Lora’s Reflection: Why Go To Bethania?

India has been on my “bucket list” for 10 years now - ever since my friend, Mark Spitzack, travelled there and came back to tell of how visiting Bethania changed his life.  I have heard this from others - that travel in India is a life-changing experience.  I pray that it is so for me.

Bethania Kids is a life-changing organization.  Women and children who may otherwise perish, either physical or emotionally, or both, are given an opportunity,  not only to survive, but to thrive. Mount Olive has been participating in that ministry for more than a generation, and as a Christian, I am called to support the work. Now I have an opportunity: to actually witness the work, and when I return, to bear witness to that work to all of Mount Olive.  God has blessed me so richly in my life, and God again blesses me with a life experience that will change me.  When the nine of us return - all changed - we hope, by extension, to change all of you and further engage you in Christ’s ministry of life with others around the world.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mark’s Reflection: I’ Coming Back Here With a Group From Mount Olive.

Ten years ago I strolled around the grounds of Bob Granner’s cottage outside of the hill town of Kodaikanal in south India.  Kodaikanal is the hill station where my mother was born and where with other missionary kids she attended boarding school. I came upon a campfire ring and had a vision of sorts: a small group of Mount Olivites having a devotion around a fire while there to visit our Bethania centers. God provides! In several days, a small group of us leave for India. India had its hold on me even before I set foot there. My grandparents, great-grandparents, and even a great-great-grandfather served there as missionaries. Whether it was because of Mom’s incredible stories, the smell of sandalwood and incense (no one else in rural Minnesota burned incense!), the succulent flavors of Indian food which we begged for on special occasions, or something bigger and more spiritual, India got under my skin. When I stepped out of the Mumbai airport on that first trip 10 years ago,...
Read more

Scattered Impressions

On our second night, we gathered in the hotel bar to give our first “impressions” of India.   You can consider the rather random statement below as if they had quotation marks around them, because they are the thoughts expressed by members of our group. It was surreal flying over land that is just 50 miles east of Baghdad.  The plane avoided both Israeli and Syrian airspace, although not sure if that was on purpose. I have a new appreciation of parents who fly with babies.  Lots of crying and sore ears, especially on take-off and landing. Interesting to be on a plane where part of the pre-take-off instructions included telling  people to remain seated for prayer. I’m so glad we’re not driving in India! Lane stripes and stop signs are only suggestions here! The constant horn honking.  I can imagine that the horns are having conversations, because after a while, they become like background chatter:  “Hello there!”  “Sorry to hear your husband ...
Read more

Jesus Will Reign Where Ever the Sun....

Image
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...
Read more