India Ministry (March 2009)

This month in India has flown by.  We have only a few days left for ministry and will then be in Delhi, Thursday thru Saturday.  Our days here have been busy yet relaxed.  We have a similar routine each day, yet we are always ready for a change in plans!  Our mornings begin with breakfast at 8:30am, usually toast with peanut butter & jelly and hard-boiled eggs; sometimes they will serve fried eggs or oatmeal.

The rickshaws arrive around 9:30am for our ride to the school.  There are 50 children enrolled in this small, Christian school.  Most of the kids come from the slums and very poor families.  This is their only hope for education.  These adorable little children break my heart. They greet us each morning with bright smiles; their eyes searching for hope and joy.  Ranging from three to ten years old, they gather in the one room building.  We spend the morning singing songs about God’s love and mercy, sharing Bible stories, making crafts, playing games, and then we help teach them English.  I have been teaching the older kids and I love to see the eagerness they have to learn.  We finish the morning with exercise and give each child crackers.

The rickshaws drop us off at the base, just in time for lunch at 1:30pm.  Lunch and dinner consist of rice or chapatti with lentils, beans or chicken in a sauce.  Our contacts have also treated us to meals at their house, including grilled cheese sandwiches!!  The afternoons are free, providing opportunities to rest, go to town, and have team meetings.  Ministry in the evenings comprise of house visits or outreach gatherings in small communities.  We sing worship songs, perform a drama, and share our testimonies.  Believers sometimes treat us to chai tea and sweet crackers before we head back to the base.  Dinner is served around 8:30pm.

Friday, we traveled to the Ganges River.  This river is a very holy place for many religions even though it is considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world.  There are many temples and idol statues.  We spent the day prayer walking, shopping, and exploring the area.  We ate lunch at the Tiptop Restaurant overlooking the river as well as enjoyed popcorn from roadside venders!