WorshipCentral

Our second day of our first conference. We played our first bit of cricket, and one of our team was mistaken for an international super star, causing mayhem wherever we go! Here, Ali Marshall leads the closing celebration...

The conference drew to an end with a real sense of excitement. We had some great times of ministry, hanging out with the pastors and praying for each other.

It was really humbling to meet several pastors from areas that are heavily persecuted. Only a few months ago one of the groups was beaten in public by an angry mob of Hindus. God performed an extra-ordinary miracle with them: they had been beaten with sticks from head to toe, so badly that every part of them was bruised, bloody and welted. Even with this beating, not one of them felt any pain during the attack or afterwards - a total miracle.

We closed the conference very encouraged by the number of pastors that have committed to starting running courses after Christmas. Each pastor represents a huge area in India, like a county in the UK. One pastor was starting 12 courses in his parish alone, and apparently they spread like wildfire in India that way.

As we left Baroda, we managed to pull off a cheeky cricket game with some kids. I got bowled by Ali Marshall for 10. Gutting.

The surprise of the day came as James TM Welsh was mistaken for the Australian Cricket captain by a bunch of locals. Apparently they look identical. Since then wherever we go screaming crowds of children follow James going 'Riiiiicky Pontiiiiiiing!!!!!!"