Dear friends:

As most of you know, I am once again travelling in India with my family and friends associated with International Cooperating Ministries (ICM).  In order to record my memories of this trip, I am creating letters somewhat contemporaneously with the experiences we are having here.  This is to help me remember things when I return home.

Twenty-five years ago, my uncle formed ICM with the assistance of Rev. Dick Woodward, for the purpose of constructing churches in mainly third-world countries.  Since its formation, it has built more than 4,000 churches, over 1,200 of them in India.  They have built churches in at least 62 countries. This ministry also provides Bible study literature in 31 languages.  The congregations receiving these churches agree to form five other congregations, which most of them do.  We think 20,000 churches benefit from ICM’s efforts.  ICM has a goal of 10,000 churches by 2020, and it looks like that will be accomplished.

This trip has been planned to visit new church efforts in India, especially Resource Learning Centers, newly constructed to provide continuing education for pastors and church leaders.

We will also visit an orphanage and The Good Shepherd School in Delhi.

We left the U.S. on Feb. 2 and endured a 14-hour flight from Newark to Mumbai (Bombay).  We arrived here around 10 p.m. local time on Feb. 3, completely exhausted.  Bombay was 80 degrees when we landed.  The weather in most of India this time of year is hot. After finally getting our luggage, we checked into our hotel for a short night, as we had to arise at 4:30 a.m. to catch a train for the city of Surat.  The train was as close to Amtrak as could be hoped for, and we were served breakfast and coffee for the ride. My seat was in the middle of a row of three, facing another row of three.  I was the only American, sitting next to a Muslim, and across from two Hindus.  The other two gentlemen were Indian businessmen whose faith I could not determine.  This unlikely sextet travelled together for 2 1/2 hours without incident, and with mostly congenial conversation.  The biggest question they had was why an American would want to travel all over India.  They really sold their country short.  I shared with them that I found their country and its people and culture very fascinating.

What one discovers here is that there is no one faith experience uniting all of India.  Of course the largest number of people is Hindu, but there are millions of Muslims here.  Christianity is growing. There are also many other faith expressions.  It is hard to find a “typical” Indian.  When we travel in the rural areas, we find tribes that have their own history and culture outside of what is thought of as the norm.

After arriving in Surat, a city of about 3,000,000 north of Bombay, we were immediately accosted by scores of children on the railroad platform, begging for anything.  It was very pitiful.  We were told by our guides to give them nothing, as they are made to do this by gangs.  Nevertheless, our hearts ached at the condition of these children.

The day was spent in a rural area outside of Surat, where we dedicated a new Resource Learning Center.  We were received by a congregation of about 300, with almost 60 pastors from other churches.  They decked us with flower leis, and sang and danced their tribal music.  The pastors are most impressive.  They are not “schooled” as U.S. clergy are, but their love and fervent expressions of faith convince us that they are very dedicated to their calling.  Several of them had experienced beatings in the past, when other religious groups became concerned about the growth of Christianity.  I must say that when called upon to pray, they speak with an intense expression of their faith.  Hugs, handshakes and laughter are the result of being in their presence in these holy times.

And the children. ... Our hearts are stolen from us.  Tears erupt as we observe the pure innocence of them in these places.  They are respectful and warm, although not many of them know English.  They give us flowers, and we give them small toys we brought from the States.  Connections are made that will linger in our minds and hearts for a long time.

I am convinced one of the major by-products of true Christian faith is the openness and trust one Christian has for another.  If all the world could experience this ...

It is late and sleep is needed ... I dream of India under a clear moonlit sky tonight.

Aubrey