The Carson Center

Written by Kayla Gershon

Each day brings a new adventure full of unexpected experiences that will stay with all of the team members for years to come.

Hyderabad, India

We are safe and (for the most part) healthy at the missionary bungalow in Shamshabad, a suburb of Hyderabad, and each of us is being stretched in spiritual, emotional, and mental growth every day.

Today, January 19, 2010, I have the privilege of reflecting on the incredible days that we have spent here, immersed in the richness of Indian culture, the spiciness of Indian food and the genuine servanthood of the Indian people.

Our Ministry: Church Presentations

After craving ministry for the first few days that we spent resting and adjusting, God definitely provided multiple opportunities for us to use the talent of our team, in ways musically, intellectually, and even artistically. Up to date, we have lead four church services, each unique in its dynamics and location, with one more tonight. The first was the Wednesday night worship service for the college students, where we sang three songs led by Joanna Chapa, performed a symbolic skit, and concluded by Del’s eloquent words.
Friday brought a new set of challenges. Not only were we informed very late that we were leading MBCBC’s chapel, at which Ben Faul so graciously offered to preach an astounding sermon, but we also had to drive in two crowded vehicles for two hours to a very remote village comprised of 39 Hindu families and one Christian family, attempting to spread the love of Christ. Bridging the gap between the cultures was not as difficult as expected, however, because they yearned to know us and share their culture with us. We danced with them for an hour before our service and almost an hour afterward. I think we all would agree that any obstacles that stood in our way, such as illness, exhaustion, and even fear, were triumphed through the power of God. It was an incredible experience to witness God’s work in a small village none of us even knew existed until now.

Sunday provided the opportunity for us to celebrate Mennonite Brethren history with fellow believers across the world. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the denomination, and Hyderabad held the first jubilee in the world. We experienced Indian culture through the unique song and dance. Although we were exhausted following this long event, we had another church visit Sunday night, and it was amazing how God changed our hearts from reluctant to rejuvenated. This church, located in the center of an oppressive Muslim community, welcomed us with open arms and shared their hearts with us. We were blessed to have Andrew Wiens speak very eloquently and it was evident that his words empowered the people. They were polite and generous despite their overwhelming poverty. Seeing these acts of graciousness greatly encouraged us mutually; we all left excited to present again, hungry for God’s work in each of these churches.

We expect great words from Michael Suderman, who is speaking tonight at a village located three hours away.

The Plan

Tomorrow morning, as early as we can leave (although it‘s never as early as we expect…), we are relocating to Jadcherla, another suburb of Hyderabad about 35 minutes away, for the remainder of our time here in India. We will be interacting very closely with the large MB church there, as well as continuing our church visits.

Dynamics of the Team

I am so thankful for each and every member of this team. God perfectly ordained all of us to come for a reason; together we have embarked on this journey to discover why we are here and what God holds for each of our lives. We have become a family, the body of Christ, ready to support one another in times of crisis and encourage one another after a job well done.

On behalf of the whole Tabor College group, hello from India!  I, Andrew Wiens, have the privilege of relaying some of our Indian experiences to you.

Andrew Wiens with new friends.

In case you are curious (or merely have a vested interest in ensuring that your child makes it back alive), we arrived at our destination safely and without incident—at least without much incident.  On a side note, Internet availability here is somewhat spotty (at least difficult to get conveniently), so blog posts may be short, few, and sporadic.  Now that that is out of the way, I can start filling in some of the blanks in your curious minds.

Preparation

We began our trip by participating in some training/orientation sessions from January 4^th – January 7^th.  We watched movies about India, learned about the Indian culture from Del (Tabor’s Assistant Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies and our team leader), and prepared ourselves spiritually with the help of Del’s assistant, Joanna Chappa.

The Trip Begins

We woke up before 4 a.m. (some of us just stayed up all night) to drive to Wichita for the commencement of the traveling portion of the trip.  The airports we hit along the way are as follows: Wichita; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Amsterdam, Netherlands; New Delhi, India; and Hyderabad, India.  That may sound like a hop, skip, and a few jumps, but let me speak for everyone on the team in assuring you that it was not.  We made a lot of memories at the five airports listed above and during the flights as well.  Some of us went on an unplanned (at least originally) excursion to the Mall of America in Minneapolis.  Several people left the secure part of the airport in Amsterdam just to get our passports stamped.  We boarded two different planes in Amsterdam because the wintry weather there caused the cargo doors to get frozen shut on the first plane.  We watched some village lights pass beneath us as we flew over Afghanistan and Pakistan during the night.  We drifted in and out of sleep as the drone of the planes’ engines and bizarre time zone shifts played tricks on our tired brains.  Jet lag set in rather quickly as we arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday, January 10^th, just in time for a new day to begin.

MBCBC—Life in India

We met Michael Suderman at the airport in Hyderabad.  He met us after serving in Calcutta for about a month and we were very happy to see him.  We then traveled to our temporary home at the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad (a suburb of Hyderabad).  The first day in India for us was a rich experience.  The cultural distinctives of India (don’t eat with the left hand, keep feet on the ground and away from others, and bobble your head from side to side when you want to nonverbally communicate “yes”) were difficult to remember.  They are easier to recall now, but I think I mess up about as much now as I did then.  It’s just that now I remember that I messed up after it’s already too late.

All of us, including, Dr. Del Gray. left, have enjoyed the food and fellowship.

The food was a nice surprise.  Though I’m sure she Americanizes it for us (tones down the spiciness), our cook at the missionary bungalow makes some tasty ethnic Indian food: rice, curried chicken, various sauces, vegetables, chai tea, etc.  Playing with the children and talking with the students are highlights from the first few days.  We have spent this time adjusting (on a surface level at least) to the new culture (and time zone), experiencing the market in Shamshabad, forming relationships at MBCBC, and preparing for our church presentations (set to begin tonight).

Reflections

India is a beautiful country: the people, the colors, the languages, etc.  This may seem obvious and possibly sound somewhat stereotypical, but life in India is different from the life that most of us know back in the United States.

People in India have a deep love and respect for their families, often living with several generations under one roof.  There exists a widespread spirituality that is deeply ingrained in the culture.  Indians are generally more laid back and seem less stressed than Americans.  Despite these differences, there are also many things we share in common.

Cricket is the most popular sport.

For instance, both countries have a great love for sports—in India, cricket is king.

Both Indians and Americans enjoy using fancy electronic gadgets and seeing new technologies.  Moreover, we in America share the Mennonite Brethren faith and tradition with some Indians (for example, the believers at MBCBC).  On a deeper level, we share God with them.  He is working in India in just as big a way as he is working in America.

It is great to know that even while we pray for believers in other countries, believers in other countries pray for us.

Ten Tabor College students will be fully immersed into the fascinating culture of India during Interterm, from January 8 to 27.

According to Tabor Provost Dr. Lawrence Ressler, the trip is designed to generally introduce students to Indian culture. More specifically, they will be introduced to the inspiring work of the Indian Mennonite Brethren in the Andra Pradesh region of India. Students will be challenged to think globally as they engage with a wide variety of people and situations in another culture.

“This trip is one of the most life-transforming experiences one can imagine,” said Ressler, who has been to India numerous times. “The sights, sounds, smells, and tastes moves students out of their comfort zone. The exposure to the poverty forces them to think about things they generally take for granted. The passion for faith the students will see in the Indian Christians will inspire them in their own Christian walk.”

Tabor students visit the Taj Mahal during a previous trip to India.

The first week will be spent at the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad. Tabor students will have the opportunity to get to know Indian culture by living with students in the dorms.

The Tabor contingent also will bring donations collected from the college’s faculty and staff at Christmas, enough to pay the tuition for three students at Centenary Bible College for the year.

“This experience is quite likely to break the cultural barriers that come from lack of familiarity with people from other countries,” Ressler said. “On the last trip, it a mouse that emerged from luggage in one of the dorms was the catalyst. The unwelcome guest led to universal shrieks of all the women in the room, providing the awareness that they were not so different after all.”

The second week, the students will go to different areas where they will be hosted by families and help with church activities.

This year’s group will be led by Dr. Del Gray, Assistant Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies. Before their departure to India, the students were required to read and write a paper about the Bhagavad Gita, the most famous excerpt from Hindu Scriptures. Each student will keep a journal with entries for each day of the trip, and upon returning to campus, will write papers on Indian culture as well as their personal reflections and experiences.

The trip is part of the ongoing work of The Carson Center, a Tabor-based foundation which promotes mission, service, and global education around the world.

India has been a special interest of The Carson Center since its inception in 2005, enabling Tabor to develop a relationship with churches, educators and business professionals in India. This is the sixth time in four years that representatives from Tabor have visited Shamshabad. Three students or faculty from India have visited Tabor during that same time.

Trip participants include: Talia Doerksen, Prescott Valley, Ariz.; Jordan Funk, Wichita, Kan.; Kayla Gershon, Littleton, Colo.; Thaddeus Jarosz, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Jessica Perrault, Westminster, Colo.; Rebecca Steketee, Hillsboro, Kan.; Logan Stranghoner, Wichita, Kan.; Michael Suderman, Hillsboro, Kan.; Kayla Vix, Maize, Kan.; Andrew Wiens, Topeka, Kan.; and Dr. Del Gray.