Bethania Journey

We weren’t here during peak flower blossom time, which is from MarchxMay and September-October. But we still saw some lovely blooms. Here’s a random selection. 

As we discussed at dinner this evening, our day today was nearly indescribable.  Our reduced-size group moved from south India to the north.  We left our luxury resort at 4 a.m. to fly north into the very serious air pollution of Delhi.  Donning our face masks, we proceeded to a tour of some of the city’s sightseeing highlights. Delhi is a city that very much shows it’s history as a British-occupied area, with broad, tree-lined avenues lined with gated and guarded villas.  The old city is distinctly India, while New Delhi seems European.  But India is a country that has a vast mixture of cultures, and it’s ancient history has been influenced by Hindu and Muslim rulers, among both.  Today we visited two prominent Muslim sites, the Jama Masjid and the Red Fort. Situated in Old Delhi, the Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India.  It can hold 25,000 people for prayer within it’s walls.  Since today was Friday, the mosque was full of people who...

Team member Walt H. Shares some of his thoughts abouthis Bethania Journey: One of the thoughts that  has kept going thr ough  my head as we have travelled around in  India this past week   is the amazing contrasts on so many levels.   Amazing places of beauty and  then  the trash , sometimes immediately juxtaposed.  Stunning colors and  then  very drab.  Poverty  very prevalent , but then places of opulence.   The roads  are daunting , what we consider alleys are two way streets , lanes are only  suggestions, and a two lane road is really at least  3 and a half, but then add the walking traffic als o. The Bethania sites  all showed forth the transformative power of love and joy that has touched each of the children , the women and all of the staff.    The power of the love of  Jesus was always very evident  at each of the sites that we visited.   The very creative ac...

As a group, we made our last visit to a Bethania facility yesterday.  Leaving our new friends in Kodaikanal and driving down the mountain, we proceeded to Nagercoil, the location of Grace Home for Girls.  Currently, fifty-two girls between the ages of 6-18 live there.     All around the home are posters about strong women, both contemporary and Biblical.  There is an emphasis here on raising up independent, educated young women.  While the girls spend time each day in Bible study and hymn singing, they are never forced to become Christian, as is the case in all Bethania facilities.  Beside  traditional school subjects, they also receive training in art, music and dance.  Their traditional dances were lovely to see. We shared games and treats with the girls, and dinner with several staff members. As usual, we heard stories of girls who had survived abandonment, abuse and neglect, and are now safe in a loving and supportive environment.  ...

...Share with God’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality. Paul, in his letter to the Romans exhorts us to show love in a variety of ways.  In the last 7 days, we have seen so many examples of kindness, generosity and hospitality from the women, girls, and boys of Bethania in India.  One could read the verse above and assume that we are the ones who are sharing with those in need, and that the people of Bethania are the ones showing hospitality.  But it has worked both ways.  They have shared with us, and we are all in need of connection, visions of beauty, and robust singing that assures us of the love of God.  And we have shared hospitality with them in the games, treats, laughter and hugs that we have given them. We must not assume that they are always the ones in need and we are always the ones who provide.  All of us on this Bethania Journey are richer because of the gifts we have been given here. On Tuesday, we ventured outside of Kod...

There have been so many experiences here that give voice to the hymn that forms the title of this post:  Jesus shall reign where’ere the sun does his successive journeys run.   On our first day we visited two shrines dedicated to St. Thomas the Apostle, who came to India only 20 or so years after Jesus died. He first came to an established Jewish community on the west coast, but within another 20 years had reached Chennai, on the east coast. The Christian church that he established has 65 million adherents today, including several hundred adults and children whom we have met on this trip who are being cared for, or being employed by the Bethania organization in India. In our visits to the programs of Bethania, we have seen so much Christian love and compassion in action, and have had an opportunity to sit with children and adults who do not look like us, or speak the same language, or even view the world in the same way.  We sang and prayed with them, watched them da...