TSM Home | Articles | Letters | Miracles | Missions | Online Store | Contact Us | Donate   Children receiving Christ in a village south of Hyderabad. India, 2005: A Fishing Trip to Remember Dear Friend, I can remember, as a young boy growing up in southern Illinois, my father would often take me fishing. We would go out to a small lake or pond after he returned home from work and fish until the sun went down and it was too dark to see. The fishing was not the greatest in those days. We would usually catch just a few bluegills or sunfish, normally not enough for even a meal, but I think my father just enjoyed being outdoors, swatting mosquitoes and getting his line wet in the water. I remember one night in particular, my dad caught a fish that was so small, he just decided to use it as bait. He put on a larger hook and put the small bluegill on it and tossed the line in the water. He just sat by the shoreline, smoking his cigar, and listened to the birds. I don't think he really expected to catch anything. All of a sudden, however, something took the bait and soon he was reeling in a really big black bass. I can remember we talked about that bass for weeks. In fact, I guess I'm still talking about it. It was such an unusually great catch from a muddy lake in southern Illinois. Later on in my teenage years, we would go to Minnesota to do some real fishing. My interests were not always on the fishing at that time, but I remember, mom and dad would come back from a morning of fishing with a stringer of northerns or walleyes, and there was plenty to eat for lunch. The fishing was good in Minnesota. It was a bit of sacrifice, driving all that way, sleeping on a hard bed in an unfamiliar place, but the thrill of pulling in a big one, and the smell of fresh fried fish made it all worthwhile. A fishing trip worth remembering When I was in India in December, I thought back to those days, because I believe they are analogous to us in the body of Christ. Jesus said, "Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." (Mark 1:17, KJV). We labor and labor, sometimes catching little. When someone finally finds Christ as Savior through our efforts, we are so excited, we talk about it for weeks, rejoicing in our "catch" for the Lord. But there are places on earth where the fishing is great. The fish are ready to almost jump in the boat. We may be discouraged in our fishing efforts, but the Lord says, "Cast out your net on the right side" and we bring in a tremendous boat load of fish. India is such a place. The harvest is ripe. . . but the laborers are few. There are millions just waiting to hear some Good News, wanting someone to give them hope, to tell them the message about a Savior who came to die, that they might live. As a nation bound in the mire of idolatry, witchcraft and religious confusion, it seems so often all that is needed is someone to come and set the record straight, to tell them about a God who loves them and wants to reconcile them to Himself. Our endeavors in such a place are well worth the effort. The catch is tremendous for the Kingdom of God. On our mission to India, I had the blessed privilege of praying with approximately 250 people for salvation in cities and villages in the State of Andhra Pradesh, Southern India. Many were Hindus. Many had never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. It was evident that real change took place in the hearts of the people. Worshipers of idols became worshipers of God. Young people embraced the power of God and were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Many were healed and others were delivered from demonic powers during the two-week trip. One woman experienced a dramatic change. I preached to a small group of people on a Sunday morning at a church meeting on the roof of a house in the city of Kurnool. A small group gathered, and I preached a message to encourage the Christians. However, at least three non-believers, who were Hindus, attended the meeting as well. A young woman was there with a particularly sad, hopeless look on her face. The Word preached, at first, seemed to have little effect. After the service, however, we began to pray for people, and a number of Hindus from the neighborhood came to the rooftop for prayer for various sicknesses and problems. While I was praying for these people, this woman began talking to a couple of the pastors who were there. Demonic powers began to manifest themselves in her, and the pastors cast out an evil spirit. Because of what God was beginning to do in this city, we decided to stay and minister at the housetop church again that evening. Many of the neighbors, mostly Hindus, came to the meeting. I preached the simple Gospel and 11 people, including the above-mentioned woman, responded to the altar call that night. What a glorious transformation occurred in her life. It was awesome. After the meeting, her husband came to thank us for ministering to his wife and helping her to get free of the torment she had been under. Oh, what a glorious Savior we serve. Day after day, they kept coming to Christ. Night after night, day after day, everywhere we went, we saw people coming to Christ. I preached in open air meetings, at a baptism service, to Bible School students, in churches and even in my hotel room. Everywhere I went, people were hungry to hear about Jesus. In each evangelistic service, I was led to preach first on the one true and living God, and then the supremacy of the Bible ("This is the greatest book in all the world, because it is God's book.") After this, then I preached the simple Gospel, emphasizing man's need for reconciliation to God, and God's plan for forgiveness through the cross. I told the people to forsake all idols, and cling only to the Living God through Jesus Christ. One day, three Moslem teenagers came to ask for prayer as we were teaching the Bible School students, and I was able to lead them in a prayer receiving Christ. One of our drivers even got saved. The Gospel went forth and produced a great catch. In one village, the spirit of revival seemed to take over. We were scheduled for preach for just one night, but after the first meeting, it seemed we had just begun to do God's work, so we stayed another night. The young people became so excited. Many that had been previously in the church, were reignited for the Lord. Others, with tears, bowed before Him for the first time. Children, instead of attending school, came to the Bible School to be taught the Word of God, sitting for hours under the teaching and fervently worshiping. I taught them on allowing God to shape and mold them for Himself, finding His purpose for their lives. I taught them on the blessings of giving and they made a commitment to bring their tithes to the Lord. I taught them on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and almost the entire group received the infilling of the Holy Spirit and supernaturally spoke in other languages as the Spirit inspired them. When I preached on the subject "The Goodness of God," the Bible School students and the young people from the community began to jump and dance before the Lord. I wish you could have been there to see the joy on their precious faces. There was opposition from the enemy on this trip, but with the help of the prayers of God's people, the will of God prevailed. One night, during an open air crusade, the electricity went out. We lost our lights and the sound system. However, God's grace seemed to just kick in and I continued preaching the glorious Gospel of Christ. About 30 people came to Christ that night and 15-20 testified of receiving healings in their physical bodies. God's power was not short circuited. The Christians in this largely Hindu nation face great opposition. One young man I met was disowned by His father for becoming a Christian. One pastor had been excommunicated from a village for preaching Christ. However, he went to the next village and started a work for the Lord. It was there we attended the baptismal service. After I preached the Gospel and taught on water baptism, the entire church marched through this Hindu village to a nearby lake, singing to the Lord. I heard many other stories of persecution and opposition, but ultimately, to God be the glory, there was victory for the people of God. The Value of Missions Work If anyone could doubt the value of foreign missions, they should have been with me one night after one of our services. A Baptist man came from another village, late for the meeting, wanting to meet the "American missionary." He asked for my prayers and after I prayed for him, he said to the pastor I was working with: "When I was a boy in the village, the American missionary came and preached the Gospel and I received the Lord. Now an American missionary has once again come and prayed for me." As the man was leaving, I shook his hand. Our language was incompatible, but the tears welling up in his eyes spoke volumes. They were saying "Thank you!" not just to me. . . but "Thank you!" to all who have given and sacrificed through the years to bring the Gospel to those who have never heard. The villages of India today are filled with many still who have never heard, and do not know, but you and I have had the opportunity to make a difference in many lives. India was a new and unique experience for me. It is a strange land-the food, the culture, the environment. The streets are full-not only of cars, trucks, busses, and taxis, continually beeping their horns at one another, but also ox carts, pigs, and herds of goats, sheep, cows, water buffaloes, monkeys and many, many people. The black top roads are even used as a makeshift threshing floor for rice, farmers using the traffic to their advantage to separate the grain from the chaff. It's not like anything you've ever seen in America. Sometimes your flesh just wants to run home to something familiar, but all the time your spirit is jumping up and down for the wonderful harvest and the glorious experience of seeing many lives changed for the glory of God.I India confirmed my call to evangelism. It made me realize even more that the need is great, that the harvest is ripe, and that laborers are desperately needed in God's harvest fields. Each of us have a part to fulfill in the Great Commission. We each preach, first of all, by the life that we lead, among family, friends, and co-workers. We all have an opportunity to make a difference in this world.. Don't lose heart in this hour. I know that there is opposition, but I encourage you, dig deeper and find the courage to be a world-changer in these final hours before the Lord Jesus returns to the earth. This trip (in fact, this entire ministry) would not be possible without friends and partners who have stood with us with their prayers and financial support. As we look forward to 2006 and beyond, there are many challenges and opportunities. As we launch out into new territory, there are many financial needs. Whenever you make an investment in this ministry, you are helping to proclaim the only message that brings the sure hope of eternal life-the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are excited to have you as a partner in this Great Cause and trust that God will bless you as you put His #1 priority first. Pray for us as we continue this vital work. Still fishing, Tom Shanklin Check out the India 2005 Photo Gallery. PS. Our host for this trip was Dr. Ileeni Benjamin of Calvary Commission India, Hyderabad, Southern India. Check out their website. They are doing a great job raising up leaders and establlishing churches in the villages of Andhra Pradesh, where there is a great need for the Gospel. Check out their website and pray for this valuable ministry.   TSM Home | Articles | Letters | Miracles | Missions | Online Store | Contact Us | Donate