The Godfather

I don’t how to start this blog.

That worked.

Hey errybody! Great day at North River. We’ve figured out how VBS works at North River - it’s on “India Time” and once we realized this, we were able to adjust and really get the most out of our experience today. Originally, the structure was to follow Poonthanthalam’s, where we led for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. That’s how we planned for Monday - but then Monday ended up being kind of chaotic with getting all of the kids in and situated…so we ended up taking an extra hour we weren’t planning on. Then, yesterday the kids were supposed to break into classes for their lessons…but with less than half returning, that got scrapped, so we had to cover another extra hour. The team totally rallied, but we were desperately running around behind the scenes trying to figure out how to fill. But then this morning, we said, “You know what…the plan is to break out into classes today. Let’s plan an extra hour”. And wouldn’t you know it…we had to cover an extra hour. But this time, the team busted it out! The group from Monday was able to return so we had a full house of 100 kids. We performed the “Fiery Furnace (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego)” skit and did five Grain Game illustrations today. We brought back Leon’s “Dawn and Pepper” (Christ’s blood taking power over sin) and Betty Jo’s “Lavente’s Candle” (Christ’s sacrifice allows all men to draw near to God), the “Human Pyramid”, and Betty Jo’s “Stars” illustration/handout. The problem was, though, that we had so many kids at Poonthanthalam, that we didn’t have enough stars left to hand out here. But the Lord provided and we ended up finding another 150 or so glow bracelets that we didn’t know we had (Miracle). So she was able to adapt her presentation and use glow bracelets to show how, as followers of Jesus, we are to shine His light in the darkness.

There was a fifth Grain Game illustration that we actually just developed this morning. I don’t know if I can technically call it a “Grain Game” illustration because it’s not technically sanctioned officially by “The Grain Game” geniuses, but it maintains a similar spirit, and after almost two full weeks of Grain Gaming, we’re feeling pretty good in our ability to use some creativity to illustrate some teaching. We were sitting around before VBS today trying to figure out what to do during the anticipated extra hour. We were staring at the balloons/pumps for balloon animals and someone got a genius idea to use them to talk about how God breathes life into us, molds us and shapes us and has a plan for us. Finally, my almost useless ability to fashion balloons into balloons slightly resembling some identifiable shapes was going to pay off! We played a game with the kids. I would pump up a balloon and before twisting it around into its final shape, they all had to guess what it was going to be. Naturally, no one was able to guess just by looking at a single balloon. I made a bee, an elephant, a sword, a flower, a parrot and a cross. The point was, at the end, that the balloons were mine, the pump was mine and the idea for what the balloon would be was mine and I was responsible for making it what it was. We taught out of Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 29:11 illustrating that God knows us so well because He formed us and has given us a special purpose. It was a really special time - super glad we were able to work that out.

Since you guys are familiar with the programs and the Grain Game illustrations, I want to share something very special and it might be the most important thing I write in these blogs. Tonight, I want to introduce you to David Rajan. All of you have heard of David - either in church, through a personal connection or simply by hearing his name in this blog. But not many of us really KNOW David Rajan. I want you to know David Rajan. Right out of the gate let me say this: I apologize to David in advance for any misquote or flubbed detail. I sincerely hope it doesn’t happen, but my tiny mind is incapable of containing every ounce of his greatness. I also freely acknowledge that I am entirely inadequate when it comes to communicating all that God is doing in and through David, but I will try tonight because I think it’s so important for you to know who he is. So, here goes.

David is a natural-born Indian citizen who also holds permanent resident status in America, which requires him to spend at least 6 months in America. However, his mission work here has called him to spend more and more time in India. When I asked him if he’s in danger of losing his permanent resident status, his response: “I’m ok with that. I can’t do evangelism if I have to go back and forth”. His focus, above every single thing in his life, is doing the work God has called him to. David came to America in 1984 for the purpose of trying to make a living for his family. But here’s the thing: this was a huge sacrifice because, in India, he belongs in the highest caste system. He’s a big deal (or at least, could be if he wanted to). But instead, he chose to try to make a life for his family here. So, leaving his wife, Ranee, and daughter, Shirani, in India, David came to America and, basically, lived out of Greyhound buses because they had a $120 monthly pass that would allow him to travel all over the country as much as he wanted. So, working as a traveling salesman loaded with wallets and other leather goods that Ranee was sending to him from India, David traveled all over selling his leather goods. One day, on a bus trip from Detroit to Baltimore, his luggage was lost. Long story short (yeah, right), the peace he showed in that instance resulted in all of his leather goods being sold and he walked away with $700 in a matter of hours, was offered a room to rent for $200 a month off of Marley Neck Boulevard and he called Ranee and said, “God has made a way. Come”. That was December 3rd, 1986. December 7th, Ranee and Shirani were in America with David. Three weeks later, they were attending Christmas worship as Faith Baptist Church. They developed relationships with people at Faith, including Terry Hart who would later become instrumental to David’s ministry. In 1994, David felt God pressing on him to return to his homeland and begin his own mission work. He returned and began supporting village pastors and God has continually opened doors for him to reach the lost in India.

Here’s where things really start to get nuts (as if they haven’t already been miraculous enough). David established the Poonthanthalam Mission Center in 2000. A few years later, Terry Hart, who had been supporting David personally, spoke to Faith Baptist and advocated for David and the ministry God has given to him. Since then, much support has rolled in to help accomplish the mission. Since 2000, David shared tonight that he has helped start 33 new churches, including 3 Mission Centers all over and around Chennai. All 33 churches have held their annual VBS these past two weeks. Just this past week, just at the Poonthanthalam Mission Center, over 1500 children were fed lunch throughout the week. Each Mission Center provides lunch after every Sunday worship service. Each church ministers to 3 surrounding villages. Meaning, that in just over 10 years, God has used David to reach over 90 villages with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And as an earlier blog mentioned, this is not an area that welcomes Jesus - if anything, there is much hostility. God is blessing every step David is taking because David is striving to boldly move in obedience to the work God has called him to. When I asked him what I could pass along in terms of prayer needs, his response: “Pray that we can reach more villages. Pray that there would not be hostility and that we could combat the demonic spirits in them”. Most people would hold up 90 villages as a badge of honor. David’s response: “We can do better”. On average, David is helping to oversee 3 new church plants a year. That’s at least 9 new villages every year. They are witnessing over 400 baptisms a year and they would be seeing double that if it were not for the persecution that is threatened for those who convert to following Jesus. In a spiritual climate that is so closed to Jesus Christ, one man with a passion for following Jesus is being used all over his homeland to reach the people no one else is aiming for.

Yet, if there was a word that describes Rajan, it’s “humility”. He doesn’t ever lord his “high caste” status over anyone. We jokingly refer to him as “The Godfather” because everyone seems to know him and he’s the “shot caller”. But instead of holding up his class or the success of the ministry God has given to him, he’s so quick to point out that it isn’t him, but a whole team of people working to reach India. This afternoon, while we were crashing on our cots trying to recover from a massive VBS effort, we found David in the bathrooms cleaning the toilets. Unreal. When I attempted a verbal pat on the back this evening, he responded: “I’m an unremarkable man serving a remarkable God”. If Rajan is unremarkable, I’m a worm. How are you doing? But this blog is not intended to lift up Rajan - it’s intended to lift up Jesus by pointing out how great He is and how faithful He is to us. David is adamant that he cannot take credit for any of this - it is the faithful God he serves that is giving him the privilege of serving.

I wanted to share this tonight because the man behind the mission is amazing and needs your support. This mission is incredible and joining it only ends in blessing for the partners. First, please pray for David. Along with the prayers for reaching new villages and having open doors, David asks that you pray for good health for him. He’s a diabetic and he has a couple of health issues that concern him. He just wants to be used by God to reach more of his people for the glory of God. Pray for David daily.

Then, if you can, support him somehow. He will be coming home for 2 months in June-July. Take him out to lunch (to Long John Silver’s - his favorite restaurant of all time, no lie) and listen to his whole story. I can’t communicate all of it here, but he shared so much tonight and to see exactly how God has orchestrated his paths to where he is now is so incredible. Spend some time with him and encourage him when you see him. Friend him on Facebook! You’ll get weekly updates of pictures and stories of what God is doing and you can join the mission that way. If you can, support him financially. Your support goes to help provide food and aid, as well as scholarships, personnel, etc. At the Poonthanthalam MC, they run a full school with about 50 kids - and these kids are SMART and, because of their instruction, are moving on to Universities. We got to serve with them last week. They are incredible. Lastly, literally join David here on the mission field. Don’t wait for a church to sanction a trip. Come here. Fall in love with these people like we have (it’ll be the easiest thing you ever do. Falling in love with the people, that is - the mission itself is challenging) . Come see how God is at work. Come experience the mission God has given to David - to all of us now. You will never, ever be the same. And pray. Pray that we as the Church would know how to best support David and be a part of the victory Christ is winning here.

I’m leaving a bunch of stuff out, I know - but my heart is overflowing with appreciation for David and his ministry and I want you to jump on this and embrace it, too. God is blowing stuff up here in India - and David is the last person who will ever brag about this. This is so big and joining this mission is for YOUR good, I promise.

Oh…David also loves country/western music and his is a champion ping pong player. Get to know him.

Before I roll out…I have to share three quick stories from this evening that are fairly ridiculously awesome/hysterical. Tonight, David took us into Pooneri, the neighboring “big city”, to have dinner and do a bit of souvenir shopping. He drove his Cadillac (the original one from 1924) and the women rode in that while the guys jumped in the back of this back truck that is used to pick up kids/adults for VBS/Church. Our ride was awesome. It was like the most insane roller coaster you’ve ever been on, only bumpier. But we got to enjoy nature’s air conditioning. But that’s beside the point. On the way back to the Mission Center, we split up as the Taxi Truck (I think it’s called a “Tuck Tuck”, but others have pronounced it “TupTup” and on the back is written, “Tata”. I call it Taxi Truck.) had to take Pastor Nandekumar home. After dropping the pastor off, our driver turned back onto the main drag right where we had just had dinner and this homey starts running after the truck. Then, he jumps in the back of the truck. Hello there, Homey McHop-On. We have no idea who he was or why he was in our truck. None whatsoever. All we know is that when we were dropped off at the Mission Center, Hopalong was still in the truck. That might qualify for the “Most Indian Thing That Has Happened To Us” Award.

Upon our arrival at the Mission Center, we find out the second ridiculous thing that happened tonight. Remember the original Caddy that David still drives? It decided to have both of its headlights go out tonight. Suffice it to say, Indian village roads don’t have the best street lighting known to man. Also, they have no street lighting. So, David and Debbie were resigned to hanging out of their sides of the car, holding out flashlights trying to navigate through the villages. Fortunately, they avoided causing an international incident by just barely dodging cows at the last second.

I’m not sure which story is the craziest…but I’d like to submit this one. As I said, David took us shopping. Fortunately, one of the ladies who has been taking care of us, Rade (RAH-dee) and her 16-year-old “going places/prodigy” daughter Shamalee (SHA-muh-lee) went with us to help us navigate this experience. At one store, I was trying to determine if a necklace I wanted to get for my wife (surprise, honey) had a long enough chain (Indian jewelry chains are cut very, very short - something I learned in 2010, which cost me a lot of money). I turned to Shamalee, because she was standing right there and tried to see if it had a long chain or short chain. Rade was right behind her and flipped out. She grabbed it out of my hands, probably threw a stream of Tamil insults at me, handed the necklace back to the cashier and everyone walked off. At dinner, I told this story to David and asked if I had done something wrong. I had. Apparently, when you want to marry someone, you don’t give them a ring. A guy puts a necklace on a girl. Tonight, I was mere inches away from a second wife. That would be super tough to explain on Mission Trip Report Night.

Oh! Ridiculous thing #4! Both Justin and Leon got haircuts from a barber right on the main drag. It cost them a total of $4 for the both of them. Leon also got his Mohawk strip died some shade of red. I was about to get a haircut, but the barber looked like he wanted to do a number on my ‘do and I love my Mohawk and would hate the idea of looking ridiculous (no comments).

Anyway, guys. Thanks for reading. I hope you see how great of a time we’re having, but also how incredibly blessed this trip is - especially the opportunity to partner with David. We love you guys.