It has been a month since my last update, which shows just how busy I've been. Since my last update, the team and I have left Goa and traveled over 100 hours by train from place to place in the northern half of India. I've finished outreach and made my way back to Holmsted Manor in England. To save you from a long winded recap of this past month, here's just a little overview of the first two places we went, Delhi and Nainital, and what we did there:
DELHI
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| Praying outside Parliament |
Over the course of two days, our team arrived in three groups. We stayed in a hotel right in the center of a busy bazaar where most backpackers stay. Arriving in Delhi was exciting; the city was full of energy, busyness, and chaos. It was a nice change from the laid back vibe that Goa had. Right away I noticed how much more western this city was and (although not by our standards) how much cleaner it was. There was a large range of people: traditionally dressed Indians, Indians dressed in western clothing, businessmen, and foreigners, most usually backpacking hippies.
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| Delhi Government Building |
While in Delhi, we had opportunities to go to cafes and have conversations with the backpackers passing through. Being in India's capital, our team had the opportunity to go to parliament and other governmental buildings to pray around and try to have conversations with people within government. We also had the opportunity to go to a Hindu temple, a mosque, and a temple called the Lotus Temple, which houses a newer religion called the Baha'i Faith. In these places that house different beliefs, we were able to pray in and around the facilities. Outside, we were also able to have conversations with the people that follow these religions and with people who came just to check out the places as seekers or as tourists. We spent five days in Delhi.
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| The Lotus Temple |
On a side note, while in Delhi, my grandmother of 93 years had finally made her way into our Father's arms in heaven. It was difficult being in India and not with my family for her funeral, and more difficult mourning for her by myself. But in this time, I found comfort in God, in my teammates, in knowing that this wonderful woman lived a full life, and in knowing that she wasn't suffering from old age any more and that she's finally singing and dancing for God once again.
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| Shrine inside the Hindu Temple |
Although we had great ministry times in Delhi, we left it not on the best of terms. We had unfortunately seen the bad side of Indian men. On the train, it got even worse when a team member's purse was stolen--passport, money, and Bible included. Through the bad, we finally saw the good side and the redemption of Indian men. Many of them didn't hesitate to come to our aid in searching for the thief, in giving advice and information, or in translating. However, the culprit wasn't found and we tried to sleep on the overnight train ride. It was a few hours later when we were woken by some people who had found my team member's purse in one of the train's toilets! Although her 200 rupees and camera were taken, everything else was there. It was nothing short of a miracle and I give all glory to God for it!
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| Mosque |
NAINITAL
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| The Himalayas |
We arrived in the small mountain town early in the morning and were all greeted with the fresh, chilly mountain air. We spent the first day taking in the gorgeous view and catching up on sleep lost from the emotional and draining train ride the night before. Our second day was spent hiking to the highest point in Nainital that overlooked the mountain town, it's volcanic lake, and the Himalayan Mountain Range. At the top, we had quiet time with God, worship, and intercession for India. We were also able to share parts of our beliefs with our two tour guides. The following day we left for Varanasi.
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| Overlooking Nainital |
Our time spent in Nainital was short, but it was a time of refreshment that we needed to push through to make it to the end of outreach. It was also a great time to give glory to God in admiring His majestic creation and the many miracles and blessings He has given us.
Stay tuned for my next blog entry on the last part my time in India, in Varanasi, Agra, and Mumbai!
God bless.
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| On the hike up |
