Incredible encounters in Cape Town

Phil Jenkins | 21:35, Wednesday, 20 October 2010

Imagine my surprise when I asked them where they were from and they said from North East India.

Imagine their surprise when I told them I was born in North East India!  "Where?" they asked, "In Mizoram," I replied.
"Are you from Wales?" they asked.  "Yes," I said, "from Cardiff.”
"So were your parents missionaries in Mizoram?"
" Yes," I said.
They were from the same area, from a people group from the Naga Hills who only three generations ago were notorious headhunters.  Their community has been transformed by the power of the gospel and, although Welsh missionaries didn't do everything right in India, these sisters had no doubt that they were glad the missionaries had come.

The surprises kept coming.  The first session of the Congress was called “Welcome to the Table” when we were introduced to our six-person group around tables in the main auditorium. And who was sitting at my table but Atola from northeast India whom I’d met on the plane.    4,500 delegates and we were put together on a table of six!

So with Joseph D'souza last Sunday and Atola this Sunday I wonder whether God is trying to say something to us about India!  (Just a thought!)

The table concept is something new for Lausanne. It's an effort to provide meaningful communities within the mass of people with whom we can relate on a daily basis. We meet together as a table group all morning for the plenary sessions and feedback is channeled through Rafal, our table leader from Poland.  Then there's Cyril from Ghana, Ian from Singapore, Atola from India and me from Wales.

There's an empty place on our table - a reminder that in many parts of the world it isn't easy to follow Jesus. A sizeable contingent from China was not allowed to leave their country. Pray for them and for us that we might hear God's voice and grasp the privilege of thinking and planning together as God's global church for the unfinished task of mission.