Breakfast at 8.30 a.m., after another late night! Casting one’s eye over the spread, it’s a tough choice between Idly, Vada, Sambar, Pongal or Ottapam. Scrambled egg on toast is also available. These meals can be quite emotional, as they bring tears to your eyes, and sweat to your brow! We have none-the-less thoroughly enjoyed the food.

We kicked off the day with a time of sharing and prayer. Lyn had left in the middle of the night to fly to S.A. for the Johannesburg venture, and we prayed for her safety, as well as for that event, with people from different parts of the world coming together. Prayer has certainly been a vital part of our trip to India, and we are grateful to the Lord for His faithful servants bearing us up before Him.

“The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His”. 2 Chronicles 16:9

Our time in India has been such a blessing! The Christians that we have met have been absolutely sold out for God, and they have been a great encouragement to us as a team.

Some team members had a late morning meeting with one of our Indian brothers in Christ to evaluate the suitability of his business premises as a possible venue for consultant training, while the rest took a well-earned respite! The afternoon was spent with an extremely gracious Carol, who took the team bargain-hunting for Indian clothing items.

We spent the evening with a wonderful couple and their daughter, whom we had met in one of the churches on Sunday morning. It was quite challenging getting to their home on time, as our driver fought his way through the traffic! If you happen to have business meetings in Chennai, make sure you leave an hour earlier than you think you should! We once again experienced true Indian hospitality with chicken briyani as well as other traditional culinary delights. At the end of a pleasant evening, we had the privilege of standing around in a circle, holding hands and committing their home, their family, and their future to God.

God is at work in Chennai (and by the sounds of it in the rest of India) in a BIG way! It has been a great privilege to be here. My prayer for this precious nation of over 1 billion souls is that every single individual will have the opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. As that happens, I believe their impact on the rest of the world will be immense.

— Neville Owen

After breakfast, we got together as a team for devotions and some de-briefing and catching up. Thanks to Margie Cook and the team who stuck on from 11 - 1 pm to bathe the entire trip in prayer (what a blessing). Lyn and myself (that would be Virendra) went off to meet with a gentleman who heads up the Christian Professionals Forum. What an amazing man and such a heart for the kingdom. I do not have the time to go into his testimony (‘cos I catch my plane back in a few hours) but suffice to say that God has been answering our prayers about partnering with the right folks.

The CPF is a organization of professionals (aka potental consultants) and businessmen (aka clients) that meets once a month to listen and get encouraged by motivational Christian speakers. In addition they do an outreach to tribal villages once a quarter.

The local pastor that we got hooked up to by John Christian kept introducing us to more and more folks. He hooked us up with a Pastor whose sole vision is to see more and more bible studies (cell groups) being held within businesses and that be the tool for outreach. Suffice to say that there was a similar vision with Equip.

In an attempt to cast the vision to more than just clients and consultants we met withe Campus Crusade for Christ representative for all of South India. He definitely embraced the vision of Equip and was also willing to introduce us in other major cities in India. He is one of the key leaders/founders of the Chennai Transformation Network - an organization whose vision is to transform the city of Chennai through the various spheres of society. They have a business tract that is still not under way and they are seriously considering Equip being the vehicle to kick that tract off.

Later in the evening, Bart (together with Neville, Errol and Don) headed up a third forum of potential clients and consultants which was very well attended. There were some great questions and interest which led to more meetings today.

In closing, I would say that God has just blown us away with the people He has brought in our path and the potential impact Equip could have in the city of Chennai and the country of India.

I am honored and humbled at God choosing to use us.

Prayer Requests

• continued protection for the team in India
• travelling mercies for the folks that are travelling back
• discernment for the right partners
• a sense of cohesiveness for the "infrastructure"/"leadership" team in India
• commitment from the folks that would do the "ops" role for Equip India

Our team of 9 drove down to the coast where to visit several different mercy ministries. The first stop was to observe a brand new empty hospital, never used – out host has a vision to purchase this hospital and to use it for the local people. We then visited a ministry where various teaching is taking place, teaching the widows the trade of sewing. These are victims of the 2004 tsunami. Widows in this culture are totally ignored by society, and have no way to look after themselves and their children. The ministry is also involved in educating children and others in computer skills and in speaking English. The classrooms are small and sparse, so different to the affluence that we are used to. They are involved in uplifting the poorest of the poor. They have been very involved in helping the local community in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami.

We then drove out into the countryside through the villages to see a property that was purchased last week, two acres on the outskirts of a village. The vision is to build many small homes for the tsunami widows. We walked the land and then went on to the next door property to see the small church building that occupies the corner between this and our host property. A young woman greeted us with a shiny face, she had been waiting for us –a Christian, she had been “told” by the Holy Spirit that a man with the same name as our host would visit on Tuesday. Our host had not known this detail himself, as had only made the arrangement to take us out on Tuesday, the previous day. She told us her story, her husband had been injured in an accident and no longer had the use of his right arm –she went to bring him to us and we observed his arm, we asked if we could pray for him and right there in the heat of the Indian afternoon we laid hands on this man and asked our Heavenly Father to heal him. His two small children observed us, with wide brown eyes. It seemed so normal to stand there, a group of South Africans, Americans and Indians, all talking to our father in Heaven together.

We left, and continued on to a village where the tsunami had hit and wiped out all source of livelihood. The fishing boats had been replaced by many different agencies, most of which are Christian. The fishermen insisted on taking us out to sea in one of the boats. What fun we had, out beyond the waves on the Bay of Bengal. The men, two brothers, told us how the last 4 catches had yielded no fish, this was indeed, very bad for the whole village. They then asked us to pray for them, and so out there, on the sea with the sun setting, we prayed, and asked our Father to bless them with an enormous catch. What a privilege to pray with these simple fishermen. Later, as we shared the story with our hosts, they were amazed, as the village is not Christian and they have not yet had an opportunity to pray with these people. God is at work and we continue to pray for answers to these prayers.

On the way home, we were told that the injured man had completed half his payment for the small property that his family was living on. He was not able to continue to work and therefore would lose his home. The amount needed to complete the payment was the rupee equivalent of $120 US! This was shared with the team the next morning, a collection taken and a property secured for a family of four. Our God is indeed on the move, strengthening His people all over the world. The wife of the injured man had told us with shining eyes that her village would become a “Christian” village! We look forward to see what happens in the future.

— Margie Cook

Choosing what to eat is an adventure most of the time because you never know what is lurking below the surface. By now we’ve learnt to be a little more careful and breakfast and fellowship around the table is special.

Then we were into final preparations and cleaning (and preening) in time (not quite) for our host Lawrence (of India, not of Arabia) who came to collect us for a visit to his home.

If you’re sharp off the mark, you find a back seat (as far back as you can) because you don’t want to see what happens on the roads. Everybody, pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, adult tricycles, cars, busses, trucks and a variety of other bodies and machines take to the roads which have no markings, stop signs or “other” recognizable indicators of what is happening out there. A traffic circle is an obstacle in the road that you navigate around in any direction (normally the shortest route). You weave and bob around anything that is in your way, while pedestrians and vehicles cross the road (diagonally) at the same time, at any point in the road. You can also do a “U-turn” anywhere you might want to.

Last night we met some REALLY special people and this was again the case this evening as we gathered for supper just to sit and chat with them and their families. What has been so special has been seeing the depth of commitment and the challenges that they have each faced and how God has been leading them all these years. God has been at work here among these Indian leaders (young and older) for so many years that they seem to just have been waiting for Equip to arrive and add to their already amazing journey with the Father. The stories are SO personal, SO powerful and SO dramatic (miraculous really) that I once again realise that there is a LONG way for me still to go.

I’ve been here only three days and it seems like a lifetime as I’m trying to absorb what God is saying to me. Jesus is SO alive and busy here and I have been SO blessed that I’m already in overload of blessing and awe. I’m actually not sure that I can handle any more in such a short time.

However, we are still here until the weekend, so, stand by, there’s much more to come.

God’s richest blessings on all of you that read this and remember to pray for us.

— Errol J. Smith

Prayer Requests

• God would bring the right partners, and give us discernment for who they are
• We would use our time wisely and be very productive
• Have the time to follow up with everyone needed
• Continued health and energy

In the evening we hosted our second Equip informational evening. Each member of the team played a key role as we shared the vision of equip through testimonies, a skit, and discussion with those who attended. We were all deeply impacted by the caliber of people who attended ranging from bright, educated young women recently converted from Hindu faiths who have to attend Christian meetings secretly to high profile business men who are totally committed to radical walks of faith in their workplaces. We are standing amazed as we are watching God bring forth the “prepared people” for whom the time is ripe to be involved with equip. Many are sharing with us about the beginning of an economic boom that is taking place and my sense is that God wants His people to ride the front of the wave as far as impact is concerned and not stand on the beach and watch what is happening.

A few final impressions:

There is constant noise here day and night with air conditioners humming noisily and of course the incredible volume of traffic. (Everyone consistently honks as they drive. I think they are like bats, using the sound to help them avoid bumping into other cars!)

The Indian people are so beautiful with their broad white smiles and colorful saris. I can’t stop admiring the exquisite fabrics and designs of the clothing and have noted that even poor people on the streets have clean and vibrant saris, a surprising feat in this dry and very dusty place.

Our team is working so well together, having many laughs and I believe uniquely selected for their pioneering role in this hot, dusty, vibrant place. What a privilege to be serving God here.

— Lyn Johnson

Prayer Requests

• Discernment about potential partnering with local leaders
• People for key positions in equip locally

Praises

• Safety/Health
• The ways John Christian has bridged us into the local community
• The excitement about equip from the people who have heard the message
• People feel the time is perfect for equip to be here
• God is moving here!

It was a very early morning for Errol and Neville who finally got in at 5 am after cancelled flights and a long delay in Dubai. God took great care of them there with some much-needed relaxation time in preparation for our venture.

It was also an early morning for Virendra, Lyn, and John who met over breakfast with Jayakaran a pastor of a church called Powerhouse. They have a congregation of about 120, primarily in their late 20’s and early 30’s. Several of them will be attending the sessions in the coming days. Jayakaran’s input is that a lot of organizations come and deliver theology, but what they really want to hear is how the equip venture can affect their bottom line. They also struggle with such questions as, “Do ethics and success have to be mutually exclusive?” For example, in a society where bribery can be commonplace and a way to get business done, how can Christians conduct business successfully?

India is experiencing a boom in business with so much work moving here from the states and elsewhere. The people are working very long hours, much like many of us did during the dot com bubble. While they are very interested in the equip messages, they don’t want to miss out on the current boom and may find it hard to commit the necessary time.

The evening session was a wonderful success! We have appointments set up for next week including an opportunity to visit a Garment Factory and to speak at a CBMC meeting on Friday night with many others to be confirmed. The people who attended were beautiful, inspired, and very encouraged and challenged by the message. We were scheduled to end at 7:00, but I sit here writing this at 8:45 and there are still several people here in deep conversation. I spent quite a while talking to two young women who are beautiful, very bright, and on fire for the Lord. They are very interested in equip, but one major challenge for both is that their families are Hindu and they are not able to be open about their faith. On Sundays they have to use excuses to go to church or there will be repercussions. Their families have seen the major changes in their lives including peace and joy, but the societal pressure is very high against following a different path.

Lord bless these beautiful people of India!

— Dianne Eckloff

Prayer requests:

• God will continue to raise up the right people and put a burning passion in their hearts for equip
• Good connections with the right people; opportunities to follow up
• People would invite their friends to hear the equip message
• Continued safety and extra measure of physical strength (as we write this too late at night)

Margie and Don joined our ranks today. They were real troopers staying up with everyone despite the jetlag. We managed to take in some local shopping at a rehab center where they sold items made around India by those in serious need, including some with leprosy. We did our best to support their efforts, walking away with lots of bags.

Jodene and I celebrated our joint birthdays this evening (mine was yesterday, hers tomorrow) at a special restaurant selected by Bart. They brought us a cake and had a Traditional Indian trio play a very creative rendition of “Happy Birthday.” We sampled a variety of S. Indian cuisines, but decided to pass on the imported wines costing an exorbitant sum.

While we’ve known all along that we’d have to take it one day at a time, we’re getting more of a taste for how things are done locally. John Christian, our host for our time here, is helping to organize business forums for Saturday and Sunday evenings where we will share the equip message. He has already gathered numerous people who have shown interest and want to participate! The structure of these events seems to be evolving based on everyone’s needs. So our challenge is to stay flexible enough to tailor our message to the particular audiences, adjusting the presentation time and individual conversations as well as the information being delivered, accordingly.

Virendra arrived this evening in his usual great spirits. He joked about rooming with Bart and that he was given “peace” and “grace”. We thought about our need of these things, and realized that we have either been given plenty thus far, or haven’t been in need of them. Last night we had a bit of a challenge taking a ride that should have been 15 minutes and turned into 2 hours. I had to go to the bathroom painfully, and I know others were tired after a long day, but we all got the giggles and had a great time of it. I believe God has assembled this team in part for our flexibility and willingness to do what it takes. I have a feeling we will be challenged in these ways (requiring lots of peace and grace) in the days to come. Your prayers are very much needed!

Tomorrow we get to dive into the real work, with the first meetings taking place. Luckily most of us are over our jetlag and are excited to dive in!

— Dianne Eckloff

Prayer requests:

• God’s message would be delivered powerfully through those speaking at churches Sunday morning.
• The right people will come to the forums and meetings
• We deliver the right message at each of the forums
• Continued health and energy for the team

Yes, the hope, energy, and prospects are palpable on every corner. And while my heart leaps to see this, as I’ve seen it over the past few years as I’ve visited India for work, I soon start to ask … what is this hope in, where is the opportunity going, and what are these billion people attaching their lives to? And the answer of course, is … the world. The world has given them the opportunity to rise out of their poverty, invest in themselves and their families, stand proud of their accomplishments, and make a better life … all incredibly good things, incredibly empowering … and yet sadly, without God, all incredibly futile. One couldn’t ask for a more generous, welcoming, gracious people … eager to please their families, their guests, their bosses. But so few (about 2% are Christians) have ever known a life of being loved by and eager to please God.

On previous visits to India, my heart used to break as I saw the most impoverished men, women, and children lining up at temples to spend their money on flowers, incense, and trinkets of hope to lay before empty idols and thrones. My hope for change was often buoyed by realizing how clear the case would be to show the inability of these empty gods to improve their daily lives. Now, with the economic surge in full force, these idols, while not removed from daily life, no longer seem to be the primary target of hope … this target has shifted to the world, to business, to the marketplace. And I start to think our task has become even more challenging. In contrast to lifeless idols, the world of material wealth seems to be able to offer and deliver on the people’s greatest desires.

And yet the vehicle for change couldn’t be more clear. This nation is in the throes of embracing the marketplace for all aspects of opportunity … and so it is with the marketplace that we have the most incredible opportunity to influence this nation. To be a part of this new great awakening with a message that says, do this, but do it God’s way. The world tells India its hope lies in itself, its industry, its ingenuity. The world asks rhetorically, what else could you need?

And so, we arrive in this land today – one in many ways more foreign than most – with a different answer to that question. One with God at the center of work, life, and family … and one with God at the center of business and marketplace opportunities. Each moment we’re here seems to bring new surprises and new challenges, to which all one can do is pray and laugh. I hear Paul’s words to the Corinthians resonating (2 Cor 5:13 NLT) … “If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us.”

Amen and God bless you all for your prayers, love, and support!

—Bart Munro