(by Dan Taylor 3/28/16)

What an incredible week we just had ministering for 9 days with the CNI priests of Christ Church, Mushtaq and Neera. Christ Church is a 150 year old Anglican church in Shimla, H.P. that in the past has not been open to those outside their denomination. It was a very special week to be with this wonderful couple. Neera has an amazing gift of hospitality that we thoroughly enjoyed, and she just knows how to love people, everywhere she goes.

It began with Palm Sunday and God set the tone quickly, filling the place with His Presence. We had services each night and many house visits during all 8 days. Rick and I took turns ministering throughout the week both at the church and in homes, and the people received us beautifully, and we were able to pray for each one. We saw many healings during the week.

One woman who is a VP of a school was dramatically healed and began to bring fellow teachers to the house for prayer.  They were all Hindu but God touched them so deeply…the tears streaming down their faces as God met them, healed them and filled them with His love.

On one of these days, a principal of another school had stopped by to discuss some business with Mushtaq…she said she was not there for prayer, just business…but as she watched God touch the others, she then asked for prayer for herself.  We prayed for a situation of conflict with teachers that had gone on for 3 years. She called the next day saying that she had good news as things already had begun to change.  She then requested I come to her school to pray as well.  God has given us power to pray (all of us, some just don’t know it yet!).

On Good Friday I preached on the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross…10 minutes on each one after a song and a prayer in between. It was a 3 hour service with about 350 people there.  I was able to preach the cross for 3 hours.  Many people sat with tears streaming down their faces as the truth of the cross was deeply revealed to them. A woman called later to say how blessed she was, that she had never felt anything like that service.

On Easter Sunday there were more than 400 people in attendance, a full house. I preached on “May the Lamb of God Receive the Reward of His Suffering.”  At least 30 people raised their hands in response to the invitation to become followers of Christ. It was a very powerful move of God and many of the media were there filming and taking pictures (as well as hearing the message, praise God). There were articles written in many newspapers the next day as well as reported on television newscasts.  The message of the cross is going forth in Himachal Pradesh! Pastor Mushtaq is overjoyed with the results. The caption for the newspaper photo above is “The Reverend speaks the Word of God on the special occasion of Easter.”

Even people in the church who had resisted bringing in an outsider were hugging me asking for prayer and hugging Mushtaq thanking him for bringing us in. Mushtaq just kept saying Holy Week was awesome, really awesome…that it is historic and he has never heard of it being done in the history of 1,500 CNI churches.

We thank God for reviving hungry hearts and we thank God for you, making this all possible through your prayers and giving. And now we’re on to our next week, back to Punjab to minister house to house and in conferences and churches over the next 5 days. God has his eye on Punjab! Your continued prayers are needed, that we would be in good health and have much endurance, being able to pour into the leaders and all those we meet this week. That the Lord would fill every heart with more of Himself.