It is just 45 mins. by plane from Colombo to Trichinopoly, or Tiruchchirupalli, in more correct modern speak, affectionately Trichy to most locals. But now you are in another world. This area is strongly Christian having benefited from the ministry of dedicated missionaries some 2-300 years ago, originally from Denmark, later from UK who found responsive people groups in this region. Even earlier, the Apostle Thomas, is said to have been martyred in these parts his grave being at St Thomas mount in modern Chennai. The well known RC missionary Xavier was appealed to by fishing caste people groups and they became Christian in those early 16th century years. There is a long history here seen in Bishop Heber College one of the premier educational institutions of this thriving city. Our host’s daughter Kripa is a student there.

My contact here, Dr Barnabas, was a history professor in Bishop Heber college retiring in 1992 to found the India Institute of Missiology dedicated to training those reaching out beyond their Christian circles to the vast peoples of India. With him I shall be teaching a seminar for 11 Ph D students in Bangalore on the subject of the Church and Culture. This is a new experiment and experience for me so a time of learning and acculturation.

The city has as a religious focal point, a temple, perched on top of a large rock outcrop on the banks of the Cauvery river, reached by painfully ascending 1000 steps upward! The river is important as a pilgrimage place where ritual baths are taken to gain merit and atone for sins.

My host, Rev Prasad Devoshyam, here is a Superintendent for his Church with over 2000 pastors throughout the State of Tamilnadu. He is on regular pastoral tours as well as supervising and pastoring a Church plant in this newer part of the city. The aim is to expand the small hall seating 50 to around 400. Living standards are improving for these people as this home has air conditioning in all the bedrooms, an assist to productivity and comfort as heating is in Canada.

The present group of worshippers is smaller limited by the accommodation available and inability to cater to the needs of children. A need to be met by the extension of a meeting hall on the upper storey to seat 400 now under construction. There is a vision for a further storey which is be a small Bible School training evangelists, teachers and leaders for the future church planting ministry. So an on going vision of this brother who found faith from a Hindu background many years ago.

The Sunday service was only in English and Tamil so speaking proved an easier challenge than that of the two languages of Colombo.

Pastor Prasad is sensitive to the needs of his family realizing that being away from home during 15 days of the month poses a challenge. There is a Fun Fair in the city so the whole family along with Church friends go to share in bonding and fun with their children. A jewelry shop is a great attraction for the 4teen age girls along with the thriller rides and the eerie chamber giving them much fun and enjoyment in normal healthy fashion.

Our next stop was Madurai a large industrial and educational centre 3 hours train journey south. Here Drs Paul and Christeena are engaged in translating 7 tribal languages for newly emerging Churches in Gujarat. There has been much opposition and significant persecution in these areas but much resultant growth.

An early morning start was made leaving at 06.30 to reach the Living Hope Theological Seminary at Rajapallyam 3 hours later. An enthusiastic crowd of the 100 or so students set off fire crackers and festooned us with garlands to show their appreciation of our coming. The Seminar was from 10.30 to 13.00. They listened carefully but the assigned topic The Gospel and Culture as I presented it was a little beyond their level so not the greatest success!!

The train timings required us to leave at 02.00 for Nagercoil so not much sleep but now we are in this pleasant part of South India under the care of brother and sister Mathias for the six day stopover. Their home is up a narrow quiet back street of the town. A delightful older style bungalow.

Bro Matthias has been teaching at the Soul Winners Mission a small bible college with 40 or so students, the vision and ministry of Dr Jacob and Glory Isaac a semi retired Christian couple. Conditions here are very basic but the vision of reaching out remains the same.

Back in Nagercoil we are at a newly begun Bible School the vision of a Tamil family drawing students from far off NE India who come to these parts for their training.

The classroom has attached roof and mud floor, being a lean to on the main building.

We made a visit to historic Cape Kanyakumari the home of a virgin goddess in Hindu thought. This is where the 3 oceans the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean meet. A statue has been erected as a tribute to an outstanding Tamil poet still respected even though his period is at the time of Christ. More recent heroes like Swami Vivakananda, Mahatama Ghandi and Prime Minister Kamraj also have buildings in their honor but beyond this it is a picnic, tourist and fun location for local people.

Our host Dr Mathias shared with us his main interest which is an outreach to the very poor, widows and orphans. In these areas little has changed since the days of Amy Carmichel and the Donhavur mission. The situations are heart rending and tragic but something is being done with stories of real happenings in lives. Raising support and interest for this type of work is a real struggle in a society where karma concepts reign linked as they are to cause and effect in former lives.