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FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2007 - TRIP UPDATE

The time to leave for my Asian trip is getting closer. Plans are falling into place. I will be there June 29 to July 27. The pastors conferences are filling up. Several already have maximum attendance. I thank all of you so very much for the finances that have been contributed to help these needy pastors. They have absolutely nothing. They need financial help to pay for transportation to even come to the meetings. The children’s rallies, church services and other teaching and mentoring events I will be involved in are also being planned.

Please continue to pray:

-for those making and finalizing plans in Asia

-for the pastors that will be coming and others I will be ministering to

-for me to be prepared intellectually, spiritually, mentally and physically to be used by God to meet the needs of the Christians I will be meeting

-for financial resources to help the pastors and churches there

-for safe and smooth living and travel while in Asia

Thanks so very much and God bless!

Jerry

SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2007

A Taste of India IN THE United States

I had a wonderful privilege this past week. I met a Hindu woman from India. She and her husband, who is also an Indian Hindu, came to this country for college. The woman then earned masters and doctors degrees. She was very sharp! We talked about India and I was able to develop a good rapport with her in that way.

I asked about her Hindu upbringing and we were soon talking about Christianity. She had found Christianity very appealing and believable. God had been revealing Himself to her in a lot of ways. She was praying and reading her Bible regularly.

We talked about the unique claims of Jesus as being God, the only God, and the only way of salvation. We went through the plan of salvation and she understood and believed it all in her head. Her Christian home school friends had done a very good job of explaining salvation and Christianity to her. The problem was getting it from her head, where she believed the facts, to her heart. That step was confusing and had no parallel in Hindu or in anything else in her life. I told her it was like accepting a free gift. I offered to help her when she was ready by praying with her. I could say the words, although it wasn’t the words themselves but believing them in your heart, that made the difference. I told her to tell me when/if she was ready, for she knew what a change this would make and was committed to following Jesus 100% when she made the commitment.

The next morning the very first thing that happened was that she told me , “I’m ready.” We prayed together and she opened her heart to Jesus as the only God and her only Savior. When done she prayed privately for some time, for she knows what a major change this will make in her life and she is committed to following Jesus completely.

What a great blessing and privilege that was! With all the time and expense involved in going to India, and there the language is a problem so I only minister to believers through an interpreter, here God gives me the honor of speaking to a Hindu Indian woman and praying with her to accept Christ1 I know her life and her family will be changed forever. I know what she said she really meant and it was very real. I look forward to staying in touch with her and watching her grow. What a great and awesome God we serve to allow such a privilege in such a way!

FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2007

NEWS FROM INDIA Varanasi is known throughout the world as “The Holy City of the Hindus.” People come hoping that by dripping themselves in the Ganges River they can be cleansed of sin and obtain salvation. The dead are brought here from many miles around to be cremated. People hope that by sprinkling the ashes in the Ganges River, the deceased may get salvation. Shiva, “the destroyer,” is the main god of this city. It is believed that the whole world will eventually be destroyed; but Varanasi will be never be destroyed because Shiva lives here and has power over destruction.

Just a few days ago there was a festival known as the “half yearly Kumbh Mela”. On that day, an estimated two million people came to Varanasi from all over India to take the ‘holy dip” in the Ganges. In this region, fanatical religious groups are constantly attempting to stop the Christian work. Last year 30,000 people made a decision to work against Christians. 10,000 of these received a license to carry guns for the purpose fo stopping the Christian work. Already this year persecution has flared up. One anti-Christian leader came to the villages around Varanasi and commanded everyone to put up to “Om” symbol – representing veneration of Shiva and rejection of Christ – on their doors and windows. In this way they are trying to find out who is a follower of Christ in each village. Once they have identified the followers of Christ who refuse to put up the Om symbol, they then come in a gang to that house. They threaten the family, saying, “Do you want to remain in this village? Then you have to stop following Christ otherwise we will throw you out of the village.” If the Christian family refuses to put up the Om symbol, then they severely beat them. When they are half dead then they perform their religious rituals to “re-convert” them to Hinduism. The following day it will be declared, “In so and so village we have reconverted this many people to Hinduism.” This is happening in many villages, causing much fear. But we continue to lead people to Christ, because “the word of God is not bund.” Though they may kill our bodies, they cannot kill our souls. Please pray for us, as we stand for Christ in these difficult times. Please pray for all our brothers and sisters out in the remove villages, that they will remain courageous to stand for Christ despite this persecution.

-Shivopal Sharma, TellASIA India coordinator

(Jerry will spend 2 weeks in India working with Tell ASIA, one week will be in this same Varanasi area.)

UPDATE SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2007

Please pray for my trip to Asia as plans are quickly developing. I will be there from June 29 to July 28. While there I will be in various widely-spread areas. In some of these areas Christians and especially pastors are experiencing a tremendous amount of persecution. I will be holding multiple pastors conferences, children’s rallies (dressed as a Bible person and using Christian ‘magic’), preaching on Sundays, and various other activities and events. I will be traveling many miles by myself by train, taxi and plane. Pray all this would go smoothly.

Pray for wisdom as I work on the messages for the pastors, children and churches. I want to bring truth and encouragement to them. It is an honor and a privilege and I want to make sure every word is exactly what God would have me say. Pray especially for the pastors conferences. We are providing for all the expenses including meals, travel and housing when needed. I thank those of you who have contributed to these expenses. Pray God would continue to provide the rest of the required money. Our dollars go very, very far in their economy so a few dollars are able to provide quite a bit for the poor pastors there. If you can contribute make your checks to Main Street Baptist Church and write ‘India’ on the memo line. Send them to 57 S. Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901. They are tax-exempt. Thanks you very much for anything you can contribute to help these fine but needy people!

I will post updates at http://www.mainstreetbaptist.org/asia-mission/. Thank you very much for your faithful prayers for this ministry. They are greatly needed and deeply appreciated!

PICTURES from my 2006 trip are available in the Photo Album