James C. - Love Thy Neighbor

James was born in the UK and lived there until he was almost 10 years old when his family migrated to the United States. He is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan and has lived in North Carolina since 1995. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have 4 kids. He was not raised in a Christian family. They hardly ever went to church, never read the Bible, and never really prayed unless they really needed something. James shares how he went off the deep end and got into drug abuse and other bad stuff as a teenager. It was when he was already a young adult when he heard the gospel and was saved by God from that background. 

He was then discipled and it did not take long for him to catch a heart for evangelism and sharing the gospel. James believes that if somebody had not shared the gospel with him, not only would his life still be in the gutter but he would spend an eternity apart from the presence of God if he died. This is why sharing the gospel for him is kind of like a paying-it-forward thing or "passing the baton". He started getting involved with evangelism ministries through their church and as he studied the scriptures more, he realized that God has a heart for the nations. He then started praying about missions and he and his wife, Elizabeth, started getting involved with short term mission trips. 

In 2016, Elizabeth had a heart attack and this became a turning point for them as it closed the door for them going back overseas. But this roadblock did not take away their calling and love for the internationals and for the people of South Asia in particular. Through research, James became aware of the fact that the Triangle has one of America’s most thriving and largest Indian and South Asia communities. So he and Elizabeth decided to move to Morrisville that same year so they can continue to let their light shine among our South Asian neighbors there. Since then, he has seen amazing relationships not just for themselves, but also through others that they have been able to work with - either church partners or just people that have joined their team. 

James shares a story where he became a bridge for conflict in their community. He talks about the importance of being relational instead of transactional when it comes to understanding our foreign-born international neighbors. James also shares how it is important to reach them here so that they can then become the evangelists to their people back home. God did not only bring them to the United States, but He will rescue them from death and bring them to himself through his Son, Jesus Christ. And we need to have faith that it is His strategy to deposit the gospel in them so that they can become a light to their people. This is God's plan to fulfill the great commission.

____________

Global Hope India: For over 20 years we have been watching God radically transform thousands of Americans & Indian Nationals through missions. We’ve taken nearly 1,000 Americans on short-term mission trips to India. We work with 12 long-term indigenous church planting partners located in North, South, East, & West mainland India as well as Northeast India. We empower the Church in India to make Christ known through leadership, child, & village development projects. Global Hope India is a federally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Morrisville, North Carolina. All gifts are tax-deductible. More about GHI.

More about Living the Dream Podcast

Meet Pastor Kevin: Pastor Kevin is Founder and Executive Director of Global Hope India and your host for Living the Dream Podcast. He’s a poor kid from rural North Carolina, but get this… He just returned from his 50th trip to India in 20 years. If he doesn’t yet hold the Guinness Book of World Records for the most trips to India then he’s got to be close. He’s flown over a million miles to 27 different countries. He’s taken nearly 1,000 people on mission trips to India. Global Hope India has seen thousands of Indian Nationals and Americans radically transformed by God through missions. The miracle continues! More about Pastor Kevin.

GHI Resources & Contact Info:
Resource Center
GHI Facebook
GHI Instagram: @globalhopeindia
GHI Twitter: @globalhopeindia
Email GHI