Day 12

October 12th, 2019 – Vijayawada / ANDHRA PRADESH

What a wonderful start of the day! We hear trumpets sounding, exciting singing and shouting that wake us up before 7 this morning and we are told that a wedding is taking place in this hotel today, and as it is their custom, they start that early.

During breakfast we have the opportunity to speak with Pastor Paulke, the overall host and coordinator of these meetings here in the Province of Andhra Pradesh. He and other brothers are helping to interpret the services into the local language Telugu.

Together with his fellow ministers he was pulling and asking Brother Vin for over one year to come to his Province. He tells us that his fine congregation consists of about 60 believers and after every Sunday service he leaves his home to preach in different places that he has established over the years. In the last 7 years he has ordained 23 ministers, and now he is mainly preaching on the streets and for the last year or so, he is baptizing between 7 and 10 people per week. What an impressive work he is doing for the Kingdom of God!

The first four meetings are in the church, called Life Tabernacle of Pastor Rajvarehan Kondrathi, which is located in the hill area of this city, just a 10- minute drive from the hotel. And what a Welcome…

**WALKING UP TO THE CHURCH ON THE HILL…**

The first three services are Open-Air meetings, because the actual Sanctuary cannot hold the large number of believers that are attending these special meetings. And what a song service! There are no words to describe the atmosphere. It seems the entire city could be captured by the songs that sound from this hill down to the valley.

**GOD IS WORKING A PARADOX…WHAT ABOUT YOU?**

When Brother David is asked to bless us with a song the atmosphere is electrified, because the believers here love the songs from Third Exodus and Brother David tells them, that he was not aware of the people of Andhra Pradesh and their love for us. “We are encouraged that we have believers of like precious faith in this part of the world.” Before he sings ‘THE URGENCY OF THE HOUR’ he is reading the words of this song, so that Brother Prasad, the interpreter for today’s services, can interpret it for the people.

Each one of us is introduced to the believers here and receives a bouquet of red roses from Pastor Rajvarehan Kondrathi, as a sign of their love and appreciation.

The service is totally different than expected, because Brother Vin has it on his heart to let each one of the team speak and greet the believers. Brother Timothy Dayal conducts the service by leading from one testimony to the other.

**BROTHER BISHOP GIVES HIS ENCOURAGING TESTIMONY**

The people are so very blessed because they are identified with our testimonies, and we all recognize that we are the fulfillment of the continuation of the Book of Acts.

When the service is finished, the saints serve us a wonderful lunch; they treat us nothing less than Royalty. May God bless them for all their labour of love and sacrifice.

EVENING SERVICE

What a wonderful atmosphere to walk in tonight! The singing again is heard many block aways and it sounds like thousands of voices, although it’s just a small group of believers here. The enthusiasm and joy of the young people is very addictive and testifies of a revival in their hearts.

Brother Vin mentions that the first time he met Pastor Rajvarehan Kondrathi was at the airport yesterday, and that he only had spoken with him during a Zoom meeting.

Brother Vin speaks about THE DESIRE OF GOD FOR HIS EXODUS PEOPLE – SCRIPTURE EXODUS 19:3-7

People have desires and they go to God for their desires to be met. But God too has desires that the Angels cannot meet, the animals cannot meet…Why does God call the true church His Bride, a covenant people? Marriage is a vow; a vow till death. He tells a parable about a great wedding and He sent out invitations. One says, “I bought a piece of land, I have no time for that.” The other one says, “I have to proof my oxen”; another one says, “I just got married, have to go on my honey moon.” And God is so displeased that they wouldn’t put Him first, and they couldn’t see that they were selfish. God gave them the farm, the animals, He gave the wife to the husband, and those things; He gives them, but they put them before God.