Amazing how God works.
I had planned to make a side trip to Chennai simply because it was close and I want to visit HBI and the IJM office.
Most of you know that I am the volunteer advocacy leader for IJM for Wisconsin, so knowing God, I should not have been surprised that this week was ADVOCACY WEEK in Chennai and that they were having a major advocacy event in Chennai the day I am there! More on that later, first the HIndustan Bible Institute.
I had met Bobby Gupta when he was at my church. One of the member of our GO team had gone on a mission trip to northern India so I had a great deal of respect for the organization and their reach throughout India for the gospel, both in training of pastors, starting churches, as well encouraging a life of committed discipleship. In fact, the first person I met at HBI was the Thomas, a seminary professor whose focus is spiritual care of the HBI team, their students, and training on spiritual formation. He had actually attended a Dallas Willard course during his seminary training. A very nice man, who I traveled with the next day to a church retreat but more on that later.
This year at HBI was it's 60th year of existance. The prior week, they had hosted over 1200 pastors for a conference celebrating the 60 years. They still had the platform and stage set up but most of the pastors had left.
HBI was gracious enough to host me and feed me while in Chennai and great hosts they were!
I had met Bobby Gupta when he was at my church. One of the member of our GO team had gone on a mission trip to northern India so I had a great deal of respect for the organization and their reach throughout India for the gospel, both in training of pastors, starting churches, as well encouraging a life of committed discipleship. In fact, the first person I met at HBI was the Thomas, a seminary professor whose focus is spiritual care of the HBI team, their students, and training on spiritual formation. He had actually attended a Dallas Willard course during his seminary training. A very nice man, who I traveled with the next day to a church retreat but more on that later.
This year at HBI was it's 60th year of existance. The prior week, they had hosted over 1200 pastors for a conference celebrating the 60 years. They still had the platform and stage set up but most of the pastors had left.
HBI was gracious enough to host me and feed me while in Chennai and great hosts they were!
IJM Chennai is one of the largest IJM offices in India. In fact it is second only to HQ in the number of people working there. Unfortunately, there were 2 simultaneous rescues going on that day (as well as the advocacy event), so many folks were gone. At least that was what was explained to me. It actually seemed like there were quite a few people there and I spent a fair amount of time with the director of the office Andy Griffiths. It was interesting how similar our stories were in terms of how we got involved with IJM and our experience afterward. He was sort of in a flat spot in his christian walk and not that satisfied with the job world. He got on with IJM and soon began to see God do some amazing things. It was a really interesting discussion.
Three quick highlights
Arriving at IJM Chennai, the first thing was to be a part of devotions. Steve, a fellow with IJM who fellowship ended that day, led the devotions. He did a really nice job highlighting verses that God had led him to study as he contemplated what to do next with his life. He did a great job, but I loved what he did at the end the best. On his last day on the job there at IJM, he was going to quote from memory the book of Romans ending with Chapter 8. Someone told me he had been working the whole year he was there on it. It was really beautiful. We so often select out verses to think through but it was so powerful just having him recite all the verses in their original context. Amazing!
Meeting the Google team
One of my surprises in Chennai and IJM in general was the presence overseas of what is know as the "Google Team" They are workers paid for by the Google grant given earlier in the year. I was aware of the impact of the Google grant in US with the additional focus of IJM on ledgislative issues, but had not idea the global implications. I met 4 individuals who had responsibility are different parts of India, so were from northern states. So glad for the additional workers attacking this huge problem of trafficking and bonded labor
Meeting the Google team
One of my surprises in Chennai and IJM in general was the presence overseas of what is know as the "Google Team" They are workers paid for by the Google grant given earlier in the year. I was aware of the impact of the Google grant in US with the additional focus of IJM on ledgislative issues, but had not idea the global implications. I met 4 individuals who had responsibility are different parts of India, so were from northern states. So glad for the additional workers attacking this huge problem of trafficking and bonded labor
The advocacy event: Hearing the story of the fellow slave now community advocate - powerful!!!
More later on this
More later on this
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