MISSION INDIA
by Fr Ian Taylor
Part 2

January 25 to February 5^th 2001

India, that vast sub-continent of Asia.  A nation of 1 billion people, second only to China, a nation of over 900 million Hindus, millions of Muslims and animists and just about 23 million Christians or 2.3%.  Despite the efforts of great missionaries such as St Thomas, St Bartholomew and St Francis Xavier and the good works of the local church there, the majority of people still sit in darkness awaiting the dawning of a new light.

“Asia needs Jesus” declared Pope John Paul II on the occasion of his visit to India in 1999 and on the day of their greatest Hindu feast, Divali, the festival of lights.  Maintaining the Church’s right and duty to evangelize in response to the command of Jesus and the right of every human being to hear the Gospel the Holy Father exhorted the Church to foster the mission to Asia, the Gentiles, those who as yet have not had the Gospel preached to them.

Inspired by his urgent call two years later I expressed my own desire to preach in India. In August 2000, a Hindu convert prayed over Sr. Janet Chinnia and me (Fr. Ian Taylor) prophetically.  By November 11^th came an invitation by E-mail to both of us to join a small team on mission to Vasai, North of Bombay.  Dennie Donahue of California had ministered with us in Romania and his apostolate, Ends of the Earth Outreach was hosting this mission.

This was to be a pay-your-own way mission and miraculously after discernment and prayer, the Lord sent the finances to cover all expenses.  That story is told in a previous article.

Tom Harkins, a computer expert working on US rockets, would arrive from Baltimore.  The Indians called him the ‘Rocket Scientist.’  Linda Schubert, author of the Miracle Hour and her travelling companion, Miriam England of Malta, Coordinator of Magnificat for Europe joined us for the early part of the mission.

Aware of her present Hindu / Christian tensions in India we were careful not to mention missionary activity at the airport in Bombay/Mumbai.  Nevertheless, my luggage was searched.  Later a policeman detained our vehicle indefinitely an airport checkpoint obviously expecting a bribe.  We refused to comply, prayed instead and were soon enough on our way to Vasai, 1½ hours north of Mumbai.

Arriving about 4 a.m. Thursday 25^th the feast of the conversion of St Paul, we walked right into the Good Shepherd Community’s 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. vigil.  For 16 years they have faithfully kept vigil every Thursday.  This day 150 persons did spiritual warfare and we marched around and around the intended crusade ground – a real ‘Jericho March’ – claiming it for Jesus.

That same evening the community hosted a Pastor’s Unity Meeting attended by 25 Christian pastors, the bishop of Vasai, Msgr. Thomas Dabre and about 700 others.  What a sign of hope to see Pastors of the Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Independent Baptists, and other denominations worshipping and praying together with their Catholic brothers and sisters.  This was no mere tokenism, but genuine ecumenical worship, with a commitment by the pastors to meet termly at each other’s rectories.

Bishop Dabre in welcoming our US / Trinidad team said,  “The Lord has inspired those of the West Indies to be here.  We (already) know the West Indies for cricket …… but now we know (them) for (missionaries).” He went on to commend the Catholics of Vasai for promoting Christian Unity.

The population of Vasai is about 400,000 and 25% (100,000) is Christian.  Catholics hold a strong presence there.  Touching on the sensitive issue of conversion, a topic for which he had just been interviewed on television, he said, “people are asking, why?”  Then reiterating his earlier television statement he declared, “This country needs evangelisation and proclamation.”

The following morning, about 8.50 a.m., India was hit by its most devastating earthquake ever.  Four hundred miles away from the epicentre in Gujarat, we could clearly feel the earth shaking for about one minute.  We would soon learn of the massive destruction of buildings and colossal loss of lives in Bhuj, Kutch, Ahmedabad and other places in Gujarat and even in nearby Pakistan.  An estimated 25,000 perished but several thousands are still unaccounted for.

Just one hour before, I had sought the Lord for a word for the day and got Acts 4:29f.This was after the apostles had been threatened for proclaiming the name of Jesus, they gathered together in the community and appealed to the Lord in prayer to give mighty signs to confirm their ministry.  Verse 31 says, “As they prayed the place where they were gathered, ‘shook’ and  “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Another brother from the Good Shepherd Community received that same word and also “I will again shake the heavens and the earth.”  The earthquake registered a phenomenal 7.6 to 8.1 on the Richter scale.  Some commentators noted that Gujarat had been the state where the brutal persecution of Christians in recent times had begun.  The state of Orissa too, they noted, which had earlier been responsible for the murder of the Australian missionary John Staines and his two young sons, by burning, suffered a devastating cyclone shortly thereafter.  The earthquake came at a time too, when 10 million Hindus had just celebrated their ritual cleansing in the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. I noted that in October 1993 in the village of Killari, in Latuc, in the state of Maharastra, immediately after the ritual bathing of statues of the ‘god’ Ganesh, a massive earthquake hit Latuc killing thousands.

The earthquake in Gujarat state occurred on Friday 26^th January, Indian Republic Day and naturally put a major damper on celebrations.  I saw these events at Gujarat, Orissa and Latuc as a challenge to the Christian Community to help bring their Hindu brothers and sisters “from darkness to light” and from idolatry to the worship of the one true God.

That evening 10,000 turned up for our healing service!  We had in faith put down 5,000 chairs, but God doubled our expectations, perhaps too with the help of the earthquake.  What a delight to see thousands of Christians and Hindus too, Marathi speaking and English speaking people singing and worshipping the Lord.  Our preaching therefore was bilingual with the assistance of translators.

As team members proclaimed the Gospel, the people responded most enthusiastically.  The Blessed Sacrament was exposed each night of our crusade and this night, only after elevating it and processing through the crowd with it, did we begin to get breakthroughs in healing.  In particular, two persons with severe arthritis in the knees experienced tremendous release.

One lady was unable even to rise from her chair and then with prayer she did, only to collapse to the ground.  Nevertheless, we encouraged her, speaking the word of faith over and over.  Suddenly she ‘bolted’ and quickly ran to the stage mounting 7 steps with ease.  Praise God!

Personally I believe that my failure to fast that Friday may well have been responsible for retarding the move of the Spirit to do many and mightier things.  So, next morning at the mass for the intercessors, I repented publicly.

The community proved very supportive and together we vowed to pray more seriously, fasting where necessary on the actual day(s) of ministry.

Uncertain about the turnout of priests for the upcoming Monday to Friday Priests’ Retreat, after intercession, Brother Romeo Fernando, leader of the community, and all present commissioned Denny and Tony to visit all the rectories over two days to personally invite the fathers.  We concluded the day with dinner at Bageecha Restaurant for leaders and their spouses.  The great variety of spicy Indian dishes proved a true culinary delight and the fellowship, an opportunity for bonding with the Leadership before further ministry.

Sunday morning mass at the local parish in Palli was a lovely celebration of song and dialogical homiletics enjoyed by all, especially the many children in the congregation.  Fr Taylor was celebrant.  The call of Jeremiah, the first reading that Sunday seemed most appropriate for our mission.  After communion all foreign team members introduced themselves.  We had to be hustled away to the Community meeting since many were gathering for healing prayer.

The Good Shepherd Community meeting allowed us good observation of a mature Christian community.  All things were done in orderly fashion, the gifts were manifest and worship deep; then in response to a prophecy, on the need to heal relationships, the leader asked me to guide them.  As I exhorted them, people began to pair off to reconcile where that was necessary. Matthew 18:15 was being fulfilled.

Simultaneously some would come to our team members for healing prayer or prayer for finances. In one most notable case, a young woman of about 27 years approached me for healing prayer.  Her right arm was bent rigidly towards her body.  She had never been able to extend it since childhood.  Even an operation failed to help in any way.  Here was a chance to see the awesome power of our God. I had been begging the Lord long before my departure for India to demonstrate his mighty power that many might believe in Him. 

As I commanded the arm, one could perceive the young woman’s desperate appeal to be well. In my mind I imagined the arm extending itself. “In the name of Jesus” I repeated over and over and then suddenly it began to move, and move and she and her mother burst into tears as the arm loosened and extended till it was perfectly straight.  Praise the Lord!  The community erupted in joy and praise as she demonstrated her healing again and again.  Our God is an awesome God!

Tom then taught on obedience, followed by Denny similarly and Sr. Janet briefly but succintly on tithing one’s time, talent and treasure.  This led to prayers of authority to release finances and for healing.  A sense of victory permeated the community.

Monday 29 January to Thursday 1^st February we held parallel sessions: mornings for the priests of Vasai diocese and evenings for the people. To the bishop’s great but pleasant surprise 23 priests attended, showing genuine enthusiasm.  After praise and worship for 45 minutes and  testimonies by Fr. Taylor and Tom, the priests broke into groups to pray with each other for greater openness to the Holy Spirit. 

The Declaration “Dominus Iesus” was used as the basic teaching underlying the whole retreat. 

Each day we celebrated mass, usually at some family home.  At Monday Eucharist, celebrating the 6^th wedding anniversary of Rose and Vilas of the Good Shepherd Community, a lady named Junna, got instantly healed through prayer of a painful back injury.  Her husband, prepared to take her home then took her instead as her insistence, to the evening crusade.  She gave testimony before the crowd, which inspired faith for the healing service.  Our target audience was to be restricted to be the English-speaking people of Vasai, nevertheless many Marathi-speaking persons turned up and several Hindus too.  Thus Monday night our assembly was on average 2,400.  This would grow to reach 3,500 by the final night.

Linda Schubert shared her life-changing testimony and this lead to prayer for the healing of relationships.

Several people were healed of various ailments including arthritis, many headaches, and several came up to testify publicly to their healings. 

At Tuesday’s priests’ retreat Linda shared her life.  Abused by her father, fearful of men, three times married, twice divorced; her life was a mess till Jesus saved her via the preaching of a T.V. Evangelist.  Miriam too shared her life and then we broke into groups to pray with the priests for a greater openness to Jesus.  Later a 15-minute history of the beginnings of the Holy Spirit Renewal in this century was presented.  One must admire the candour of the Indian priests in clarifying their own doubts and questions.

Our meeting with Bishop Thomas Dabre immediately after, proved mutually encouraging as he prayed over us and we over him – a truly humble and focussed man with a real heart for the Lord and His Church.

At the evening crusade Miriam and Tom testified, and brother Fritz Mascarenhas, calling the crowd out of their seats to stand before the stage brought the people ‘into’ the singing.  He then preached on “Salvation.”  With impassioned zeal he described how he was a ‘good’ Catholic faithfully attending daily mass and trying to avoid mortal sin. He was 2^nd mate in the Merchant Navy, but “I was in charge of my life.”  “Sin,” he said, “is saying ‘I’ want to be in charge. That’s the prodigal son.  I was making good money but I was empty.”

Then Jesus came to his rescue and gave him real life.  One priest had told him, “You sacrificed a lot to turn to Jesus.”  He replied, “No Father, I was eating pig’s food, and now I’m eating the fatted calf.” Many, many came forward to surrender their lives to Jesus.  Ministry with the Blessed Sacrament processing down the aisles followed, with the people reaching out to Jesus, giving him their burdens and lives.  Leaders, team members and the choir were also ministered to.  It was a night of weeping and joy.  A collection was taken up for our disaster struck brothers and sisters in Gujarat.  Linda, Miriam and Fritz left the following morning for Bombay and Bangalore. 

Wednesday was the day of ‘Repentance,’ both for priests and people.  While the lay team interceded, the priests heard each other’s confessions.  A true spirit of repentance fell upon the evening crusade. As Romeo, the community leader and Fr Taylor led a thorough examination of conscience, droves and droves of penitents streamed to the stage kneeling in groups before the Blessed Sacrament in heartfelt repentance.  Some even cast their fettishes and charm bands into a box to be burnt.  That night a Muslim girl got healed of deafness. The Acts of the Apostles was being relived in Vasai.

Thursday climaxed our mission in Vasai.  In the morning 15 priests of the Diocese of Vasai got baptized in the Holy Spirit with little effort and great willingness.  The early morning vigil had been extremely well attended and                                  must have contributed to the day’s great success.

At the crusade Fr. Taylor preached on the urgent need for evangelization to our Non-Christian brothers and sisters that they might be saved.  Thousands responded eagerly and about 2,000 were baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit.  To God be the glory.  Deliverance ministry followed as Fr. Taylor was asked to take authority and break bondages and curses over the people.

Almost immediately, a woman bolted forward from the crowd falling and manifesting violently.  She was delivered, and in the crowd, as the Word went forth demons, left shrieking and bondages and curses were broken over many.

Even 1 Hindu lady, formerly demon-afflicted came forward after deliverance, with her husband and family, to renounce Hinduism and accept Jesus as their Lord. Praise His name!

The people of India are hungry for Jesus.

Friday 2^nd February was reserved for ministering to the members of the Good Shepherd Community. Nevertheless, after the crusade several discovered where we were staying and began to queue up for healing prayer.

Denny and Fr Ian Taylor kept an appointment with the bishop, thus leaving town and Sr. Janet to minister.  High on our agenda was the follow-up for the priests.  The bishop shared our concern, and we agreed to try to find sponsorship for 3 of the priests from the retreat to go to Trinidad in July / August where the International Conference / Retreat of the Fraternity of Priest shall be hosted.  This way they could return and establish their own fraternities with the goal of leading brother priests to Christ and to each other and to empower them to live their vocation fully and so empower their people in the Holy Spirit.

Bishop Dabre expressed his own priorities for the Diocese - Life in the Spirit Seminar first, then all other things after.  He thanked us for helping him in his ministry by conducting the priests’ retreat and the crusade.  He blessed us and we blessed him.  We left his presence unable to speak. What a profoundly anointed morning.

We returned to assist with ministry to the Community members.  Even they who are Christians had been under the oppression of false ‘gods’ and ancestral territorial spirits.  What a joy to see them freed.  Later that evening, we celebrated Mass at Romeo’s home with all his family present and broke family ancestral curses.

As had become the norm, ministry was approaching midnight by the time we were into our final appointment.  Here we met a true seeker.  Ajit is a Hindu married to a Catholic in the ‘Community’ who was deeply moved by the preaching on Jesus and was determined to have us over for dinner at his home.  While we ate sumptuously, he simply sat shooting questions about Jesus.  At the end he gave his life over to him vowing to study the Scriptures more to further encounter his new Lord.

Saturday we paid a visit to the Koliwada fishing village where a great transformation has occurred.  Formerly the Catholics of Koliwada were engaged in dualistic worship with Hinduism.  Then in 1995 two crusades were held, the first for men.  Some 400 men turned out and got baptized in the Holy Spirit.  The people abandoned their pagan practices and superstitions.  The real test came at the time designated to seeking the blessing of the ‘gods’ for good fishing catches.  That year they renounced such practices and their catch was the largest ever.  Amen!

These fisher folk then took us for a boat ride into the Arabian Sea.  A ‘creek’ separates Koliwada from Bombay, which can be seen in the distance.  From the boat I began to claim Bombay for Jesus.  Bombay is the commercial capital of India.  I envisage mass evangelistic crusades there in the future, supported by a great intercessory movement.  Bombay too needs Jesus. Amen!

Our final community meeting with the Good Shepherd members proved a most joyful occasion with some bearing testimony to their own healings.

Tom Harkins felt moved to wash the feet of one Indian brother and to repent for being a ‘Jonah.’  He further commended those who had served us most faithfully and identified Good Shepherd as God’s army in Vasai. 

Denny and Janet asked for ‘adoption’ in the hearts and prayers of the Vasai Community.  Fr. Ian expressed gratitude and then extolled the need to do spiritual warfare against the Ancestral gods still holding the non-Christians and even some Christian people of Vasai in bondage.  “Free the non-Christians spiritually, then they’ll come in droves to be evangelized,” he exhorted.  He gave a final warning based on Acts 20:17. What a bond between us and the loving people of Vasai!

Sunday was our last day as a team in Vasai.  After celebrating Mass in English at the Cathedral, thanks to Fr. Tony, it was off to the Youth Rally.  Youth are the future of a nation and here we saw them in action, praying, singing and acting.  Two well-performed pantomimes forcefully brought home the messages:

(i) Jesus can give you a new heart, even when yours is badly broken;  (ii) Don’t touch sin, it will enslave and sadden you.  All of our team shared, then we ministered to every single one of the hundreds gathered there.  Youths too need the touch of Jesus.

Many hugs, photos and farewells later, we bade farewell to our hosts the Tavares families.  One family even knelt to receive my priestly blessing.  What reverence! Elias and Helen and their children attended to our meals and clothes and both families helped Sr. Janet with the beautiful Saris and Salwaahs, which she graciously wore among her Indian sisters.  Bless them.

That night we were in Bombay where Tom and Denny departed for the U.S.  Romeo remained with Sr. Janet and Fr. Ian and next day took them to visit one of Bombay’s foremost intercessors, Bob Misst.  And then, we met briefly with one of the patriarchs of Renewal in Indian, Fr. Fio Mascarenhas, before our lengthy journey home.

Of India, I can only say as Jesus did, “Look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest” (Jn. 4:35).  To God be the Glory!  Amen!

FR. IAN TAYLOR

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