A SPECIAL REPORT - TEAM TO INDIA - Feb. 2007

EXPERIENCING INDIA WITH THE TOTAL CHANGE TEAM
Rev. Phil Styles

Thank you for your prayers during our time away.  We had a WONDERFUL time!  God was good and the Indian people are beautiful. Consider these statistics:

• Indian population is more than a billion people (https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/in.html)
• 333 million gods are worshiped (Canada population is 33 million = 100 gods per person)
• Hinduism 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christianity 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
• 65,000 people die each day eternally separated from Jesus Christ

 Suresh Translates For Terry at the Miracle Crusade 

1. In our last –email, we asked you to pray that the word of God would spread rapidly during the gospel crusades.  It did.
 
Over four nights we had more than 38,000 people attend the gospel crusade.
 
The 3 fold message of the crusades can be summarized in Philippians 2:9, which reads, "God exalted [Jesus Christ] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.”

1. Jesus’ name is above the name of every demon or evil spirit – perfect love drives out fear.
2. Jesus’ name is above the name of every disease and sickness – many were healed.
3. Jesus’ name is above the name of every sin – over 6000 people came from the darkness, into the light of Jesus Christ and gave their lives to Him.  “Yeah God!”

Thank you for praying!  The power of God was amazing!  So many stories we could tell … a rich Hindu man experienced the power of God and brought tractors with over 16,000 bananas to feed and bless the poor people…the chief of police over the province simply walked on the stage to give a few words and was instantaneously healed and started saying from the microphone “I’m healed!!”  Of course the people listened then!
 
God loves the people of India.  He went to great measures to make that abundantly clear – both through Jesus Christ and in our daily encounters.  Thank you for joining us in your prayers.
 
Pastors Conference

2. In our last –email, we asked you to pray that the pastor’s conference would be a source of encouragement.  It was.  I, Phil, felt so “alive” in this area of ministry.  I preached only once but several pastors testified to the message taking deep root in their hearts.  I prayed several times over pastors and quietly would lay my hands on their heads and would seek the LORD’s grace and anointing of love over them – often the Spirit of God would move my heart to tears as I would feel so “connected” with their burdens or spiritual needs.  I was made for moments like these.
 
Before the word gets out through black-mail, I also need to let you know first hand something that happened during the pastor’s conference.  They were singing worship songs and I was invited to the front.  A senior Indian man decided to worship with me through dancing.  I’m a Baptist and we don’t dance … but as he showed me what to do, in Indian dance style, we danced together with joy because of who God is.  The crowd loved it and a deep God joy settled over us all.  It was beautiful – the joy that is.
 

Food

Phil and Mel with Harvest India leader
Suresh Kumar at St. Thomas Mount

3. We asked you to pray for our health.  Thank you.  The food was spicy hot (even though they claimed it was made mild for us).  The fruit was sweet and delicious.  And our hosts were more than gracious with us.  Melanie had the usual issues that come with curie and her back pain was manageable.  Phil felt fine with his health but we were given an abundance of sweet juices (stirred with sugar cane) and fruit, so I was testing my blood often and taking insulin as often.
 
Daily temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius.
 
Projects

In the bigger picture, health was a major concern for the poor and “outcasts” that we ministered to in India.  Time does not permit extensive details here but consider some of these practical ministries we participated in with Harvest India.
 

• We spent time in the Harvest India School & Orphanage – blessed, gave treats, hugged

• We prayed over the NEW Life Building - 2 year practical skill training for prostitute.

• We prayed over the  NEW "Total Change - Harvest India Dalit School Project" site that Melanie’s parents have invested in to educate 1000 poor and orphaned children;

• We visited a New Life Bible College where Bible students serve as dorm parents to orphans, and plant new churches after gospel crusades;

• We prayed and blessed and helped lay the foundation stones in some of the Harvest India’s staff’s homes – very poor contexts;

• We visited the elderly home in Tippalakatta and blessed them and prayed for healing – they were overflowing with JOY!  Amazing people!

• We conducted a medical camp where more than 300 people received medical care.  We administered vaccinations and prayed for healing of many for whom medicine was of little hope.

• Harvest India provided cataract surgery for some of the poor people’s eyes – we met them with an eye doctor, gave some medicines and sunglasses

• We dedicated two clean drinking wells and celebrated the “Living Water” of Jesus

• We distributed food in several Mercy Ministry Camps (beggars, homeless children, seniors)

• Visited nurse’s training centre and HIV/AIDS hospice site (place for HIV / AIDS people to die in dignity)

• And we ministered to the prostitutes in the Red-Light District – Harvest India provides a free doctor (medicine), child care at night, skill training, and food – this was Melanie’s highlight (very similar ministry to her work at the Pregnancy Resource Centre)

•  And we preached in the local churches

All that to say, “Wow, God is good!”  Your prayers were answered in very clear and powerful ways.  Thank you.  Thank you for changing the lives of thousands upon thousands of people in India.  Thank you for taking time to pray so that the poor, the orphans, the widows, the sick, and the outcasts could be transformed from their short time on earth into eternal life in Christ Jesus!  Thank you for believing in us and empowering us through your prayers to do far more than we could ever dream or imagine.  To God be the glory.  Great things he has done!  And you were part of it.  Thank you.
 
Give our love to your family!
 
Phil & Melanie Styles

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