Immaculate Conception Church, Borivili

Talk on the Armor of God at IC Church, Bombay

I gave a short talk on the Armor of God at the Immaculate Conception Church (popularly known as IC Church) in Borivili on November 14. A packed church looked a little stunned when I told them that we were in a war and we were losing!

Following the session, I had the chance to spend some time with a group of very different, yet similar minded people, all eager to grow the Kingdom of God. I can see the hand of God in all that happens and it is quite amazing to behold. More on this later.

Discipleship Program, St. Anne's Church, Bandra

St. Anne's Church, Bandra, Bombay

Another Discipleship Program followed the one held at St. Peter's. This one was held over three days (November 11-13) at the lovely St. Anne's Church, which is also located in Bandra. I had lived just a few meters away from the Church when I was a kid and had prayed here at least a few times before I turned atheist. I had never expected to return here and preach!

Discipleship Program, St. Peters Church, Bandra

St. Peter's Church, Bandra, Bombay

Altar Call

Despite having visited Bombay several times over the past couple of years and having given talks in several parishes, I had never conducted HSI's Discipleship Program in the city -- until now. The Program was held over four evenings in St. Peter's Church, Bandra, from November 7 to 10, and the response was phenomenal. The numbers kept increasing, and by the final day, the Church was packed.

An altar call at the end of the Program had nearly everybody present there come forward, despite the lateness of the hour, and I can only pray that all those who answered the call continue to walk the narrow path. I am certain that they will be mentored well, because I found the parish priest of St. Peter's - a young man named Fr. Gerard - a good shepherd, as also the leader of the prayer group - another young man called Mario.

Doha Report

A brief - and very sudden - trip to Doha, Qatar proved to be more successful than I had imagined it would be. Though there weren't too many people in attendance at the church I preached in (a little over 150 would be my estimate) I've been invited to return and conduct week long growth retreats at quarterly intervals to the entire parish, beginning January 15, 2007.

What I found very heartening to see during my visit was the fire that burned in the hearts of the people there, especially those who had helped organize this visit. When hearts burn with such intensity, it is nearly impossible not to set those nearby alight. I am going to enjoy my visits to this lovely little country.

Know God, Love God, Serve God

In a wonderful move towards achieving Christian unity in the UAE, the Good Shepherd Prayer Group in Jebel Ali had invited the main Charismatic prayer groups in the country for a day's program at Jebel Ali Church on October 23. I was one of the three speakers at the event, and though Abu Dhabi was conspicuous by its absence, the program was well attended by others. I pray that such initiatives continue because they help build up the body of Christ.

Soon after the program I headed off to Doha, Qatar to conduct HSI's Discipleship Program.

The HSI Guide to Personal Prayer

On August 31, nearly 160 people took a vow to walk the path of holiness and spend a little time each day building up a personal relationship with God in prayer. Though the intention was undoubtedly sincere, not many were able to translate it into practice. One of the biggest obstacles that most faced was how to spend that time with God. I felt that a little booklet teaching them how to spend this time would be a good idea and began putting together some of the things I had learned. The result: The HSI Guide to Personal Prayer.

I had thought it would take me two days to complete; it took me two weeks instead. But the results are satisfying. The booklet is priced at USD 1 + shipping, if required.

Praise Adonai a Superhit!

Praise Adonai indeed!

The first gospel concert in the Middle East from HSI Outreach Ministries - Praise Adonai - played out to a full house on Thursday evening in Jebel Ali. Despite horrendous traffic on the final overbridge leading up to the church that had many guests stuck for over an hour, the hall was packed and everybody who attended was delighted with the show, which had over 50 participants on stage from the Philipines, India, Sri Lanka, South America and Africa. As with concerts held previous in other countries, the testimonies continue to flow of how much folks enjoyed the concert and how it made a difference to their lives.

Here is a representational selection of pictures from the show. Click here to see more pictures of the Praise Adonai concert.

Kids4Christ

Ashley and I rock to Jambo, Jesus loves you

Lessly singing the theme song

The superb Filipino Voices Chorale

The African Community dance for God

A section of the crowd

Glen Perry wasn't expected as he was called out, but still made it!

All the performers on the stage for the final song Thank you, Lord

Praise Adonai Underway

All preparations are moving smoothly for the Praise Adonai gospel concert to be held in Jebel Ali on September 14. A poster is on display in some of the neighboring parishes, and I was happy to know that announcements will also be made. It is nice to see cooperation, rather than competition, in the Church! One priest did refuse though. He said he didn't see any reason why he needed to build up another parish.

On the Road to Holiness

A call to holiness resulted in a packed house today with over 160 people accepting God's invitation to walk the narrow path. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who attended the meeting today, and then even more delighted when, with a few exceptions, they all made a commitment to lead prayerful and holy lives. I am sure that if they just put in a small effort, God's grace will take care of the rest.

A new 26 page booklet titled "Welcome to the HSI Prayer Family" was distributed today to everybody. It will be given to all new members to the various HSI prayer families around the world, and contains a pull out booklet of hymns and a feedback form. Click here to download the hymn booklet in .pdf format.

Instructions: Set printer to print in landscape mode. Print even pages. Then turn over and print odd pages. Fold pages into half to make booklet.

HSI Newsletter #120

The 120th newsletter from HSI updating people on what's new on the HSI site went out today to nearly 40,000 subscribers. It had an article by me on Christian unity as the main feature. It is a long time since I have written anything, because I have been too busy travelling, but having decided to plant roots for a couple of months, I should find the time to write a few more articles before I take flight again.

Praise Adonai: The HSI Gospel Concert

We announced the first HSI Gospel Concert to be held in the UAE at the prayer meeting today. It was only the second meeting I was attending in two and a half months. I was happy to see a good crowd in attendance, despite many people being away on vacation.

The Gospel Concert is an activity of HSI's Outreach Ministry which uses dance, drama and music to reach out to people. Last December, we had persuaded a few of the top rock bands in Goa to come together and sing gospel music. The experience seemed to touch them, as it did those who came to watch them play, and the bands came together for four more concerts after that.

We hope to achieve something similar in the UAE with a concert to be held on September 14 in St. Francis of Assisi Church.

Inner Healing Retreat

Two brothers Fr. Franklin Lobo and Anthony Lobo have been conducting inner healing retreats for the past thirty years. Interested in setting up a similar ministry under the HSI umbrella, I did a retreat with them between July 12-17 to see what I could learn. I left with a lot more than knowledge. Not only did the retreat help me personally, Anthony accepted my invitation to lead the HSI Inner Healing Ministry, which will engage itself in conducting retreats around the world and training others in conducting them.

A girl testifies at the end of the retreat

A Violent Welcome to Bombay

One of the compartments torn apart by the blast

One hour after I reached Bombay on the final leg of my India mission, a string of seven blasts tore through first class compartments of suburban trains in the city leaving 140 people killed and 257 injured. It was another grotesque act of senseless terrorism that angered me, and I used it as part of the subject of my talk at St. Anne's Church on the 17th evening, the only talk I gave during this visit to Bombay, though I did share a few things at the inner healing retreat I attended.

Divine Retreat Center, Chennai

One of the beautifully designed retreat halls in the Divine Mercy Retreat Center,

I was taken to visit the Divine Mercy Retreat Center in Chennai the day before I left. Like the Logos Retreat Center in Bangalore it is part of the Vincentian Mission. The Director of the Center had invited me to conduct a full day retreat there, but I was unable to do so because there was a conflict in schedules. It was an invitation he renewed when I met him, however, and I promised to return .... when it was cooler!

Inside the San Thome Cathedral

I was also taken to visit the beautiful San Thome Cathedral, where again I was invited to preach a full day retreat. Built close to the seashore, the Basilica is built over the tomb of St.Thomas which contains in it's crypt a small hand bone of the Apostle and the head of a lance which is said to have been used in the attack on him. Between the 14th and 15th centuries, the church fell to ruins.

In 1522 the Portugese moved the Apostle's remains to a new tomb, and built a new church which was given the status of a cathedral in 1606. In 1893 however, this church was also demolished and the present Gothic style cathedral was built and consecrated in 1896. in 1956, this cathedral was elevated to the status of a Basilica as a fitting tribute to the martyred St. Thomas.

Missionary Break

As I approached the end of what was mostly a very hectic three week tour of South India, I found the time to engage in some more worldly pursuits ... like taking a stroll on a Chennai beach. Vendors hawking sugar cane juice, corn on the cob, and jasmine flowers made little islands (along with courting couples) amidst a sea of ten thousand people.

A young girl selling jasmine flowers at the beach

More worldly pursuits followed later as I watched Federer beat Nadal to claim his fourth Wimbledon title and, then, Italy beat France to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. I have never had much interest in watching games that I didn't play myself - it is why I enjoy discipleship so much as a disciple is something I CAN be - but I quite enjoyed both the matches. It might be another four years before I watch another game again, though.

Discipleship Program, Ainavaram

On July 8, I conducted the HSI Discipleship Program at Don Bosco Church in Ainavaram amidst a few other smaller engagements. The heat was so severe two bottles of ice cold water turned hot within an hour, but it didn't seem to faze the large crowd who attended.

Don Bosco Church, Ainavaram

A short talk at Br. Benjamin's prayer group

Chennai

After a day's rest (there were a flock of people who came for "counselling" - and one for an interview for a local magazine! - but sitting down and talking to people as opposed to standing before a few hundred people and preaching is definitely restful), my daughter and I flew down to Chennai via Bangalore.

We were received there by a friend Jessica and her father Rudy who set us up in a "guest house", a euphemism for a low cost hotel. It would have been quite comfortable were it not for the terrific heat in the city. We would have got the same thing in Mangalore too, except for the rains which cooled the place down. I told myself (and Lianne) that some mortification was good for the soul and settled in.

As the itinerary in Chennai was not as hectic as in the other two places, I got to spend some quality time with Lianne, taking in a movie (Superman Returns - the allusions to Jesus Christ were fascinating!), doing some sight seeing, meeting up with old friends, and eating traditional South Indian food!

The cave where St. Thomas (of 12 apostles fame!) hid before being martyred in 68 AD.

Swapna Abraham, a dear friend, with Lianne

A house along the road

Cone Dosa! Loaded with ghee,but absolutely sumptious!

Jesus Youth Again

I concluded my mission in Mangalore with a rather relaxed full day session with the Jesus Youth. The term is a misnomer, because a lot of the "youth" are really adults of varying ages who belonged to the Jesus Youth in their younger days. I recognized a few faces in the crowd as those I had seen in St. Agnes College and I was happy that they had enjoyed the retreat enough to want to hear more of what I had to say.

A section of the Jesus Youth

Retreat Two to College Girls

The day after I had concluded preaching a retreat to the junior college girls of St. Agnes, I commenced preaching a retreat to the senior students. Any thoughts I might have had of receiving a similar reception by the older girls was dispelled within the first hour. It was apparent that most of them didn't want to be there, and being the one on stage I was the obvious target of their hostility.

By the time the morning session was over, I was telling God I was going to retire the moment I returned to base. Rather sharply, he told me that I was having it easy; they weren't throwing stones at me like people often did. Abashed I returned to preach. By the time the retreat was over, the girls had changed and I wouldn't have been surprised if most of them would have been happy to go another day. Sufficiently humbled, I could only praise God!

Addressing the Senior College Students of St. Agnes

A section of the 18-20 year olds. The dress code is compulsary!

Discipleship Program, Mangalore

The HSI Discipleship Program (as mentioned earlier) is one of the most powerful of the HSI activities. Despite its simplicity (or perhaps, because of it!) it touches people like nothing else does and by the end of it many people are transformed beyond recognition. The same thing seemed to have happened in Milagres Church, where I conducted the Program over three days beginning on the 28th. Despite being rather low on energy reserves (the Program followed a seven hour session with the girls at St. Agnes College), it was the best program I have ever conducted, helped immensely by the wonderfully anointed music of Corrine Rasquinha's group: the White Doves.

One of the many posters put up across town

In the lovely Milagres Church, Mangalore

With Fr. Franklin D'Souza who conducted the services for all three programs

The White Doves led by Corrine

With the parish priest Fr. Walter and Fr. Franklin D'Souza

Retreat One to College Girls

I conducted a two day retreat with pre-university college girls of St. Agnes College on the 28th and 29th. They were a rather enthusiastic bunch of 17-19 year old girls, who didn't seem to have too much of trouble with my accent - they did laugh at my jokes! - and seemed quite happy to be there for the retreat. Corrine Rasquinha backed me up the music, while providing tons of other assistance, as did her husband Vitus.

Like Fritz and Diana in Bangalore, Corrine and Vitus also exhibited immense humility and the same desire to grow the Kingdom of God rather their own, as evidenced by the amount of effort they expended to make my programs happen and ensure their success.

A section of the audience

Bangalore to Mangalore

I was born in Mangalore, but when I turned away from God, I turned away from the city of my birth too. Last December, I returned after a period of eighteen years. Now, six months later, I came back again.

Corrine Rasquinha, Lianne and cat

To welcome me, were Vitus and Corrine Rasquinha, two dear friends in ministry I had met during my last visit to Mangalore. They had set up my schedule for this visit - and it was a jam packed one. They would also host me and my daughter.

Corrine runs a famous music ministry called White Doves. She also engages in evangelization through very popular street shows. Every year, around Christmas time, her team goes on the road - quite literally - putting up shows on two trucks that move from place to place across the region. The shows are very professionally put together, with meticulous care given to detail in light, sound, acting and music.

Corrine and Vitus also run a home for the aged and destitute.

One Down, Two to Go

I concluded my mission in Bangalore with a talk to the Bread of Life Prayer Group. Once again, my talk was on repentance. Once again, there was disturbance, with the entire sound system going dead on me! It began functioning a while later, but was eventually replaced with speakers belonging to the ICPE Mission. Fritz, himself, arranged it and I was really touched by the fact that he went out of his way (as he had been doing right through my trip) to make sure that I got my message across everywhere I went.

Fritz, Diana and their three children

I have met several people in ministry over the past four years and couldn't help but notice how arrogant most of them appeared to be. Fritz and Diana, however, despite the size and popularity of their ministry, were extremely humble people, and the cooperation extended to me showed as nothing else could that these were two people who weren't interested in building personal fiefdoms, but in establishing the Kingdom of God. I will never forget them or the lessons I learned from them, not so much spoken as lived.

Neither will I forget their three children. Very warm, gracious, affectionate and hospitable, they, like their parents, established a permanent place for themselves in my hearts. May God bless them always.

Logos Retreat Center

I had my first engagement at a Vincentian retreat center today. The Vincentians are an evangelical order of priests who follow the Syro-Malabar rites. Their most famous retreat center is in Muringoor, Cochin, popularly (though erroneously) known as Potta.

The director of the center attended my talk and then, in an incident reminiscent of my engagement at an Anglican Church during my trip to England, publicly invited me to return to conduct a full day program at the retreat center. I accepted, setting a tentative date for October this year.

Later in the day I gave another talk to a group of very lively youth on sin, temptation and empowerment. My sessions with youth are usually very vibrant, but this one was exceptionally so. I enjoyed the talk and from all indications, so did they.

Ascension Church, Cook Town

Today's engagement was in Ascension Church in Cook Town. As invariably happens when speaking on repentance and forgiveness there was considerable disturbance before the talks started. There were problems with the sound, then doors and windows banging, but the message did get through and to a large number of people. There were quite a few people I knew from years past, and it was good to see them again. Most had never met me since my conversion and I can only imagine what goes through their head when they see somebody like me talk!

Jesus Youth

Jesus Youth is an international Catholic youth movement with a charismatic spirituality. They had their beginnings in India, but have now spread to different countries of the world. Very enthusiastic, it is always a pleasure to talk to their members and I enjoyed the session I had with their group in Bangalore today. For more about Jesus Youth, visit their web site.

The ICPE Community

My mission in South India began with a talk to the ICPE Community in Bangalore. The ICPE Mission is a Catholic mission made up of Christians committed to the goal of world evangelisation.

The Bangalore ICPE Mission is headed by Fritz Mascarenhas and his wife Diana, who arranged most of my schedule in the city. In ministry for several years, their team comprises 30 people including married men and women who live together as a community and whose sole aim is to evangelize. I addressed them today and I found myself impressed by their receptivity to what I had to say. Fritz, himself, is a jewel of humility, and is a lesson by his very person.

The next "school" of evangelization will be held for six weeks between 2006-09-01 — 2006-10-06. For more details visit their site.

The South India Mission

My daughter Lianne, 10, and I arrive in Bangalore for the start of a three-week long mission to South India that also comprises Mangalore and Chennai (formerly Madras). Going by the itinerary - with two and even three programs on one day - this mission looks very daunting, but I am sure that God will see me through.

HSI Publishing and HSI Music

Holy Spirit Interactive celebrated the launch of two new ministries today at its regular prayer meeting, the first I was attending after my return from England.

HSI Publishing's first release is a book titled "The School of the Holy Spirit" written by yours truly. It is a revised and expanded version of my first book "Gripped by the Spirit", which was published by St. Pauls Publications in 2004. "The School of the Holy Spirit" has an additional foreword by Msgr. Francis Jamieson, Vicar General of Arabia.

A cake to celebrate the launch

HSI Music's first title is an "experimental" CD on the Psalms narrated by Alfwold Silveira, who looks after HSI's operations in India, especially its extremely popular outreach program: Praise Adonai. We hope to have at least three more books and audio CD's released before the end of this year, that will include audio versions of the Holy Bible in regional languages.

A few of the 125 who had gathered

Images of London

I'm not one for sight seeing, but as most folks back home would have thought I was daft if I didn't take in at least take a few sights seeing as how I had travelled all the way to England, I took the Underground into the city to explore it a bit. And to my surprise, I quite enjoyed myself!

Pink Cab in front of Buckingham Palace

The ubiquitious underground

A dolfin puking water at Trafalgar

Two girls looking for the location to my next preaching session

Outside the Queen's Palace

Something doesn't smell quite right - a guard at the Tower of London

The Big Eye

St. Matthew's Church, Northwood

I concluded my first mission in England with a short talk at St. Matthew's Church on May 8. It (the mission) was infintely better than I had imagined it would be, and with numerous invitations to return and conduct full day programs, it seemed like quite a few people were in agreement. February-March 2007 seems like a good time to return. I leave for Dubai on the 10th.

Preaching to the Anglicans

Though I had been greeted warmly in most of the parishes I preached at, the best reception I received was from the Anglican pastor - Fr. Jack - shepherd at St. Stephen's Church in Enfield. He was warm and hospitable and stayed for the entire talk along with the attendees. At 80, it was the largest crowd so far.

When it was over, he publicly invited me to do a full day retreat at his parish the next time, an invitation that had been extended repeatedly by various priests and group leaders over the past few days. My next visit to England will undoubtedly be even busier than it was this time!

St Thomas of Canterbury Church

Leila and Ashok were my gracious hosts for most of my stay in London. They lived in a nice apartment in Harrow-on-the-Hill. (Ashok worked as financial controller for Mittal, the owner of Mittal Steel, who was renewing his efforts to take over Arcelor, especially after the racial slurs that were hurled at him.) I gave a talk at their parish, St Thomas of Canterbury Church, today. There were seventy people in attendance, and the increasing numbers were very encouraging as it appeared that the word of mouth going around was very positive.

HSI Discipleship Program at St. Mary's, Croydon

I conducted the HSI Discipleship Program at Our Lady of Reparation Church, also called St. Mary's, in Croydon on June 6. This was the first time I was conducting the entire Program in a three hour span, and at the end of it I could only marvel at how a program that used to be conducted over seven weeks (in Jebel Ali) had kept getting condensed (4 days in Brunei, 3 days in Vancouver, 6 hours in Toronto) to the point where it was held in just three hours! I decided, however, that I would do such a compressed version only if absolutely necessary; a three evening retreat or a full day session was infinitely preferable.

St. Anne's Church, Fawley Court

Another lovely Polish Church

St. Anne's Church in Henley-on-Thames was one of the first of a whole lot of lovely churches I was to see during my mission to England. I preached on Repentance and Forgiveness to a crowd of nearly 50, and though it was a rather brutal talk, it was well received. Fr. Pietr, a Polish priest whose parish was in Central London attended the talk, and when it was over invited me to preach at his church the next time I was in the country.

Polish Church of Divine Mercy, Slough

At the Polish Church of Divine Mercy

I visited some nuns on the first day I arrived in London and they greeted me at the door with a hearty: "Welcome to our pagan country!" It wasn't a welcome that made me very comfortable, especially since I had been warned before I left for London that most citizens didn't go to church and I'd be lucky if I had twenty people to attend my talk. To my relief, however, the first place I preached at - the Polish Church of Divine Mercy in Slough - had nearly twice that number. I wasn't my best, but I figured that God delivered His message nonetheless.