Bangalore

The journey this time complicated by the Terror Alerts in London centred on Heathrow Airport. The restrictions on what you can carry did not seriously affect us but it did provide an interesting happening when the Air India flight refused to take the normal carry on bags. Thankfully they accepted them ok and booked them through so we arrived eventually at Bangalore all intact. The plane was old and a little dingy; particularly the toilets which functioned ok but with little inspiration. The final leg to Bangalore was not on the old 747-400 but a more up to date Airbus. Delhi saw us circling for 45 minutes before landing then 1.5 hours on the ground while a new group of passengers were absorbed which well filled the plane once more. Three hours stopover in Mumbai (Bombay) with again delays in departure finally saw us in Bangalore at 08.30. We were met by the ACTS driver and van so once more at VIP status.

Sunday

On Sunday we went to a service with my old friend Dr Prabakaran. It turned out to be a new church plant; an offshoot from a traditional Brethren place. The classic non confrontational solution adopted to get away from the control of the grey beards. The group mainly under the age of 35 singles and married of the IT type so intelligent and able to handle things. The whole thing brought back very healthy nostalgia of my own youth in NZ. Participation on an extemporaneous style from the audience. Good singing and in all a positive happening. Our Ph.D. host on Sunday was quoting in his sermon as an illustration of the Days of Elijah that those who find the mind of the Lord can indeed move mountains. His illustration being the prayer made by Christians before the last election which resulted in the overthrow of the BJP regarded widely as being anti Christian. He then went on to say that it is rumored (and obviously widely believed in the Christian community circles by these more intellectual people) that the secret agencies of the Indian govt are interested in what Christians pray for as things happen when they pray! They want to know what it is that Christians are praying for next!

Janette’s Teaching Debut

Janette is on a real roll! I had talked with Ricky Gnanakan about having things for her to do. In the somewhat chaotic and unplanned way that India functions, this week has turned out to be the seminar week when outsiders come in and share for one week. The Nigerian pastor and two others from Indonesia supplement the local resources people for the one week of special emphasis when students from their extensive alumni network come to take a one week special course for credits to their M Th and other degrees.  In my understanding it was to have been last week. Ricky turns up and says Janette should come along and go out with him to the Campus. On arrival she is asked to take 4 x 50 mins sessions and then one in the afternoon. It has come as some surprise as this was not mentioned in e mails etc. I am amused and encouraged that I have tried hard to make a break into this group and not really succeeded at this level.
It is a new day and this is an encouraging breakthrough. Janette is planning all kinds of role plays and other interactive things in a much more innovative manner and suitable way than me at least for the people at the B Th, M Div levels.

Janette has been working with the regular Bible college students. Many of them brought in from village and lower class city groups, recent converts eager to learn more; very like the older Bible College dynamic of the Prairie bible belt churches in the past. Their educational level more like High School students reflecting also the emotional maturity of many of them. Like going back to Woodstock school teaching bible though rather than Mathematics! With her more interactive, less emphasis on an exam at the end and experience with teenagers Janette does better than I do with similar groups, These days only in Sri Lanka am I working with this level of student.

Otherwise all going well; we have bought local SIM cards for the cell phones so we can remain in contact. Despite all the advertising it is not seamless as promoted., Janette out at the Campus  in a country location, so out of the range of the cell phone in Bangalore city. Much easier to make contact with the international free number offered by her Bank in Scotland. Quick and easy contact to the Call Centre where ever it may be!  I am having the notes photocopied and put into booklet form, having the US formatted videos and DVDs copied into the local PAL format. Got together medicine for the coming year at Indian rates saving considerably. We have both had new glasses. Janette putting her old but satisfactory variegated  bifocal lenses into new frames. I have a new pair of sun glasses made. Found that the other pair were made to a newer and stronger prescription which produced conflict with the older pair. Overall a bit chaotic but everything proceeding smoothly.

We are very comfortable at the Guest flat which initially we were sharing with the Nigerian pastor but now he has out at the Campus on our own with Janette on daily commutes. Food of a mild well cooked Indian style sent over by Ken Gnanakan's wife from their home.

Indian Scene

The local Indian magazine scene dominated by material aimed at the new rising affluent middle class.  Consumerism is being aggressively promoted with tempting offers to those who have regular employment so open to credit for the purchase of vehicles, real estate and then a wide range of luxury style goods. The streets continue to fill up with vehicles. Motor cycles for the group who once were on cycles; small cars for the commuter and larger ones for those in business. The older housing development now full of parked cars.

Alongside all this modernity an older India remaining with belief systems from an older era.  Interesting local dynamics. In Mumbai there is a huge stir as the sea water has turned sweet and is quite drinkable around a river outlet at one of the suburbs, Mahim. The scientific explanation being the heavy monsoon and the rise of ground water etc. But to the less sophisticated or unscientific minded it is some action of the  Muslm holy man or Pir Sahib whose tomb is right there. So thousands rushing down to get and drink the ‘holy water’ much to the chagrin of the local health authorities who produced their dire warnings which are of course unheeded. Not to be outdone the Hindus are again circulating stories about the gods drinking milk. It is Ganesh Pati this weekend when the idols are replaced then immersed etc.

Of wider interest are the horrific floods in the commercial centers of Gujarat with the big centres of Surat under water and Ahmedabad threatened . Heavy monsoons have been  complicated by human managements as most of the flooding is due to the release of large volumes of water from irrigation and hydro dams which are overflowing or threatened with bursting. So goes the scientific. But others I am sure are drawing the conclusions that the gods have cursed the State. Gujarat has had its share of troubles with the earthquake in past years and now this heavy flooding this year. It is of interest th. Surrat it is this State that is notorious for persecuting  newly converting tribal Christians. The government has been BJP which is the strongly nationalistic Hindu orientated party. Interesting also that this is the state that produced Mahatma Gandhi at the time of Independence in 1947.

More emphasis also on the trend I noted before about Eastern and Central India populated by tribals and others on marginal land. This land is known to contain in Chattisgarh diamonds amongst other things . As well as the more conventional iron ore, bauxite and the like. Huge upheavals if the tribals are displaced as they have been by the Narmada dam in Maharastra, Gujarat areas. Surrey BC not the only place where 'progress' is disturbing the well settled people who deeply resent the intrusion that compulsory land acquisition makes into their well manicured lives.