"Vijayawada Sound-off"

*in addition to teaching at Bethesda Integrated School, the Bandi's have given me multiple opportunites to speak and/or sing at meetings/churches, and now have asked me to write articles for their magazine which gets distributed all throughout India. Humbling privilege. I just wanted to remind my team of support- hey guys, we are doing this together. God is making His name famous throughout India. Please continue to pray. I love you and am so thankful for each of you. (the following is an article which will be published in the Love in Action Fellowship magazine describing a recent meeting in the city of Vijayawada)

"Vijayawada Sound-off"

The evening breeze drifted warm air across the crowds. Humidity clung as sweat rolled down the thousands of faces gathered. Despite the heat, still they came. This gathering was for one purpose, one cause; to see the name of Jesus Christ lifted high.

Vijayawada, set in the hillsides of southeast India, is a busy city filled with over one hundred thousand people.  Just the other day I was strolling the streets downtown observing the whir of activity that surrounded me. Beggars crouch, hunched over their mats, palms outstretched in hopes of a hand-out. Motorbikes zoom past, leaving trails of dust. Vendors shout the best prices for their latest gadgets. The harvest is ripe. What better place to come and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. That is precisely what LAF ministries set out to do, and that is exactly what was accomplished.

The evening kicked off with various singers. The message, the songs, all in praise to our Creator, were heard not only among the crowds gathered but also throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. The sound system proved strong throughout the night, resonating the music and message in clear tones. Perhaps too clear…

Near the end of the evening, while Anil Kant and his daughter were performing, flashing blue lights outside the grounds approached. The police drove up and demanded we minimize the volume. We had sound permits, but apparently these men wanted to prove their own authority. Not wanting to cause a scene or disrupt the meeting, knobs turned and the volume adjusted. But as soon as they drove away, the volume was turned right back to its previous volume.

We will not keep silent.

The police swiftly turned around and reprimanded us again. We complied. They left. We turned the music back up.

We will not back down.

It went on like this for about the last 20 minutes of the program. Down, up, down, up. A tug-of-war battle of sound. Even so, nothing could keep us from proclaiming the good news of Christ.

Paul says in Romans that those who follow Christ will face persecution. There is no “if you face persecution,” only a promise that we will face it. When you face persecution, stand strong. The Vijayawada program set out to make the name of Jesus known throughout the city and despite many obstacles, despite sound restrictions, despite the heat, The Love in Action Fellowship stood its ground and will continue to keep fighting the good fight of faith. We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let’s press on together.