We travelled north from Visakapatnam to the last region in the State of Andrah Pradesh, home of the Sora and other tribal groups.  We dedicated two new facilities provided by ICM: a child care center at Donubai, and a learning center at Javapuram.  The child care center is really an orphanage, which entails quite a commitment from the people there...they will be raising these children 24 hours a day until they finish their secondary studies.  The learning center serves as a school for pastors and church leaders from around the region. What was special for me is that the two churches that received these new centers were churches I visited two years ago.  It was exciting to see that these  churches had not only grown in numbers, but that they also had the maturity and strength to take on new ministries.  The dedication of the people is amazing.

 

We visited other churches in the Sora area that I had travelled to in 2010, and the most significant change in that time is that the Government has built paved roads in most areas that did not have them 2 years ago.  We marvelled at this and were told by our guides that if a church is placed in an area, the people know that they will soon receive electricity, roads and housing from the Government.

Evidently, a church gives some stability to an area, and the villagers can use this to their advantage.  We were also told that as a village church grows, eventually Christians are elected to leadership positions in the village.  They are not corrupt like previous leaders, and will contact the authorities to provide those things that the Indian government has promised in well-known public law to every village in the Country: Electricity, Roads and Housing.  Schools eventually show up as well.  There are over 640,000 villages in India, so the government has its hands full.  I will point out, however, that the Electricity is basic, the roads are just the one-lane paving of existing trails, and the housing is so modest, I can't compare it to anything in the US.

 

The ministry of ICM through Vishwa Vani is growing so well, and the partnership has shown such success.  These folks have a well thought out plan to spread churches through all unchurched places in India, and it seems they are well on their way in doing so.  They are resilient in their determination.  Add to this their other wonderful traits (love, compassion and great humility) and I don't see how they can be stopped.  ICM is fortunate to have such a dedicated partner here.

 

To us, the significance of what the building of a church does to an Indian village is remarkable.  Not only does the village receive a church for religious services, the building also is used for weekly classes and meetings, and in many places becomes the area's community center and purveyor of public interest information.  This is only the beginning.  Placing a church in a particular village almost assures that the village will receive electricity, roads and housing, as well as the hope for better schools and medical care.  We have been shown that when a church is donated by ICM to an Indian village, the donation goes far beyond just a building...a new future is being given to thousands of people.  How is that for changing the world!

 

Our travels continue to bond us as a group, and we take great strength and encouragement from one another.  This group comes from Virginia, Georgia, Texas and New Mexico, and  contains a pediatrician, ophthalmologist, singer, nurse, business folks and a scraggly old country lawyer.  We come from Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Catholic and Community Church backgrounds.  Despite our denominational differences, we all take our faith journeys seriously, and find growth in hearing the stories of each other. Although we are not necessarily like-minded, we do have unanimity of spirit, and this sustains us...we have bonded in ways we never expected.

 

India continues to show us remarkable things.  It is a poor country, overall, but the people generally appear to work hard for their sustenance.  Our travels today to rural areas introduced us to the sugar cane crop, as well as rice fields, and the continual presence of bovine animals keeps us amused.  Goats and sheep also abound.  We continually marvel at how resourceful the people are in these rural areas, and then remember that they also lead the world in information technology expertise and computer science.  What a place!

 

The day is done and to bed we must go.  As we prepare for our rest, our thoughts go to small villages and young children, to new roads and old religions.  Reflection can be a wonderful time, and for me is probably the highlight of each day of the trip. We can't be everywhere, or do everything, but we can commit ourselves to pay more attention to people around the world who live without hope.  This is what has become abundantly clear to our group this week.....small things, such as gifts to ICM, can change the world, and actually bring that hope.

 

 

"Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or

weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who

sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless

the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the

joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen"

 

(Compline, Episcopal Book of Common Prayer)

-Aubrey Rosser