On February 21st (while in India) I wrote…

The village we are teaching this conference in is very beautiful. It is in a very lush, almost tropical, area where they grow bananas… field after field of bananas! There is a river that runs up the valley and feeds all the villages with water. As we drive along the road we can see all of these villagers doing their laundry, drawing their water and taking clothed baths… it is a remarkable sight.

Our drive is almost an hour long and as we drive we see wave after wave of men, women and children all dressed in yellow walking toward us. Though it should be beautiful it seems rather eerie. Sam explains to us that they are walking to their temple to worship their (demon) goddess that has required them to walk 40km to this one specific temple 3-4 times a year. As we drive (and they continue to walk) they appear as ghosts in the darkness wandering, limping… starring vacantly into the black.

Sam tells us that often as they walk they will manifest the demonic influence they are under… I’m not sure what that means but it makes the hair on my neck stand up. As he is explaining this, a scene plays itself out in my head.

I imagine the evil one walking beside them every step of the way mocking them and mocking God. He says, “Look at what I can make then do for me!”

Sneering he goes on, “Look at how pathetic these children of mine will act for me… families wandering in the dark barefoot for hours and hours on end… with broken, swollen and bloodied feet… all for me.”

“And You, You can’t even get Your ‘children’ to wake up and have a conversation with You in the morning… You and Your ‘children’ are the real pathetic ones…”

And my heart breaks…

Forgive me Father… I know that it is not by works that we receive Your favor BUT our passions flame glows so dimly compared to these “yellow wanderers”… reach these little ones I pray… give them hope in the midst of darkness and despair… give them a purpose and a life motivation that is from You… give them You. Amen.