When you think of India you might think of the large cities packed with people. I think of Mumbai, the world’s largest city (also the highest population density by far) with over 13 million people. There are more than 300 cities in India with populations exceeding 1 million people, yet only 27% of India’s 1 Billion people live in urban centers. The other 73% live in the rural villages where the way of life is slower and quieter but also much poorer.

We have visited more than a handful of these villages and in many cases were told that we were the first white people they have ever seen and will ever see in their lives. Let’s just say, western honeymooners are not basking in each other’s presence here.

When we first arrived the children ran after our vehicles and when we got out of the vehicle there would often be more than one hundred people gathering to see us and shake our hands. In each village we stopped and visited with their pastors’ families. We sat on straw mats on the floor of their sanctuary, a 10×20 concrete room attached to a house with small windows. We were always warmly greeted with hot tea and sugary crackers. We prayed for the 5-40 member churches that met in these rooms and imagined gathering for worship with them. The pastors and their families show such faithfulness and courage. Some are threatened by fundamentalist groups who stand in the street outside their meeting challenging worshipers to try and get past and others have been beaten…but still they go.

In each village the pastors oversee a “Share and Care” program for children. Hundreds of children attend each of these gatherings six days a week after school. They receive a simple snack (candy, hard boiled egg, or biscuit) teachings on hygiene, sing songs, and learn stories from the Bible. Two hours, six days a week, every week. In all there are more than 2,000 children that attend these “Share and Care” programs. Lecia, can you even imagine having to prepare and plan for this?!

You may understand then why Arun and Shobba have asked us over and over again to pray for more workers; workers who are both “faithful and useful.” Arun jokingly said, “Many workers are faithful…but not useful. And others are useful…but not faithful.” Please join us in praying for many many more workers that possess both of these qualities. But be careful when you do because some of us think that we might be the workers that they have been praying for:)

Peace to you! We all love you and miss you!

Josh (the girls call Gregg, Matt and me “Uncle”)