December 1, 2007

Dear Friends,

Not too many years hold quite as many changes as this one. As we anticipated, God’s grace has sustained us beyond our imaginations. We sold our house, left a loving church family, said goodbye to our two young adult children who remain in the United States and landed in a city of 15 million people to start a whole new chapter in our lives and ministries.

Finding a place to lay our heads and rest our feet was a challenge. As we set up our home, each accomplishment was a celebration! The Church of North India (CNI) and my colleagues at St. Thomas School have provided a warm welcome, guidance, and lively friendships. Our neighbors have also opened their doors to us.

We’ve yet to buy a car, so we travel by auto rickshaw or an occasional taxi. The Delhi Metro is excellent, but hasn’t reached our neighborhood. People tell us the massive construction will be finished before the Commonwealth Games in 2010, when there will be a stop within walking distance of our apartment. In the meantime, there’s lots of road construction and bumper-to-bumper traffic.

It was a special moment when Enos Das Pradhan, the general secretary of the CNI, invited us to be commissioned by their synod. The moderator laid hands on us and prayed for our time of ministry here in India and officially labeled us “one of their own.”

David spends part of his time attending workshops and special events hosted by CNI. He helps out with a program called CRÈEM (Congregation Renewal for Effective Engagement in Mission) and compiled a special program for Reformation Sunday available for use in all CNI congregations. Recently he has written some preaching aids for pastors and is working with their Theological Commission. This week he returns to Pakistan for the fourth time.

As I write this letter, “Wait! It’s a Musical” is in production at St. Thomas School. I have assisted its director, Mrs. Sharmla Livingston, an Indian graduate of Wheaton College. She has managed to include 400 students from the junior and senior schools in a play written for eight characters. The story focuses on everything leading up to the birth of Christ, highlighting significant characters in the story: Elizabeth, Zechariah, Gabriel, Herod, Joseph, and Mary. The choreography of the dances, created with minimal guidance from the director and her daughter, showcases the amazing talent of St. Thomas girls.

Sushma, the director of communications for the Church of North India, takes Mary for a ride at CNI headquarters.

In addition to my work at St. Thomas, I was invited by Sushma Ramswami, the director of communications for CNI, to write a month of devotionals for their annual United to Witness publication. She also published my sermon preached to the bishops in August in their monthly periodical for October, which incorporated some of my reading about women’s issues and leadership in India.

Mary and I are singing alto in the Delhi Christian Chorus Christmas Concert which has three performances next week. Although the Monday night commitment has been grueling at times, it has kept the Christmas spirit alive in us since August when rehearsals began.

The Free Church is our spiritual home. Mary sings with their youth group and participates in spiritual retreats. They simply don’t allow her to sit on the sidelines! Free Church includes many language fellowships: Hindi, English, Zomi, Telugu, Bengali, Nepali, and Manipuri. They also have a very active hearing impaired fellowship, along with AA and NA groups.

The high point of the year will be the arrival of our other daughters, Rebekah and Rachel, on December 18! We hope to visit the Taj Mahal and even ride camels in the desert. Our candles will be held high as we celebrate Communion on the eve of Christ’s birth as a family. We will be thinking about our sisters and brothers around the world. As always, we are deeply grateful for your prayers and support.

We love and miss you. God’s Grace and Peace to all!