and three more were baptized here today. Some good news, the preachers from Orissa state report that the persecution has slowed there. Several of those responsible for all the killing of christians and burning of churches and houses last year have been arrested, convicted and are in jail.  Some have even died of incurable diseases and in accidents. Many who were persecuting these christians believe "you better not mess with christians and their God."!  I am not sure I could sanction such but at least it has taken some pressure off the churches there. We have relished the day and know God is blessing our work together.  

Greetings, We just got in from Monday evening services. The crowds today were wonderful and packed in the building everywhere. The morning services were highlighted by the visit of a "Senator" from this region to again dedicate the children's home. We did more ribbon cutting with him and gave him a good tour of the facility. I preached this morning as did Bro. Rao from Rajamundry.  We had a good visit with William Carey this evening--he is supported by the St. Louis congregation.  Crowds were "Immense" at every service today.  I had some 400 preachers in the two workshops this afternoon and Elaine had about 300+ women.  Too many to count as they were on the top floor pressed down hallways and in classrooms.

Evening Service-Halfway up Aisle

With India Dignitaries

Morning services numbered 800-900, again almost impossible to count.  They have over 1000 registered as of this evening with more coming.  People are bedded down all over the grounds and throughout the building. We are tired but exhilarated at the wonderful response to the teaching of God's word. I have always felt that my best contribution to this lectureship was the preacher's workshops.  Today just confirms for me that feeling.  If I can in some small way lift up, encourage, and strengthen these men, then many will be reached because of their efforts. Our two hours together today was a wonderful experience. We have found out they use many of the materials Cathy Fuch's sends to them for the Asher church.  From the publication we send and my CD's they get Ideas that help them prepare and preach. It is most rewarding to be with them. Keep us in your prayers....

Elaine and Kabita Cutting Ribbon

Br. Rao Translates