MTC India – the pilot course April 2014

The students with Catherine and Chris Juliet 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, Amritsar Insight into the fear and bondage of human religion

Jallianwala Bagh garden in Amritsar Scene of an infamous massacre of civilians by British troops on 13 April 1919

Tie dying cloth A scene en route through Jalandhar

A new dawn From the bedroom window

Work underway on the extension From the balcony

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

Students burning paper, symbolically leaving the past behind Using 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 devotions Daily at 8 am, with growing liberty in the Spirit

Students performing a drama

Spicy paratha and yoghurt for breakfast Delicious!

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

Pondering and praying over the maps A big country, with many unreached people groups, but our God is infinite!

Praying for Punjab Send the workers into the harvest!

Morning Star Church In Kandola Kalan, a nearby village

Some MTC students helping lead worship

With Roger and Ellie of Morning Star The 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 house Chanting 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 well How 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 worship Patrick on guitar and Tirath, our excellent translator, singing

Lunch break There is always time to chat and pray

There is always time to share stories Raj, 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 discussions Great wisdom shared on how to handle difficult situations in mission

All MTC students and staff outside the REACH house Reinforcements for the concrete in the extension were put in place the day before

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