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Happy 234th Birthday, Marine Corps!

We are blessed to serve a number of Marine families at LowCountry Community Church. One of our staff colleagues, Mark Howard, served in the Corps and I was blessed to attend his retirement ceremony a few summers ago. It was really moving.

Check out the video Mark shared with us today as we honor our Marine Corp. Semper Fi.  Oorah!!

My Friend, Prabha

As I related last week, one of God's best passed into His presence on Sunday, 13 September. Prabhakaran George was a very dear friend of mine. I first met him in 2000 when one of our college students, who had served in India on a short-term assignment, invited him to her family's home here in Hilton Head. It was one of the best "not-orchestrated-by-me" introductions I've ever had in my life. And I'm so grateful to God for it.

His funeral was Tuesday and one of our friend's, Tierney Short, was able to attend. She wrote me the following and I have her permission to share her observations: "I attended with three women from my office who all know the family in various ways. A couple of  the women lived or currently live in the hostel where Auntie (Nilo) conducts a Bible study...the church was packed. It was a pretty day by Chennai's hot standards. All the doors were open so those of us outside could cram close and listen to the men sharing and old hymns being sung..." 

Prabha received the reigns of Youth for Christ-India during some turbulent times for that ministry. He and Nilofer, his lovely wife, had been serving with YFC in Delhi. Prabha's leadership style was so un-American, so behind-the-scenes, so "lead from the back of the pack," that I really wondered how effective his leadership style would be in the long-term. But his leadership was also incredibly effective. And he made me re-think some pre-conceived and wrong-headed notions about leadership.

I don't have all the numbers before me but there are presently in excess of 120 YFC workers in India, the vast majority coming on board during Prabha's directorship. He was a counselor, father-figure, encourager, fund-raiser, visionary, and dynamic minister of the Gospel. I'm sure that, had he wanted to, he could have easily immigrated to America with his family and carved out a comfortable life. But his heart, calling, and vision was always for the millions in India and southeast Asia without Jesus. To give you an idea of his effectiveness and that of YFC-India and to know why we at LCC heartily support their efforts with our prayers, short-term teams, and finances, they were able to minister to 987,000 young people with 63,141 of these making a commitment to Jesus. And that was last year alone!! (I gleaned this from the YFCI website which I link you to at the end of this unusually lengthy post.)

Prabha died in a setting which he loved and worked so hard to develop: the YFC Training Centre in Bangalore. I have taught there many times and always been welcomed as an honored guest. The food is always delicious, the setting is safe and comfortable, and many hands from around the world have helped make it a reality. But without Prabha's gentle but persistent guidance, it would not be what it is today. Thousands have been trained there, attended conferences and concerts, and been equipped for the proclamation of the Gospel. We have laughed together, cried together, worshipped together, and prayed together there. 

Prabha had a small resting room there; it's where he left to meet Jesus. The last time I was with him, we watched a cricket match together between training sessions. He was not only a keen cricket fan, he was an excellent cricket player. He talked me into batting once, (he was the bowler [or pitcher for the Americans out there]) up in the Conoor hills, among the tea plantations. I was a good baseball player back in the day, and I thought to myself as I assumed my place in front of the wickets, bat in hand, "I'm going to smash this ball over the trees and show these Indians a thing or two." Next thing I knew I heard the ball strike the wickets behind me, and everyone shouting and laughing. Prabha just stood out there grinning.

Another poignant memory of Prahba I have was following a national conference in Pune. Almost 1500 were in attendance and we had a wonderful week. I was privileged to be the plenary speaker at most sessions. Translation was going on in Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam, and Tamil. I knew there were some extreme HIndu groups in Pune, but didn't think too much about it. We stayed the week and on the last day, I asked Prabha if he was happy about how things had gone. With a sigh he said, "Absolutely; it was a great week. And I'm also relieved that the bombing threats were not carried out." Again, that grin. I said, "Thanks for not telling me that little tid-bit sooner." 

God calls His workmen home, but His work goes on. Please pray for Prabha's wife, Nilo, his son and daughter-in-law Andy and Dipti, and his daughter, Joanna. And kindly remember to keep YFC-India in your prayers. I'm sure there are many difficult and momentous decisions to make in the coming weeks. And last of all, "Father, thank you for allowing a man of Prabha's caliber to rub off a little on my life. Thank you for the privilege of knowing him and calling him a true friend. I'm going to miss him terribly. Please tell him Vanakkam for me."
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To read YFCI's International President, David Wraight's beautiful tribute regarding Prabha, click here.