Today is the last day of a 5 day celebration that marks the birthday of the Hindu elephant god, Ganesha. As I am writing to you I can barely hear myself think over the chanting, music played over huge crackling megaphones, fire crackers, honking horns, and the construction going on overhead. But life is good, electricity just came back on after 3 hours of blackout so I thought I would use this opportunity to tell you about the crusade we just did.

On August 23-27 Harvest India held its first of many crusades after the summer/monsoon break. God worked in miraculous ways at this crusade. Though this has been a relatively dry monsoon season the forecast during our crusade called for heavy showers. Praise God, for His control over the weather!. The first night showers broke out the minute we finished the closing prayer. On the last night, the audience numbered in the 10s of thousands and the sky began to open up and winds started to blow but after our prayers went up the wind subsided and the crusade finished without a drop of rain. What a powerful God we serve.!

During the day we would hold medical camps, mercy camps (handout food), and construct and dedicate water wells. I got to dedicate a well that a church from CA supported. These activities were strictly humanitarian as we always face adversity during crusades. Many forces were against us trying to shut us down but by the grace of God we triumphed. Many other crusades have been attempted by other pastors but failed, in fact, after the first night a pastor that had attempted one came and talked with Suresh until 1:30am about how he was able to succeed against all the persecution.

Suresh, his brother Sudheer and their PR guy ,Punna Roa, are amazing at networking and strategizing. You wouldn't believe who we had at the crusade; the PA to Sonia Gandhi.** You probably don't know him (I don't even know his name) but trust me he is HUGE in Indian politics, he came with 8 bodyguards with machine guns. And not only that, but he has requested Sudheer, Suresh, and myself to conduct his father's memorial service in a couple of weeks. Harvest India is finding amazing favor in the midst of a climate that is so intolerant of Christians-God is good!


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The following is for no real purpose. Just my thoughts...

For those of you who know me you will find this next statement hard to believe...

Indian food is soooo salty. I think the whole country has to be suffering from high blood pressure.

This has to be what is making me gain weight. Well, it could be the rice they force fed me three times a day in portions a sumo wrestler would have problems getting down.
But I really like to think the weight gain is b/c there is no Diet DrPepper here so I am stuck drinking Pepsi, not even Coke. If you find a Coke it is usually imported form the Middle East, which I found rather interesting considering there is a Coke factory down the street. But when I asked about this I was told that the government closed down the factory b/c it was putting pesticides in the soda. Sounds a little like a "rural legend" to me!

Anyway, I can rejoice in the fact that Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth.

Love you!!!!

**Sonia Gandhi was married to the last Prime Minister after her husband was assassinated she became active in politics as the dual chief of the 113 year old Indian National Congress and its Parliamentary party.