SPIN LIKE THE WIND-the blog of Nigel James.

THIRD DAY FAN TRIP TO INDIA.

I'll be heading out to India in July with a team from City Temple, but I'll be staying on for an extra week or so to host a team of Third Day fans. Here are the details if you are interested:

TRAVEL

• The trip will officially begin and end at HYDERABAD RAJIV GHANDI AIRPORT. You will need to book your own flights in and out of here. (Please be aware that there is a Hyderabad airport in Pakistan-don’t book the wrong flights!)
• You will need to arrive in Hyderabad on Thursday 14^th July, ready to catch an internal flight onto Rajahmundry on the morning of Friday 15^th July.
• We shall be spending 6 nights with Pastor Prasad and his family in their home in Rajahmundry.
• Return to Hyderabad will be on Thursday 21^st July ready to catch a flight home either late night Thursday or morning of Friday 22^nd July.
• This means that if you so desire, you can add on to your trip a visit to London, England on the outward or return trip, or a few extra days in India, perhaps in the resort area of Goa.
• Hotel and hostel style accommodation is available overnight at Hyderabad airport.
• I shall meet you on Thursday 14^th and travel back to Hyderabad with you on Thursday 21^st July.
• I shall also book internal flights on your behalf and hotel rooms in Hyderabad airport if needed.

ITINERARY

• Our time in Rajahmundry will be guided by Pastor Prasad and myself; Prasad oversees all the work of Gateway Ministries and Ignite India, he had the original vision for the Come Together Compound and his wife is the head teacher of the Gateway School.
• Using his family home as our base (sharing twin rooms), we shall aim to accomplish the following:
• Spending a full day at the Come Together Compound, experiencing life in the Gateway School and in the newly built children’s homes.
• Taking part in some lessons in the school.
• Visiting a variety of Ignite India churches, including those constructed with funds raised at Third Day UK concerts in recent years.
• Visiting the Ignite India church on a leprosy colony.
• Leading services in some of these churches- sharing testimony, preaching, offering prayer ministry.
• Acting as ambassadors of Christ, and representatives of Third Day wherever we go.
• Looking at creative ways in which Third Day and their fans can continue to support the work of the Gateway School and Ignite India.

COSTS

• You will need to pay for and book your own international flights
• You will need to pay for your own insurance, injections, and visa.
• Internal flight costs will be approx. $200 roundtrip
• Hotel room in Hyderabad will be approx. $110, hostel price considerably cheaper.
• Accommodation, Food, Water, Transport, in Rajahmundry for 6 nights will be $50 per night, total $300 payable to me on arrival in Rajahmundry.
• If you able to bring with you financial gifts from church, family, friends totalling approx. $250 then we will use all this to purchase equipment for the school or gifts of food and clothing to some of the rural pastors or the leprosy colony.
• You will need a small amount of pocket money.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO NOW?

• You will need to email me the following:

1.    A short letter confirming your desire to come on this trip, stating your mission experience, and the reasons for you wanting to come.

2.    A reference from your Pastor/Church leader.

• Begin to explore flight options and whether you will add on an extra stay.
• Begin to explore India visa application requirements- http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1139.html
• We travel as tourists, visiting friends and visiting a school.
• Begin to explore what medical inoculations you will need.
• Continue to pray for God’s blessing on the trip.
• Approach church, family, friends for sponsorship.

WHAT ELSE WILL I NEED TO KNOW?

• Once confirmed on the trip you will receive from me – 
• A packing list.
• A few things to prepare- testimony, presentation for school class.
• A mission covenant to sign and return.
• A personal details/emergency contact/travel sheet to complete and return.
• A ‘preparing for mission’ Bible teaching to study.

 

HE IS RISEN!

After 10 days or so in the USA with Third Day, including the Dove Awards in Atlanta, I've been home for Easter and for services in City Temple on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I'm not here for long, as I head off to the USA again on Tuesday for more dates with Third Day, a visit to Fort Wayne to speak at IPFW College Campus Ministry, and more importantly for the wedding of my son James to Tiffany in Dallas. The rest of my family have already flown to Texas for a few days holiday before the wedding.

Today I'm thankful that we serve a risen Saviour! 

BACK ON THE ROAD.

So after 3 weeks in hospital and 2 weeks recuperating at home, I'm back on the road with Third Day having missed my longest run of tour shows in over 10 years. Last night's concert was in Memphis to a sell out 5,000 crowd at Hope Church. It was the first time in over 18 months that I had seen a full 90 minute set from Third Day, as our previous 2 tours had been with other artists, so this is back to a full-on Third Day tour set.

BACK HOME-THANKS TO THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.

So after 3 weeks in hospital-2 in Llandough and 1 in the Heath, I am eventually home after having an ERCP procedure yesterday. Basically, the endoscopy-like procedure removed the obstructions from and cleaned out my bile duct and also took a gallstone from the duct. All being well, I'm on the road to full recovery but I will need to have my gall bladder removed at a later stage.

I have lost a lof of weight due to being in so much pain after eating, and needing a low-fat diet whilst the bile duct was blocked. About a month ago I was 95KG (14 stone 13, or 209 pounds) now I am 83KG (13 stone 1, or 183 pounds). I'm actually now about the correct weight for my height and build but it hasn't been a good way to get there, and my energy levels are very low.

I'm convinced that the prayer support I've received over the last weeks has been crucial, and I am overwhelmed and humbled by the folk who have lifted me to the Lord in prayer. There have been a few times when I was in so much discomfort and so mentally drained that I wasn't really able to pray much myself, so to have the assurance that others were interceding on my behalf was tremendously comforting.

As far as I can tell, and this might not be an exhaustive list, the following were praying:

*My family, here in Wales, in parts of England, and in the USA.

*My church, City Temple- pastors visited me regularly to pray, and the congregation prayed on several occasions. Many members called, texted, sent cards, visited, to assure me of their prayers.

*The guys on the Third Day MAKE YOUR MOVE TOUR- I had regular emails from either Lott the tour manager or some of the guys in the band themselves, to remind me that they were praying.

*The Ignite office here in Dinas Powys, Wales, joined in a day of prayer and fasting for me, initiated by my friend Emmanuel Jonah and Ignite Liberia as they mobilised the whole of our Liberian network to pray.

*The Ignite India network, Gateway Pastors, Pastor Prasad's family, spent several days in fasting and prayer for me.

*Third Day fans from all over America, gradually realising I wasn't on the road with the guys, let me know they were praying.

*Missionaries in the Philippines, in conversation with Queenie Chen ( a doctor who is a member at City Temple) realised that I was her pastor and mentioned that many young people in their church read my youth ministry books. They arranged for the young people to pray!

*Several other churches lifted me up on the prayer network, in their home groups, or in their services.

2Cor. 1:11 You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don’t want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God’s deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.  The Message,