“Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you;
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me. . .”

The lines of this old song from the musical “The King and I” ran through my mind all week as we began the process of getting to know our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Bengal-Orissa-Bihar Baptist Churches’ Association (BOBBCA).  BOBBCA is a partner organization with International Ministries.  They have a membership of nearly 50,000 believers in 97 churches.  It was a joy to meet the organization’s General Secretary, Rev. Samaresh Nayak, getting to know him and the ministries he oversees.  And just like in “The King and I”, we even got to dance with some of our newfound friends in Christ in one of the Santal tribal villages!

Each day had been carefully planned by our hosts to show us the whole range of work which they do in the name of Jesus Christ.  There was a leadership development conference for church leaders hosted by the Balasore Baptist Church.  We attended worship services in two of the larger city churches, spent an evening learning about the women’s ministries of the BOBBCA, and visited a mission school.  On Sunday morning, a new church building was dedicated in the village of Amdiha.  This village had a small group of believers many years ago, but they had stopped meeting for worship and most had fallen back to other religious practices.  Then one of the BOBBCA evangelists began to make regular visits to Amdiha to encourage and teach and pray.  The thirty members of the new church were delighted to now have a place of worship in their village.  Their pastor leads two other village congregations as well, riding his bicycle about thirty kilometers (close to 20 miles) on a Sunday to be with each congregation.  BOBBCA’s support in providing a small salary (about $20/month) for the pastor is what makes it possible to have a church in the village of Amdiha.

The next day we had the privilege of attending a baptism service in a Santal tribal village in the state of West Bengal.  We joined the celebrations at the edge of a large, muddy river, where BOBBCA pastors and members of a new house-church in the Kotpada village had gathered, with many other onlookers, to witness eleven young men and women commit their lives to Jesus Christ.  After the baptism, the assembled crowd danced in procession back to the house church – a mud and thatch hut.  They welcomed us to the house by first washing our feet – what a meaningful but humbling experience!  The cool water was refreshing in the 100 degree heat.  We joined them for a celebration lunch of rice, jungle chicken and eggplant.  The new believers danced in the courtyard, inviting David and I into the circle to learn the steps and enter the rejoicing before saying goodbye.  

Your gifts to the World Mission Offering help to support the work of BOBBCA.  The Kotpada house-church is the fruit of the labor of BOBBCA evangelists, through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Their pastors and evangelists are able to share the good news of Jesus Christ in the native languages of those who are hearing of this Hope for the first time.  They have faced many challenges and restrictions to their work, particularly in the tribal areas of Orissa in the past year.  After holding them close in our prayers, it was a special joy to meet these friends in Christ, to get to know them and celebrate their dedicated work for the Lord.  They need your support in prayer and in your sharing of financial resources.  Please give to the World Mission Offering!

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.     John 15:12-17