Two of the most incredible years of my life were 1999 and 2000, when Ruthe and I traveled to Kashmir on two different occasions.
Kashmir is located in northwestern India and borders with Pakistan. It has been a violent battlefield, and remains a hotly disputed territory between India and Pakistan. It is also one of the most beautiful places on earth, bordered by the Himilayas and another mountain range.
It was in Kashmir that I first learned to share the Good News with muslims by asking questions as a learner or seeker of truth
It was in Kashmir that I first had the privilege of meeting some of the most courageous men I’ve ever personally known – muslims who had become Christ-followers.
In Kashmir – on Dal Lake in Srinigar – I helped baptize 4 muslims who had become followers. The kashmiri pastor, whom I will call “John” stood in the water, raised his hands to the sky and began to sing at the top of his lungs, “I have decided to follow Jesus – no turning back, no turning back.”
Heavily-armed troops began to gather and watch. In Kashmir, what we were doing was against the law and punishable by death. Seeing the military who were watching us, I quietly asked, “Pastor John, is this a good idea?” He replied, “Sam, bullets are small things. Small things cannot hurt you.”
I thought, “Okay, here goes,” and raised my hands to the sky and sang with John.
A very interesting article on Kashmir is found in the Atlantic magazine. Read it here.
Posted by svshaw 
Posted by svshaw 
