In 2018, on Feb 7, I went on a trip to India. I was then
back home again on February 16. This is a review of
what I then wrote.
Since a while I had become head sponsor to a ministry
which has a great passion but lack the finances to fulfill
its calling to the wished extent.
The pastor which is my contact and has become my dear
brother, felt the call in the early 2000s to start an orphan-
age as well as a home for old widows. He saw the need.
Today the work takes care of 50 children between the ages
of 5 and 17, raised in the christian faith and lifestyle. And
about 15 old mom´s as well. Very biblical (Deut 10:18).
Their work benefits the whole region but they do not get
one single rupee from the local government, as it is a
christian work, and christians are rich...
Besides the orphanage, the pastor, who has an apostolic
calling and has started churches in the region, with his
team also reach out with the gospel through outdoor
meetings in the villages. And lead hindus to Christ.
I first flew to Delhi in the north then to Chennai in the
south. The temperature rose from 18 to 30-35 degrees.
From Chennai it then was a 350 km cartrip to the "small
town" of 100K inhabitants, outside which the orphanage
is situated.
I saw no other western citizen in this town during the
whole week that I stayed, can you imagine! Nor any
foreign organization working for the spreading of the
gospel.
When I arrived the orphanage, they had set up a huge print-
ed banner in the front of the building, schockingly with my
picture on, welcoming me!
All the kids immediately started to call me daddy. I got so
much sincere love from both the pastors family, the staff
and the children. They carried my bag, they brought me
water all the time. And we played some football and all
even went to the beach one day.
Just beside the orphanage the pastor had been building a
church since a while. When ready, it were to serve not only
as church, but also as room for other types of gatherings.
Due to lack of money to fulfill windows, doors etc to the
church, the estimation was another 1-2 years before the
building would be ready for inauguration, but the pastor
wanted me to anyhow cut the band before I were to leave.
I then took the bold decision on the very first day of my visit
to contact craftsmen to have them start preparing windows
etc - to have all things installed even before my departure.
On my last day before leaving, windows and doors were
installed, and I cut the band! By this the orphanage got all-
most the double space (they were very overcrowded) and a
very nice cool part to stay in during the worst heat, which
is soon to arrive.
The pastor had booked me in to hold meetings. I had
mentioned that I could hold a seminar on my favourite
teaching, Rightiousness in Christ. It appeared he had book-
ed me in for 7 meetings in 6 days.
I teached (my gift) in his two churches. I also spoke encour-
agement to all the children one day. I felt a surprisingly
strong anointing and love from the Lord at every occasion
where I was speaking.
I was also booked to hold pastors seminars one day, about
40 pastors from the region attended this day;
I teached on Jesus being both God and human, and why
this was necessary. I spoke of Jesus ministry, and that he
struggled with temptations just like we, and how he over-
came.
It all ended up, intentionally, with a teaching on the absolute
necessity for christians to understand that we have been
made rightious in Jesus Christ - the base for overcoming.
The day after, the president of the pastors union (approx
250 pastors) called me and thanked me and said they liked
the teaching, and he opened up for future follow-ups.
I also visited small churches in villages on the countryside.
In the heat, we arranged smaller outdoor meetings in the
evenings. I gave my testimony and I preached very bold and
strong on the cross.
I emphazised that the bible tells us we should have no other
god´s besides the God in the Bible. (33 million god´s are de-
finitely too many..).
I boldy invited to salvation and healing, and the prayer lines
became long. The hunger for God was obvious, the old
precious ladies kept their bibles close to their hearts. Even
many youths attended, and asked for intercession. The hour
passed midnight.
Our money in India lasts at least 5-7 times more, due to
living standard and the local costpicture. Many times I got
the opportunity to bless pastors who perform deer works
out of very scarce resources.
The dresscode in many small churches on the countryside
is - barefoot. You don´t bring your shoes inside.
I had intended to be more or less fasting during my stay,
to avoid stomack issues. But it was just impossible..
Everyone wanted to invite for food, and it was very difficult
to say no to their love. I loved the indian kitchen, and I ex-
perienced none of the problems I had feared.
India is indescribeable! And in particular, so is the traffic..
I make no try to describe it, it must be experienced. But very
little of accidents actually occur.
A funny thing was that the dogs could lay and sleep right in
the worst of the mess. So - there must have been som kind of
strange order in the midst of the traffic disorder..
I slept at a hotel which was not like our hotels. The bed
clothes were not like our. And the fan was very noisy, but
necessary. Everything was set-up for a "nice" cold.
The week went fast. The children were sad on the last day.
I could actually help the four eldest girls, which now attend-
ed like our gymnasium, to get brand-new bikes; so that they
no longer had to walk many miles per day to school and back.
When we arrived Chennai town, for my return, I was struck
with some fear. I had preached a little outdoor which is not
allowed in India on a tourist visa, and there is a sense of
"control" over the country, in order to keep the christian faith
down.
Tired as I was I just wanted to come home, not to sit in any
hearing on the airport (when I arrived I had got "questions"
from airport personell), with risk missing my flight.
While this worry struck me, I looked at the car in front of our.
It said on the sign; "23 B.H." Immediately I came to think of
Psalm 23 in the bible - the very resting Shepherd psalm. And
secondly; those were my initials.
And further, on the car beside its sign only said "1917". God
knows this is my favourite translation of the scriptures which
I just can´t get rid of using. I got so calm.. and it never left.
I felt that God told me I had teached his pure, unmingled
Word during the stay, and he would not allow anything to
happen - he had a god final for me.
Björn Hellman
-----------------------------------------
During the last 18 months, Stefan Edefors at two occasions
gave a prophetic word to me on after-meetings at the church
Arken in Kungsängen. Stefan doesn´t know me and by the
gift of the spirit he delivers to many. And there was also a
long time between these two meetings.
The messages as I catched them were that I was to finance
the gospel at some level. I would not just take this, if I had
not already had it in my heart to some extent. The words
served as confirmation and encouragement, and maybe also
as a release of the actual connection.
So, I believe the described trip is an outcome of those words
and of what I have had in my heart. I know little about he
continuation, but it would surprise me if I would not be back
in India in a not too far future. During the time, I continue to
support this precious Indian ministry.
