Ministry of the Word in Leh Ladakh

With no contact and no idea about this city except that we were burdened by the Lord to visit this city, I personally kept the matter aloof yet in prayer for over three weeks, though my fellow co-working brothers have brought the matter for fellowship again and again. My simple response was, "we'll pray and plan." 

This uncertainty brought me to pray and pray, at times in fasting, and struggled with the Lord much in prayer. I even mentioned the burden to my wife and even prayed in our family prayer. Then a little light dawned, and I became clear of the day I should consider to start the journey, keeping in view the places and time duration of the entire trip. 

Even when the date for setting off became clear I still had no contact at all. Though I even tried through various channels to get contact nothing came to fruition until we, a brother and I, prayed together, then by faith decided to go ahead and booked our flight ticket. The night before we actually left for Leh, a brother from Leh was introduced to me and he made arrangements for us in Leh. Just in time... Praise the Lord! 

At 11,500ft above sea level, we landed in a guest house owned by the relative of a brother who became our key contact. He came to fellowship with us in the hotel where I introduced the ministry literature to him. He then became friendly and our brotherly fellowship began from then on. 

Due to high altitude we were advised to rest as our body needed adaptation to the environment to avoid any unprecedented health situation; we took good rest. Breathlessness due to low oxygen was bypassed after few hours of bed rest. 

Later, in the afternoon, we had a meeting with the Principal and Christian staff of a mission school, where I released my burden on the all-inclusive Christ. All the staff were very impressed and many of them purchased the ministry books and the New Testament Recovery Version. And in the evening we had time of fellowship with the pastor of the only church in the city, the Moravian Church, established in 1885 by the Moravian missionaries. We fellowshipped at length on various points of truth of the Bible; on truth, life practices, and church related matters too.

The next day, our local brother took us to various tourist spots and drove us around the city, and took us to his house for a lovefeast lunch. And in the afternoon, a meeting was arranged at the meeting hall of the church. 

The Lord's speaking was on "the Christian life" with various supporting verses in the Bible. As I ministered with scriptural verses on being born-anew and growth in Christian life, the believers received with much hunger and thirst for the Word. Three of them kept recording all that I ministered on their smartphones. I was not distracted but exercised my spirit to minister the word as the Lord led me. After the meeting, some came to testify of the blessing they received through the ministry of the word. One sister especially expressed her thankfulness in the Lord’s arrangement and enquired our next plan. When I told her that we would be heading for Srinagar and that we had no contact there, she gave her number and her relative's number. She even enquired if she could invite me for their next year summer conference as she is the president of the women society of the church there. The will of the Lord be done. 

Our meeting before we left the city was the climax of the visit to this Buddhist dominated city of Leh. Deep within, I have the faith that the Lord has sown the seed of the kingdom into this city, and one day we will see the Lord's testimony in Leh Ladakh. 

Lord, bless the seekers and saints of this city and gain Your testimony!