By Josh Weidmann on Monday, November 12, 2007 11:29 PM

Well, here we are at the end.

I can’t believe nearly 14 days ago I zipped up my suite case and headed to India. Now as I zip my suit case closed again, I am headed home. There is a part of me that will miss this place immensely, and yet another part that can’t wait to get back to the familiar places and people I love.

As I sat in the lobby of the Hyderabad hotel this morning sipping coffee with my mom, we laughed as we recalled all the memories of this week. We also paused as we remembered the sobering scenes and welled-up with emotion as we recounted God’s great work here.

I do believe in miracles because this week I saw God do many mighty things. There are some things too indescribable to explain. My mom and I keep saying to each other, “How will we ever explain this to everyone back home.” It is true, for some of our experiences “You just would have had to been there.”

Today we will say our final goodbyes to our host family. We will catch a flight to New Delhi, transfer airports, and then catch our flight to Chicago. On the plane we plan to spend a lot of time writing about our experience so that we are able to share it with you when we are in America again.

I plan on posting all the pictures in the photo gallery when I get back, so check there to see the sights we were able to see.

Thank you “Senders” for supporting us and praying for us. You were as much a part of this trip as we were. Now please pray us home.

Praise be to our great and mighty King, who is able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Praise be to the Holy One for making the unholy righteous in His sight. Worship Him all you Saints, for God is faithful and good to those who delight in his ways! His providence is more than we deserve. His grace crushes our hearts and restores our souls. O, Praise Him all your days!

With much love, and for our King’s glory,

Josh and Janet.

By Josh Weidmann on Monday, November 12, 2007 1:00 PM

My mom is on the bed behind me sound asleep.

We’ve arrived in Hyderabad safely but exhausted. My mom has not been sleeping much for the last few nights in great expectation for this trip to come to a close. Last night she couldn’t have slept more than 3 hours. She was awaken with the millions of thoughts rushing through her head of all that we’d been through this far and all that still was ahead of us in order to get home.

Last night was our last night in Kurnool. We did our final service at the Baptist church gathering and after a meal at midnight with the pastor committee we went off to our week-long-home for one more night’s rest (or sleepless night in my mom’s case).

We both have journaled all the details of the trip. I plan to post most of these on the blog for all to see, so please check back here to hear stories, see pictures, and read praise reports of what God has done on this India mission. It may take me a week or two to get all the entries posted, but bear with me – the stories are worth the wait.

For now, I need to crash too. I will write again in the morning (evening America time) if I can. Tomorrow we are just going to take it easy until our flight home. We have some things to get and people to see, but we are going to wrap it all up by 4 pm and head to the airport for a long 20 hour + journey home.

Please pray for our safety.

Thank you for all your prayers this far. I can’t wait to tell you all that God did through your prayers. WE SERIOUSLY couldn’t have made it with out the prayers you prayed. Neither one of us are sick. I still have my voice. Many souls were saved and thousands of Christians were encouraged. Thank you for being a part of this mission by staying on your knees.

We love you all and will see you soon.

Good night.

Josh.

By Josh Weidmann on Friday, November 09, 2007 6:15 AM

I think it is safe to say, for the most part, the jet lag has subsided. But the culture shock is still plaguing us.

It is Friday here and we have finished the evagelistic crusade as of last night. We saw another 25-30 people give thier lives to Christ... that means over 300 in all! The speaking over this week has been so intense. We've been so busy every waking moment.

My mom and I spent time yesterday just journalling about the experience and the things we have seen and after we listed everything, we were exhausted - so we napped. The sights are indescribable. The need here is so great and our hearts are past the point of just breaking - we are in shock.

When we wake up in the morning we are always a bit ovwewhelmed. Our hotel room is quiet each morning as we eat our cliff bars, 3 pretzels (to absorb our malaria pills), and water mixed with vitimin powder. We sit there somewhat homesick, but most of all in great expectation (and fear!) of what the day holds. We never know until we are living through it.

Today we had no idea what to expect. After a breackfast with a pastor in his home we were off for shopping to get a few things to take home. To our surprise we had a village pastor come find us in he shopping mart. He begged us to come to his village and said the people were waiting. So we headed to his Dalit colony and were in amazement as we passed the make-shift-shacks that the people lived in. At the far side of their village was a building made of 4 cement walls and a straw roof. It couldn't have been more than 10 feet wide by 20 feet long. This old rugged structure was filled with forty people and their children. They were all so excited that we had come.

All of the beleivers in the village, and at the church while we were there, were Hindus that had converted to Christ. Thier smiles were such a blessing as we gave them a greeting and tried to encourage them with our words. As we walk from the opening in the wall to the small platform at the far side of the room, the people would raise out thier hands just longing for you to touch them. The mothers would come close just hoping we would notice (and pray for) their children. I wish we could tell you all the details of this, but words fail to portray this experence.

Tonight we are starting a three day conference for Christians at a local baptist church here in Kurnool. We will be preaching there through Sunday night and leaving for Hyderbad on Monday. Monday night we will encourage the believers in Hyderbad, speak and a seminary, and then spend Tuesday encouraging some American missionaries before we leave.

Please keep praying for our health and staminia. We are truly feelings like "Drink offerings poured out" and we desparately need your prayers. I often feel like there is not another prayer or sermon in me, but that is when God keeps showing up again and again. Please, praise God for this when you pray!

If I can't write again before we return to Hyderbad, please remember our 5 hour drive in your prayers. The roads from here to there are terrifying, so please pray for our safety. Also pray for our return home.

You all mean so much to us. Thank you for your comments. We read them and smile! Your notes, emails and comments are some of the greatest parts of this trip. Thank you for encouraging us!

With Love from India,

Josh and Janet

By Josh Weidmann on Thursday, November 08, 2007 3:47 AM

WE ARE HERE!

Sorry it has been so long since I have written. Once we arrived in Hyderbad and then on to Kurnool we have had no access to internet and limited access to phone service.

I have found this small little hole in the wall that has internet so I wanted to write and tell you that we are well. (when I say this is a hole-in-the-wall, i litterally mean it! A small little shack with three computers.)

We are doing well. Discouraged but healthy and strengthened by Christ. The conditions here in rural India are more rugged than you could imagine. The food is very difficult for us and there is much disease all around us.

The people here are wonderful but their need is so vast. We are always praying with people for their needs and trying to bring them great comfort by God's Word and simply being with them.

I have preached over 20 times at this point. My mom has preached 4 times. We have spoken to many Hindu's, Muslims and non-believers in schools all over Kurnool. We also have been doing the 5 day evangelistic crusade each night. Tonight is the last one. We have seen more than 275 people come to salvation in Christ! Gods is so Good. We are so comfoted by Him even in the midst of the "affliction" but it is for the sake of salvation and comfort of those here in India. I feel like we are living out what Paul went through in 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Read that and pray for us.

Today I am off to preach to more than 200 pastors that are coming in from all the surrounding villages. Tonight I will preach again at the crusade, which has increased in its number of attendees daily.

Pray for my mom. This is very streaching for her. She is not used to missions like this. This is hard for me as well, but even harder for her. Please pray for us.

Thank you all for your comments on the blog! My mom and I lept for joy to read them and who they were from. It made us joyful to the point of tears. Thank you. Keep praying for us PLEASE!

I will write again from this place if I can.

Thank you!

For His Greater Glory,

Josh (and Janet).

By Josh Weidmann on Friday, November 02, 2007 12:58 PM

After a more than 14 hours in a plane, my mom and I have arrived in India. The cramped seats of the plane didn't make much for a bed, and the airline food was sub-par, but we are here and glad to have the largest part of our travel behind us.

We were greeted by a small Indian man who willingly lugged our large bags to the car in great expectation of a tip. He loaded two of our bags on the roof and one in the trunk. Then he, the driver, and my mom and I got in the car to make a more than 20 minute drive to the hotel. This was the first tour of this new culture. The road were packed with truck, bikes, mopeds, motorcycles and other small cars like ours. The choir of horns beeped the whole way to the hotel as we drove through the foggy night.

We are sitting in the back corner of the office of the hotel where we are staying. The office workers are busy helping other guest. None of what they are saying is familiar and it make this place feel even less like home. The door is wide open allowing for the muggy air to fill the room. A rickety fan hangs from the wall giving a slight breeze our way every now and then.

This night feels more like a dream than reality. Perhaps the lack of good sleep keep the reality of the us being in India from sinking in. I can't believe all the trials and hurdles that had to be crossed in order to get here. Each trial we had to go through now stands in the past as a sign of God's great sovereignty and provision.

Tonight we will sleep for a few more hours. It is somewhat confusing to the mind to have two nights right next to each other with no daytime in between. However, we must keep resting for tomorrow or real journey begins. We will leave at 5:50 am to go to Hyderbad.There we will be greeted by Rev. Israel who is our host while we are here. Tomorrow night we will have a time with the local committee who organized this trip celebrating its beginning.

Pray for our rest and rejuvenation. Pray for our communication here - it is not easy, and hasn't' been thus far without a translator. Pray for quick adaptation to the culture.

Now it is off to bed. We hope all of you in America have a great rest of your day... When you awake tomorrow we will (hopefully) be settled in to Kurnool with our 32 hour commute behind us.

Goodnight/Good day!

Josh.