I got to be quick here because the internet keeps shutting off.
We got on the plane to India and was surprised to find that the people sitting next to us were put there by God. Sitting next to Derek was a producer for CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network)... we told her about RescueTheGirl and she said she wanted to try to get us on their program - and she was serious! AMAZING! We talked with her for hours (the flight was 14 hours, so we had plenty of time). Next to Nathan was a young woman named Amanda in her 20's that was returning to India to serve in an orfanage in India. Amanda was deeply encouraged to hear what we were doing and we got a great interview with her right in the airport once we arrived in Dehli. Talk about inspiring.... can't wait for you to see the interview.
Also on the plane, sitting just behind Tessa and Derek, was a young American guy in his 20's who was doing church planting in India... this was crazy because, not only was he doing church planting in India he was doing in in Patna, Bihar! That's where I am writing this email at the moment! We are in Bihar to help with a christian conference for local pastors. You see, Bihar is a state in India with very very few Christians... it's the poorest state in India and was once known as "the graveyard of missions". The fact that we met a church planter was one thing, but the fact that he would be in the exact same place where we were helping... well, that's just a little beyond coincidence I think.
Talk about mind-blowing! All of this amazing stuff is happening and we haven't even got off the plane!
Eventually, we did get off the plane though. And we were very thankful. After getting our money changed for rupees (indian currency) we shot a quick interview with Amanda and then got our taxi. As we headed to the apartment arranged for us, we began to realize that we "ain't in kansas anymore". The traffick was wild... people ignore the lines on the road and go anyway they want... we passed big trucks with dorky flashy lights on the front, people laying down in the median, cars honking ALL THE TIME... I mean literally a constant honk-fest that never ends! Honk honk HONK honk hOnK Beep BEEEP honk BEEP honk honk BEEP BEEP HHHOOONNNKKK BBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP honk beep beep honk... EVERYWHERE! Then there are people sleeping on the side of the road all over the place - with goats and random animals! How do they sleep with all the honking? I don't know... but they do. Oh my... after we went through a toll both our taxi driver (who does not speak english and only nods at us every now and then) pulls over and tells us something like "Wu rakish na tasses.. cha"... then he grabs some papers and leaves us. We watch as he walks over to some crappy run-down shed type thing that looked like it was made with sticks and mud... I light is on and a guy is sitting in the window of this crappy shed thing. We were like... "are we being sold?". Yeah, for a moment it was kind of scary. Thankfully we weren't sold and we did finally make it to the apartment (after our driver got lost for about 30 min).
The apartment we stayed in was very nice and very hot... thankfully our bed room had AC. I couldn't help but think about those people sleeping next to the street... this heat was ordinary to them? The next morning we went to a church meeting where I got to preach. What an honor... It was an english service so most people there could understand me. God moved and we saw the people respond to the living word as it went forth. Many came forth at the end of the message to recieve prayer about "waking up" to what God is doing and becoming the leaders we are called to be. It was humbling. Nathan and Derek did an incredible job with a couple songs during the wrship time.... everyone got into it and was jumping and spinning around!
After lunch we had to pack up a few things quickly and head to the train station. We traveled 13 hours on a train from Delhi to Bihar. The train experience was one-of-a-kind, as is almost every experience here. THankfully we had first class seats which gave the four of us our own little beds and private room with a lock on the the door. We got great footage by hanging off the side of the train (you know I was lovin' it). We arrived in Patna, Bihar to a scene that words can not describe.... only the video can give you an idea. As we were loading our stuff into the car outside the train station I look down as I feel a tug at my legs... it was a young man, maybe 18-22 yys of age, walking on all fours like some kind of animal. He was severly crippled... such that you didn't want to look. He would tug on your pant legs, clearly askign for money. I turned only to find a hindi woman holding a beautiful baby... she had pain in her eyes as she asked us for money.... motioning to her baby's mouth letting us know he needed to eat. This was heart-wrenching to see. We were gaining more attention and more people starting gathering around... we were all very uncomfortable.
As we drove to our apartment in Patna we saw stuff that can not be put into words... it is simply to hard to describe. FLOORED... I was completely floored. What made it especially unique was that the car we were riding in was playing "i can only imagine" by Mercy Me. A band from Greenville, TX where I am a youth pastor... two worlds so different, so strange was the experience. So much depravity and poverty mixed with cell phones and computer stores and random cows that wander everywhere untouched... we often see them on the side of the road eating grass and trash as they just roam where they may.
We arrived on our apartment and began to sweat. We had a day to just rest. We needed it. Our friend Abhishek who lives here took us out for dinner to a pizza place called "smokin' Joe's" texas restruant. Well, the pizza was good... but the only thing that was like texas there was the picture of a coyboy on the wall.
The next day we took part of the pastors conference that was here. Nathan got to speak and the spirit came down in power. We couldn't even tell what the people were saying as they were crying out with their hands lifted high - but you could feel the spirit so strong. On the streets here we have gotten some amazing footage. I interviewed this one guy on the streeet and drew a crowd of about 50 young hindi guys. Can't wait for you to see. One guy I talked to just wanted me to know "really like your country.. country we like very much.." "Obama very good" This one guy thought president Obama was the governor of Texas... funny.
Today we will be out on the streets witnessing and sharing and learning. We leave on a plane this evening for Dehli.
Touch base soon!
For Re:defined Youth... sing it with me now: "Jesus is a friend of mine... Jesus is my friend.... Jesus is a friend of mine.... I have a friend in Jesus.... Jesus is a friend of mine"
May God Wreck Our American Plastic Castles! And by the way.... God loves you more than you know.
Matthew Armstrong
RescueTheGirl.com
jesuspaper.blogspot.com
Matthew Armstrong
On Sun, Jul 12, 2009 at 9:40 AM, Leslie Armstrong <aspiring4life@gmail.com> wrote:
hey honey, haven't gotten anything from you yet? but I will let them know the little you told me!
Leslie Armstrong
daughter of Christ
wife of one awesome husband
mom of 3 fabulous children
thankful and grateful for life
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