Yesterday about half of our group walked over to Union Church here in Ooty for Sunday worship. C. T. Studd pastored this church, which is over 150 years old, at one point in its history.
I walked along with Satendra, the man whose name I couldn't remember in my last post. He is from the tribal areas of N. Bengal and is working in Bhutan. I have an interest in this part of S. Asia mainly because of the many students that we had at Woodstock School from this beautiful landlocked, closed kingdom. As we walked Satendra shared about the working of the Lord in Bhutan. When I was last in India and visiting N. Bengal, I met a husband and wife who are Bhutanese believers. Indians and Bhutanese move easily across each other's borders! It was so encouraging, and we were so lost in conversation that we got separated from the group and were actually heading away from the church! One of our number realized that we had done that and came running after us.
After church Mala and Greg along with two of their four children joined us for lunch at the Montauban Guest House! Mala is Dave and Cathy's daughter. She and Greg have been involved for a number of years here in India rescuing under aged girls from prostitution. I visited them two years ago briefly, but it was so good to hear them both share about God's leading in their lives to be here, and more about the work. We will be visiting the office and see their jewelry production work tomorrow. I am looking forward to that! Currently they have three girls in their Aftercare facility.
Mala was born in Kolkata, and when many of us who are gathered this week worked together out of the base on Camac Street, we played with her and loved her! She doesn't remember much about that, but we all remember her with a lot of love. We took a picture with her yesterday! Another great memory!
Montauban is feeding us breakfast and the evening meal. Yesterday, we had our main meal there in the middle of the day. Our schedule is relaxed, and we are enjoying a lot of fellowship. Each person is giving an update on their current ministry, and we are enjoying spending time together in prayer for all that God is doing in this land!!! After our time together yesterday evening, we were on our own for supper. I am one of only four women here, and the only one without a spouse. Many of my brothers, and I do feel that close to them from our relationship that is being renewed after 35 plus years, are here without their wives, so they were happy to have me wander into the bazaar with them to find a place to eat. I was so happy because I enjoyed spicy alu channa (potatoes with chick peas) and naan! It was a treat!
Four of the men who are here are Bengali speaking, and they took me along with them for lunch today. Three of these men were my brothers back in the 70s and one of them is new to me. He has such a testimony!!! He would have been a candidate to live in a facility like Pauline Bhavan, and was in a Kolkata orphanage at one point in his life. The very dramatic change in his life from a life of anger, hatred and violence . . . God has used him to be apart of planting 70 churches in W. Bengal. He works with his father in law who is one of my "old" brothers!
I really am so blessed by the time here. The relationships that are being renewed, and the realization that even when I was young and in this land, the Lord did clearly knit my heart together with many. How is He going to use this in the future? I am being encouraged, "Come and visit." Lord, what is your will??? I would love to go up to N. Bengal in Jan for a conference. Let's see what they have to say about that in Kolkata!!!
I walked along with Satendra, the man whose name I couldn't remember in my last post. He is from the tribal areas of N. Bengal and is working in Bhutan. I have an interest in this part of S. Asia mainly because of the many students that we had at Woodstock School from this beautiful landlocked, closed kingdom. As we walked Satendra shared about the working of the Lord in Bhutan. When I was last in India and visiting N. Bengal, I met a husband and wife who are Bhutanese believers. Indians and Bhutanese move easily across each other's borders! It was so encouraging, and we were so lost in conversation that we got separated from the group and were actually heading away from the church! One of our number realized that we had done that and came running after us.
After church Mala and Greg along with two of their four children joined us for lunch at the Montauban Guest House! Mala is Dave and Cathy's daughter. She and Greg have been involved for a number of years here in India rescuing under aged girls from prostitution. I visited them two years ago briefly, but it was so good to hear them both share about God's leading in their lives to be here, and more about the work. We will be visiting the office and see their jewelry production work tomorrow. I am looking forward to that! Currently they have three girls in their Aftercare facility.
Mala was born in Kolkata, and when many of us who are gathered this week worked together out of the base on Camac Street, we played with her and loved her! She doesn't remember much about that, but we all remember her with a lot of love. We took a picture with her yesterday! Another great memory!
Montauban is feeding us breakfast and the evening meal. Yesterday, we had our main meal there in the middle of the day. Our schedule is relaxed, and we are enjoying a lot of fellowship. Each person is giving an update on their current ministry, and we are enjoying spending time together in prayer for all that God is doing in this land!!! After our time together yesterday evening, we were on our own for supper. I am one of only four women here, and the only one without a spouse. Many of my brothers, and I do feel that close to them from our relationship that is being renewed after 35 plus years, are here without their wives, so they were happy to have me wander into the bazaar with them to find a place to eat. I was so happy because I enjoyed spicy alu channa (potatoes with chick peas) and naan! It was a treat!
Four of the men who are here are Bengali speaking, and they took me along with them for lunch today. Three of these men were my brothers back in the 70s and one of them is new to me. He has such a testimony!!! He would have been a candidate to live in a facility like Pauline Bhavan, and was in a Kolkata orphanage at one point in his life. The very dramatic change in his life from a life of anger, hatred and violence . . . God has used him to be apart of planting 70 churches in W. Bengal. He works with his father in law who is one of my "old" brothers!
I really am so blessed by the time here. The relationships that are being renewed, and the realization that even when I was young and in this land, the Lord did clearly knit my heart together with many. How is He going to use this in the future? I am being encouraged, "Come and visit." Lord, what is your will??? I would love to go up to N. Bengal in Jan for a conference. Let's see what they have to say about that in Kolkata!!!
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