Post-India thoughts
Since I've returned from around the world, I've wondered about what I experienced while there. Certainly traveling there and spending a week with the BFLC was a blessing and honor, but I still feel like to don't fully comprehend what happened there, especially given all of the difficulties I faced from the train to car sickness. I feel in a way like Peter getting his feet washed by Jesus recorded in John. Peter refuses Jesus' washing, but the Lord says, "Right now you don't know what I am doing, but later you will understand." Complete understanding about the trip will come in time.
In the meantime, I realized that one of the great values of traveling to India are the relationships that are maintained. A friend of mine puts it this way about life, "Relationships are not the main thing, they are the only thing." I agree with my whole heart. The relationships I've gained with the Indian pastors are valuable. The difference between this trip and a year ago in January of 2006, is that I was able to joke around with the pastors this time because of the growing friendship between us. Each afternoon during the symposium, the conference took a break for tea. Most of the American visitors didn't drink the tea and opted for soda. I chose the tea. Each afternoon one of the pastors as we were walking together toward the steps going down to the break area would ask me, "You take tea?" I would reply, "Yes of course," and Jakiah or Rajesh would walk faster ahead of me to get me some chai (tea). On Wednesday afternoon we stood there together and some of the pastors were teasing John Babu calling him, "Raipa" which I was told meant, "rock." Babu played along with the fun-natured ribbing, and because I know these guys I was able to play along. We laughed together. There is a beautiful bond that happens when people laugh together.
Later in the week Jakiah, one of the pastors, asks me my age and when I told him he was shocked that we were the same age. He said, "Not only can I practice speaking English with you, you are my friend." I agreed.
There is a growing relationship between All Saints and Nachugunta. It's one thing to talk about a village called Nachugunta and hear about their struggles and joys as a people. It's another thing to meet the pastor there, Sudir and his wife, to shake hands with the people, and to bring back pictures of the people of Nachugunta to show the folks at All Saints. While the new church wasn't completed at Nachugunta when I visited, I was able to share with them one of the banners from All Saints which is a picture of the church building, but made up of the various faces of the families here. Even for the people there in India, I was able to show them the faces of people who care about the gospel and others as much as we do here. Bottom line, relationships were sustained.
We need people. That point was reinforced over and over in my mind being there. As the train sped back to Hyderabad on Friday afternoon from Guntur, I went out to the door to the coach and stood there enjoying the breeze and fresh air. At one point as we went by a small rural Indian village the thought crossed my mind that at the next stop I could simply get off this train and walk away. My friends wouldn't know where I went. There is no way I would ever do such a thing, ever. What kept me on the train? Relationships with those traveling with me and my family in the U.S. Even if I had gotten off the train, I still would need relationships. I couldn't have survived alone for long. We need people. We need God.
Thanks for reading.
In the meantime, I realized that one of the great values of traveling to India are the relationships that are maintained. A friend of mine puts it this way about life, "Relationships are not the main thing, they are the only thing." I agree with my whole heart. The relationships I've gained with the Indian pastors are valuable. The difference between this trip and a year ago in January of 2006, is that I was able to joke around with the pastors this time because of the growing friendship between us. Each afternoon during the symposium, the conference took a break for tea. Most of the American visitors didn't drink the tea and opted for soda. I chose the tea. Each afternoon one of the pastors as we were walking together toward the steps going down to the break area would ask me, "You take tea?" I would reply, "Yes of course," and Jakiah or Rajesh would walk faster ahead of me to get me some chai (tea). On Wednesday afternoon we stood there together and some of the pastors were teasing John Babu calling him, "Raipa" which I was told meant, "rock." Babu played along with the fun-natured ribbing, and because I know these guys I was able to play along. We laughed together. There is a beautiful bond that happens when people laugh together.
Later in the week Jakiah, one of the pastors, asks me my age and when I told him he was shocked that we were the same age. He said, "Not only can I practice speaking English with you, you are my friend." I agreed.
There is a growing relationship between All Saints and Nachugunta. It's one thing to talk about a village called Nachugunta and hear about their struggles and joys as a people. It's another thing to meet the pastor there, Sudir and his wife, to shake hands with the people, and to bring back pictures of the people of Nachugunta to show the folks at All Saints. While the new church wasn't completed at Nachugunta when I visited, I was able to share with them one of the banners from All Saints which is a picture of the church building, but made up of the various faces of the families here. Even for the people there in India, I was able to show them the faces of people who care about the gospel and others as much as we do here. Bottom line, relationships were sustained.
We need people. That point was reinforced over and over in my mind being there. As the train sped back to Hyderabad on Friday afternoon from Guntur, I went out to the door to the coach and stood there enjoying the breeze and fresh air. At one point as we went by a small rural Indian village the thought crossed my mind that at the next stop I could simply get off this train and walk away. My friends wouldn't know where I went. There is no way I would ever do such a thing, ever. What kept me on the train? Relationships with those traveling with me and my family in the U.S. Even if I had gotten off the train, I still would need relationships. I couldn't have survived alone for long. We need people. We need God.
Thanks for reading.
posted by Mike Weaver at 7:49 AM
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