To my opinion, there are two ways to describe India:
Lightheartedly, you can see it as rediculous, crazy, all in all just unbelievably incredible! Overcrowded cities of bargaining people try their utter most to sell you anything from colourfull skirts (yes, apparently they think I would look pretty neat in a skirt) to nuts. Cattle gods roam free in the streets, while waterbaffaloes are chained up for production of milk and sometimes meat. And the driving, oh my goodness, the driving I consider as an adrenalin rushing sport without rules, and I mean NO rules at all - its something like four cars side to side in two lanes, with the direction of driving in any newly formed lane as trivial, and the car's hooter as only communication medium. Incredible I tell you.
Deeply, I can't imagine a place resembling hell more closely. Overcrowded cities of bargaining people try to sell anything possible to stay alive - this include themselves and their children for work and prostitution. Dust and pollution in the air creates an eery dark feel, while the wrotting smell of surridge floods your senses. Closterfobic streets are covered in plastics, mud, dead animals, and the excrevations of cattle and humans. Misformed people and lepars are to be seen around every corner. The buildings are deteriorating, and turning flocks of crows and other birds of prey form the backdrop to this seemingly God forsaken place. To finish it off, croaky speakers draws the spiritually enslaved people five times a day to forced idolatry, while others put their hope in drawings of mutant people and animals to which tey bow.
But, in the midst of all this darkness, God is slowly but shurely calling up an army of fearless surrendered lights. Among them, the orphans of one of the orphanages, started by Mr. Thomas, which we stayed at. More than just a relieve, it was a previledge to meet these followers of Christ.
These Word eaters brought an unstoppable smile to my face everytime they worshiped God. Some of them, only 13 or 14 years of age will give most of the pastors I know a good race in Bible knowledge. They pray and sing with uttermost faith, fullness, and hope in Him alone as reason for life.
We also had the previledge of meeting Dr Sam Thomas. With only a few words in the two meetings we had with him, he rocked our view of what it means to serve Christ. Please remind me or someone to tell you about God in him when we come back, it simply contains too much to write down.
On the fun side of our trip to India, we went skiing in the Himalajas. What an adventure and experience. The beauty and splendour of that part of creation is just breathtaking. And, as you would guess, I had a few spectaculary hillarious moments when I got better than the ski's beneath me. It was cool stuff!
And what would a visit to such a country be without an adventure race between the teams! I hated almost every moment of it, but it was great.
I am still wrestling and compiling most of the thoughts about all I have learned and experienced. Although I don't have the answers yet, I can tell you that God drew me so much deeper into my relationship with Him through it all, that it will be impossible to view the world and myself in the same light ever again. We serve a God of unfathomable love, creativity, and scale.
And what way to conclude this all other than by saying that there's nothing that comes close to knowing Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.