Woman at the Well

This is my second mission trip to India. One of the most outstanding observations of my first visit was the similarity between being converted to Christianity in Hindu India and being converted to Christianity in Israel in the Book of Acts. 

Being a baptized Christian in Hindu India often carries with it the same possibilities of rejection and persecution as becoming a follower of The Way did in the book of Acts.

The Bible in many respects comes alive in a literal way that is not experienced in 21^st century USA: baptism, spiritual warfare, idol worship, intercessory prayer, and childlike faith become literal realities rather than hypothetical sermon topics. 

Our experience at Sriranga Patnam Saturday night again brought to us the literal correlation between physical and spiritual. On the way to the evening service on a narrow street (paved path) in Sriranga Patnam, Pastor John Ruotsala told us he was going to speak on “the blind man and Jesus.” Pastor Ansten Tretten had told us before an earlier service that he was going to speak on “blind Bartimaeus” and had spoken from another text so we fully expected John to use his chosen text. As John was looking at the people gathered he began to feel he should speak from another text so he asked Leona Matson, “What should I speak about?” She immediately replied, “the woman at the well.”

Pastor John did speak from John 4 about the women at the well and the Living Water. The Word was opened and spoken in power and spirit. Our hosts generally provide us with bottled drinking water during the services and the timing of them bringing us water was perfect. Just as John spoke of the natural water that only quenches our thirst for a moment, our Indian hosts handled us bottled water without understanding a word of English.

When the service was over, we prayed with and for the local Hindus and those who have converted to Christianity. As we prepared to leave, we discovered that we had been sitting directly in front of the local community well! Our entire service had taken place immediately in front of that community hand pump well and not a single one of us had noticed until the worship service was complete.

We can only marvel at God’s perfect ways.

God’s Peace!

Sam Seppala