Man, who is that good looking guy? Oh Yeah, it is me. Here I am giving my high quality opinion. . . .Can't you just see the intelligence pouring out of me?
This is Rajesh. From what I understand, He and his wife left their daughter with family so they can study at the Seminary in order to plant a church upon their return. He is in the Master's of Missiology program and his wife is completing her bachelor's degree.
This is Anankumar and he was just accepted into the Master's of Missiology program. He comes from a very poor family and was in school for a Master's in Physics when God called him into the ministry. He is a converted Hindu and now desires to take the Word of God into his village or wherever God wants him to go. He has sacrificed a wonderful career and the promise of money in order to attain a Seminary degree.
Akum is a Master's of Missiology student. He is engaging and asks a lot of questions. He was raised in a Christian home and desires to plant a church upon leaving the Seminary. His village and villages he knows about are under severe demonic activity (Possessions, Trances, Spirit's entangled with Animals). He has a very long road ahead of him in his desired ministry. Please pray for him and his village.
Priya has been around the school for a while and is a dedicated student and helper around the school. She also tends to be the classes mouth piece if they do not understand something or have an issue to resolve. She is a dedicated student who is earning her Master's in Missiology and desires to work within a village helping to reach the remote people of India for Christ.
This is Kupuli. She has a very interesting testimony, as God spoke to her in a vision that brought her to Christ. She had many medical problems growing up and did not think it would be possible to attend Seminary, but here she is earning a Master's in Missiology. She has a wonderful heart and desires to be used wherever God wants her to be, but she would like to do missions in her home village.
Ayetoli is quiet, but pays close attention. She is from the Northeastern part of India and has traveled a long way to earn her Seminary degree in Missiology. She longs to teach and bring people into the saving grace of Jesus Christ. She has a tender heart and a love for God.
Pele is earning a Master's in Missiology. She is active in class and is dedicated to earning her degree and going into the field. She comes from a large family and it took nearly three years of asking for her parents to allow her to attend Seminary, but finally they relented and now she plans on using her degree to reach those in her home village for Christ. She just completed an internship as a youth worker for a local church and she loved the experience.
This is Kono (Cono) and she is also very quiet but pays close attention to what is being asked. She longs to work in a church wherever God places her. She is also earning her Master's in Missiology.
This is the classroom from the front. As you can see the furniture is nothing fancy, as the tables are just metal, and the seats are metal as well. The floor is cement and their is no air conditioning or fans. It is the very basics needed, but they are faithful and diligent in their work. They do not miss class. For four hours a day they are sitting in those seats working in my class. I am glad that I have to stand most of the time. Actually, I found a plastic chair to sit to utilize.
This is our lunch on a typical day. Rice, flat bread called Chapati, banana are always regular every day. The toppings you can see on the rice will change. We mix the rice with the side item, it is the green vegetable you see to the left of the rice. Typically it is in a more gravy format and you use your hand or a fork, but who uses a fork when you have an excuse to eat with your hand. . . .Not me or Jeremie. I may never use silverware again.I wanted you to have a picture and name of the students that I am teaching so you can pray for them. It is amazing to me what they do for their degrees. They give up all comforts, if they actually had any and pay up to 13,000 Rupees a year to come here, which is about $400 American dollars. This amount covers classes, food, and lodging. You have seen the class room and the food. The lodging is that all the men share six people to a room and the girls all share rooms in the same fashion. They sleep on bunk beds they remind me of ones you typically see in Army barracks. They have no closets and the bathrooms are not what you have seen that Jeremie and I use. Their is cement floor, and for a bath you fill a bucket with water and use a small bowl to pour it over your head.
They are not allowed work, except for the chores they have to do around the Seminary and church. They are mandated to either be in class or studying from 8am till 5:30pm each day. They go to an 10:40 chapel for an hour and then have another chapel in the evening. They are to be involved in local church ministry and available for anything else that may need to be accomplished.
The dress code is strict and enforced. No shorts for men, only slacks and jeans, and I have yet to see a T-Shirt worn to class. Women are to be covered from neck down during class time and free time. They do not wear shorts either. This is easy for them as that is their culture anyway and they are very conservative regarding clothing.
When they leave with their degrees they are not looking for a job in a big church with a decent salary so they can buy a home, car and support their families. They are looking to go to the remote villages where they came from and to villages where they have not heard the Word of God yet. They are saying "Here I am Lord, Send Me!!!" SEND ME!! They want to sleep on the dirt floors, eat rice of big leaves and only have two sets of clothing if they can reach their brethren.
It is not as easy as in the U.S. just to go to a new state or village (town) and minister. Just in my class there are four different languages present. India does not all speak the same language, as each village could have a language they speak, especially if they are uneducated. Just learning Hindi will not cut it. They have to learn the local language if they are not returning to their home towns. HERE I AM SEND ME!
How many people in U.S. Seminaries say that. . .Send Me! Yeah, some will say it, but in the back of their minds most of the time they are saying: "Well, I would prefer to stay here and work for this megachurch, get married, have kids and live the comfortable Christian life." These students leave their homes, their families and their comforts so they can teach others about the love of Christ and Salvation.
I am not writing to make anyone feel guilty, but if you are maybe there are things you need to look at. I am writing this because it convicted me!! Would I do what they are doing? They could choose to stay in Bangalore and make money, as they are all educated people. Each one of the students in my class speaks at least 3 to 5 languages. This is not their only choice in life, and one can make money in India.
They choose to sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of God. They do it wholeheartedly. They do joyously. It just is amazing to me.
Yes, we need people to work in megachurches and they have their purpose in our culture. But how many of us say in whatever field of work or ministry: "Here I am Lord, Send Me!" Seriously, when was the last time you said it and meant it. No age excuse or health excuse, as the Bible has shown that to be an impudent argument. Take the time and pray and seek after God and then tell Him: Here I am Lord, Send Me. . . .Use me no matter the cost or sacrifice. I am Yours, do what You will.
Warning: Do not pray it or say it unless you mean it, as God has a way of calling us on it. There only two real ways. His way or Hell's way. You can say God Your will be done, or God can say to you, your will be done. Which do we chose?
