We are back in the States, and have regretfully parted ways. Lasting friendships have been made and new chapters in our lives have been written.  Our bodies will eventually adjust to the jet lag, but our spirits have been unalterably changed.  It will certainly take some time to process all we have experienced and how these experiences have changed us.

 

Our last few days in India were almost all on the move, and taking the time to organize thoughts and put them into writing was impossible.  As I mentioned already, one of the purposes of my emails was to memorialize in real time (or close to it) what the immediate impressions of our trip may of been.  For this reason, what will follow will complete the memories of our trip activities.

 

FINAL DAYS

 

I previously described the wonderful events at Tarangada Learning Center and our night spent there.  I want to emphasize that this place, though new, was in the middle of absolutely nowhere.  It is a beautiful site, with mountains all around.  We slept well and on Saturday morning, went up on the roof and had devotions and breakfast as the sun rose over India.  We then left to visit three churches in various stages of growth.  Two of these churches were donated by our friends, Charles and Saundra, from Savannah, GA.  They had given these churches to honor their parents, and were delighted to finally see them.  Charles and Saundra are remarkable people of faith, and their commitment to use their resources for others is a manifestation of true Christian spirit.  Prayers were given at each location, and conversations with pastors and people encouraged us all.  As with other churches in the Sora area, these are in small villages, and are the most substantial buildings there.  The people are proud of them, and with what we had learned during this trip, we were encouraged that things in these villages had the great potential to get better.

 

To put these particular churches in context, it needs to be remembered that both ICM and Vishwa Vani (the India ministry partner through whom ICM places churches) require that when a congregation receives a church, they must promise to start 5 new "daughter" churches in a certain amount of time (I have forgotten if it is one year or two). This requirement is usually fully complied with, and ICM has fairly reliable statistics that the nearly 4,000 churches it has helped build in the last 25 years have resulted in almost 20,000 Christian congregations of at least 100 members each in 61 countries.  The amazing thing is that these numbers keep growing beyond any of our expectations.  No church has said that this requirement is "too much" to accomplish.

 

The three churches we saw on Saturday were a "mother" church, a "daughter" church, and a "daughter becoming a mother" church.  Daughter churches eventually grow up, and as they do, they by their own definition become "mothers" to new congregations.  This concept of church growth, with accountability through the Vishwa Vani ministry, is working magnificently in India,

ICM sees new generations of Christians taking the lead in churches build 15-20 years ago, and I think this is the ultimate proof "in the pudding".

 

After leaving the Sora area, we began the long trip back to Visakapatnum, our home base, to retire for the evening.  We arose early on Sunday, and flew to Delhi for the last day of our trip.  We visited The Good Samaritan School for slum children, where they have a Sunday Service for children in the area, and participated in the last part of service.  These children were bright, excited, and most anxious to speak with us and shake our hands.  They knew English much better than any other children we had met, and we marvelled at how their lives were being changed by this remarkable school.  This school was started about 20 years ago by a young woman India teacher to provide education to children who lived in the slums of Delhi.  The growth story is amazing, and now they have, through worldwide donations, a 4 story modern building for grades 6-12. There are 1500 students here.  The school was so successful, the Government tore down the slums around it and put up modern apartments and condos.  The school for grades 1-5 is still in the slum area, and has about 500 students.  ICM has helped with the building of the upper school, and no visit to Delhi is complete without a visit there.

 

The most telling tribute to this school is that many government and business leaders of Delhi want to send their children there, because they know the graduates of the school can successfully go to college or trade school just about anywhere.  The school had adopted a policy of allowing no more than 15% tuition paying students, the rest of the children being required to come from the slums.

 

After visiting the school, we toured a bit around Delhi, and met at a local hotel for brief rest, as most of us were flying out at 11:30 pm Sunday night (India time).  We said goodbye to our friends, Jim and Kaylinn, from Austin TX, who were staying in Delhi another night to be with friends there.  The rest of us went  to the airport and gave our last hugs and thanks to Burt Reed (ICM Asia consultant) and Augustine (our Vishwa Vani minister and guide).  We also said goodbye to Susan, of Richmond, VA, who was staying in Delhi a few extra days to be with friends.  We were down to six: Charles and Saundra, Nancy (a pediatrician from Albuquerque, NM), my Cousin Matt and his wife, Adrienne, of Washington DC, and me.  We began the long trip home, and eventually split up in Newark airport, individually heading back to our American homes, tired, but spiritually and emotionally overflowing. 

 

FIRST REFLECTIONS

 

There are so many memories of this trip that continually flood my thoughts.  The trip to Newark was over 14 hours, with 6 more to follow,  and I only read a little of the books and magazines I had with me.  I couldn't concentrate on reading because of the recollections I was having, and on several occasions I found myself wiping away tears I didn't know I had shed.  The cultural, economic and religious contrasts of our two countries cannot be more overwhelming, and I was continually reminded of how good things are in the US. 

 

The purpose of this trip was to be an ICM presence at churches in India, participate in dedication events, and to try to gain an "on the ground" view of church growth in India.  These objectives were accomplished.  What was not expected was how much these visits meant to us personally.  We met people who will become a positive part of the fabric of our own lives, and shared events that most Americans will never be a part of, or will even understand. 

 

I have become convinced that the true message of the Christ event was not so much to create a doctrine, but to bring "life, and to bring it abundantly". These churches bring that message.  The pastors preach and teach, certainly.  But they also do all they can to assist with the needs of their congregation, both collectively and individually. The building of churches usually results in other services being provided to the towns, which benefit all citizens.  But if people need food, shelter, medical care or any other assistance, these churches become an oasis in a desperate world.  One cannot help but feel positive about all of these efforts.

 

My reflections will certainly continue, and I will try to jot them down somehow as they come to me.  But for now, I have to say that this trip was a meaningful part of my life, and will be part of me forever.  Thanks to ICM for letting me go, to my new friends who travelled with me, to the Indian Christians who made us feel so welcome, and to God for the blessings that flowed.

 

In closing, please remember these churches in your prayers.  Especially the Refugee Church. I do, and will.  The haunting of it will be with me the rest of my life.

 

Long live India.  Long live us all.