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| ROBERT: On Sunday after Breakfast, one of the translators loaded a bus full of team members to take them to different churches around Nagpur. Nancye and I were assigned to a wonderful church. We went to meet the pastor at his apartment. He said we were one half hour late. NANCYE: Robert always wants to be early to everything, but as Pastor Thorat told us, we were on "Indian time" now. ROBERT: We traveled another long distance to what is called the Buddhist center. On the way the pastor explained that most of his members are poor and of Buddhist backgrounds. We arrived at a heavy commercial area on a busy thoroughfare. The church, about 30 by 60 feet, has large openings on each side. There is no need of complete enclosure or heat because of the semi-tropical climate. There were about 250 people and he explained that due to the weather, many of his usual 450 people could not come, since they would have to sit or stand outside in the rain. Some walk five miles to the church. When we entered the building, it was packed. There was a row of seats along the back wall where mostly old men sat. The floor was full of worshippers. The music was beautiful and we recognized all the melodies. One was "How Great Thou Art." Some of the words were English. NANCYE: When we arrived at the church, the people, even little children, were standing with arms reaching up toward Heaven, singing beautiful praises and worship to God. There was such a strong presence of the Lord there that I wept as they sang and worshipped. |
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| Rhema Mission Trip to India 1998 Light of The Word Church |
The Pastor, Nancye and Robert "Danny" Ricketts - 1998
believing (based on the Scriptures), thinking and saying that we are healthy. Giving them scriptures, which another
interpreter read from their Hindi Bible, I told them that they could all be in the family of the Living God. In God's
family there is no family history of sickness and disease. I told them that our hands are just hands, but the mighty
hand of my God would work through me to heal them. I aksed them to come for prayer after my wife spoke.
Nancye greeted the congregation with "Praise the Lord" in two of the local languages. They all smiled warmly in
approval that she had learned something in their language.
NANCYE: Using I Timothy 1:12-15, I told how Paul had hated, persecuted and killed Christians until his "Damascus
Road experience." Then we looked at the things in these verses that Paul recieved from God: Salvation, Grace,
Faith, Love and Mercy. Then we saw that when Paul had showed himself faithful, God called him into the ministry
and made him able to do the work.
There were some Buddhists visiting the church that day. Over twenty Buddhist women came forward at the altar call
to give their lives to Jesus and to receive Him as their Lord and Savior. I told them, "You are now my sisters." Their
looks of surprise changed to warm smiles as they realized it is true.
ROBERT: Then the Pastor called for those who wanted prayer for healing. About half the congregation stood. The
Pastor had to close the meeting so we would have room to pray for the people.
Two graduates of the Great Commission Bible Training Center were there and interpreted for us as we ministered to
the needs of the people.
Because of the strict rules involved about men touching women, Nancye prayed for the women. Probably about
fifteen men came to me for prayer. One had malaria, a couple had bad eyes, some had chest pains, and others had
bad legs and feet. I said a brief prayer for each as I touched them on the head, shoulder, chest or leg. When I
finished with the men, there were still many women to be prayed for. They started coming to me four and five at a
time. I touched them on the forehead only and prayed for each of them. Some had abusive husbands. Some said
there were mental problems, which the Pastor said was demon problems. As I prayed for one woman, she trembled
in fear and told the Pastor that when she closed her eyes, she saw evil things. He told her to keep her eyes open
while we prayed for her. She seemed relaxed and relieved after the prayer. One lady brought a very small baby with
pneumonia for prayer..
Although I had my camera, there was no appropriate time to take photographs until most of the people had left.
NANCYE: It is a humbling experience to pray for sick people when you are fully aware that you have no ability to
heal them. The power to heal is of God and He tells us Christians to lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. I
prayed for women with many sicknesses plus those with family problems and demon problems. At breakfast that
morning, we were told that a demon sometimes manifests in a woman who comes to the meetings of this church.
Robert and I were not worried. We Christians (whether we know it or not) have authority in the Name of Jesus Christ
over these things. No demons manifested int he meeting.
After the service, I talked with a young woman who is a devoted Christian and a medical doctor. She hopes to be
able to attend RHEMA Bible Training Center.
We went by motorcycle rickshaw (an exciting experience in Indian traffic) to the Pastor's apartment, where we
enjoyed tea and wonderful conversation.
Raised as a Buddhist, the Pastor had been an engineer and worked for a large glass factory. His wife is a Christian,
who prayed for eigthteen years for him to be a good Christian husband. The Bible says God is able to give us more
than we can ask or think. She not only got a good Christian husband, but he is a faithful servant of God with a true
pastor's heart.
In this Pastor, as in Pastor and Mrs. Thorat and many other Indian Christians, I sensed deep wells of dedication to
Jesus Christ and to His work. The kind of commitment that says daily, "Not my will, Lord, but thy will be done." and "I
present my body a livign sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is my reasonable service. I will not be conformed
to this world, but will be transformed by the renewing of my mind, that I may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect will of God." (see Romans 12:1-2)
The van arrived for us and the pastor expressed his appreciation for our coming to his church and his home. We
thanked God for the opportunity to meet such a wonderful man of God and to be in his churhc.
interpreter read from their Hindi Bible, I told them that they could all be in the family of the Living God. In God's
family there is no family history of sickness and disease. I told them that our hands are just hands, but the mighty
hand of my God would work through me to heal them. I aksed them to come for prayer after my wife spoke.
Nancye greeted the congregation with "Praise the Lord" in two of the local languages. They all smiled warmly in
approval that she had learned something in their language.
NANCYE: Using I Timothy 1:12-15, I told how Paul had hated, persecuted and killed Christians until his "Damascus
Road experience." Then we looked at the things in these verses that Paul recieved from God: Salvation, Grace,
Faith, Love and Mercy. Then we saw that when Paul had showed himself faithful, God called him into the ministry
and made him able to do the work.
There were some Buddhists visiting the church that day. Over twenty Buddhist women came forward at the altar call
to give their lives to Jesus and to receive Him as their Lord and Savior. I told them, "You are now my sisters." Their
looks of surprise changed to warm smiles as they realized it is true.
ROBERT: Then the Pastor called for those who wanted prayer for healing. About half the congregation stood. The
Pastor had to close the meeting so we would have room to pray for the people.
Two graduates of the Great Commission Bible Training Center were there and interpreted for us as we ministered to
the needs of the people.
Because of the strict rules involved about men touching women, Nancye prayed for the women. Probably about
fifteen men came to me for prayer. One had malaria, a couple had bad eyes, some had chest pains, and others had
bad legs and feet. I said a brief prayer for each as I touched them on the head, shoulder, chest or leg. When I
finished with the men, there were still many women to be prayed for. They started coming to me four and five at a
time. I touched them on the forehead only and prayed for each of them. Some had abusive husbands. Some said
there were mental problems, which the Pastor said was demon problems. As I prayed for one woman, she trembled
in fear and told the Pastor that when she closed her eyes, she saw evil things. He told her to keep her eyes open
while we prayed for her. She seemed relaxed and relieved after the prayer. One lady brought a very small baby with
pneumonia for prayer..
Although I had my camera, there was no appropriate time to take photographs until most of the people had left.
NANCYE: It is a humbling experience to pray for sick people when you are fully aware that you have no ability to
heal them. The power to heal is of God and He tells us Christians to lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. I
prayed for women with many sicknesses plus those with family problems and demon problems. At breakfast that
morning, we were told that a demon sometimes manifests in a woman who comes to the meetings of this church.
Robert and I were not worried. We Christians (whether we know it or not) have authority in the Name of Jesus Christ
over these things. No demons manifested int he meeting.
After the service, I talked with a young woman who is a devoted Christian and a medical doctor. She hopes to be
able to attend RHEMA Bible Training Center.
We went by motorcycle rickshaw (an exciting experience in Indian traffic) to the Pastor's apartment, where we
enjoyed tea and wonderful conversation.
Raised as a Buddhist, the Pastor had been an engineer and worked for a large glass factory. His wife is a Christian,
who prayed for eigthteen years for him to be a good Christian husband. The Bible says God is able to give us more
than we can ask or think. She not only got a good Christian husband, but he is a faithful servant of God with a true
pastor's heart.
In this Pastor, as in Pastor and Mrs. Thorat and many other Indian Christians, I sensed deep wells of dedication to
Jesus Christ and to His work. The kind of commitment that says daily, "Not my will, Lord, but thy will be done." and "I
present my body a livign sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is my reasonable service. I will not be conformed
to this world, but will be transformed by the renewing of my mind, that I may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect will of God." (see Romans 12:1-2)
The van arrived for us and the pastor expressed his appreciation for our coming to his church and his home. We
thanked God for the opportunity to meet such a wonderful man of God and to be in his churhc.