Dear friend,
Nina and I returned safely from South Asia on Feb 11, and have quickly jumped back into a full program with the children and street boys at the Drop-In Center and on the street. Today we both dressed up in traditional Indian dress and answered a host of questions that the boys asked us: “What was the food like?” “How was your first time in an airplane, Nina?” “Do the Indians dance around a fire with hardly any clothes on?” “Who are the best Indian movie stars?” One of the boys even gave us a live concert of Indian music… and it was pretty impressive, since Gypsies are said to have come from India years ago. There are interesting similarities between Indian and Gypsy culture.
So you're probably wondering, “What was it like?” That's what everyone keeps asking me. Honestly, that's the hardest question to answer. It's easier to answer a specific question like, “What do they wear?” or “Did you like the food?” Everything was so new and different from anything I have ever experienced that it takes quite a while to explain. In any case, thank you for your constant prayers. We felt God's provision and protection for us throughout our journey.
One example of His provision was in Madras during our last week. We were staying in a hotel with plans to visit the WMF Madras children's homes, but with no transportation. Well, on the very first day we met an auto-rickshaw driver who offered us fair prices and had a cell phone for us to call whenever we needed a ride. This was much easier than trying to barter with a different driver all the time, always getting a bad deal because we were foreigners. Rama, the driver, affectionately “adopted” us as his daughters for the week and made sure we saw the most important sites including St. Thomas ' Church and the Mount of St. Thomas where he is said to have been martyred.
I have many more stories, but will simply share the following reflection and hope that there will be time to share with you in person when I am home in April. I'll be with my family in New Hampshire for Easter and plan to share at Byfield Parish Church during the week of April 3, as well as at Gordon College in some missions
Blessings to you. Hope to see you soon!
In Christ,
Rachel
Rachel, Rama and Nina
The Kingdom Come
In Nepal and India my heart was broken to see firsthand the discrepancy of wealth that exists in our world. Never have I seen poverty in such magnitude… whole families living on the sidewalk under a tarp and cooking their food over an open fire. As I spent time with the staff who live and serve in these countries, I was struck by this verse in Ecclesiastes:
Again I saw all the people who were mistreated here on earth. I saw their tears and that they had no one to comfort them. Cruel people had all the power, and there was no one to comfort those they hurt. (Ecclesiastes 4:1)
These are days when it seems that “cruel people have all the power.” Where is mercy, where is compassion? Who is fighting for the rights of the poor? So many are left without anything to hope for, only the assurance that their families will continue to stubbornly survive under the oppression of unjust power structures in an indifferent world.
I was moved to tears by seeing the children who suffer malnutrition in Kathmandu , the families that live on the streets in Calcutta , the girls caught in prostitution. But what I observed in South Asia among the WMF staff gave me hope. Daily they are reaching out to touch the poor and serve Jesus. One person at a time, one kind word, one hug at a time they are the body of Christ comforting those who have no one to comfort them.
They are tending wounds, wiping away tears, holding hands and sharing meals with those who are ignored by the world around them. They are embracing the poor and suffering alongside them, sharing what they have and offering hope. This is the kingdom of God in our midst. Jesus is our King and by His grace we can offer hope to those who have suffered much. And my prayer is that we may all likewise open our hearts and hands to the poor in our midst, showing that the kingdom of heaven has come.
Marina Beach, Madras , India St. Thomas Mount, Madras , India