Newsletter #156

The 156th newsletter listing major updates to the Holy Spirit Interactive (HSI) website went out to over 60,000 subscribers today. The main feature is an article on the Gregorian chant by Arlene Oost-Zinner and Jeffrey Tucker, who are, respectively, president and director of the St. Cecilia Schola Cantorum in Auburn.

I discovered the Gregorian chant during a retreat I made early last year with a group of Benedictine monks in the South of England. Though I didn't understand a word of what anybody was singing, it was the most amazing music I had ever heard, and in a Church setting, which was where I heard it, the music just made me wanna go down on my knees.

Click here to hear a few samples. Known as the O Antiphons, they cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17 to Dec. 23. These particular chants were sung by the Dominican student brothers at Blackfriars in Oxford during Christmas last year.

The HSI Prayer Family on Yahoo

In September 2006, I had started a forum on Yahoo (hsifamily) with the idea that all the members of the HSI Global Intercessory Prayer Family share their thoughts, ideas, opinions and feelings with one other. We have people from just about every nation on this planet repesented in our prayer family (no kidding!) and I believed that the cross-pollination of cultures would make for some interesting discussions. However, with the exception of three or four people, there was nobody contributing anything whatsoever to the group. Part of the fault for this was undoubtedly mine; a group such as this requires steering, and I had not been able to provide it because of other duties. Though tempted to give up on this, I believe that this forum can be a powerful way to encourage growth (and, consequently, evangelization), so I decided I would give it one more try and write something new every day. Fans of my writing (are there any?) are welcome to visit - and even join the group on Yahoo (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hsifamily/)

Discipleship Program, Ghala, Oman

Holy Spirit Church, Ghala, Oman

I had put a halt to all travels from July to December so that I could spend my time building the HSI Community, but a mission to Oman had been fixed way back in January. Out of the mission circuit for three months, I was a little anxious about getting back in front of people, but I needn't have worried; the Spirit was with me as He always is and by the end of the 4 day Program (Oct 4-7), He seemed to be with everybody else who attended as well. The Program concluded with one of the most powerful anointing sessions I have witnessed and even the parish priest admitted to feeling the hair on his head standing. Wonderful this, seeing as how the dear man doesn't have hair on his head!

The parish priest was Fr. John Fernandaz. He was the instrument who guided me in the days following my conversion, and although I hadn't met him since his transfer to Oman a couple of years ago, he remained close to my heart. It was good to see him again and minister to the parishioners under his care. My wife, Glenda, joined me on this mission - the first time she was doing so - in preparation, perhaps, for joining me permanently some time in the near future.

Back to Blogging

I realize, as I make this entry, that the last posting was exactly two months ago. This is a pity as there has been a lot happening with the ministry, and when time allows, I will make the relevant postings, but for now a brief summary will do. Most of the activity has revolved around the HSI Community, which has been more successful than I had imagined. It has grown to nearly 50 people, who in turn, have grown tremendously. Not only have they registered noticeable growth spiritually, they have begun witnessing powerfully to others. I am well pleased.

Also during this time, we had two preachers - Lalith Pereira from Sri Lanka, and Anthony Lobo from India - minister to the local HSI family. The HSI family in Sharjah celebrated its first birthday. The HSI Audio ministry burned its first audio CD - a 15 minute Christmas program for an Australian radio channel. The professionalism of the venture has encouraged us to produce a complete music CD for Christmas and to start producing videos as well. The 150th HSI newsletter went out to nearly 60,000 subscribers. And I started learning to play the guitar! :)

Fr. Rufus Pereira and HSI

Fr. Rufus with the newly formed HSI Community

We were blessed to have Fr. Rufus Pereira with us over the weekend. He preached to our Dubai Prayer Family on Thursday, then spent the following morning with the newly formed HSI Community, and a greater part of the next day counselling our family members. A regular contributor to the HSI web site, Fr. Rufus is the president of the International Association of Exorcists; the editor of 'Charisindia', a Charismatic monthly; director of the National Charismatic Bible College; and a visiting post-graduate Scripture professor at the Pontifical Theological Institute. Fr. Rufus was very happy with the work that HSI was doing and promised to be a more active part of it in the near future.

The First HSI Community

We launched the first HSI community today, a religious organization for lay people wanting to devote their lives to God and grow His Kingdom. I had not expected too many peopleto join as it would involve immense commitment, but was pleasantly surprised when over three dozen people showed a willingness and desire to do so. I have little doubt that there will be drop-outs as the going gets tougher, but then I have equally little doubt, that their places will be taken by others because God is really stirring up the hearts of His people.

This is Aneel Aranha on Big 92.7 FM

Welcome to Spiritual Sunrise on Big 92.7 FM

"This is Aneel Aranha of Holy Spirit Interactive inviting you to Spiritual Sunrise on Big 92.7 FM!" :) I recorded that little sound byte this morning for a new radio show on one of India's top radio stations. HSI has a two hour breakfast slot every Sunday. It debuts tomorrow. The anchor for the show is the versatile Alfwold Silveira, who looks after the ministry's interests in India, specifically Goa. He has been responsible for putting together the Praise Adonai shows in India as well as organizing other outreach programs and has been a tremendous asset to HSI. This is yet another beginning of another great thing!

The Mission Continues

Our Lady of Perpetual Succor, Chembur

The Pentecost Rally in Vakola was followed by invitations to minister to four of the neighboring communities: Chembur (May 28), Kurla (May 29), Pestom Sagar (May 30) and Kalina (May 31). I counselled people in the morning (a total exceeding 100 over four mornings!) and preached to various Church groups in the evening. My hosts during the first half of the mission were an old school friend named Joseph John and his wife Jacqueline, and during the latter half, three very sweet and hospitable nuns in a convent. Yet another new bed!

I ended the mission in Bombay with talks to zonal leaders about the School of Discipleship and how to implement it. As this is being used as a test for the rest of Bombay, I pray that the Holy Spirit makes it a great success. To help the Holy Spirit do this is a lady of extreme devotion and commitment - Leela Moraes - who was also instrumental in making this entire mission in Bombay possible ... and successful. My heartfelt gratitude to her and her teams.

A Celebration of Two Births: The Church and Me!

Pentecost Rally: May 27, Vakola, Bombay

I felt really blessed to have my birthday fall this year on the feast of Pentecost and I knew it would be an amazing day. It was. Over 1,500 people spilled out of the Church and the moment I went to the altar, I felt the anointing sweep over me. The words flew effortlessly. I ended by recapping the things that I had spoken about the previous three days and by the time I was done, everybody was prepared for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He didn't disappoint and I believe that what took place in that Church today was another pointer towards the Great Revival of the Church which is going to begin shortly.

As for my birthday, I cut four cakes through the course of the day. Various church groups, including the youth group that I had spoken privately to the previous day, brought them in and I felt touched by the love in the hearts of the people for me. I missed my family, though, and determined that I would be with them the next time around.

Discipleship Program, Vakola

St. Anthony's Church, Vakola (May 24-26)

A three day Discipleship Program in Vakola (May 24-26) was a prelude to a zonal Pentecost Rally comprising seven neighboring parishes. Though I had a rough start with the sound system playing up (nothing new here!), the Program had a great ending (nothing new here either!), and over 1,000 people registered for the School of Discipleship at its conclusion. This School will be a little more intensive than the others before it, with people mentored even in-between modules. I will be presenting a full plan for the School to Zonal leaders shortly.

Blessings from Church Elders

I was immensely privileged to receive blessings from three Church elders on the morning of May 24th, meeting Cardinal Simon Pimenta, Archbishop Oswald Gracias and Bishop Agnelo Gracias. I had gone to meet Archbishop Oswald to pay my respects and brief him on what I was doing in the city and was introduced to the others as well. I was happy that they all knew me and the Holy Spirit Interactive ministry even before being introduced. Archbishop Oswald gave his permission to start the School of Discipleship in Bombay.

Talk to the Jesus Youth, UAE

In a sign that more walls were crumbling (well, okay, shaking!) I was invited to speak to the Jesus Youth (UAE) leaders today. The Jesus Youth is one of the largest Christian organizations in the world, but predominantly Keralite. Despite their name most of the members are in their late 20s/early 30s, having belonged to the Jesus Youth in their younger days and having just stuck on. I had spoken to their communities during my visits to Mangalore and Bangalore and had found them a vibrant lot. This one, too, was very energetic and I enjoyed my time with them.

Talk to the African Community, Dubai

Last year we had started a chain fast for Christian unity and a week into the fast, I received an invitation to preach to the African Community in Dubai. This year, we started a similar fast, and once again, 7 days into the fast, I received another invitation to preach to the same community. Believing this to be a sign from God, I ended an extremely anointed talk on May 14 with a brief exhortation to all present to take a few steps to lower the barriers that separated us, suggesting that we could join one another for prayer. Several young men came up after the session was over saying they would like to join the HSI family in their prayer/fellowship gathering the coming week and I could only whisper a silent thank-you to God for their openness to his call.

Fritz and Diana Mascarenhas

Fritz Mascarenhas

World renowned evangelists Fritz and Diana Mascarenhas ministered to the HSI family in the UAE as they conducted a retreat on the Loving Heart of the Father - over three evenings from May 9-11. It was immensely successful, with people travelling over 100 kms for the program. I was particularly blessed as they stayed with us during their visit and I benefited a lot from the time we spent together.

Discipleship Program, Jebel Ali

St Francis of Assisi Parish, Jebel Ali

St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jebel Ali is a Church that I have a lot of emotional attachment to as it is the place I found Jesus on July 14, 2002. I was, therefore, delighted to have the opportunity to conduct the Discipleship Program here (April 24-26 2007). But the joy was somewhat mitigated by the poor response to the Program.

Not since London have I seen so many empty seats in a church and as I fought back my disappointment, I remembered something God had said to me when I began to see churches packed with people eager to hear me: "Aneel, I give you the crowds only to make you happy, but don't ever allow yourself to be carried away by them! I don't need the numbers. I bring those I need to talk to and these are never too many!"

I realized that I had forgotted the advice and, despite my best intentions, was being swayed by the crowds and risked going the way of several other people in ministry who no longer ministered to small numbers. I promised myself that I wouldn't do that again. Almost as if in reward, the numbers began to swell and by the end of the session, there were over 150 people in attendance. I did believe that all of them were the people whom God wanted there.

Discipleship Program, Delhi

Diocesan Center, Delhi (Mar 30, 31, Apr 1)

My first mission in Delhi concluded to a packed house yesterday and mighty anointing. Once again, I saw evidence of how powerfully the Spirit was moving, and what I had noticed in Doha among the people there was very much in evidence here too, especially among the members of the Living Waters prayer group that had helped arrange this retreat. It is obvious that the revival God promised is very much on its way and the next five years are going to be truly grace filled.

I met Archbishop Vincent Concessio to receive his blessings after the program was over, and he seemed very pleased with how the program had gone. He was also pleased with the launch of the School of Discipleship, now the fourth city in the world that will have it running.

Delhi

A view of the Qutab Minar from the ruins around it

I arrived in Delhi yesterday and took advantage of a free day to see a little of the city, which I was visiting for the first time. I had booked myself on a coach, but nobody else showed up, so I wound up with first class treatment at economy prices. One more instance of how God spoils His servants! :) Being alone, I did not have to see everything the tour guides wanted me to see and ended a couple of hours before schedule. I am not much of a "tourist" and was glad to return home soon. Home this time was with a lovely young man named Rohit Abraham and his mother. I move to take up occupancy in the Bishop's house on the 30th, when I start my mission in Delhi.

Discipleship Program, Thane

St. John the Baptist Church, Thane (March 23-25)

Nearly 1,000 people spilled out of St. John the Baptist Church on the final day of my first mission in Thane, a city adjoining Bombay. My host this time was Bernadette Pimenta, a wonderful lady who did much to promote the program in the diocese, ensuring its success. Ms. Pimenta works with prisoners and does much for the underpriviledged as well as lends a hand to other religious and charitable organizations, and yet again I found myself blessed to meet somebody truly special.

Discipleship Program, Poona

St. Anne's Church, Solapur (March 19-21)

I returned to Pune (Poona for those who still aren't used to the new name) to conduct HSI's Discipleship Program exactly four months to the day since I was here last. It was a very anointed retreat and I was blessed to have the Bishop of Pune, Msgr. Valerian D'Souza, in attendance along with several other priests. Msgr Valerian, or Bishop Vally as he is affectionately addressed, called me after the program ended to tell me how much he enjoyed it and invited me to do more programs in the city soon. I will admit to feeling very honored and immensely encouraged. With all the persecution that one suffers taking the Gospel to others, such things often help keep one going, and I am truly grateful to His Excellency for his gesture.

My gratitude also to Fr. George, and Michael and Maria for making this Program happen and for their warmth and hospitality during my stay in the city.

Christianity and the Art of Mountain Climbing

I received an e-mail last week from the editor of Divine Voice, the magazine of the Divine Retreat Center in Muringoor, soliciting an article for Lent. I found myself a bit surprised by the request - it was not one that I had expected - but pleased, nonetheless, because the magazine reached out to quite a few people. I wrote a 900 word article today titled Christianity and the Art of Mountain Climbing, a title that I hope will be on my next book. After I submitted it, I discovered - to my greater surprise - that the editor had run an old article by me (Resisting Temptation) in the current issue. It was one of the first articles that I had written way back in March 2004, and I was happy to see that it didn't show any signs of immaturity, despite the fact I was a new Christian then.

The Corruption of Saul

Over the past three years I have come across many people in ministry who appear to have lost their way completely (and going by the actions of some of them, their minds too!). I found myself wondering how men who were apparently so blessed when they began working for God could lose the special anointing they seemed to have and end up worse than "ordinary" people. I found the answer in the first book of the prophet Samuel, where a great anointed of God went sliding into insanity due to pride, arrogance, jealousy and disobedience to God. The Corruption of Saul made for my third article in as many weeks, and a return to the Lessons from the Old Testament series.

HSI Picnic

Over 200 people gathered to celebrate HSI's 3rd Anniversary

We had a picnic on February 16 to celebrate the third anniversary of the Holy Spirit Interactive ministry. Over 200 people were present for the all day event that proved extremely enjoyable! We are sure that the next time around we'll have close to 500 people!

Beware of False Prophets

I wrote my first article in nearly five months and though I struggled a bit to finish it, it was a fairly easy job. A recent incident, where a prayer group leader of indeterminant standing successfuly blocked my ministry's entry into the Church accusing me of "being evil," undoubtedly helped in the writing of the article titled Beware of False Prophets. I have avoided naming names, even though much of the article is based on real people, but even so is likely to generate quite a bit of controversy.

HSI Vancouver is One Year Old

The HSI family in Vancouver, Canada celebrates its first anniversary today. I remember my visit there during Christmas/New Year last year and though I wish that I had started the blog then to record everything that had happened during the three weeks that I was there, the wonderful family that gets together to pray each week is perhaps a better witness. I pray that the work that God began in Vancouver a year ago, continue to fruition, and that He uses this wonderful family led by Sharmila, Inez and Co. to bring not only the people of the city back to Him, but all of Canada!

The Spirit Keeps Moving

Another Discipleship Program given to the Filipino community in Doha over one full day was even more anointed, if that were possible. And the invitation to join the School of Discipleship met with just as enthusiastic a response. The way the Spirit is moving in this little city in the Middle East is quite amazing, and given the fire that burns in the hearts of its leaders to spread the word of God, I wouldn't be surprised if it eclipses it's bigger brother Dubai.

The HSI School of Discipleship, Qatar

A packed church with standing room only

An invitation to deeper discipleship, extended at the conclusion of HSI's Discipleship Program in Our Lady of Rosary Parish, Doha, Qatar yesterday, resulted in an overwhelming 80% of the participants accepting the call! Of the 250 people who attended the retreat, packing the little Parish Center (construction on Doha's first "proper" Church gets completed in December this year), 198 people said that they were ready to make an even deeper commitment to Jesus.

HSI is 3 Years Old!

Part of the vast 12 acre property

Holy Spirit Interactive (HSI) celebrates its third birthday today! Despite being a relatively new apostolate, it reaches out to over half a million people each month through nearly a dozen ministries that include the popular and powerful HSI Discipleship Program, the acclaimed website HSI On-Line, the fast growing HSI Outreach Ministry and the very successful HSI Global Prayer Circle.

Coming in 2007 are the HSI School of Discipleship, in which interested Christians will be trained into positions of leadership over a period of two years; the HSI Retreat Center, where spiritual retreats of various sorts will be held on a regular basis; and HSI Lend a Hand, a ministry targeted at helping the poor and the marginalized.

HSI Lend a Hand got off to a start on the first day of the New Year with a meal provided to the 400 inmates of St. Anthony's Charity Institute run by Fr. Clifford. The inmates include the mentally challenged, the mentally disturbed, orphaned children and alcoholics, and though I felt a little awkward with them, I was delighted to see Glenda (my wife) feel totally at ease!

These are your Brothers and Sisters

These are your brothers and sisters ...

Soon after my baptism in the Holy Spirit during my last visit to Divine, I had received the gift of visions, which manifested itself strongly especially after consuming the Eucharist. The third vision I received was particularly powerful. It consisted of fast moving montages of beggar children, war wounded, the sick and the dying. It concluded with a voice over from Jesus saying: "These are your brothers and sisters."

The vision was repeated this time, with the added message: "Help them!" A few days earlier, when I was in Bangalore, Fritz Mascarenhas had advised me to keep myself open to God's will for me, even if it did not seem particularly appealing or went against what I believed was His will. Here it was. I had figured myself for an evangelist and here was God telling me to become like Mother Theresa!

As always, I awaited confirmation about the message. It didn't take long coming. The very next morning, Fr. Augustine spoke about how Divine started its subsidiary centers for AIDS and mental patients, the homeless and the dying. He had got a message from God telling him to start working with such people. When he protested that he was an evangelist, he heard God saying: Practice what you preach!

Looks like I have an interesting year ahead of me!

Divine Retreat Center, Muringoor

Our Lady; a permanent resident of the Center

After six weeks of hectic touring I was feeling spent and needed a recharge. Divine Retreat Center, where I had made my first retreat four years back, seemed an ideal place to recharge the batteries and I took an overnight bus from Bangalore on the 16th, soon after my session at Logos. Not only did I get the reinvigoration I wanted, I got to hear a whole lot terrific testimonies. I also received another spectacular anointing of the Holy Spirit.

In all honesty, I hadn't expected one this time as I didn't believe a repeat of the 2002 episode that set me on fire was possible. There might have been a chance of some anointing on Friday, during the Anointing session, but as I was to leave early in the morning, that was out. However, on Thursday evening, just before the Inner Healing session commenced, I suddenly felt myself sucked into the heart of God, and simply exploded into tears at the tremendous love I felt there. I just don't have words enough to thank God.

Another blessing during this retreat was a meeting with Fr. Augustine Valooran, the Director of the Center. In another lesson in humility, after I asked this great servant of God to pray for me, he asked me to pray for him. I thought that was really remarkable and I made another mental promise to myself to always remain humble, no matter how much the fame increased in the future.

Discipleship Program, Logos, Bangalore

On December 16, I preached my only retreat in Bangalore for this mission run. It was at the Logos Retreat Center, which is run by the Vincentians, the same group of priests who run the famous Divine Retreat Center at Cochin. It was a good session, and with it, I brought to an end my preaching mission for 2006. I won't say I wasn't happy it was over; I was close to total exhaustion and didn't think I'd be able to manage even a half hour talk without some rest.

The Other Side of Missionary Life

As I made my way to KGF on a three hour bus journey on December 15 for a more personal mission, I couldn't help but wonder if people realized that the missionary life was not a glamorous one, despite what some of the entries in this blog might seem to suggest. It is a hard, often lonely life, being on the road continuously, living out of a suitcase, sleeping in new beds every few days, and separated from home and family for weeks on end. It was a lot easier the last time around with my daughter for company, but it isn't always possible to travel with wife or child, or even companion, despite the fact that it is good to do so. Jesus always sent his apostles out in twos! But I'm not complaining. It does have its moments, and the best are when you discover that somebody's life has changed as a result of what you have done.

Prayer Groups

The mission to Chennai concluded with talks to three prayer groups, one of which was packed with novitiates for the local nunnery. Another turned into a prayer session, but was wonderful for all that. My right hand, which I had sprained rather painfully, was healed after that session, which suggested that the Spirit might have had a lot to do with the change in plans. There is one more session left in Bangalore, and that brings an end to my preaching sessions for 2006. I am glad because I am totally exhausted.

Discipleship Program, San Thome, Chennai

Tremendous anointing at San Thome

The parish priest expected 50 people. Over 250 showed up and he was delighted. So was I, not only with the crowd that was present - huge for Chennai - but with the obvious hunger I could see in them. I was even more delighted with the tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Church in San Thome on December 10. I believe that there was not a single person who sat through the seven hour program who was untouched, and I believe that many among them will spearhead the Christian revival in Chennai.

Some of the people who were instrumental in putting the Discipleship Program together were Leela Francisco, who not only opened her heart to this servant of God, but also her home; Babu Manuel, who led the Praise and Worship beautifully; and Gaspar, who led another wonderful choir: I am truly blessed by the music support that I get wherever I preach. My gratitude also to the Parish Priest, Fr. Lawrence Raj, who was a very gracious host, for his role in making this happen.

Don Bosco, Ainavaram

My first appearance in churches generally consists of a short talk, with the much longer Discipleship Program (DP) conducted during my subsequent visit. This was reversed in Don Bosco, Ainavaram. I had conducted the DP here on July 8 this year. I returned five months later - almost to the date - to give a short talk on one of the parables of Jesus: The Buried Treasure (Matthew 13:44).

MIssion to Chennai

The Little Mount Prayer Group

The Chennai mission began on December 8 with a talk to over a hundred members of the Little Mount Church prayer group led by Benjamin Gonzaga. Benjamin, who is also part of the National Service Team, is an extremely anointed man of God who exercises many of the Charisms of the Spirit. I feel blessed to meet such people and it is one of the several bonuses of my travels.

The Silver Cross - Part II

On November 17, while preaching at St. Anne's Church in Poona, I had lost my little silver cross and though I had little hope of finding it, it "miraculously" turned up the next morning. Today, half an hour before I was to leave for the airport to Chennai for my next set of programs, I discovered my cross missing again. I believed it had gone into the wash!

As I felt a wave of panic sweep through me, as it always did when I couldn't find the cross, I heard a familiar voice ask me why I was so attached to it and if I was wise in being so. Embarassment replaced panic and I hastily apologized, telling Jesus that I was okay without it. If He wanted me to have it back, He could return it; otherwise I'd live without it.

The morning after I reached Chennai I received a note from my hosts in Sri Lanka saying they had found the cross and would courier it across to me. Even as I thanked God for letting me have the cross back, I also thanked Him for the lesson he taught not to be attached to anything, not even items of religious significance.

A Return to Mary - And Miracles

I have always had a special place in my heart for Our Lady as she was instrumental in returning me to the faith. In the early days, I used to say the Rosary regularly, but in recent times had relegated her to the back room, preferring to give more importance to the Holy Trinity, as I believed they deserved.

At the leader's retreat I had attended the day before, however, two of the priests (including Fr. Matthew) confessed how they too had been guilty of neglecting Mary (for various reasons including the Protestant influence), only to realize later that they had been wrong. As one of the priests testified of how much more anointed his talks became after asking Mary to intercede for him, I realized with a sense of dismay that this was perhaps the reason why the anointing had lessened in my own ministry over the past few months. While I was still effectively reaching out to people and miracles were still taking place, the frequency and intensity had diminished. I determined to begin the rosary again, and I could perceptibly feel the power begin to flow almost immediately.

A little later, a lady came to me saying she had a severe pain in her hand and leg. She had been suffering for the past several weeks. The instant I placed my hand on her head I felt the anointing flow and wasn't the least surprised when she said that the pain had left her. Miracles followed right through the day.

People who aren't too fond of Mary are likely to dismiss this as more Catholic propaganda, but I know that my best days in ministry have always been when I ask Mary to pray for me.

Leader's Retreat

I attended a leader's retreat given by some priests from Divine Retreat Center in Cochin headed by the founder of the center Fr. Matthew Naikamparambil (say that three times fast) and though the talks didn't seem particularly targeted to leaders, I was grateful for the opportunity to just sit down and listen rather than do the talking for a change. I was rewarded with some very powerful anointing.

Before the day was over, however, Lalit (referenced earlier) invited me to talk to a Sinhala prayer group that gathered in the evening. It was one of the groups that he headed in Sri Lanka. I have never been able to refuse an invitation to share the Word of God and thus found myself preaching again before the day was over. Lalit, himself, translated my talk from Engish to Sinhalese.

Seminarians, Prisoners and Choristers

A talk to a group of seminarians started off the month of December. Though the disparate ages of the audience - they were aged between 14 and 24 - and their relative reticence threw me a little, the talk went down fairly well.

Later in the evening I addressed a fairly large Tamil prayer group who were participating in an all night vigil. A translator helped get my message across.

Talk at a night vigil

By the time I got back home it was past 2 in the morning, but I still managed to wake up fairly fresh at 6 am to leave for another talk - this time to the prisoners in Colombo's main prison. There were nearly 100 prisoners present for the talk, which was the most anointed yet.

Patsy (in pink) with the young ladies who backed me with music

In the afternoon, I met with the group who had provided me with the musical accompaniment for my talks in the churches. There were nearly 21 of them gathered for practice and listening to them was like listening to angels in heaven. I spent the better part of an hour with them, noticing that the anointing had risen even higher. The bad guys were undoubtedly getting clobbered in the heavens!

Bomb Blast in Colombo

Bomb blast in Colombo

Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse and the man leading the military campaign against the Tamil Tigers, escaped an assassination attempt that killed a male suicide bomber and four others while injuring 13 people. Though in Colombo, I was nowhere near where it happened at the time.

Sri Lanka has been racked by violence for several years now with separatist rebels from the North creating an atmosphere of tension. Soldiers are lined all over the city, sometimes separated by less than 100 feet from each other, and check vehicles regularly for bombs or ammunition.

St. Lawrence's Church, Wellawatte

St. Lawrence's Church, Wellawatte

The oppression that had been upon me since my entry into Sri Lanka lifted on November 30th as I felt the anointing flow powerfully in the third talk in the country at St. Lawrence's Church, Wellawatte. By the time it was over, I knew that the rest of the mission would be wonderful. I have no doubt that it was the general feeling of helplessness that I felt after the previous day's talk and the resultant passion in prayer that contributed in no small measure to this new confidence.

Sacred Heart Church, Rajagiriya

Sacred Heart Church, Rajagiriya

I met one of the stalwarts of the Charismatic Renewal in Sri Lanka before my talk at Sacred Heart Church in Rajagiriya today. His name is Lalit Pereira and he has, quite possibly, done more in Sri Lanka to revitalize the Charismatic movement than anybody else. I was quite impressed with him and invited him to do one of the classes for the planned HSI School of Discipleship. It was an invitation he accepted.

The talk in the evening was to a very sparse crowd and though I told myself that the people whom God wanted to be there were there, I had to struggle not to let my disappointment show. The general unresponsiveness of the crowd didn't help, and though nearly everybody present came for blessings afterwards, it took a lot of time in prayer that night before I felt anywhere close to normal again.

Philip Neri's Church, Pettah

Philip Neri Church, Pettah

I began my mission in Sri Lanka with a talk at a beautiful little Church in Pettah named after Philip Neri. Neri was an Italian churchman, noted for founding the Congregation of the Oratory, a community of Roman Catholic priests and lay brothers who live together without any formal vows but only with the bond of charity.

Despite a problem with parking (prohibited in most places because of the threat of bombs), there was a fairly good crowd, though not very responsive. It is a common Asian trait, and with the exception of Charismatic circles, audiences tend to be very quiet. This audience was quieter than usual and I found it a little unnerving, especially after the vocal crowds in Bombay, but settled in quickly enough.

Mission to Sri Lanka

One of the publicity posters put up across town about my programs

My first mission in Sri Lanka owed a lot to a lady who was a total stranger: Patricia Keppetipola. An Indian from Bombay married to a very influential Sri Lankan, she had heard about me from a friend who had attended one of my Discipleship Programs and that had impressed her enough to go through a lot of effort to organize preaching sessions for me in several churches. I found her to be a lovely person and the moment I met her, I knew that my mission in the country would not only be an eventful one, but a comfortable one as well.

I also knew that it would be a very difficult one, because the oppression I felt the moment I stepped through Bandarnaike airport was thicker than anything I had ever felt. It increased as the day went by, and when I woke up from a nap feeling sleepier than I had before I went to sleep and with a twisted arm to boot, I knew I was in for a really tough time. I hoped that the HSI intercessory cells were praying hard for me!

The Armor of God

The Armor of God - the fourth publication from HSI Publishing - is out. A compilation of a series of essays written in the days when I had time to write, it is the third in the Booklet Series. I have realized that most people don't have time to read full length books and these 24 or 36 page booklets go down very well. Additionally, as they are relatively inexpensive to produce and sold at cost, people don't mind buying multiple copies and distributing them to others. Evangelization, all!

International members of the HSI family who would like to print these booklets in their own countries - to save on shipping costs - are requested to drop me a note.

The Silver Cross

As a little side story that might not interest readers, but is a source of wonder to me is how I have managed to hold on to a silver cross for nearly four years, despite having "lost" it several times. A tiny little thing that clips on to my shirt pocket, I bought it shortly after my conversion and have worn it nearly every single day since.

I lost it again while preaching in the Church in Poona, and though the probability of finding it was slim - it really is a very small cross, I asked the parish priest to see if he could get somebody to look for it. The next morning, he called saying the cross had been found! It cost me more than ten times the price of the cross to pick it up, but it was worth it.

HSI School of Discipleship

My first mission in Poona (Indianized to Pune) was a two and a half hour talk at St. Anne's Church in Solapur Bazaar on November 16. It was very well received, but as often happens, the talk wasn't the only reason I landed in the city. Once again, I met some very blessed people, doing powerful work for the Kingdom of God. One of them was a young gentleman who runs a 21 week, live-in school for evangelization.

I have been wanting to start such a school - which would provide those eager to enter ministry with a strong foundation - for some time now, and this seemed to be a great opportunity to get started. Discussions are currently underway, but hopefully things should move speedily, and we'll have our school started early 2007.

I also met Msgr. Valerian D'Souza, the Bishop of Poona for a brief time. I try to make it a point to introduce myself to the Bishop of every region I visit. Not only is it good polity, I feel happy to get their blessings. Permission for me to preach in their cities is usually secured from them earlier.

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