Hey Mountain,
Greetings from the India Team! Thanks to our friends at CICM, we have felt like Indian Royalty. Their gracious hospitality has been such a gift. We arrived in Delhi on Thursday and were able to stay at the CICM Center that they just recently opened. The center is absolutely amazing. It is used not only to host visiting missionaries but is also the location where the church meets each week.
Our brothers from CICM have been so welcoming and have helped us understand the Indian culture by exploring and seeing several historical landmarks. We have gotten to experience the unique flavors and smells of India and find a new understanding of the religious backgrounds. Hinduism is the largest religion, Islam is the second largest, and Christianity accounts for 3% of the 1.2 billion people. The major religions seem to coexist well yet are so very different in their thinking. However, in this culture, your religion seems to define you. It defines what you wear, where you eat, who you associate with and what jobs you can get.
A new religion called Baha’i has really started to takeroots here. It was actually born here. Baha’i’s goal is to unify all faiths with an understanding that all roads lead to God. In a culture with so many gods, it is no surprise that India is the birthplace of this religion.
Today we saw what is known as the world’s most beautiful monument to love, the Taj Mahal. It was an incredible sight to see! The story behind the Taj was breath taking but reminded us of an even more beautiful picture of love – Jesus Christ.
Because of the density of India’s population, the roads are packed with people, cars, bicycles and motorcycles. There seems not much attention is given to traffic laws, vehicle lanes or pedestrians. There is not enough time for this blog to completely explain how chaotic the roads are.
Yesterday was awesome! We had the wonderful and humbling opportunity to worship with Khodagaon Christian Church in Delhi. Khodagaon is one of CICM’s 1,449 church plants and also has a small Bible College attached. We arrived late due to the traffic, but when we arrived they quickly brought us down a hallway that led to the stage. We sat on the stage along the back wall, while the church worshiped through songs to God. Then they greeted us by clapping and giving us a traditional Indian welcome putting Lei’s on us all. Dave delivered a beautiful message from the Lord. After service we had the opportunity to meet the 15 young men from the Bible College who have devoted their lives to the cause of spreading The Gospel and God’s church even in the face of real persecution.
Tomorrow we visit the church in Agra and then head on to Damoh to begin our time of training and encouragement at CICM’s main campus. God is alive and well in India!
Thanks == Fiona, Jared, L.B., Denise, Dave
Greetings from the India Team! Thanks to our friends at CICM, we have felt like Indian Royalty. Their gracious hospitality has been such a gift. We arrived in Delhi on Thursday and were able to stay at the CICM Center that they just recently opened. The center is absolutely amazing. It is used not only to host visiting missionaries but is also the location where the church meets each week.
Our brothers from CICM have been so welcoming and have helped us understand the Indian culture by exploring and seeing several historical landmarks. We have gotten to experience the unique flavors and smells of India and find a new understanding of the religious backgrounds. Hinduism is the largest religion, Islam is the second largest, and Christianity accounts for 3% of the 1.2 billion people. The major religions seem to coexist well yet are so very different in their thinking. However, in this culture, your religion seems to define you. It defines what you wear, where you eat, who you associate with and what jobs you can get.
A new religion called Baha’i has really started to takeroots here. It was actually born here. Baha’i’s goal is to unify all faiths with an understanding that all roads lead to God. In a culture with so many gods, it is no surprise that India is the birthplace of this religion.
Today we saw what is known as the world’s most beautiful monument to love, the Taj Mahal. It was an incredible sight to see! The story behind the Taj was breath taking but reminded us of an even more beautiful picture of love – Jesus Christ.
Because of the density of India’s population, the roads are packed with people, cars, bicycles and motorcycles. There seems not much attention is given to traffic laws, vehicle lanes or pedestrians. There is not enough time for this blog to completely explain how chaotic the roads are.
Yesterday was awesome! We had the wonderful and humbling opportunity to worship with Khodagaon Christian Church in Delhi. Khodagaon is one of CICM’s 1,449 church plants and also has a small Bible College attached. We arrived late due to the traffic, but when we arrived they quickly brought us down a hallway that led to the stage. We sat on the stage along the back wall, while the church worshiped through songs to God. Then they greeted us by clapping and giving us a traditional Indian welcome putting Lei’s on us all. Dave delivered a beautiful message from the Lord. After service we had the opportunity to meet the 15 young men from the Bible College who have devoted their lives to the cause of spreading The Gospel and God’s church even in the face of real persecution. Tomorrow we visit the church in Agra and then head on to Damoh to begin our time of training and encouragement at CICM’s main campus. God is alive and well in India!
Thanks == Fiona, Jared, L.B., Denise, Dave
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