On Friday 2nd December we visited Regiwala, just 3 kilometres from the Indian border, where lies a small Christian community. Due to Mehwish being unavailable,
we were able to garner the services of another translator, Ujala Hans, whose help proved invaluable. We were slightly late due to difficulties in directions,
but the community at Regiwala were ready and waiting to give us a warm welcome. The worship was led unusually by a male choir, when often it is the
women that lead the singing from previous experience.
as these leads to the formation of cults, segregating Christian communities fomenting competition and self gratification. I ended with saying that
all was theirs in Christ, and this they enjoyed, in fact it seemed that the message was agreeable to them, but that was in no way due to Ujala’s translation
which was exceptional. In fact expository preaching is working here, and I praise God, because many of these don’t have bibles and are illiterate,
so the best way to preach is I believe to exposit the text, being led by the Holy Spirit.
session well, showing a great aptitude with the children, despite it being her first meeting as a BPCA officer. The community were very happy and all
in all it was a very successful meeting, it’s great to see the work of God here and a privilege to be a part of it. We shared food with the Pastor’s
family and the rest of the community, before departing in high spirits back to Lahore.
Last Monday on the 28th November, we visited Hakawala, a former hill station, now a rural farming community based near the Indian border. Due to difficulties
in travelling, we arrived somewhat late and it was near dark. The community were hugely excited, greeting us enthusiastically with flower garlands
and songs.
The message was from 1 Corinthians 3, on how “all is yours in Christ”, the emphasis being on unity, working together instead of assigning ourselves
to charismatic pastors, thus leading to the formation of cults. The message was meant to convey a sense of teamwork, where our foundation is meant
to be Christ, where as the master builder and head gardener, it is he who gives the increase.
The message I’m not sure got through, due to over excitement on the part of the congregation, of which some elements were constantly chatting throughout.
This is no part due to the lack of pastoral visits in the past, which I think has led them to become more isolated. In order to bring greater understanding,
we will have to return with more basic teaching.
We gave gifts out to children, whilst asking them questions, though this turned somewhat into a scrum. But Mehwish and Sara Jalal our guest helper
handled the situation well and we left on good terms. Going forward, we shall return with a more formulated plan on how to teach these village people
the doctrines of grace.
Blessings in Christ
Brother Leighton