MTC India – the pilot course

April 2014

The students with Catherine and ChrisJuliet was still to arrive and Ps Steve came a few days later

Between flights, between worlds, between times (5am local time):

planning at Delhi airport

A visit to the Golden Temple, AmritsarInsight into the fear and bondage of human religion

Jallianwala Bagh garden in AmritsarScene of an infamous massacre of civilians by British troops

on 13 April 1919

Tie dying clothA scene en route through Jalandhar

A new dawnFrom the bedroom window

Work underway on the extensionFrom the balcony

Saleem, helped by Bromdev, at work in the outside kitchenWonderful vegetarian food

Students burning paper, symbolically leaving the past behindUsing the fireplace outside the contractors ‘ shelter, where they cook

In the compound

With Surgit – disabled but active and mobile (with his brother on the back holding the wheelchair)

Injured at work, he lay for years with an untreated broken back until local Christians came across him and took him to a Christian hospital, where a

doctor with rare rehabilitation training found he could help.

Morning devotionsDaily at 8 am, with growing liberty in the Spirit

Students performing a drama

Spicy paratha and yoghurt for breakfastDelicious!

Friendships soon formedThere is nothing like praying together to join hearts in the Spirit

Pondering and praying over the mapsA big country, with many unreached people groups,

but our God is infinite!

Praying for PunjabSend the workers into the harvest!

Morning Star ChurchIn Kandola Kalan, a nearby village

Some MTC students helping lead worship

With Roger and Ellie of Morning StarThe building is home to the church on Sundays and the school Monday

to Friday as well as to 39 orphaned or abandoned children 24:7

The nearest of the six temples visible from the REACH houseChanting begins at 4am, either recorded or live! Happily it does not last

too long. It disturbed our sleep but not our peace.

Building work proceeding wellHow else to carry bricks except on your head?! The contractors live on site in a shelter which Rob describes as 5 star compared to their normal

expectation.

There is always time for worshipPatrick on guitar and Tirath, our excellent translator, singing

Lunch breakThere is always time to chat and pray

There is always time to share storiesRaj, the Head Boy from Morning Star school was abandoned by his

mother when she re-married. Now he wants to go to Bible College and be trained further in the scriptures

And some time for discussionsGreat wisdom shared on how to handle difficult situations in mission

All MTC students and staff outside the REACH houseReinforcements for the concrete in the extension were put in place the

day before

A small start but a great startMuch to pray about for the future!