“My Impressions”....... by  Ginger 
“Out of Darkness and Into the Light”

Praise to JEHOVAH-SHAMMA (The Lord is There) for perfectly ordering my trip to India last fall. Though my primary purpose was to join David and Chaya Sumanth for the dedication of the Paul J. Sumanth Academy and to take part in the evangelistic ministry  of The Cornerstone Prayer Fellowship, prior to joining them I made arrangements to visit Calcutta, home to Mother Theresa’s work, and Varanasi, the ancient Hindu holy city. It was there that I was introduced first-hand to a centuries-old caste system that remains entrenched in the religious and social fabric of Indian life and there that my vision for the world was forever altered.

In Calcutta God knit my heart to the Agarwal family, relatives of Rajni . They are a family of Hindu belief; the first I have ever gotten to know personally. I learned much from them. For more than 3000 years the Hindu caste system has dictated India’s social structure. For the 300 million Indians in the sub-caste known as Dalits or “Untouchables,” this means a life a permanent poverty simply because they were born into Dalit families. My heart was broken by their spiritual poverty as well.

I encountered street children (there are an estimated 100,000 just in Calcutta) who roam the overcrowded streets targeting tourists and begging for help. Many of them were obviously malnourished and likely suffering from disease. I saw the impoverished city-dwellers who live in dilapidated tents and make shift shelters, eking out a miserable daily existence.
As I stood nearby I cried out in my heart, “God, where is his soul and where are You? How attentive are You to this corner of the world?

Had this been the extent of my trip, God may not have answered me in such a profound way. Like the refreshment that comes at dawn after a dark, starless night, so was my orientation to the Cornerstone Prayer Fellowship Church, India. God gifted me with a glimpse of the importance of the local church in His master plan for world evangelism! God allowed me to know that the death of one so precious as Paul (Sumanth) is producing eternal life for those trapped in utter spiritual darkness in India (John 12:24).

In a country where an estimated 2% of the population is Christian, God showed me the progress of the indigenous church movement in Guntur, where 40% are believers. I cannot recall a place where I have seen a more vivid representation of the Acts 2 church. Under the leadership of Pastor Lazarus these converts have learned and practice three principals which were of tremendous inspiration and challenge to me as a minister in the local church in America. They are: simple living, sacrificial giving, and servant hood. I was excited to see the spiritual maturity of many new believers and to see these teachings evident in daily living in their village.

Now, in addition to the great work of CPF, the PJSA will work in a cooperative strategy to educate children, teaching them from the start the Christian belief that God has “plans to prosper them…to give them a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) The education received at PJSA will likely mean freedom for them. These children will be the first in their families to read and write. They will also be the first to speak English, a skill that could open countless doors for education and employment. But most important of all is their opportunity for spiritual freedom in Christ, not only for them, but for every life God will give them opportunity to touch. As the children sang, This Little Light of Mine, I felt an incredible surge of faith-based optimism as to what God might be doing in India and beyond through the cooperative efforts of CPF and PJSM. They have developed a tried and true model for how they will be used by God to spiritually transform entire villages by planting churches, schools, and medical facilities.

I left India worshipping JEHOVAH-SHAMMA, and imagining the implications of being involved in the work of the Great Commission. I want to lead those in the west to join me in financial and spiritual support of natives who minister through CPF and PJSA. I’m still    praying about my part. Will you pray about yours?