Incredible India

The tagline used by the Indian Ministry of Tourism is Incredible India!  While I was in India last week, I said to myself again and again, "Yeah! Incredible India! It sure is!"  I went there to visit Ebi and Sarah, some of our IGSL graduates from a few years ago.  They live in the city of Trichy, in Tamil Nadu.

India is a land of endless variety.  This photo was taken in an upscale clothing store, selling mostly saris.  There were six floors, and this picture shows only about one tenth of the options available on one of the floors.  I did finally make a choice, but it was hard!  You can also buy clothes from vendors sitting on a mat in the dusty streets, and from every kind of store in between.

Most women wear flowers in their hair every day.  It was so fun -- for just a few cents you could buy a garland of sweet-smelling blossoms. It's just part of the endless variety of flowers, foods, languages, people, colors, smells, sights and sounds...

This is a "sweet shop" with endless varieties of Indian cakes and candies.  One evening we were talking about different kinds of candies, and Ebi decided I needed to taste one of their favorites.  The shop we were in did not sell it, so we went outside and he jumped on his motorbike, and drove off to find a street vendor who had it.  We sat on the steps outside the shop, and Sarah unwrapped it and gave it to me, eager to hear my opinion.  I took a bite and chewed--it was very nice, with brown sugar and coconut and another taste that was somehow familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.  I said to Ebi, "I know this taste!"  He said, "Of course you do!  It's rose petals!"  What could I say?  "Oh, of course!  Rose petals!"  Somehow I neglected to capture that Kodak moment, but the next day I got a photo of Sarah drinking Rose Milk.

I loved visiting their campus and meeting the students.  It was so much fun to hear the stories of what God was doing in their lives, and to see their excitement at being used by Him. I got to speak several times to groups of students, and I also had a few chances to spend one-on-one time with people who were part of their ministry. This picture shows Ebi meeting with a group of college students, many of whom are not Christians yet. I loved it that these Hindu students felt so comfortable to attend a Bible study where they could ask questions to learn about God.

This was my fourth time to visit India.  I am sure it won't be the last.  We have graduates all over the country, and each new place is totally different from the last place.  Yeah, Incredible India!  Endless variety!