The Last Supper

YES Newsletter Pre-Departure

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The last supper has come. As I bite into the big, juicy, succulent burger at Ruby Tuesday, I reflect on just how much I will miss eating red meat. I take another bite and watch as the juice and barbeque sauce drip down to my plate. I savor each and every bite as though it’s the last one I’ll take. Oh boy, will I miss my burgers and steak! You see—they don’t eat red meat in India. I must have missed this memo! The Hindu people regard the Cow as a God. Thankfully, I’m going there to teach them that Cows aren’t a deity, and that the only way to salvation is through Jesus. Maybe this will result in my acquiring a little more of the food I love.

As I sit here , I know that I should be doing a number of things. I need to finish packing, I need to make some final phone calls, and, of course, I need to sleep. However, I have just finished a weekend of learning how to teach English as a second language, and I think it’s time to relax a bit!

I leave for India tomorrow evening. I’ll step onto the plane in New York at 9pm, and will arrive in India at approximately 12:05 AM (local time) on Wednesday morning. Thankfully we can sleep on the plane shortly after takeoff. We’ll make on stop in Brussels to refuel, and then it’s off to New Delhi, India. Our total elapsed time in the air will be between 20-22 hours. I am hoping that these 22 hours go a lot better than my flight back to Harrisburg went on Friday!

I wanted to thank you all for your support on this mission. I had the wonderful opportunity to see a lot of you when I returned to Maine this past week. However, I think it’s important that I thank you all one more time. Without your support, I would not be where I am at today. I truly feel as though I have followed God’s calling to India. Your support has allowed me to grow an incredible amount as a man of God. I learned an invaluable amount of information while at HDC these two months—and I cannot wait to put that new knowledge to practice! For your information, I am approximately $900 away from my final goal of $10,000. This could not have been done without you!!

I also want to extend a special thank you to the people of Kennebec Mennonite Church in Augusta for allowing me to preach this past Sunday. Teaching on Sunday allowed me to affirm that God has a calling for me, and I am following it to his delight. I want to thank Glenn and Esther for their hospitality, and to Glenn for offering me advice and mentorship throughout my trip.

Thank you all, once again! Please feel free to visit my blog at www.indiawayne.blogspot.com for periodic updates, and most importantly, pictures!! As I begin my journey to India, it’s comforting to know that I have so many wonderful people standing with me as I serve Him!

Praises:

1.) I made it through mission’s boot camp!

2.) God is affirming my calling to ministry!

Prayer Requests:

1.) Travel to India on Monday. May we get there safely, without fail—and with our luggage!

2.) God will keep my mind open to the new culture that I am about to experience!

3.) God will continue to reveal himself to me, and that the Holy Spirit will walk beside me and keep me safe.

For Him,

Wayne D. Clarke

indiawayne@gmail.com