It felt like déjà vu all over again as we left Shimla and began to make our way toward Kaza. The first night we stayed at the same hotel as the trip two years ago and I stayed in the same room looking out at the same mountain as before.

Previously, Ishan refused to even think about going back to Kaza because that was where we were going when we had the accident. In fact, when he heard I was coming to India he was filled with dread. He felt so much guilt that he did not want to face me. But suddenly God changed his heart, and he wanted to come with us.

We left the hotel early in the morning and within a few hours we came to the location of the motorcycle crash that happened on that previous trip.

We all stood at this place of past pain and trauma and thanked God that Ishan and I were still alive.

I placed my arm around Ishan’s shoulders and said, “Ishan, you made a mistake. We all make mistakes. I have made a thousand of them, but I need you to know I totally forgive you. I hold nothing against you, and I have absolutely no regrets about what happened. I would not change these last two years for anything. So, please let God remove your shame and guilt and take your position as a man of God once again. Don’t let any of the past keep you from being less than what God created you to be! You are completely forgiven!”

Ishan held me tight and wept deeply…and I wept with him. At that moment the guilt was gone. The shame lifted and Ishan was totally redeemed.

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For the past twelve years I have had the great joy of working with and mentoring Ashish and Kalpana who are now the Directors for ISOM in North India.

We have traveled together on many prayer journeys over the years, and they have become like my very own children. In fact, their eight-year-old daughter calls me Dadu which means grandpa in Hindi.

Ashish and Kalpana’s love for God and their heart for missions comes shining through every day. They have grown in maturity and wisdom, and God has given them great favor as they lead ISOM. Through them, literally thousands of people are being trained to be strong Christian leaders.

My travels to India have been decreasing as the native people are now doing much more of the ministry I had once been doing. Because of this I felt compelled by God to do for Ashish and Kalpana what Paul had done for Timothy. During the graduation ceremony in Punjab I called out Ashish and had him stand in front of me. I told him it was time for me to pass the baton of spiritual authority to him. In the same way Paul had laid hands on Timothy and imparted into him, I laid hands on Ashish and did the same.

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I’ve heard those words in Hindi on every trip as we needed to go – leave one place for another. Now it’s time for me to “chale” from the US back to India! It’s been more than two years since my last trip when I broke my leg in a motorcycle accident.

I had planned to return this past May, but just as everything was confirmed and the team was ready, war broke out between India and Pakistan. In fact, the Pakistani terrorist action that prompted the war took place very near where I was going in Kashmir. Because of this my trip was postponed.

Now, things have calmed down and our “postponed” trip is nearly ready to begin. I will leave for India in late September for approximately four weeks.

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This past August, I received a phone call from my good friend Krista. Krista and I have been on many prayer journeys together in Egypt, Cambodia, Thailand and India. She is a wonderful woman of God, who married a man from Egypt named Ayman. They recently moved, with their three-year-old daughter, to Seneca, Missouri, where Krista grew up (never imagining she’d return!).

“Dan, something crazy has happened!” she exclaimed. “Ayman and I have been praying for our neighborhood. We felt drawn to pray for an old Methodist church across the street from our house. We approached the church leaders as we were curious to know more about it. They told us the church was dying with some older folks keeping it going. They said they did not want their church to die and asked us if we would be willing to take the building and use it for ministry. They want to give us the building to use!  We don’t know what to do with it, so is it possible you could bring a prayer team and help discern what God wants us to do? God wants to establish something here. Please come help us pray!”

Immediately, I knew this was an assignment from God, and within a short time we had a team of seven people eager to go to the small town of Seneca, located in the SW corner of Missouri and is very near the borders of Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Its location is very strategic, as any ministry there can affect all four states.

In God’s amazing timing, just prior to the trip, Karl and Kenda (team members and 5 Rivers board members), were at a meeting on an Indian reservation here in Arizona. They were told that there was a prayer gathering of pastors who met every month near Seneca, across the border in Oklahoma. Believing this was a divine appointment, Karl and Kenda left a day early to attend this meeting, inviting Krista to meet them there.

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Because of your prayers and generosity this past year, 5 Rivers was able to continue to support our partners in India in a variety of ways as they reach their nation for Christ.

We helped purchase a new seven passenger vehicle for Pastor Vijay in Punjab, who is using it non-stop to help advance the Kingdom of God in his region.

5 Rivers also made a commitment to help build a guest house in our village in Kashmir. The first two payments toward this 20,000.00 project have been made and construction is well underway. The foundation is laid, the walls are coming up and they hope to have the roof on before the heavy snow comes.  God willing, this cabin will be ready for our teams to use starting this summer.

Another project we were able to help with in our Kashmiri village is a chicken farm.  A strong cinder-block building has been built and two-hundred chicks have been purchased. In a short time, our friends will have a small business providing chicken and eggs to not only our village but to other villages in the surrounding area.

Our north India ISOM directors, Ashish and Kalpana, continue to be used greatly of God establishing teaching points for ISOM. Young men and women continue to be trained as church planters and are ministering in villages all over North India, thanks to those who pray for and support 5 Rivers.