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| Adrian Baillie-Stewart, Cape Town, South Africa |  |
| Lyosha Nazarenko, Kiev, Ukraine |  |
| Jason Powers, Denver, Colorado, USA |  |
Ministry is a word filled with so much meaning, and it can be expressed in many different ways. For a team of Christian photographers from PhotoMission, ministry unfolded as we first yielded to God's plan and purpose for our lives - and then obeyed and went to northeast India late in 2004.
Ghani Zaman, Ian Homer and I began planning the trip in 2003, initially believing it would be a good cross-cultural experience for PhotoMission's members. God, meanwhile, began to show us His plan was to create a missions team. He added three members to our group who were each relatively new in their walk with the Lord and eager to serve Him. Even though we live in five countries and half the group had not met the other photographers in person until we traveled together, God continually affirmed He was with us. And by the time the six of us returned home on December 8, 2004, we recognized God had changed, refined and used us over seventeen memorable days.
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| 2004 India Missions Team God showed us how to walk with Him, step-by-step. |
Once we arrived in India, God took us to where our brothers and sisters in Christ needed spiritual encouragement.
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| Christian Workers, Phillip and Margaret Ho. |
We traveled where scenic beauty covered the jagged rock just below the surface, and 5,000 stone steps brought us to remote villages. Part of our mission included taking photographs for the purpose of tourism, leading to a strengthening of the local economy. As we trekked, God frequently cleared the path for us to share the claims of Christ. Sometimes, this happened as we arrived at a villager's home to enjoy a meal - unsuspecting of all God had in store for us in terms of sharing His love. Having been brought together by God from the far corners of the earth (South Africa, Ukraine, United Kingdom, India and the United States), the PhotoMission missions team traveled in His strength.
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| "Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance..." - 2 Corinthians 6:4. |
Bridges made of tree roots. |
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| As God prepared her heart to learn about Him, Audrey trekked with us. | "Therefore he is able to save completely..." - Hebrews 7:25. |
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| "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you." - Luke 10:8. | "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." - Galatians 5:6. |
When language was a barrier to communication, God erased the cultural differences as team members engaged the people in other ways. We always had a translator nearby, however, whenever one was needed to speak of God and His magnificent ways. |
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| Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me..." - Matthew 19:14. |
One day, we saw men preserve an ancestral tradition - a fishing event that had not been held in their village for fifteen years. It was something we imagined few other outsiders had had the privilege to witness as it continued through the night and into the dawn of a new day.
 
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After the fishing event, we learned these same men were members of the village council; and they asked us to lead a worship service for the two congregations in their village. Using passages found in God's Word, we spoke on the theme of unity - which was especially relevant as it had been fifteen years since both churches had worshipped together. On that November Sunday, we praised God and gave thanks to him on an open parcel of land surrounded by our brothers and sisters in Christ who sat in plastic chairs or stood on balconies supported by bamboo poles. We recognized that if God had brought us to only this one village on this one day, all the prayer and planning that had gone into the trip would have been worth it. Our collective worship was like a microcosm of what will take place in heaven when every knee bows to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
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| A panoramic view of the congregation on Sunday, November 28th, 2004. |
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| "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together." - Psalm 34:3. |
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| Jason taught from God's Word. The truth of Ephesians 4:12 was known: "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..." |
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| "I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples." - Psalm 57:9. |
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Pastor Lululemba Allem and Connie after the worship service. "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." - I Thessalonians 5:11. |
As November gave way to December, we arrived at a Christian school. Here, we reached out to young, quiet students, spoke to them about obeying the Lord and presented a skit. We further enjoyed the hospitality of area Christians who invited us to their homes for fellowship and dinner.
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| Adrian played the 'fool' as the missions team participated in a school assembly. | |
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| Father George Hess joined the team at the school. He told the students how God has used him as His servant in India for 52 years. |
Ghani responds to the students' questions. |
There are many things God did on this missions trip that will remain unknown to us, the lives that have been changed - people and events that are now miraculously connected to one another. The members of the team are connected. Contacts have been established, and many questions we have for God may or may not receive answers in the days ahead. However, we pray that at least for some of our questions His answers will be forthcoming. For example, what will God next ask of us?
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| "You have made known to me the path of life..." - Psalm 16:11. |
We close with a photo taken from our time of worship in December. It was a service held indoors, unlike the one held in the village the Sunday before. Yet at each service God was glorified; and at each one, He revealed the truth of Galatians 3:26-29:
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then are you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
We remain committed to His Call.
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| Pastor Shan Kikon is standing fourth from the left; Praise & Worship Leader, Meren Kips, is fifth from the left. Other believers include the remaining members of the music ministry team at this inter-tribal church and the six members of the India Missions Team. |
The author gratefully acknowledges the photographic support of the 2004 India Missions Team in completing the writing of this story. If you would like to learn more about the photographers whose work is featured, please write to connie@photomission.com.