India Journal
Nov. 3
Took train to Kota. The whole Dehli train station experience was a culture shock. Young children everywhere, many of them shinning shoes for pennies or begging for food. The trip to Kota took about 7-8 hours through India countryside. We stopped at every station along the way. The poverty and "frozen" in time living conditions made it seem almost surrealistic, a time warp experience.
People living in the open with no shelter, some with simple plastic covered shelters. I'm sure each day is just a matter of survival. Every young American should make a trip to a true 3rd world area to truly appreciate the abundance of America.
Bud & Colette Stokes from Phoenix joined us in Dehli. The train ride gave us a chance to get to know them. Sarah and I believe strongly we have met Bud before and perhaps we have-he was involved with Jesus film ministry thru Campus Crusade-maybe we met at a conference?
I know Sam & Tim expect me to meet someone I know-haven't yet but close-Bud & Colette it turns out are neighbors to Scott & Penny Duncan who used to live in Lubbock and were part of our Grace Bible study.
We were escorted to Kota by Jeremy a young American serving with "Team India" for almost a year. His wife Carie is over here, but did not come to Dehli to meet us.
We were also met by a young Indian man, a student at Emanuel Bible College, "Veer." He was (is) an orphan who was taken in at the orphanage and grew up there. He is now a believer and going to minister full time.
At Kota we were met by an entrouage from Emanuel Ministries, including Samuel, the founders son and now President and his wife Shelly.
They gave us flowers and arranged our baggage pick-up India style. The porters carry it on their head. They stack it up there. One older porter wound up with Bud's two suit cases of books-well over 130 books. I don't see how he did it.
We still had no idea where we were staying. I was a little concerned because if I thought Dehli was a culture shock-Kota was culture electrocution.
The man on the plane had told me Kota was a small town in the country, maybe by India standards-but to a Lubbockite 2 million people is a big place.
Got to the Naavrang hotel-a small, simple but nice place-large rooms and air-conditioned!
Short turn around-then to the "Junction" an Emanuel center in town, guest sometimes stay there, not us because another group is also in town for the conference.
Supper looks great-Good old American style Italian Spaghetti. We haven't eaten a real meal since Bankock.
On to the Conference. The 13th Annual Believer Fellowship Convention. People from all over India from churches started by the Pastors trained at the Bible College. The meeting hall is a memorial to those from this ministry martyred. The latest martyr just 3 months ago.
