Living Word Church of the Nazarene

Monday, July 26, 2010

On Saturday, while the cement floor in the church was drying, the team took a sightseeing day. We had had breakfast and were on the road by 7:30 AM. We traveled from Kotagiri to Doddabetta (Tamil for “Big Mountain”). Doddabetta is the highest peak in South India and is 8,640 feet above sea level. The weather was not cooperating with us on this mountain. It was windy and cold and we were in the middle of a cloud. We were not able to see the sights that can be seen on a clear day, but the experience was great none-the-less.

From Doddabetta, we traveled to a Tea Factory. We learned about the history of the tea industry. Included in their history lesson was our infamous Boston Tea Party. We saw the factory workers hard at work making tea, enjoyed a cup at the end, and bought up as much as we could take home with us. Tea anyone?

We then traveled to a family attraction near the city of Ooty. The best way I can describe this stop was “India’s rendition of the Kemah boardwalk.” We took a boat ride, went horseback riding, climbed into some big, clear balls that are full of air and roll (check out the pictures if that doesn’t make sense). We also had our first American meal since arriving in India at a wood-fired Pizza place.

We ended our sightseeing day by shopping in Ooty. And, oh yes, a few of the team did take the risky step of trying some of the food at a street vendor. Hopefully, there will not be any more story to that information in upcoming blogs.

We arrived home around 7:30 PM for dinner and an early bedtime.

Yesterday (Sunday) was a wonderful day of worshiping our Lord with these wonderful people of India. By the end of the day, the team had been to three worship services.

The first service was at Peniel Church of the Nazarene, the sight of our VBS. The service began at 8:30 AM and packed out the small sanctuary at 70+ people. Pastor Jim Salter preached the message from Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 on the call of the church to encourage one another and help one another. It was a great service and a blessing to worship God with our new friends.

After arriving back at the hotel, we ate lunch, and you guessed it, we took “Nazarene Naps.” Some things don’t change even half way around the world!

The second service of the day was the dedication service at King of Kings Church of the Nazarene. This was our first time back to the church after the floor was poured. The service began at 5 PM with the unveiling of the dedication stone. The stone recognized Living Word Church of the Nazarene for its part in building the church. Sharon Samuel delivered the scissors to Rich Crow (the Work and Witness director for this region) and Rich cut the ribbon to enter the new church. The church looked beautiful and the excitement of the team and the Indian church was very evident. Among other things…. Pastor Aaron led the Work and Witness team in a choir special, Ted spoke about Work and Witness, and Pastor Scott preached from Isaiah 43:1-6. The service ended with a special prayer for the members of King of Kings Church, for Pastor Kingsley, and for the city of Kotagiri. It was a wonderful service in which to be a part.

We returned to the hotel for dinner and ended our day in the third service as we joined LWN live online. Our reception was not good because of the internet connection we have here in Kotagiri, but it sure was great to see our home church and worship the Lord with you.

Today (Monday), we head back to the worksite to finish as much as we can in the time remaining. We hope to finish putting plaster on the ceiling, paint the inside of the church, and finish painting the outside of the church.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for LWN’s Work and Witness team. God has certainly answered them and blessed us with His presence. Please continue to pray for us as we live out the final days in India and begin our long journey home on Wednesday night. We love you all and are looking forward to seeing you soon.