What do CMC staff get up to in India?
One of our first challenges on getting to India was to put aside any expectations and pre-
formed ideas of what the next four months would be like. The first week in India gave us a lot to take in, though at no point did we feel any less than welcome at IBTI and the speed with which we were to become effectively another extension of the family was amazing, and this was a major part of us being able to settle in, and get on with our work there.
It took a little while to get used to the difference in how work is approached and the way of life in general, and at times we would find ourselves feeling we should be working harder or doing more, though the heat, we discovered, was a big restriction to start with. We adapted though, and made preparations for the upcoming camps, both planning the programmes and sorting out the equipment. Despite all the time put into getting ready for the camps, we still felt quite nervous about how they would actually turn out.
However, the first camp came and proved to be a fun-filled and eye-opening experience. We were struck on all of the camps by the discipline and enthusiasm of even the youngest children in listening to the teaching, and their knowledge of the bible and environmental subjects, as well as their fun-loving spirits! All in all we helped on four camps, three of which were held in November, one in December. One of the November camps was held almost entirely in Marathi, which certainly tested communication skills!
The list of activities being held at IBTI has steadily been growing over the past few years, and at first we were keen to add to that list, however after much thought and prayer we decided against adding to the activities, instead we thought it best to do some much needed maintenance and improvements on the existing ones.
As well as the camps we had the privilege of being able to help set up and run the first ever Creation Club meeting. Creation Club is an idea which Chandu has wanted to implement for some years and has great hopes for. The basic idea is that as well as the more seasonal Creation Camps, some of the more local campers would come to IBTI more regularly to Creation Club, for the purposes of discipleship, of improving academically, of exploring their environment and having fun in the process! Chandu hopes to run meetings roughly once a month for the first year, and then more regularly depending on how this year pans out.
The first Creation Club meeting was held on Feb 2nd 2008 and we were very glad to see how well it went and feel that this initiative holds a lot of scope for the future, God willing.
As well as our work at IBTI, another large part of our experience in India was Kerruso Bible Church (KBC). This is a church plant, of DCC (Discipleship Community Church, former church of the Wakankar family), which Keren and Chandu’s family has started to attend in the last year. We were very much made a part of the church family, also attending the bible studies on Friday evenings at the bible centre as well as the youth group on Sundays where possible. We gained immeasurably from all the teaching and fellowship in India, and really miss the friends we made out there.
It’s utterly impossible to cram the whole of our experiences in India into such a small space, there is so much else to say, so many people who influenced and inspired us, and an awful lot of stories. The opportunity to go to India has far surpassed any prior expectations, and we can’t thank God enough for it.