The Dalits are the caste of people we will be working with while in India.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Who I'm Partnering With
About 8 months ago I met Jason, a fellow seminary student of Dallas Theological Seminary whose father started an organization called Children's Relief International. He shared the heartbeat of CRI with me, that they were intent on building relationships with internationals who were committed to help bring healing to hurting children through tangible expressions of love like providing them a bed to sleep in and an education, as wellas as through the eternal expression of love by calling them to put their trust in Jesus Christ. CRI is a fairly new organization seeking to help internationals who are in need of financial support and training. This is where mission trips come into play. Jason told me about a trip to India several months ago where he would be going to help one of their newest partnerships: Pastor Isaiah and the King of Kings ministry. The trip is intended to offer biblical and theological training to many of the pastors in the Deep Forest region, an impoverished region made up of what is known as the Dalits or "untouchable" class. These pastors are men who have no more than an 8th grade education but are passionate for telling people about Jesus and the life he offers. They are hungry to learn more about the Bible and how they can communicate it to their people. So, when I first heard about the trip I thought, "How cool would that be!" Not knowing what I would be doing after graduating seminary I decided there was no better time than now to offer myself to helping these men and children in India. I'm excited about the opportunity and thankful that an organization like CRI is committed to helping people like Pastor Isaiah and the children all over the world who are often times viewed as "untouchable."If you would be willing to partner with me specifically in this trip, please visit CRI to find out more about their partnership in Inda. It will take $3,500 for me to take part in this invaluable trip. Please prayerfully consider helping me with some of the cost. Go to the bottom of the page and fill in my name under the Teams field.
Why I'm Going to India
It has long been a dream of mine to play a part in God's action in a completely different context than what I've known. I'm not sure what it is, perhaps it is the same longing Magellan had when he set out to circumnavigate the world, or the same desire of the men and women determined to explore the outer boundaries of space. Not that I'll be discovering unchartered territory in India, but my desire to go to India is similar to these great explorers in that there is something within us that longs to go beyond the borders that seem to define our reality. For instance, as a young, middle class, white American, some of the borders that define my reality are public education, consumerism, equal opportunity employment, and freedom of speech and religion. These borders are so ingrained within my reality that it is sometimes easy to confuse the power of God, the One who is above yet within all reality, with the power of our own borders. In other words, it can be easy to confuse serving and relying on God for simply being a product of what my world allows me to be: an educated, white, middle class, Christian.
So, what does God in action look like outside of such a context? Is he working in a context where instead of seeing 10 year old boys and girls playing outside on the school yard they are on their hands and knees breaking rocks with a hammer and chisel because their parents cannot afford to send them to school? Is he working in a context where instead of seeing an extravagant building filled with people in their finest suits thinking about where they'll be eating lunch after the service there is a thatched roof hut with no walls filled with 20 people who have no shoes but are wondering how and why a man named Jesus would give them life when their own government considers them "untouchable?" Is he working in a context where instead of pastors who have top-notch training from the finest seminaries there are men who have no more than an 8th grade education compelled to tell everyone in their town about the one true God who offers them eternal life in spite of opposition from their family and friends? How incredibly amazing it is to know that God is active in such a context, a context that is in great need of encouragement to continue being faithful and in need of further understanding of what the Bible says and means for them.
What a privilege to play a part in this small piece of God's extravagant plan: to bring all peoples of all places in all times to worship and obey Him. This is happening in India and this is my opportunity to play a part. How about you? What is your part in God's plan...do you believe He is just as active in your context as He is in India? Maybe you just need to step outside of your "borders" for a moment to realize it and begin playing a part.
So, what does God in action look like outside of such a context? Is he working in a context where instead of seeing 10 year old boys and girls playing outside on the school yard they are on their hands and knees breaking rocks with a hammer and chisel because their parents cannot afford to send them to school? Is he working in a context where instead of seeing an extravagant building filled with people in their finest suits thinking about where they'll be eating lunch after the service there is a thatched roof hut with no walls filled with 20 people who have no shoes but are wondering how and why a man named Jesus would give them life when their own government considers them "untouchable?" Is he working in a context where instead of pastors who have top-notch training from the finest seminaries there are men who have no more than an 8th grade education compelled to tell everyone in their town about the one true God who offers them eternal life in spite of opposition from their family and friends? How incredibly amazing it is to know that God is active in such a context, a context that is in great need of encouragement to continue being faithful and in need of further understanding of what the Bible says and means for them.
What a privilege to play a part in this small piece of God's extravagant plan: to bring all peoples of all places in all times to worship and obey Him. This is happening in India and this is my opportunity to play a part. How about you? What is your part in God's plan...do you believe He is just as active in your context as He is in India? Maybe you just need to step outside of your "borders" for a moment to realize it and begin playing a part.
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