Streets packed with buildings and rickshaws, blaring car horns and the aroma of curry mixed with diesel fumes bombarded the members of The Gap Theory as they arrived in Chennai and Hyderabad, India late last month.
Difficult circumstances and the need to be flexible often pave the way for great faith. The India trip was no exception. Ethan Ehrstine, team leader for The Gap Theory, reflected on the trip, “You just never know what God is going to do. He works through our mistakes and difficult circumstances. We just need to trust Him and do the next thing.”
One example is the concert at Hindustan University in Chennai. Rain threatened to either cancel the concert or move the show indoors to a less than optimal venue. Campus Crusade for Christ leaders at the university trusted God and continued with the outdoor setting. Before long, the skies cleared and the concert began. More than 500 students filled the courtyard and engaged with the band’s music.
The president of the university came onstage to personally thank the band and give them a gift. At the end of the concert, 111 people indicated a first-time decision to call on Jesus to save them. A number of others asked for more information about getting connected with the on-campus ministry.
Difficult circumstances and great faith were also evident in Hyderabad, a city plagued with political turmoil. Public transportation had not been running for several weeks and this played into concert attendance. All of the schools and colleges were supposed to be shut down due to labor strikes related to the political unrest, but two schools remained open under threat of violence in order to host The Gap Theory for evangelistic concerts.
The chancellor at one of the colleges told the band they kept the school open just for the concert, but planned to release the students after the show. Close to 300 college students stayed for the concert and heard the gospel. At least 10 of them indicated a decision to trust Christ, 25 wanted to know more about Christ and 23 others wanted to get involved with the local ministry.
When asked how this international tour compared to others, Ethan said, “The fruitfulness from this tour far exceeded any other trip I’ve been on. We need to be thinking about going back and seeing God do even more.”
Despite the influence of Islam, Hinduism and other religions, the people of India were open to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- More than 400 people indicated a decision to begin a relationship with Jesus during the band’s two-week tour.
- Close to 40% of the audiences indicated some sort of turning towards Christ.
Would you join us in praying for the country of India and for an opportunity to return? Let us know by leaving a comment.
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