Thank you for your prayers for this visit to India. Jyoti Chakravartty and I were this time going right across India to 7 locations – Bombay, Calcutta, Gangtok, Hyderabad, Pune, Hosur (South of Bangalore) and Bangalore itself.
As I mentioned earlier the burden of Jyoti is to set up creation groups with an affiliation to CSAI (Creation Science Association of India) and with other Creationist friends from abroad. With this in mind there was this time considerable journeying within India which gave me opportunity to see the vastness of this amazing nation which now has 1.2 billion people in such diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, geography and climate and financial resources. What struck me in every place was the immense industriousness of the people. Whether it be in road making, small wayside shops, gathering of market goods with some carrying huge steel rods on the back of what appeared to me flimsy carts or on one occasion someone carrying huge mounds of branches and leaves such that you could barely see the person underneath! On the journey back from Gangtok on Fri 26th back to Bagdogra airfield we saw the monkeys in the wild by the roadside. Such creatures have a hand for their foot and defying any explanation for the human foot evolving! We then flew on to Hyderabad. – a city I had not been to before. It was a privilege under the invitation of Rev Nala Thomas to conduct meetings at the large Century Baptist Church and after the Saturday meeting to speak with 3 young men who could see that Creation was of crucial importance and were keen to learn more and keep in touch the Jyoti. Much good was done with the book ministry – and many were sold of Genesis for Today as well as Should Christian embrace evolution? (written in response to Denis Alexander’s ‘Creation or Evolution – do we have to choose?’). Jyoti also had a number of books, booklets and DVDs which were sold throughout the visit.
At Hyderabad it was a privilege to meet up with Subrata Fullerton who knew the Staines family well (Graham with his 2 boys was burnt alive in his car in Orissa state some years ago) We learnt that there were probably more than 5000 killed as a result of the recent persecutions and that those who have fled, many of them were not registered as known citizens which then means the unscrupulous attackers can confiscate their land with impunity. When we moved to our last port of call – Bangalore, we were right next door to a lady who lost her husband in a heart attack. The emptiness of the mourning Hindus who were brought in to run the 2 days was so evident. Eventually after the drums had reached a fever pitch. the body was taken on a pagoda to be burnt. Originally in Carey’s day sata was practised whereby the widow dies on the same funeral pyre. Even though that has now stopped, the widow is still cruelly treated – she has to dress back in her wedding garments and bangles on her arms, and flowers in here hair. Then these are removed, the bangles cut and all is put on the pagoda to be burnt.. As if that is not enough, she must now put on a special sari and this has to worn all times after this and never be removed. She cannot be in any social functions any more and in many ways is relegated to a lower class citizen. It highlighted to me the vital importance of the freedom that the Christian faith gives from such evil practises.
The meetings at Pune with Pastor Sandy Samuel was a great encouragement as again this was breaking new ground. A meeting of about 100 with believers wanting to know more and understand the importance of Creation and the evidences that we presented. But furthermore it was a delight to have in the group folk who were not yet believers – a young man from Afghanistan and four others who are known by the church and were serious concerning the Gospel itself.
Valuable meetings were similarly held at Hosur where Rev Mathew George opened his church to us, and Bangalore where a young man this time from the closed country of Bhutan was present and had been brought along by a young person at the Bangalore church to the meeting. These meetings were organised by Rev Panneer Williams and his wide Louella with whom I stayed in Bangalore - and where next door the poignant Hindu funeral took place. Many came from some distance to be present both in Hosur, and at Bangalore with Rev Panneer Williams. Such is the interest at Bangalore, there is the makings of a Bangalore Creation group which is likely to form as a result. Please pray on for this and for Jyoti’s diabetes whereby he now has to inject himself regularly – pray for his wife and 9 year old daughter Priya – it was great joy to be with them all briefly in Calcutta .
Lastly please would you pray for the Faraday Lecture this Friday 9th at Westminster Chapel 7.30pm in London. “Faraday - man of science and man of God” and also the ministry in Poland Mon 19th April to Sat 24th April. The details of these visits are given below.
Thank you to you all who were praying.
In His Name – Andy McIntosh
Future ministry
CREATION FARADAY LECTURE
Friday 9th April 7.30pm Westminster Chapel "Faraday - man of science and man of God" Hosted by AiG UK and on Genesis TV Contact Paul Taylor Paul@answersingenesis.org.uk
Mon 19th April to Sat 24th April Creation meetings in Poland : Contact Michal Pronczuk mpronczuk@plusnet.pl
Mon 19th -Thu 20th April Gdańsk
Weds 21st April Szczecin
Thurs 22nd April Zielona Góra
Fri 23rd April Kalisz
Weds 5th May 7.30pm Alderholt Congregational Church, near Fordingbridge
"Design, Intelligence and the Word of God" Contact Chris Sinkinson chrissinkinson@hotmail.com
Sat 15th May 7.30pm Northampton Creation Group "Design, Information and Thermodynamics" Contact Farid Abou-Rahme - arahme@clara.net Farid has not yet communicated to me a location, but it is definitely on.
Sun 16th May 1030 Roundhay Evangelical Church, Leeds "Creation and the Gospel" Roundhay Parochial Hall Fitzroy Drive, Leeds, LS8 4AB Contact Gordon Robertson gordonandclare@googlemail.com
Sat 22nd afternoon and evening and Sun 23rd May 1030 Creation weekend Llandrindod Wells Contact Stephen and Edith Davies edith@edavies94.orangehome.co.uk
Sat 5th June 6.30 - 9.30pm 2 talks "Design, Intelligence and the Word of God" and "Fossils, Dinosaur Bones and the Bible" Roundhay Parochial Hall Fitzroy Drive, Leeds, LS8 4AB Contact Gordon Robertson gordonandclare@googlemail.com
As I mentioned earlier the burden of Jyoti is to set up creation groups with an affiliation to CSAI (Creation Science Association of India) and with other Creationist friends from abroad. With this in mind there was this time considerable journeying within India which gave me opportunity to see the vastness of this amazing nation which now has 1.2 billion people in such diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, geography and climate and financial resources. What struck me in every place was the immense industriousness of the people. Whether it be in road making, small wayside shops, gathering of market goods with some carrying huge steel rods on the back of what appeared to me flimsy carts or on one occasion someone carrying huge mounds of branches and leaves such that you could barely see the person underneath! On the journey back from Gangtok on Fri 26th back to Bagdogra airfield we saw the monkeys in the wild by the roadside. Such creatures have a hand for their foot and defying any explanation for the human foot evolving! We then flew on to Hyderabad. – a city I had not been to before. It was a privilege under the invitation of Rev Nala Thomas to conduct meetings at the large Century Baptist Church and after the Saturday meeting to speak with 3 young men who could see that Creation was of crucial importance and were keen to learn more and keep in touch the Jyoti. Much good was done with the book ministry – and many were sold of Genesis for Today as well as Should Christian embrace evolution? (written in response to Denis Alexander’s ‘Creation or Evolution – do we have to choose?’). Jyoti also had a number of books, booklets and DVDs which were sold throughout the visit.
At Hyderabad it was a privilege to meet up with Subrata Fullerton who knew the Staines family well (Graham with his 2 boys was burnt alive in his car in Orissa state some years ago) We learnt that there were probably more than 5000 killed as a result of the recent persecutions and that those who have fled, many of them were not registered as known citizens which then means the unscrupulous attackers can confiscate their land with impunity. When we moved to our last port of call – Bangalore, we were right next door to a lady who lost her husband in a heart attack. The emptiness of the mourning Hindus who were brought in to run the 2 days was so evident. Eventually after the drums had reached a fever pitch. the body was taken on a pagoda to be burnt. Originally in Carey’s day sata was practised whereby the widow dies on the same funeral pyre. Even though that has now stopped, the widow is still cruelly treated – she has to dress back in her wedding garments and bangles on her arms, and flowers in here hair. Then these are removed, the bangles cut and all is put on the pagoda to be burnt.. As if that is not enough, she must now put on a special sari and this has to worn all times after this and never be removed. She cannot be in any social functions any more and in many ways is relegated to a lower class citizen. It highlighted to me the vital importance of the freedom that the Christian faith gives from such evil practises.
The meetings at Pune with Pastor Sandy Samuel was a great encouragement as again this was breaking new ground. A meeting of about 100 with believers wanting to know more and understand the importance of Creation and the evidences that we presented. But furthermore it was a delight to have in the group folk who were not yet believers – a young man from Afghanistan and four others who are known by the church and were serious concerning the Gospel itself.
Valuable meetings were similarly held at Hosur where Rev Mathew George opened his church to us, and Bangalore where a young man this time from the closed country of Bhutan was present and had been brought along by a young person at the Bangalore church to the meeting. These meetings were organised by Rev Panneer Williams and his wide Louella with whom I stayed in Bangalore - and where next door the poignant Hindu funeral took place. Many came from some distance to be present both in Hosur, and at Bangalore with Rev Panneer Williams. Such is the interest at Bangalore, there is the makings of a Bangalore Creation group which is likely to form as a result. Please pray on for this and for Jyoti’s diabetes whereby he now has to inject himself regularly – pray for his wife and 9 year old daughter Priya – it was great joy to be with them all briefly in Calcutta .
Lastly please would you pray for the Faraday Lecture this Friday 9th at Westminster Chapel 7.30pm in London. “Faraday - man of science and man of God” and also the ministry in Poland Mon 19th April to Sat 24th April. The details of these visits are given below.
Thank you to you all who were praying.
In His Name – Andy McIntosh
Future ministry
CREATION FARADAY LECTURE
Friday 9th April 7.30pm Westminster Chapel "Faraday - man of science and man of God" Hosted by AiG UK and on Genesis TV Contact Paul Taylor Paul@answersingenesis.org.uk
Mon 19th April to Sat 24th April Creation meetings in Poland : Contact Michal Pronczuk mpronczuk@plusnet.pl
Mon 19th -Thu 20th April Gdańsk
Weds 21st April Szczecin
Thurs 22nd April Zielona Góra
Fri 23rd April Kalisz
Weds 5th May 7.30pm Alderholt Congregational Church, near Fordingbridge
"Design, Intelligence and the Word of God" Contact Chris Sinkinson chrissinkinson@hotmail.com
Sat 15th May 7.30pm Northampton Creation Group "Design, Information and Thermodynamics" Contact Farid Abou-Rahme - arahme@clara.net Farid has not yet communicated to me a location, but it is definitely on.
Sun 16th May 1030 Roundhay Evangelical Church, Leeds "Creation and the Gospel" Roundhay Parochial Hall Fitzroy Drive, Leeds, LS8 4AB Contact Gordon Robertson gordonandclare@googlemail.com
Sat 22nd afternoon and evening and Sun 23rd May 1030 Creation weekend Llandrindod Wells Contact Stephen and Edith Davies edith@edavies94.orangehome.co.uk
Sat 5th June 6.30 - 9.30pm 2 talks "Design, Intelligence and the Word of God" and "Fossils, Dinosaur Bones and the Bible" Roundhay Parochial Hall Fitzroy Drive, Leeds, LS8 4AB Contact Gordon Robertson gordonandclare@googlemail.com
