I have no words.

I mean, I can still talk, but there’s just no way to adequately express what happened today at the close of the Global Advance pastor’s conference in Ludhiana, India.  Absolutely unbelievably indescribable!

Keep in mind (as I learned after arriving here) that Northwest India is home to the largest number of unreached people groups in the world – about 2,300 identified as UPG’s.  It’s the home of several religions that keep people in bondage.  In addition, almost all of the pastors and leaders at this conference are first-generation believers, meaning they did not grow up as Christians, but came to faith in Christ after being raised in a ‘heathen’ environment.

On the first day of the Conference, Chris & I taught our ’sugar-stick’ (that’s an Arkansas term to describe our favorite subject) that we generally do in all of these type conferences: “Team Ministry”, in which we explain why God wants husbands and wives to work together as a team.  As usual, we were told by many pastors afterwards that they had never heard this truth in Scripture, and had never seen a husband-and-wife minister as we did here.  In Northwest India, as in many parts of the world, women are treated as second-class citizens, and even in church their role is relegated to caring for the children or cooking the food.

So to see then the utter transformation in the ladies at this conference over the last 2 days was nothing short of miraculous.  They hung on every word, and soaked up all the teaching of the conference with eagerness.  But after the final divided session, when the women rejoined the men for a closing ceremony, the whole front of the auditorium erupted in a spontaneous, joy-filled dance like nothing I had ever seen or experienced before.  I ony wish I’d brought a video camera to capture it for you, but here’s a couple still shots from my iPhone (these are of the women, but I assure you the men were even more exuberant, and I managed to learn a few new steps, even though white men can’t dance)me-too

Chris was right in the middle of it all!

It was one of those moments I don’t think I’ll ever forget!  Thanks to all who prayed for us and the conference – can’t wait to get back to Chicago and enjoy CLC again!