A world apart

How to reset your mind in about three weeks.

How was India? This question has greeted us often since our return.   It was interesting, challenging, fascinating, confronting, a culture shock, noisy (in urban areas), dusty, heartbreaking, inspiring, exhausting, chaotic (in an organized way!), hot, cold, beautiful, littered (very!!!), amusing ... the list could go on.

The Gerberts prove that they were at the Taj Mahal.

We visited some obvious tourist attractions, such as the Taj Mahal, Red Fort (two of them) and various palaces (some extremely grandiose) — all magnificent stuff. But the main reason for our trip of 3+ weeks in January was to spend time with our friends Janine and John, who have ministered in Nepal and India for the past 19 years. They have a love for, and heart for, the people of these countries, and we wanted to travel the way they do, experience some of the work they do, and to see parts of India through their eyes.

Nilgiri mountains steam locomotive was one of Lawrence’s favourites.

Janine and John are both teachers with many years’ experience in a variety of schools and across all ages, as well as bringing up their own 3 kids in a cross-cultural environment. Part of the work they do is offering educational training to schools and their principals in India — formal schooling starts at a young age, classes are large (up to 80 students) and few modern teaching aides and techniques are used.

These camel-drawn wagons filled with rice husks are still a common sight on the highways.

Two other areas in which Janine and John increasingly work are with children who are MKs and TCKs, and in provision of an advisory service for people ministering in countries across east Asia. Regarding the former, MKs (missionaries’ kids) are a lot like PKs (pastor’s kids); but TCKs (third culture kids) was a new concept to us until recently. Who is a TCK? Someone whose parents are from one country, but they have grown up in another (usually very different) country because that is where the parents have worked for many years. The indigenous Indian mission movement has grown dramatically in the past 30 years, with over 35,000 serving cross-culturally in India and beyond. TCKs often have very little exposure to their “home” country other than during short periods of their parents’ home assignment. Frequently they return “home” for tertiary education, and although they look as though they belong, they can feel as though they are in a foreign cultural environment, often not knowing the most basic customs of their home country. This can be extremely difficult for these children. We were privileged to be present at a weekend camp for Indian MKs and TCKs where their cultural, emotional and spiritual issues were examined. We gained a little more understanding of the sacrificial way many of these families live while they share the Good News with others in foreign lands.

Typical street scene in the smaller centre of Siliguri.

What else did we experience? Well, very briefly:

• A ministry centre in Calcutta that tends AIDS-afflicted people and others in need, and schools street-kids
• Numerous overnight journeys on the extensive inter-capital passenger train system of India
• The world heritage steam “toy train” on 24-inch gauge track that climbs up to Darjeeling
• The Nilgiri mountain steam train
• The palace where Gandhi’s wife died and where his ashes are deposited
• The place where the Apostle Thomas is said to have been martyred
• A Christian boarding school for years 5-12 staffed largely by westerners
• Constant honking on the urban roads
• Incessant crowds and beggars
• Extensive poverty
• Beautiful country and mountain landscapes
• Manicured tea estates
• Many women (but not men) carrying concrete in dishes on their heads.

It was tough in many ways, but we’d recommend the experience.

Lyndie and Lawrence Gebert