We praise the Lord for keeping us safe and sound in the high mountains!
Day 1
We started our journey from our place and arrived in the evening at our destination. We washed our feet and hands with hot water, and got some relief, as we were tired of the long journey in the jeep.
Some believers and new contacts gathered in Mr. Gideon’s house. Brother Jude shared about how to understand the Gospel and believe in Christ Jesus, and how to show it to the people who come into our contact everyday. The hearers were happy, and they invited us to their home and village once we were done with the message and intercessory prayer. However, we couldn’t go to their villages or to their individual homes on this invitation due to a lack of time, since it involved walking 2-3 hours. We promised to come back and visit them during our next visit, God willing.
Day 2
Our next goal was to reach a village, which was about 5 kilometers away from where we spent the night. We took a jeep in the morning and got down on the road. From there, we walked about 1 hour on foot and reached the village. There we met two families, who also provided us breakfast and asked us to pray for them, as some of them were sick and weak. We prayed and asked the Lord to heal them and keep them in the faith.
In this village, we were introduced to a man who was interested in listening to the Gospel. He was new to Christianity but was willing to listen. He told us that he was busy that day but would like us to come and visit his home, which was about a two hour journey from there, so we committed the man and his desire into the Lord’s hands and moved out of the village for our next stop in another village.
Day 3
We took two different buses and jeeps to reach our next destination. By the time we reached the village of Mr. Rajesh, it was already afternoon. So we stayed in the village and took a walk around the village, while praying for the region. Two of our brothers talked to some youths to get to know them and make contacts.
After freshening up and washing our feet and hands with hot water, we took our dinner. Then we gathered for prayer together. Someone had died in a nearby area, so we couldn’t do much singing and sharing, as most people had gone there.
Day 4
The next morning we got up at about 4 am, and after freshening up, we prayed, drank some tea, and then started our journey on foot for about an hour to catch a public bus on the main road. We took this bus and reached the city, from where we had to catch another bus at about 9 am, to reach another village. We started our journey on this bus at about 10 am and reached the targeted area in the evening at 5 pm. (This bus slipped due to the snow on three spots, so the passengers threw soil dust to clear it.) By this time, it was already dark in the area, but our destination was still far away. We walked for 4 kilometers on foot in the hilly road, and then for another hour to sharp heights. It was completely dark while we were walking, with no shops around on the way. We were very tired, but we still continued our journey. We took a rest of 5 minutes in several places while climbing up. The noise of the nearby river’s water was disturbing our attention.
The lights of the village houses, seen from far away, gave us hope, as we kept on climbing. Our breath was loud and our legs were very, very tired. Finally, we reached the home of one of our brothers, at about 9 pm. We saw some people waiting for us, to listen and to fellowship with us.
After we washed our feet and face with hot water, we took some rest, hot tea, and some snacks. Then we began our usual custom; we prayed, sang a few songs, and we did Bible studies. The Word of God gave us comfort and relief in our physical tiredness. Finally, we prayed together with brother Jude, and we concluded our fellowship for that day.
Day 5
We got up as usual, at about 4 am, to refresh ourselves again on a new morning. We took a simple breakfast, and took a bath with hot water, but we were still shivering. Then came a time for fellowship, where we taught a few children Christian action songs, shared a story from the Bible, and then prayed with them. The children were happy, as they danced and did action songs for the first time. We counseled the local believers and brethren there, that this is how they could carry on the children’s ministry regularly.
Later on a few girls came, along with three families and some local children, who all joined us for the formal worship. It was a wonderful time altogether. I shared from the Word of God, and the locals appreciated God’s Word and listened to it attentively.
After we finished our time of worship and prayer, a young girl asked us some questions about the Bible, Christ, heaven and hell. She also shared with us that her friends discouraged her to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. We answered her questions, counseled her, and also asked her to attend the local fellowship. Please pray for this young lady, that she would understand the Gospel and give her life to the Lord.
After this, we took our lunch, and then we moved out to see the village, where houses are scattered here and there. People live in a few kilometers distance. Brother Gideon and I walked on the streets of two villages, where we visited two families on the way and encouraged them to continue in the faith.
Then came the evening, when we prayed together and went to eat dinner in a nearby family’s house. They invited us there out of love. We couldn’t do a formal worship there, as some of the men in the family were drunk, but we talked about Jesus and the Bible as we sat there. The Lord blessed our time with the family. They were happy to serve us, and we were happy that God had used us in different ways.
We slept that night and got up again at 4 am. We prepared ourselves to catch a bus that would take us back to our town. To catch this only bus (one service each day, when there’s no heavy snow on the way), we walked 1 hour in the dark (5am-6am) with the help of a torch, and another two hours in the daylight. When we came to the point where you catch the bus, we found out that the bus did not come there because of a fallen tree on the road. We waited there, and in God’s providence, a private jeep happened to be passing through that way. We got into the jeep (altogether 17 passengers), some sitting on the floor, but mostly standing, for about 13 kilometers. Then we spotted the bus and got to travel in it. The jeep also went on the same road, but we chose to travel by bus due to the low fare.
We thanked God for getting us into the bus, as we saw the same jeep punctured on the road on the way there. Other passengers (of the jeep) also joined us in our bus. The bus got crowded to the point that some people traveled the entire day in it without a seat. Our bus also had some problems, at 3 different places, but the driver continued after some repairs. Thanks to God, we reached our station at 4 pm, from where we took another jeep and reached the home of our brother Gideon at 8 pm, where we took rest and tea that evening.
After the dinner, we prayed, had Bible studies together, and I taught from the Word. The Lord was good to us, and we were encouraged from His living Word.
Day 6
We got up at 6 am, had our devotion and prayer, and prepared ourselves to go back to our home in the plains. We got our bus at 9 am and got back at 5 pm, uniting with our families.
Praise Points: We thank God that we were kept safe and secure. I thank God that I was relieved from a pain in my knee, after two nights. Brother Jude praises God for giving him strength, while walking on foot for long distances. We thank God that we were able to fellowship and encourage the new believers, about fifteen families. We thank God that we were able to walk and encourage the local brothers, Philip K. and Gideon.
Prayer Requests: Pray for the unreached families and villages. There are many seekers who want to know the Scriptures. Pray that God would speak to their hearts and that the local congregations would be established in those remote hilly villages.
Thank you for your help, prayers, and support.