Greetings,
The road from Mallepalli to Muthaipalem is worse than ever and took us more than 6 hours in running. Pastor Raja Rao informed that no lodgings were available for the night since thousands have discended on Bapatla to write class 4 exams, a government required entrace test for three days. After hunting for some time we found a small hotel which harboured mosquitos.
The next morning we attended Sunday school from 8:30 till 10:30. I was surprised to see nearly 40 children from the age group 4-9 years, mostly girls. They were well dressed and quite prepared to come forward to sing special and group songs with actions.
Some parents brought their younger ones and stayed on till the Sunday school was over to collect them. A young man who is a college student led the sunday school. I never met him before. He said that he was converted to Christianit from a Hindu background.
The worship service stared at 11:30 and carried on till 2:00. Men and women kept coming through out the service and also there was some going out. Pastor Raja Rao led the service and administered communion. Only 6 adults took the bread and wine. Nearly 70 people squatted on the floor of a 14"x 16ft. small room.
Two elderly men came forward to sing some ancient hymns which the younger generations didn't know. They were quite melodious. I asked the men where they learnt the songs and they said that they learnt when they were teenagers when the early missionaries came to India to the coastal area. At that time Christianity flourished in the region and there was a congregation of about hundred believers among them were their own parents. As the time passed by the missionaries left and no native leaders took over. The numbers in church dwindled. When pastor mathew came to serve this community he reported that he came across some old generation Christians in his pastoral visits. He was told that today thare are about 100 christians scattered around Bapatla township without a church.
When pastor Raja Rao took over the ministry intensified his house visits to trace these old timers. Most of these Christians are from the shepherd caste, distinctive from the present day dalit Christians. The shepherd Christians did not want to associate with the low caste dalits so they remain as a secret group. Now Raja Rao has believers from different caste back ground and are open to participate in the Lord's supper.
After sevice was over an elderly man came to meet me. He was polite but firm in saying that we are disturbing the neighbourhood with Christian service. He said that their ancestral gods are facing the chuch which is a bad omen for their families and he told me to erect a 4 feet wall around the church. It's a request ' he said ' but...
Apart from the request his voice intoned a camaflauged threat we need to build a wall so that our mud around the church not to erode into their premises.
Muthaipalem AGIF Shalom Church discovered a 100 year old faith based community. And adding young people from college level educational institutions.
This church has a vast potential to reach out many fishermen, shepherds and dalits in future.
Prayer needs.
1. four feet high Compund wall around the church
2. A gate for the wall.
3.Telugu Bibles and hymn books for distribution
Blessings,
Pastor Das
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