Welcome to my Blog.  My name is David Peterka and I am part of the “Give A Damn?” team with Dan Parris.  I traveled to India for 7 weeks and just recently returned and wanted to share some of what happened with you! There are a total of 7 blogs I wrote in India and will post over the next couple of weeks.  It’s called “Jesus in India” because I have semi long have and a beard and the Indians all thought I looked like Jesus:] Also there were some miraculous and supernatural things that only could have been done by Christ through us. Hope you enjoy!

I've been in India for a little over a week now (3-15-09).  So far things have gone really well.  Ok here is a little background for those who don't know too much about my trip here.  I am here in a southern province of India called Andhra Pradesh in a city called Guntur .  There were 4 of us who came from my church called "church" (www.churchstl.org) : Anne, Ben, Pastor Jason and I.  Almost every night for the first week we drove sometimes up to 6 hours into different villages to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Each night there were anywhere from 500-1000 people who came to hear us preach. (Bottom Picture- before we started preaching as the crowd was gather I climbed on the roof and took this picture)  We got to preach to thousands of the 1.6 Billion people in the would who have never heard the gospel of Chirst and most of them received Christ as there savior!  Then at the end of the night we would offer prayer to anyone who wanted it and they would swarm us:]  We prayed for hundreds of people for hours each night.  Radical, I loved it!

There have been some pretty interesting things that have happened.  There has been few people who have gotten well from our prayers.  One man that I prayed for had very cloudy grey eyes and could barely walk around.  I asked him, before I prayed for him, if he believed Jesus could heal him and he said “yes”.  After I was done praying I looked into his eyes and they were beautifully brown and he had the biggest smile on his face that I will never forget.  After staring into each others eyes for a few minutes both astonished he walked away without the man who helped him to me and without having to use the cane in his hand!  Another boy was brought to me by his father who said he was deaf and dumb and could not speak. (I had a translator interpreting for me)  Again after I prayed for him he started to laugh out loud for the first time IN HIS LIFE.  His father was amazed.

So, 3 days ago Jason, Ben, and Anne went back home and I stayed here.  I'll be here for about another three weeks hanging out with a bunch of orphans and then I go to Kolkata for 2 ½ weeks to do some research on poverty and injustice.  Stay tuned:]. 

Just so you know I’m only 21 years old and have never experienced anything like this… ever.  Also, just so you know our church isn’t an obnoxious, yelling in tongues, Holy Ghost kind of church.  We just believe when you faithfully and passionately pursue the presence and purpose of Christ he shows up and dose what he is best at, miracles.

 

In Christ, David Peterka

Bono = Stop asking God to bless what you are doing.  Get involved with what God is doing because it is already blessed.

Matthew 10:7b-8 = “The Kingdom of heaven is near.  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive our demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.”