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.

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.

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.

From Dhamtari , I flew to Hyderabad.  About the same time the Mennonite Church was getting involved in Dhamtari, the Mennonite Brethren were getting involved in Shamshabad,  500 miles south of Dhamtari.  The purpose of this leg of my trip was to visit the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College (MBCBC).

The international economic dilemmas stretch the soul.  The cost of operating the entire Bible College with its 80 plus students, including the residence halls, library, administration, and faculty costs, is equal to the listed cost of room, board, and tuition of educating four Tabor College students.  The funds that it takes to bring, support, and educate one international student at Tabor, could pay the $500 tuition fee for 50 students at the Bible College.  Ten Bible College faculty could have their salaries paid for what one faculty member is paid at Tabor.

The administration has had a vision for some years to establish an International Studies Center on the campus.  The College would be pleased to assist us and others who want to come but will want sufficient funds to hired one of their faculty halftime to be the International Studies Coordinator and funds for a computer and access to the internet.  Total cost would be $3,000.  In addition, one of the old missionary bungalows needs to be refurbished to meet western standards similar to the current bungalow that is used as a guest house.  The cost would be approximately $10,000.  This would provide housing for as many as 16 guests including dining services.  Together we developed a tentative job description and a memorandum of understanding which I was to take back to Tabor for support.

Friday was an especially inspiring day.  We went to the city of Hyderabad, one of India’s more important cities with its new international airport and it hi-tech companies that includes nearly all of the major technology players.  While there, we visited, and had tea as is always the case a mega-church in Hyderabad that has 22,000 members who meet in over 100 different locations.  As many as 10,000 come to the main church to attend one of four services on Sunday.

The time had come to return home.  I flew on a new low-fare airline from Hyderabad to Delhi, one that like US airlines required the purchase of food and drink.  I boarded the new Boeing 777 after going through four different security checkpoints and being forced to give up the pickles that I was given to take to the Indian student at Tabor.

I also learned that the plane was full and I was being moved up to business class with the luxuries of air travel I seldom enjoy.  A seat that becomes a bed so that one can sleep during the 14 hours of flight time.  Great meals served with silverware and china.  Bose headphones are provided, and such toiletries as toothpaste, a toothbrush, and great American style coffee.

As I looked down at the ocean below, I recalled the return of Uncle JA and Auntie Lina a century ago.  A monsoon had developed in the ocean which they steamed into.  For five days the ship was tossed about in a terrific storm as it began its long journey home.  All but the most seasoned sailors were sick for seemed like an eternity.  They had no way to imagine either the impact their nine years would have and certainly no way to imagine what my trip would be like.

And I can’t imagine what changes will take place in the next 100 years.  From ox-drawn carts to non-stop international travel – what could be next?  The dreaded curse of leprosy is essentially gone.  The small clinics with rudimentary medicine have made way to Cat Scans and angioplasty in hospitals with hundreds of patients and dozens of highly trained Indian doctors, with many more providing medical services in the US and other countries.  From a significant absence of a Christian witness in India to a vibrant church led by Indian preachers, leaders, theologians and a church that is growing more rapidly than the West.  How soon will it be that there is a missionary movement back to the West?

What lies ahead in the next century?  Is there anyway things can change as much in the next 100 years as the last?  Surely not, I am inclined to think.  But then again, why not, I ask myself?  Am I so arrogant as to believe this is as good as things can get?

My own area of work for 25 years has been education.  In some ways, education has not changed all that much in the past 100 years.  But as I see the development and impact of wireless technology in the US as well as India, I am certain the next hundred years will be different.  A new building for MBCBC is being planned.  Tabor has been invited to assist with a technology and distance education room.  I have a hunch that this invitation has the potential to bring students, faculty, and administrators together in ways never before imagined.

My only regret is that I  will not see what the third century will look like.  Maybe I, like Uncel JA, should write stories from India that my great, great nephew will read someday and try to imagine what it must have been like when I sat on the tarmac on February 26, 2009.  Then again, maybe I will be will around.

The day was a very long and good day.  It began at 7:30.  It began with breakfast at the Mennonite Conference Center with several church leaders.  It was a breakfast of omelets, what seemed similar to hushpuppies, a sweet pure sugar pretzel-like delicacy, and of course tea (chai as we call it).

Our first stop was the 300 bed Christian Hospital under the charge of Dr.s SK and Veena Chatteregee.  This three story hospital is a massive operation with virtually every department except for cardiology and nephrology which they plan to add soon.  There are 29 doctors working at the hospital that operates entirely on fees and gifts.  The complex includes a Nursing College with plans for a medical college that was stopped due to finances and permit problems.  In its place are plans for a pharmacy college and a physical therapy college.  The Christian witness is still strong with each morning beginning with chapel in its own building, a delicate matter since converting people to Christianity is illegal.  With pride and stories of admiration, I was shown pictures of the original missionaries.

From there we visited two schools (we saw four in total over the next 12 hours), one an English medium school and the other a Hindi medium school.  In total, the schools had enrollments of 3,000 students.  The schools were funded by fees and decreasing support from the government who in the past provided 50% of the teachers salaries.  With considerable pride they told of the impact that the schools had in preparing many Indians for important positions in the country.  The schools were considered among the most respected in the country.

We than spend the next 10 hours driving to other towns, visiting churches, schools in other towns, clinics.  What surprised me first of all was that rice paddies are everywhere.  I understand now that this area is considered the rice bowl of India.  Canals are found everywhere to provide water to the fields.  This development has only taken place in the past 30 years.  Famine is not as likely as a result.

We drove through a massive jungle as the Indians call the wooded area, forest as Americans might refer to it.  In the past, the jungle was filled with wild animals and snakes which is largely not the case today.  Other than domesticated animals, the only wild animals I saw were a few monkeys.

We visited half of the 20 churches over the two days, from the largest that has 2000 members to several outposts, small fellowships that are applying to be recognized as churches.  One outpost was taking place in the home of the person charge, a home (more like a complex) in which 60 family members lived together.

The most touching was the forest church there a small group met, often feeling isolated from the rest of the church.  They, like all of the churches, provided snacks, cold drinks, and chai.  They began to tell me how they became Christian from their Hindu background.  They were starving and knew that the missionaries would provide food and some elderly went to live in the orphanages because their families could not feed them.  They went to schools provided by the missionaries.  What they experienced was kindnesses that service because of a commitment to God.  They wanted to be a part of such a religion.

We talked, as we traveled, about the different phases of missionary work.  It was clear that Uncle JA and the Pages faced very difficult circumstances.  The story of Dr. Pages malaria was well known, how Uncle JA had walked 183 miles on one occasion which included a delirious Dr. Page and additional companion.  So serious was the situation, they ended up being carried by Indians who trotted twenty some miles rotating those who carried to get him help.

Somewhere is the 20s, a different phase began.  Very large bungalows, mansions really; were in fashion.  Missionaries had as many as 8 servants.  In place of hardship was luxury and an attitude of being in charge.  Many dollars were being poured into the work as schools, the clinics, and other services were provided.  The missionaries were tolerated because of the good they were going, but underneath, India leadership began to emerge.  Thirty-five years or so after the first missionaries came, the first Indian pastors were ordained, a development that I was told could have happened earlier.

Another stage developed in the 60 in which the American missionaries began to withdraw.  In the mid 70s, the government demanded the withdrawal of all foreign missionaries.  The land and properties were sold to individuals or church organizations and the Indian church was on its own.

It was a difficult time for the church and it is evident that some aspects could not be sustained.  Many of the bungalows are empty and are deteriorating.  The orphanage is gone as is the leprosy clinic.  The Indian financial support is not there to sustain them and the needs have changed.  Many of the churches need repairs.  One by one, the churches are being renovated and roofs are being replaced.  The funds come from church donations with the help of the conference.

I also learned that the tie between India and the US is strong.  Many members have relatives and dear friends in the US.  They are in many different professions but most cases seem to be in very respectable positions.  I was given a list of people to contact in the US.

Was it a good thing that the Uncle JA and the Pages went to India,  The answer seems to be yes.  The Indian Mennonite Church has gone to be nearly 7,000 in this group alone.  There is a strong middle class that is living comfortably with motorcycles, and cars, and houses.  But more importantly, I was told, is the appreciation that the missionaries cared enough to come under difficult circumstances to share gospel in word and deed..  It is no longer US songs that are sung, the dress is not primarily western, the preachers and deacons, and administrators are all Indian.  The Christian faith is now an Indian Christian faith.

I came to Dhamtari as a stranger.  I left with a sense of deep connection.

The day was inspiring. Church I understood was to begin at 9:30.  Both SK and Venna ended up seeing patients at the hospital before church.  The church was a newly renovated building that cost $90,000.  Between 700 and 800 showed up for a special ordination of deacons for the church.  As is the custom, all of the 20 pastors came which gave me an opportunity to have them sign JA’s book.  I was given the seat of honor and much attention, more than I was comfortable with.

It was moving to see 800 people worshipping God, just few of the 7,000 members….all of which came from the seeds planted by Uncle JA, Aunt Lina and the Pages.  I was told many times of the respect that existed for Uncle JA and Aunt Lina, of their courage in such dangerous and hard times, of the impact they had on Dhamtari.

After church, we went to the English medium high school, that is a school taught in English, one of the official languages of India.  I learned that the influence of the church was very significant in the town of Dhamtari.  Many of the members own land in the town and have shops.  The English medium high school has 1800 in attendance.  A second school, a Hindu medium school just across the street, has another 1200 students.

After a lunch attended by the roughly 800 who attended church, we then drove 60 miles on rather rough roads to visit and dedicate two outpost churches and to visit one of the oldest congregations in existence.  The outposts are essentially house fellowships that are on their way to being recognized by the denomination as full fledged congregations.  The man in charge of one church is a doctor, as is his father.  As is common, the father and son live in the same house along with their children.  The other outpost that was dedicated on our tour is led by an elderly man who has 8 children all of whom are married, many with children.  All told, 60 people live in the house.  Each family has their own space but share a common court yard.  With my family spread across the world, I must admit I was a bit envious.

The other church we visited is a declining church in the middle of rice area.  The population of the town is dwindling as the children move to the cities for non-agricultural jobs.  Of particular interest was the very large bungalow that sit empty.  This huge house was previously inhabited by one missionary family.  Eight servants were hired to tend to their needs.  I was told, by my hosts, that this was rather different than was the case for Uncle JA who lived in a tent early on and faced serious dangers in the early days.  This was noted to me, that the early missionaries were different.  I asked if the distance and the mansions created a problem.  Not really was the answer.  The missionaries were bringing in money, hiring people, and doing good work.  Some, they conceded, liked to be in charge more than was necessary.

At 8:15 p.m. we returned to the Mennonite Conference Center, only to find out it would be an hour until we ate.  We had a typical meal of jipaties, rice, dahl, and chicken stew, more spicy than I usually eat, but delicious just the same.  For dessert we had an ice cream sandwich.

The day has been heart-warming for me.  PK Singh and Bishop Narth told those we met of my relationship to Uncle JA.  I was thanked time and again for coming to visit.  I was impressed with the size and the quality of work being done.  The members are frequently professionals working in universities and schools, medical settings, and various high level government jobs.  Some things clearly have changed in the 100 years since Uncle JA left.

February 28, 2009 evening

As the plane descended from the sky, what I saw was a flat with rice fields everywhere.  The airport was small but beautiful with pristine landscaping.  The bishop of the Mennonite Church and the Secretary were there to greet me, in English.  I could only make a feeble attempt to greet them with the few Hindi words I knew.

As we traveled the 50 miles along the century old tree lined two line highway, I discovered that the timing of my visit was perfect.  The church was dedicating three deacons, including a women, and representatives from all of the 20 congregations will be attending the church.  I would get to see the results of the work begun over a century ago first hand.  I am told that the church as grown to 7,000 members.  Very impressive, I thought.

I discovered that my two days had been planned so that every moment would be spent showing me what the church has become.  It was to begin with a Sunday morning service at 9:30.  I was asked to preach.  I decided to preach on II Timothy 1 where Paul encourages Timothy to guard the faith and to fan into flame the gift of God that was given to them.  This may well have been the topic of Uncle JA’s sermon a century early as he headed back to the US due to the health of his wife. What a privilege to see and know that the work continues to flourish.

I was warned by Bishop Narth and PK Singh that my days there were packed. We would visit half of the churches, the hospital, schools and meet many people.  We made out way in the dark to the mission compound for a late evening meal with the Chattergee’s.  Both SK and Veena Chattergee are medical doctors at the hospital.  She is a highly trained surgeon and he an internist.  Among SK’s other degrees, he an master’s degree in public health from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.  While many have stayed in the US, the Chattegees returned to serve in India.

The meal was filled with connections of people and places we knew of in common.  Marvelous stories began to emerge about admiration for those first missionaries.  Although there is no one here who knew Uncle JA and Auntie Lina personally, the stories of the travails were ones that I knew from the books.  I was somewhat apprehensive about showing the books written by Uncle JA, concerned that the failures of missionaries in the past would bring out the disdain for the past.

What I found was a fascination with the books and curiosity especially by Nina, their daughter who is too young to know about many things such as the orphanage and various locations that have been closed down or land sold.  I left the books there for the night.  By morning, both had been read.

One of the final Centennial projects will be a Quilt Auction to benefit the Carson Center for Missions, Service and Global Education. The Quilt Auction will be held Homecoming weekend, October 9-10, 2009.

The Carson Center was established as a result of the closing of the Carson Mennonite Brethren Church in Delft, Minnesota. In the fall of 2005, the church generously gave Tabor College part of the proceeds from closing. The Carson Center exists to engage students in missions, service and global education. This is accomplished in several ways. A partnership now exists with MBMSI’s short term mission program TREK. Tabor has been developing a relationship with churches, educators and business professionals in India. Students have participated in two trips to India, and, during spring break, students served in Kansas City and New Orleans.

More programs and initiatives are planned in the next phase of development of The Carson Center. Proceeds from the Quilt Auction will be used to engage and connect students, faculty and staff with the world around them.

We are seeking groups and individuals to create and donate quilts for the Quilt Auction. A downloadable information sheet is available at the bottom of the page. Please feel free to print or photocopy it as often as needed. Each donated quilt should have a copy of the downloadable Quilt Donation Form, which is included on the information sheet. Quilts should be wall-hanging or bed size and machine or hand-quilted. Quilts need to be at Tabor College by September 1, 2009 to be listed online prior to the auction.

Contact Charlene Driggers in Hillsboro, Kansas at 620-947-3286 or email her at charlene.driggers@gmail.com for more information.

Sincerely,

Tabor Quilt Auction Committee

Quilt Auction Information Sheet and Donation Form

My visit to the place where my great, great uncle Jacob Andrew Ressler went as the first Mennonite Church missionary a century earlier was about to commence as the plane began its descent from 30,000 feet.

The plane landed in Delhi from Chicago in 14 hours without incident. I made it through customs and hired a prepaid taxi to take me to New Friends Colony, an upscale part of Delhi, to spend the night. After arriving at the house and chatting some, I laid down on a bed that was clean albeit slightly harder than my bed at home. I wondered how Uncle JA felt on that first night.

Morning came quickly. The missionaries who gave me a place to sleep for the night had responsibilities for the day so I was on my own. I decided to spend the half day I had by visiting Old Delhi. Even though Uncle JA had arrived in the city of Bombay not Delhi, Old Delhi is a part of town that would get me as close to what Uncle JA would have seen as any place.

My plan was to take a rickshaw to the subway. I thought the contrast would be striking, old rickshaws and a modern subway system experienced one after the other. It was easy enough to find a bicycle powered rickshaw, they were everywhere. The problem was that the driver did not know English and I did not know Hindi. I never made it to the subway. The rickshaw driver took me instead to a taxi station where I hired an auto rickshaw to take me to Old Delhi. Uncle JA must have made many such adjustments.

Parts of Old Delhi are likely the same as 100 years ago with the narrow streets, shops, and endless flow of people intermingled with animals and human drawn carts. The houses and shops have certainly been there that long. But there are things that were certainly not there at the turn of the 20^th century. Chief among them are the cell phones. Nearly everyone seems to have one. I was also impressed with the taxis and buses. Interestingly, all of them are powered by propane to keep the pollution down.

I made it back to the missionary house, sent of an email to my family and headed to the airport where I was about to fly on Kingfisher Airlines, an ultra-modern airline, to Raipur. The one hour and twenty minute 700 mile flight from Delhi to Raipur with a personal TV and a nice snack had almost nothing in common with the 700 miles Uncle JA faced in his trip from Bombay to Raipur. Travel was a major problem in his day. Uncle JA he tells a story in his book about walking 183 miles in four days on one occasion to take his friend, Dr. Page, who was seriously ill with malaria to a city for help. Even the ox drawn carts were abandoned at one point and Dr. Page was carried on a cot by 8 Indian men who jogged more than 20 miles to get him help because the ride was too rough. The greatest challenge I had was not bumping my head on the overhead compartments when I stood up from my seat as I deplaned.

We began our descent to the city of Raipur. Who will be there and how will we know each other, I wondered.

February 26, 2009

110 years after my great, great uncle Jacob Andrew sailed from New York for India, I sat on the tarmac waiting for my plane to depart for India. As I sat waiting for the weather to clear up so we could take off for what would be a 14 hour trip to Delhi, I had Uncle JA’s two books, Stories From India(1916) and Lights and Shades from Hindu Land (1910), in my hands. Even though I had been to India before, I was a bit anxious. I was going to Dhamtari, a place I had never been to before. Dhamtari was the same place that JA Ressler, and Dr. William and Alice Page were headed a century and a decade earlier.

I wondered how many hours or days they had to wait for the weather to clear up as they waited to sail to Bombay, a sailing adventure that would take 33 days, or in terms of hours, 792. I grew impatient with 30 minutes we had to wait for what would be a half day flight.

My flight will take me 7,500 miles through the blue skies in a Boeing 777 that has every comfort needed except for leg room. Climate controlled and above any possible storms, the weather on the seas below is irrelevant. I already know that I will arrive at the airport in Delhi and take a taxi to the home of missionaries with the Mennonite Brethren Church. I plan to spend the night and half day in Delhi and then take a two hour flight south to Raipur, 700 miles south of Delhi on Kingfisher Airlines with electronic tickets I purchased on the internet weeks earlier. Through email and a free telephone call using Skype, I anticipate being met by representatives from the hospital and school that are a part of the “mission compound.” They will drive me 50 miles to Dhamtari.

Sixty hours from the time I left my house in central Kansas, I will be at the “mission compound” Uncle JA speaks of in his book, a place that took him months to reach under much more difficult circumstances. I know where I am going. He did not, only to respond to the terrible famine that was going on behalf of the Mennonite Church.

I am eager to see the compound. It was my uncle, I think with equal amount of pride and reservation, who selected Dhamtari as the place that the Mennonite Church would use to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of the India people in his day. It was he who purchased the three pieces of property referred to as Rudri, Balosgahan, and the Sundarganj Mango Orchard. The pictures in the books are black and white grainy photos of a few building on the property with thatched roofs, ox drawn carts, a mango orchard, people squatting down, many looking sick and impoverished. What will it look like in person 110 years later?

It was Uncle JA who worked with the government officials to provide work for the unemployed and starving masses. It was he who oversaw 9,000 people on government funded work relief projects. It was he who started an orphanage to care for abandoned children that reached 600 children at one point. All this seems honorable to me, his great, great, great nephew a century later. How will it be viewed from an Indian perspective a century later? What will the Indian principal of the Mennonite high school, the Indian doctors and nurses, and the leaders of the Indian Mennonite Church think of me? Since the 1960s, the India Mennonite Church and the programs at the compound have been independent from the Mennonite Church. Was Dhamtari a good choice? Were Uncle JA and Auntie Lina good people? What is their legacy I wonder as I head toward the place he left almost 100 years to the day that I am returning. I am about to find out.