As we were landing, it seemed there was a haze in the air.  Once on the ground, it now smelled like smoke.  This was my first impression of the dirt and smells that seemed to be everywhere.  Richard Samuel, head of Christ Community Ministries supported by Fishhook, later said the haze was fog that is very common to Delhi in the winter.  Not sure what the smoky smell was. I was amazed at the poor condition of India’s primary airport.  It literally seemed to be falling apart.  Our bags did arrive safely.  Richard had just gotten in from Madurai a few minutes before we arrived and came to meet us as we exited baggage claim.  At the YMCA we found they did not have the double room we needed and we had to upgrade (3,900 R or $130) to the “Suite”.  This suite is another example of things falling apart.
KT – The “Suite” was fine, complete with private bath, but not what you would expect for the price.  Still, it’s adequate and the cost includes breakfast and dinner.

December 2 – Delhi
WDT - After a Curry breakfast discussing Sikhs and other interesting things, our Sikh driver took Richard and I out to the market to look for locks for our bags.  We only had to drive around in the Toyota Innova minivan for 5 minutes before we found the “Lock Vendor” with all his wares laid out on the sidewalk.  After less time than what it would take in a Wal-Mart we had exactly what I needed and were back at the YMCA.  We then drove around looking at the sights in old Delhi.  Packed streets, rickshaws, three-wheel taxis, homeless, dirt, handcarts, horns honking, street vendors with food, temple offerings, maps and a few children selling balloons and things.  Didn’t really see any beggars.
KT – We saw lots of the tourist sights of the city:
•    The Red Fort, a huge structure of red stone dating from the Mogul empires of the 12th and 13th centuries,
•    The Qutb Minar, also a remnant of the 13th century Moguls, is a 72 meter tower as well as the surrounding ruins from that era, with architecture similar to the Alhambra in southern Spain
•    The wide avenues of expensive homes, diplomatic residences and embassies
•    The President’s Palace, government buildings and Parliament
•    The burial grounds for important officials, including Indira Gandhi
•    The memorial site where Mohandas Gandhi was killed
•    The Indian Gate, a sandstone arch that memorializes the 90,000 Indians who died in World War I
•    People standing in long lines at a large Hindu temple with their offerings of rice, coconuts, flowers, etc.
•    The Walls ice cream cart that had fantastic almond fudge bars
WDT – Later talked to Richard about the poor water in India after seeing Potable water trucks picking up water from wells that had sewage running above them.  Coke had been in trouble about pesticides found in their product.  The government then tried to hold Coke to a standard that it did not even have. Richard thinks a Hindu lack of belief in absolutes has resulted in the Parliament’s inability to pass any water standards.  No absolutes, no standards.  This is a problem in many areas of infrastructure.

December 3 – Agra
WDT – Breakfast with Richard… Annie is from a higher caste than he and we talked about mixed caste and arranged marriages.  Then he introduced us to Kapil, a librarian from the GS school who was to be our escort to the Taj Mahal.  Street scenes during the four hour drive were interesting with Delhi traffic, Auto-Rickshaws, children beggars, monkeys and cobras, tractors pulling heavy loads of bricks, divided highway with cars going both directions on BOTH sides.  Never seem to have the camera ready at the right moment with so many sights to capture.  When arriving at the Taj parking lot we were accosted by rickshaw vendors, children peddling trinkets, camels with carts.  Bad smells and camel feces for ½ mile walk to entrance were overwhelming.  So much for a build-up to one of the 7 wonders of the world.  Taj was very impressive.  Finished in 1648 in memory of a Mogul’s wife, the white marble glows in the sun and the marble inlays and carvings were beautiful.  Bought sweetmeats for the school children we will visit tomorrow.  I gave a leftover sample to a small (probably 4 year old) beggar girl who was dancing for money as I was getting back in the car.  I can still see her dirty face as she wiggled and then laid face down in the dirt in one of her “moves”.  She gobbled the sweetmeat down.  Then as we started moving she moved in front of the car and frantically waved her hands to get us to also give her brother a candy.  We did not stop… The condition of vehicles range from new Toyota’s to what appear to be 1956 trucks with lots of missing parts.  Did I mention “falling apart”?  Most of these vehicles are the best example of that phrase yet.  But Richard has taken terrific care of us; we are in one of the new Toyotas!
KT – Indian culture seems so bizarre to me.  It is really hard to understand the interactions between people, not to mention all the strange sights you see on the streets.  I guess I shouldn’t expect to easily understand a land where cows wander around wherever they darn well please because they are “holy.”  I can’t imagine a life where your highest hope is to be reincarnated as a bovine idol.  All along the road on our trip to the Taj, we saw large and small Hindu temples, and also our driver pointed out one large Sikh temple.  India is full of people (and I mean literally full, with 1.2 billion people) on a quest for spiritual things, but the evidence of the darkness is all around.  I am looking forward to spending time with our sisters and brothers in the Lord to see the amazing things I know He is doing in India.

December 4 – Delhi with The Good Samaritans
WDT – Ashish was a little late in picking us up due to a traffic jam.  He works as a counselor for The Good Samaritan Schools and also is the assistant pastor at a small AG church with his father.  Seems very personable and helpful.  In about 45 minutes we arrived at the Dakshinpuri campus.  The last bit of the drive was through the slum area where the children who attend the school live.  As we walked up to the building that was donated by the slum association a group of 15 children greeted us placing garlands around our necks and handing us bouquets of roses and carnations.  Then they sang and danced Jesus in the Morning and Trading my Sorrows.  These are children whose lives had been filled with filth, desperation, hunger, pain, and exploitation who were now clean, with bright eyes, in uniforms and singing at the top of their lungs about the love and care they had found in Jesus.  Trading in sorrows indeed.  We then went to each of the five crowded classrooms where 20-30 children would sing a song, a few of them would recite memorized scripture, they would show us their school work and then give us cards they had made for us.   As we said goodbye to each class they would all want to run forward to shake our hands as the teachers tried hard to maintain order.  This humbling experience set the tone for the entire day.

KT - We climbed back in the taxi and followed Asheesh on his motorcycle to the Madanpur Khader campus.  This campus is in an area where the government relocated a slum several years ago.  In this desolate area, the school is an oasis with its modest, yet relatively clean, neat facility.  They had put up some glittery decorations (not sure id that was for us or for Christmas – either way they do like to decorate; we’ve seen that in their churches, too).  Again we went to each classroom.  One thing they always do at all the campuses is when we walked in their classroom, they all rose to their feet on cue and said, “Good morning, ma’am.  Good morning, sir.”  If we said, “Good morning.  How are you?”  in unison they would all say, “Fine.  Thank you.”  Here too they sang, recited verses and answered our questions about their school work.  In each class we spoke a little to tell them that we and our friends with Fishhook International know about them and are praying for them and for India.  We also encouraged them to work hard in their studies and to love the Lord with all their hearts. On this property they also have a little church building where they hold weekly services for the community.  Also there is a clean, grassy area (which is unheard of in the slums) where the children can play.  They prepare a simple lunch at the school for the children because most of them have very little to eat at home.  They offered us a taste of the rice dish they were going to serve that day, and Will tried some.  (Don’t worry, Mother, I declined!)

WT - Our last stop of the day was at the Jasola main campus where the new building capable of holding 2,000 has been completed.  This is a beautiful facility that is amazing in every way.  Like the other schools we were welcomed by a group of smiling, singing dancing students who presented us with garlands.  Ananthi invited us into her office for a coke and cookie and we talked about her vision.  Currently 615 students are enrolled in this building with this number limited by the operating budget required for daily expenses to teach these kids.  This budget is currently around $30,000 per month.  Laura Marie is promoting scholarships and grants in the US to help fund this current level and then additional funds that will allow student growth to fill the school.  Ananthi also told us about how difficult it is to work with the Government due to red tape and corruption.  Even with these issues she described many times when God provided the contacts at just the right time. Then we spent time in prayer with her asking God to provide resources and accreditation so these children could be influences for Christ in India

December 5 – Bangalore
KT - We had an early morning flight with Richard on Jet Airways from Delhi to Bangalore to see the work that Richard’s sister Salome is doing with the Phoebe Home for teenage girls.  We first visited the separate Center where they teach computer and sewing classes to girls from the slums who otherwise would literally have no hope and no future.  In their one year long program they prepare sixty girls annually for a job either as a seamstress or a job in the business world starting out either in data entry or some type of bookkeeping or something like that.  The sewing path or the computer path is determined based on a girl’s education to that point and her natural inclinations.  The girls gathered in the sewing center and sang to us, and many of them shared their testimonies.  They all come from extreme poverty.  Some had no parents, some had only one, some had alcoholic fathers.  Many had both parents, but were just not able to provide for their families. The girls were so sweet and humble as they shared about what Jesus has done for them.  Salome said that nearly 100% give their hearts to Him while they are in the program.

WDT – After we left the Center we had a great lunch with Richard and Salome.  The Tandoori chicken and Nan were great.  The Phoebe Home was next and only a few minutes away.  We walked up the steps to the 2nd (out of three) or main floor and were greeted by 30 girls ranging in age from 12 to 20.  Some were orphans, some had one parent that couldn’t really provide for them.   Some came from Hindu homes where they were no longer welcome.  In front row were girls still in school in 5th to 12th grade.  Two sisters had just scored in the top of their classes on the standardized test.  Richard asked them to share how they came to the home.   There were difficult home situations of all types, drunkenness, abuse, lack of care.  They were all so happy to be in a place were they were loved and cared for, and be in a community where they could pray together, study the Bible and learn about Jesus.  They quoted memorized scripture, certainly more than I have ever done!  Then Richard asked them if anyone had ever seen Jesus.  Six or seven then stood up and talked about times when Jesus had appeared in visions and dreams to calm their fears and give them affirmation.  After he kidded with the girls, Richard challenged the girls to memorize Psalm 119 (the longest Psalm-176 verses!) He asked who would do it by Christmas (3 weeks) when he came back if he gave them a Gold stud earring.  20 hands shot up.  Richard will need some help paying for all these earrings!

The thought that occurred to me is that these girls have such potential.  Their faith in God is so strong.  Due to the Phoebe Home these girls will become powerful Women of God.  After we finished they proudly showed us their lockers that contained everything they owned.  These were stored in the 6 bedrooms (3 each on the 2nd and 3rd floors).  At night they pulled out mats and slept on the tile floor in the hallways and living room.

December 6 – Chennai
KT – I think the “easy” part of our trip is over now.  We are on the go pretty much constantly.  Today was another early morning flight (without Richard, although he did take us to the airport)  Ghuna was at the Chennai airport to meet us.   He first took us to the Hotel President where we are staying.  (I know it sounds like a ritzy place, but trust me, it is pretty rough.  The sheets seem clean though, so we’ll survive two nights here.)  At the hotel we met with a pastor who is under Ghuna and is working in a tribal area.  He shared his testimony about being born into a Catholic family, but they stopped going to church and became Hindus because there were some benefits from the government they could get by doing so.  But in his heart, he always knew there was only one true God.  When he was a teenager, he was hanging around with a wild crowd, but he had one friend who was a believer.  That friend led him to the Lord.  He told us about his very difficult work in this tribal area where he has to take a bus trip of several hours and then go by foot up into some hills for several kilometers.  On top of the difficulty of this work, he had a son who died last year, and now his 7 year old son is very ill.  We must continue to pray for him.  Soon we were off in a rented van with a driver out of the city and into the villages.  We drove about 2 hours to a newly established church where they were waiting for us to have a special service.  (This is the church that was established after Ghuna and Tim Philpot stopped to take a photo of some girls carrying firewood on their heads.  Ghuna shared the gospel with them, they gave their hearts to Jesus, and eventually a group of people became believers, and now there is church of 60 or so people.)It is a humbling experience walking into these churches.  They are all seated on the floor- men on one side, women on the other.  We walk up to the front to sit in the only chairs in the room.  They welcome us warmly and place garlands around our necks.  They sang with only a little drum as instrumental background.  There was lots of enthusiastic rhythmic clapping though, and I found a tambourine near my seat to use also.  The beautiful daughters of the area pastor danced.  Then Will and I each shared a little (with Ghuna translating) and then Ghuna preached.

WT – One of the highlights was at the end of the service when we handed out the Christmas clothes gifts that Fishhook funded.  You could tell from their faces that these folks were very grateful.  Next door to the church was an open cistern where we went for the baptism of 15 new believers.  I climbed in with Ghuna and helped while Kim got to stay dry and give each one a new Christian name.  The new name usually replaced a name that reflected a Hindu god.  As they left the water each one was given a new simple piece of clothing.

KT – On our away to lunch we stopped by to see the Poondi church.  Then it was a short drive to the area pastor’s house (Sam, his wife, two daughters and son were a sweet family)  Here we were served lunch by candlelight as the rain had knocked out their electricity.  It was no big deal to them.  It happens regularly

One thing I want to note here is that Ghuna’s ministry is more widespread than I ever imagined.  He not only has the extensive work at Mt. Zion, but all the work in these villages where over 700 congregations have been planted over the last 15 years.  Seventy-four of them have buildings.  He only goes into villages that have no believers.  If there is already a body of believers there, he won’t go in because they are covering that village.  He wants to reach the unreached.  So nearly all of these converts are coming from Hindu backgrounds and would have no knowledge of Jesus at all before Ghuna or one of his evangelists goes into their village.

Also Ghuna is a kindred spirit to Ford Philpot.  He is constantly talking to people about Jesus, wherever we go – restaurants, coffee stops wherever.  And he does it in such a gracious friendly way.  He doesn’t try to argue with them or point out where Hinduism falls short, he just tells them about the love of Jesus and gives them the Gospel.  Another thing that is like Ford is Ghuna’s incredible zeal and energy to keep doing this difficult work with grueling schedules week in and week out.

WT – Ghuna wanted us to meet one of his long-time board member’s so we stopped by for sweets and something to drink.  This man had been the superintendent of the local school after which he became a Christian.  He is now highly respected in the Christian community and is an advisor to pastors.  Ghuna says he is closer than a blood brother.  Within 30 minutes we arrived in yet another bustling village and the bus pulled over in front of a loudspeaker blaring with music.  We walked into a small area, probably 15 feet by 40 feet, between two other buildings. In front of a very small glistening white concrete building with a thatched roof a colorful canopy covered 30 church members.  They were patiently waiting on us to dedicate this new building.  After some singing and introductions we helped with a ribbon cutting ceremony and everyone packed into this tiny little church for preaching.  Kim and I said a few words and then Ghuna preached.  I was particularly impressed with a man who had been singing when we first arrived and then translated Ghuna’s Tamil into English.  He did an excellent job (I think!).  Ghuna said he is a layman in this new church and a former government worker.  As with everyone else here he was very humble yet obviously passionate about Jesus.

We hurriedly got back on the bus as we were working on 15 pounds yet still just had the 5 pound bag….  We were too late for our 8pm reservations in Chennai so Ghuna scheduled us to meet Jaya, Joel, Persis, Jenitha, and Susan at a vegetarian restaurant that stayed open later.  This restaurant is frequented by the Brahman caste (the highest caste) as their religion requires them to be vegetarians.  They will typically come here for a meal after going to their temple to worship the god Brahma.  The menu was extensive and Ghuna ordered a little of many items so we could try different things.  We really enjoyed the vegetable rolls and deep fried cauliflower.

December 7, Andra Pradesh
Another early morning as we were picked up by the bus at 6:30 for the 5 hour drive to Singarayakonda for a church dedication and baptisms.  We picked up a couple area pastors.  After breakfast, a flat tire, and many kilometers we arrived.  This was a big church compared to some others we had been in.  We had another ribbon cutting ceremony and went inside for a service.  Again, we both said a few words of encouragement and Ghuna preached.

KT – Then we were off to baptize 45 people in a nearby lake.  Ghuna gave Will the option to help again but Will had some bleeding on one foot and, after seeing the lake and wanting to stay healthy, declined.  Ghuna later agreed that was the right choice as it was “not very good”.  Ghuna waded in with another man, and Will took photos.  As each one knelt in the water, Ghuna would ask their name, and then he would call out that this was “John Doe” usually a name representing a Hindu god, but now he is “___” and I would call out a new Christian name.  It was pretty daunting, giving people new names that would be their name from then on.  I just kept praying, asking the Holy Spirit for the right one.  The really challenging part was that 35 of the 45 people were women, and good Bible names for women are pretty limited.  To have enough, I used names like, Faith, Hope, Joy and even Glory.  Here again as they came out of the water, they were given new clothes

We stopped at the home of one of the men who had just been baptized. (He lives in a different village nearby.)   He had been a staunch Hindu, and in fact had caused problems for the church in the first village when they were putting up the building because he wanted to stop them.  But then (and I didn’t get exactly when or how this happened) he had a change of heart and gave his life to Jesus.  Now he is working to bring others to Jesus, He wants to give the ground floor of his house as a church in his village, and in fact already had an improvised sign above the door “Gospel Friends Church”. So while we were there, Ghuna prayed to dedicate this home to be the village church.  Then we went back to the first church where everyone had lunch together at the home of Pastor Moses. (outside of course)  Most of the food here is good, and they just keep bringing more and more different items and sort of hovering over you while you eat. Several pastors and Bible women from around the area were there, and as it turned out, it was “Payday.”  So we got a kick out of watching Ghuna and his accountant, who travels with him, pay travel expenses and payroll.  All in cash of course – no checks, direct deposits or wire transfers in the villages of India!  It was a 5 hour drive back to Hotel President so when we arrived at 10 pm, we were pretty tired after our 15 hour day with Ghuna!

December 8, Mount Zion
KT - We had an early morning flight from Chennai to Madurai so Ghuna picked us at the hotel at 5:20 to head to the airport.  When we landed, three guys from his Mt. Zion staff picked us up for the 2 hdrive to their campus where there is an orphanage for about 200 kids, a sewing training center and a Bible college.  We stopped for a quick breakfast.  We had had ours on the plane, but Ghuna wanted to feed his guys who had left at 5:30 to come pick us up.  On the way out of Madurai we picked up the principal of the Bible college who is a retired Anglican pastor.  At Mount Zion we had a ultra-festive welcome not only with the garlands that we receive everywhere we go, but also showers of flower petals, loud music and fireworks popping in the street.  After all that, we got a bit settled in our room which was very nice, large, clean and comfortable…. We had to get used to the “shower room” which also houses the toilet and sink, so when you take a shower the whole room is wet.  But, no matter, it is a great guest room.  We went to the chapel for a meeting with 90 pastors and their families from the surrounding area.  Same routine – Will and I shared through a translator and Ghuna preached.  Then we went around the campus and laid three foundation stones for new structures on campus – a new Boy’s Home, an Auditorium and a shopping / media / medical complex (which is actually at the edge of the nearby village.  After a one hour rest, we met with the Ghuna’s Gospel Friends board.  Most of that time was devoted to their outlining their current needs in their ministry.  After dinner they held a big program on the stage in the open square of the campus.  First there was much singing and dancing, and since we were seated on the stage, we were dragged (literally) into some of the dance routines.  Then the girls in the current sewing program were graduating, so Ghuna had us present them with their certificates as well as a new sewing machine for each girl.  (One interesting note is that the man who sells the machines to Ghuna is a Hindu. Not only does he extend credit for the payment, but also he always comes to the program where the girls are presented with the machines.)  Also during the program, some evangelists were presented with bicycles which they will use to get around to do their work.  Also cots and clothing were presented to some of the elderly people from the village.

December 9 – Mt Zion
KT - We spent the morning traveling with Ghuna to visit the churches in Sevalpatti, Sivalingapuram and Sivagiri.  In each place we handed out food and small gifts for the children (really small – like an ink pen for each).  Then we came back to Mt. Zion for the end of the service there (Ghuna’s wife Jaya was the preacher for that service.  I was sorry to miss it.)  Anyway we were there in time to participate in the Lord’s Supper.  We had a picnic lunch in the coconut grove which was a lot of fun.  We had a chance to rest some in the afternoon.  Late in the afternoon we spent some time with children who were playing outside.  They love to try to talk to us and have their pictures taken with us.  Ghuna gave us a tour of the campus to see the homes for the children, the Bible college, the sewing center and the kitchen where everyone takes a turn at helping to peel, chop, boil, wash or whatever.  Then we took part in another program in the chapel in the evening (coerced into dancing on the stage again – they seem to get a kick out of that!) Before that was over, we left with Ghuna for Sankarankoil for a joint Christmas program (several churches took part) where Ghuna preached a lively sermon.  About 500 people attended.  It was pretty late when we got back to Mt. Zion - nearly 10:00 by the time we had supper!

December 10 – Tuticorin
KT - After breakfast the children were there to give us a little send off from Mt Zion.  They have made us feel very welcome and loved because they are so full of the love and joy of the Lord.  Ghuna and his staff are doing an amazing job here. We have seen a side of Ghuna we hadn’t seen before with the children.  They all adore him and call him “Tata”  (Grandfather)  .
After our send off, Richard Samuel picked us up and we were off for a 2 ½ hour drive to Tuticorin.  It is located nearly at the southern tip of India on the coast.  Our first stop was at Faith Fellowship “Beach Road” Church.  The senior pastor was a friendly, quiet man who oversees a total of nine churches and para church organizations.  Richard said he has always been very helpful and supportive to their family.  The pastor gave us a tour.  They have a beautiful, spacious worship center, and they are building an addition on the roof.  That happens a lot here. Because they have flat roofs and outside steps leading up,, they can just add rooms on the top.  Then we had a time of sharing with some of the church elders and some members of the Jesus Family from Tuticorin who had gathered to meet us.  Next we went to the Zion Church where Dorothy leads the Women’s Bible Training.  (Interesting note - Dorothy ‘s younger brother is married to Richard’s sister Salome.  Dorothy’s daughter is married to Richard’s brother Paulus.  Dorothy’s brother’s daughter is married to Annie Samuel’s brother.  How’s that for an inter connected family?!!!)  We really enjoyed the 10 young women (probably age 18-20) in the Bible Training class.  They sang and shared their testimonies with us.  Then we went to lunch with Dorothy and the pastor.  We drove past the shore where wooden sailboats are built just like they were in Jesus’ day (except these have motors).  We got a good picture of those.  Then we visited the Amy Carmichael Home which is a residence for destitute women, both young and old,   They have an acre or two of land where they keep a couple of cows and a flock of chickens to supply their milk and eggs;  also they sometimes have enough to sell.  After that visit, we headed to Madurai to Richard’s house.  This 2 hour trip was probably the most harrowing drive we had.  The road is busy with big trucks in the evening because they have picked up loads from the ships in Tuticorin and are heading to other parts of the country.  So even by the standards of India traffic, it was pretty bad.  We even saw one big truck laying on its side by the side of the road.  We praised the Lord when we arrived safely at Richard and Annie’s place.  We had fun getting to know their four children: Timmy (10), Alicia (7), Lydene (5), and Kristina (4).

December 11 – Madurai
WT - This morning we joined Annie and the kids on the ride to the Christian English school that’s about 20 minutes from their house.  This school was started by a businessman whose wife has a real heart for education.  I noticed a lot of Dhotis and Annie explained the differences between white and plaid, long and short.  I now have a dohti but will need some lessons in how to put it on securely before I take the risk of wearing it in public.  (The boys are going to hate that!)

We then drove the 22km (13 miles) to the CCM retreat center for the monthly CCM staff retreat.  Since the land was purchased the surrounding area has begun to be developed and is increasing rapidly in value.  This is north of Madurai and the road rises slowly into the rolling and dry landscape.  As you pull into the property you first see the chapel which is situated facing the mountains called the “Western Gods”.  The view is beautiful and for now at least is very remote and peaceful.  This is such a change from the crowded cities, roads and villages that dominate most of India.

After a short service we walked down the hill about 100 yards to the cross-shaped baptismal pool.  I assisted in the baptism of eight men and women.  After returning to the chapel we had communion.  I got a little carried away and without realizing it served the bread to seven or eight Hindu women.  One of the Hindu women reportedly turned and asked Sarah, “What do I do with this?”  Oh well, maybe she’ll understand some day.  The pastor then had to cleanup after me and retrieve the wafers.

KT – As we sat in the chapel and enjoyed the view, we ate the lunch they had brought.  We had a break from curried Indian food since Richard and Annie brought chicken sandwiches and fries for us.  Then we went down the hill in a slightly different direction and participated in planting some coconut trees (a 2 foot seedling growing right out of a coconut) in a grove they are starting.  They will bear fruit in only about 3 years from now.  Next we took a little hike to another part of the property where they want to build a small prayer chapel.  We had a time of prayer and laid the foundation stone.  It will be awesome to go back when that prayer chapel is there someday in God’s time.  Then we hiked on to the far end of the property which is up on a ridge.  Again we had a time of prayer for the whole property, dedicating it to the Lord’s use and His glory.  Then Richard shared how on his last trip to the US this fall, he felt a real burden for the body of Christ in our country like he had never felt before.  So we then had a really earnest time of prayer for the US.  Many staff members prayed with such passion and zeal, so that even though we didn’t understand their words, we felt the earnestness and sincerity of their heart cries.  It was really incredible.  By that time dusk was falling quickly, so we had to hurry back to the waiting vans.  By the time we got there, it was completely dark.  Kristina and Lydene sat on my and Will’s laps on the way home, and Kristina fell sound asleep in my lap.  They are really sweet children.

December 12 – Madurai

WT - We had a nice long breakfast and great conversation with Richard and Annie until 11am.  Then Richard took us to the Crown Ministries office which is only a block away from his house.  This is a VERY impressive office.  His staff presented us with standard garlands (seems we received garlands AT LEAST once a day!)  After a tour of the office Richard took us into the conference room where a couple of his staff showed us the materials Crown they are translating and publishing in 27 languages.  They can print these in India for $1.50. (Hardbacks are all of $2.50)  They are also creating some Crown resources that are more appropriate for the Indian culture and life style.  Using conferences, they have already trained 30,000 pastors.  They are now publishing Larry Burkett’s God’s Principals Business.  At the end we got to see video testimonies from pastors and businessmen regarding the impact that Crown has had on their lives, both in church and business.

While Kim shopped for a blouse she could where to a Hindu wedding, Richard took me to the CCM office for a meeting of Jesus Family members from this area.  They were worshipping upstairs and we joined them.  When Richard asked me to speak I told that while India had 330 million gods, America has almost 300 million also.  With our emphasis on individualism and success the gods in America are ourselves.  At the end they asked me to help pass out the Christmas clothes for the Jesus Family families.

At the end of the day Richard and I joined Kim, Annie and the rest of the family at the property where their new house will be built.  This place will be amazing.  Richard already constructed a 20 foot tower with a cross on top in the middle of the one acre tract.  Other believers are already drawn by this tower to pray.  The engineer is a Christian brother (maybe Richard’s cousin) who helped build the Tuticorin Church and was there to help us lay the foundation stone.  We had a great time of prayer and dedication for a beautiful home that will allow Richard and Annie to provide for their family and the constant flow of guests which their culture expects them to host.

December 13 – Madurai
KT – Annie and I went to the Hindu wedding of a neighbor’s son.  (Richard and Annie rent the ground floor of a house on a street where some of the houses are really nice.  Their two bedroom flat is humble and too small for their family, not to mention the guests they frequently host which requires their whole family to sleep togther.) The wedding was pretty interesting.  It is a wealthy family, so it was a huge affair with about 2000 people.  It was held at a country club type place under a huge tent.  There were all kinds of traditional rituals, but no speaking at all, which seemed really odd to me.  Lots of people were moving around on the stage and sort of bumping into each other as if there was no plan on who would be in which spot.  There were also some priest-type guys doing rituals which I didn’t understand, and Annie didn’t either.  Also there was one part where the bride followed the groom around in a circle and then he put a gold necklace around her neck which is the official part of the wedding.  Afterwards all the guests, including us, were served a traditional Indian meal on long tables.  The food was served on each person’s individual banana leaf!
WT - While Kim, Annie, Lyddie and Kristina went to the wedding, Richard took me to see the original property purchased for the CCM office.  This is four acres within a kilometer of their new house property.  Since the CCM office will now be built at the retreat center, they are considering how to use this property.  One option is as a retirement community for revenue generation.  The Fishhook board needs to be aware of this change since some money was given to the original intent of the office site.   Richard then took me to the property and house that a friend is letting him use for the woodworking ministry.  Here, scrap wood is ripped, sanded, finished, and then printed with scripture.  These are currently used for gifts for CCM constituents

The CCM office was next as Richard’s staff was anxious to show me around.  No garlands here, but they did provide two beautiful flower arrangements.  Their bookkeeper was happy to show me their meticulous records.  The board treasurer audits EVERY expense EVERY month.  He then provides an audit report to the board documenting any issues found.  This is a very detailed report.  Then the external auditor audits EVERY expense for the year and also provides a report to the board.  This process is actually more than required by the government but Richard is convinced that it is necessary to for good stewardship.

KT – Next we went into the center of Madurai to see the huge Hindu temple (one hall inside is over a kilometer long and contains 1000 columns).  Parts of the temple date from 2000 BC.  We also did some shopping for some really cool Christmas stars that we had seen hanging everywhere.  Also I got a new Indian salvar (tunic top and pants) which is really beautiful.

WT - Next they took us to see part of the Mahal Palace, built in 1636 by King Thirumali Nayak.  Although it is a sad state of repair, you can tell it was magnificent in its time.  This king promoted Hindu arts and this particular building was primarily a courtyard used for artistic performances.  He reportedly gave bags of gold to those artists he liked.  He also used good military strategies to keep his kingdom the only one not conquered by the Muslim Mogels.

We were glad that Richard’s brothers Raymond (one year older) and Paulus (one year younger) were able to come by the house before we headed to the airport.  Both these guys are doing really good ministry.  Raymond works in disaster relief and Paulus does counseling, runs an orphanage, as well as extensive involvement in aids relief.

On the way to the airport we took Samuels out to dinner at the Pandiyan Hotel.  Tim and Stephen like this place and typically stay here when in Madurai.  Looks like an excellent place, especially with Richard’s negotiated rate of $55 a night.

December 14 – Chennai

WT - Our last day in India began with breakfast at the YWCA with Ghuna and Joel. They came to bring a CD of pictures and videos, one last conversation and to see how the rest of our trip had gone.  We had a good time with them and said goodbye.  Richard then took us to FabIndia to buy Christmas presents.  After finding that the store was in the middle of inventory and would not open till 11AM they store clerk suggested that we go to their main store a few minutes away.  Turns out it is an even bigger store with better selection of natural cotton traditional Indian clothes.  They had a great selection of shirts and blouses in every size, style, and print.  Richard will be going here from now on.  Richard also purchased the fudgy brownies on the counter for his kids.  We followed his lead and did not regret it.  They were great!  Our flight was over an hour late leaving Chennai due to fog delays in Delhi, but we still had time to make to Ananthi’s guest flat to change clothes.  She had ordered a pizza from Pizza Hut which was a nice change and had Cokes, water and bananas for us.  The hospitality here has been incredible.   Everyone has gone way out of their way to meet our every need.  We can learn a lot about hospitality from these guys.

We are now at the Indira Gandhi International Airport waiting for our 11:55pm flight to Newark.  This has been a great trip.  God has shown us His favor in protecting us from harm (intestinal, driving, disease, etc.), opened our eyes to needs we could never have imagined, and shown us how faithful and obedient Indians have followed His call to change the hearts and lives of their countrymen.  We also need to respond.