We left the U.S. and met up with most of the team in England before going on to India.  On this trip we joined up with Steve and Detty Laidlow from Acorn International Ministries based in England. They have been doing work in India for many years. The group consisted of 16 people from 6 different nationalities all joining together to bring their many gifts and talents to make a great team.

We arrived late at night and Pastor Mark (the local pastor and head of the orphanage) and a large group of his disciples came to greet us and take us to our home for the time we were with them.  His disciples are a group of young men who are in ministry under Pastor Mark or in training for the ministry.  They were our translators while we were there and took exceptional care of us.

The next day we had our first village crusade that kicked off 10 straight days of ministry.  The team split into three groups which all went to different areas so that we could be more effective and reach more people.  In all, the team held 27 meetings consisting of village crusades, church services, hospital visits, children and youth meetings.  We also held a 2 ½ day conference for over 175 local ministers and church leaders.  The results were fantastic. Some gave their testimony about their experience at the conference.  Several said they had never received teaching like that before and that now they have a “root” from which they can grow.  They are very eager to learn more.

At the first crusade a lame man came and accepted Jesus and then after praying for him he actually got up and walked home.  Another day a beggar woman came up to a team member and with the help of a translator they shared the gospel with her.  She accepted Jesus too and after praying for her she received her hearing after being deaf in her right ear.  At the ministers conference, a pastor who had lost his sight seven months earlier received his sight back while listening to Pastor John preach about healing.  No one even laid hands on him or prayed for his healing.  These are only a few examples of what happened while we were there.  The Lord Jesus was working with us confirming the Word! (Mark 16:20)

Pastor John and Marlene went to a TB Hospital with some others from the team.  The ward they went into had 28 patients and three visitors there.  They shared the gospel and 30 out of the 31 gave their lives to Jesus and renounced Hinduism.  One lady refused saying her gods were the healing gods. Her husband was the worst off out of everyone else in the whole hospital, but even though she flat out refused to accept Jesus - but her husband did!

Pastor John and Pastor Steve were able to perform a baptismal service in one of the gypsy villages where we held a crusade.  Seven believers got baptized that day.  We were planning on six baptisms but then another man got so excited at the service that he came up at the end and asked to be baptized too.  The trip was very successful.  From all the meetings held, we ended with a final tally of over 2000 salvations, 1100 filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and 2600 people coming up for healing.

Be sure and look at the pictures of the trip and of the Sasalu Church project where we raised the money for the new church building.  We wish there was a way that you could see all of the pictures because each one has a story behind it.  We felt so blessed to be able to go.