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.

Three years ago, I had the honor of having Karl and Kenda Witbeck travel with me to Kashmir. As many of you know, Karl passed away this past July from a sudden heart attack. Now, Kenda has decided to travel with me to Kashmir once again, not only to bring Jesus to the Kashmiri people, but also in memory of her late husband. Please pray for Kenda as she makes this very important and heartfelt journey.

Upon arriving in India, we will team up with our good friends, Ashish and Kalpana, who are the Directors for ISOM in North India.

The journey begins with a pastors’ conference and an ISOM graduation in Punjab. Please pray that many more Punjabi pastors will desire to be involved in ISOM so we can continue to train strong Christian leaders in that region.

I will also be taking a team of Indians to Kashmir where we have helped build a guest house in our village that we will use as our house of prayer while there. Please pray our team will have powerful and anointed times with our shepherds and their families as we pray and share the love of Jesus with them.

After Kashmir, our team will be taking a prayer drive to Kaza. This was to be our journey two years ago before I broke my leg on the first day of the trip in 2023, causing the journey to quickly end. This time, I have promised I will not get on any motorcycles and look forward to going to this place where there are still thousands of unreached villages that have never heard of Jesus.

Please pray that God will give us many open doors and divine appointments throughout this seven-day journey. Also, please pray that there will be great spiritual breakthrough in this region. Ashish will continue to return with ISOM graduates to plant churches in the near future.

I will end the trip by going back to Delhi and speaking at a leadership conference and another ISOM graduation. (This is the same annual conference where I met Josh, Dinu and Shema twelve years ago and have been close ministry partners ever since.)

We will be able to give nearly five-hundred graduates their ISOM Bible diplomas on this trip. Please pray that each of these graduates will be sent out in the Power of the Holy Spirit and have very fruitful ministries.

Please continue to pray for the persecuted church in North India. Beatings and imprisonments of Christians have increased dramatically. (At the pastors’ conference in Punjab, we will honor the wife and family of pastor Ajay, our dear friend who was beaten and eventually died for the Gospel.)

Please pray for the safety of our team through all our travels. There has been very severe weather in North India with torrential downpours that have activated landslides bringing destruction and death over the last several weeks and months. We are thankful that the weather outlook looks good for our time there.

Thank you for your prayers during these last few weeks of preparation as well, especially for Ashish as he finalizes the in-country details. On a personal note, please pray for my healing as I have been dealing with some health issues lately that need to be cleared up before the flights. My leg has healed up well and I am ready to “chale” in that regard. God is so good! And He is always on time!

I look forward to sharing all the good reports upon my return. We are so thankful for those who help us get there through generous giving, and for those who pray for us while here and away – many of you do both! GOD BLESS YOU!