May 23, 2007

Dear Friends,

For the past several months Melanie and I have been on home assignment in the States. It is time to return to our work in India with the community health teams from several of the hospitals of the Emmanuel Health Association.

Visiting our supporting churches—those churches who have chosen to keep up with us, support us, pray for us, and invite us to visit when we are back in the States—has been a blessing for me. The vast majority of churches, because they have taken the trouble to understand our work with the most marginalized and forgotten sections of rural India, are very supportive. It is such a pleasure to explain how the community organizing and development work we do results in stronger individuals and communities.

Emmanuel Hospital Association community workers walking to a group meeting.

I have been proud to share many examples of how God’s healing and loving Spirit has healed the sick, freed the oppressed, and comforted the mourning through those we work with. An example I have often shared is how a group of very poor women decided to use the savings they had collected over a year to buy the freedom of the husband of one of their members. He had been kept for years as an indentured slave hundreds of miles from their home. This surely is “release of prisoners.” I have seen many witnesses to God’s loving spirit.

There have been a few churches that do not see such examples as being part of the “actual” mission of the church. When I run into this attitude, and it is not the norm, it does cause some reflection and questioning on my part. I know I could do a better job of interpreting my motivation for grassroots community development. Certainly my faith in, and relationship with, Jesus is the bedrock of my work. I am in India primarily because of my own conversion rather than the conversion of others. Jesus complements those who gave what was needed to those in need: to the thirsty, water; to the hungry, food; to those in bondage; comfort. Jesus’ litmus test is love and love in action, action appropriate to the need. I hope that is our litmus test in mission as well.

In late June, Melanie, Hilary, and I will be returning to Mussoorie. My work with Emmanuel Hospital Association will be redefined, since the Community Health Programs of EHA has a new director. I am not sure about how community organizing will fit into his ideas for community health. I will also be traveling more broadly to visit other PC(USA)-sponsored projects and institutions.

Virginia Tech memorial ceremony releasing white balloons to remember those killed.

This year in the States was brightened by catching up with so many in our supporting churches, but it was darkened by the horrific shootings at Virginia Tech. Our house is about a mile from the VT campus, and many of our friends here are part of the university. Our immediate neighbors are engineering professors and were personally affected by the shootings. It will take a long time for the campus to seem “normal” again.

We leave three of our four children in the States as we return to India. Kelli just completed her M.A. in international relations and will be in Iowa City for the foreseeable future. Daniel continues the artist’s life in Louisville. Timothy just finished his freshman year and is doing a semester abroad in Thailand. And  Hilary, the last of the four kids, is straining to get back to India and the friends she has grown up with since fifth grade.

Melanie has been busy helping the India Mission Network get off the ground. Once we get back to India she will continue her work at Woodstock School as well as help me with scheduling, church communications, and preparing workshops and trainings.

I have coaxed several individuals and churches to consider short mission trips. I hope they and others think and pray seriously about a visit in the coming two years. There’s plenty to see and plenty to appreciate.

Scott and Melanie Smith

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 114