Go Beyond

Kolkata, India | 24 July 2013

Pastor Rudra is a man who is living his dream among some of the most impoverished people in Kolkata. His highest ambition is to become a man of no reputation by serving God’s purposes in the obscurity of a squatters’ slum called Udayan Pally. I first met Rudra three years ago at the canal that separates an upscale development near Kolkata’s International Airport from the slum that has captured his heart.

As Rudra and I walked across a wooden bridge that leads into the slum, he stopped for a moment, surveyed the ramshackle mess in front of us, and said, “This is my dream village. God has called me to serve the poor and my dream is that He will use me to tell this entire village about His love.” And then he introduced me to the place and the people of his dreams as we walked toward the school he has started in the midst of abject poverty and suffering. His school is appropriately named New Hope.

This morning, our team of students traveled across Kolkata to spend the day with Pastor Rudra and to serve the students at New Hope. Every time I visit Pastor Rudra’s school I am impressed with the progress of the hundred-plus students who faithfully attend classes every day. And, every time I see the packed school-house, I wonder about how different things would be for these kids and their families had God not had a man like Rudra to count on.

Rudra and his wife are both educated and very intelligent individuals who were on career paths to make lots of money and live comfortable lives. But then, as Rudra tells it, “God made me upside down.” God indeed turned Rudra’s world upside down when He tapped him out for a tough assignment. Rudra and his wife both quit their jobs and started down a path of living by faith in order to devote full-time to caring for the people of Udayan Pally.

Rudra is making remarkable progress and so are the children in his care. Every child in the school presented our team with a red rose and scraps of paper with handwritten Bible verses that they have memorized. Our team presented Bible skits and taught the children lessons about how much God values them. All of this in the little school-house that is hotter than an oven. No one complained. The joy and laughter within the walls of the little school-house made it worth it all to be there.

In the afternoon, our girls stayed at New Hope to engage with the women enrolled in Rudra’s vocational training program. Our boys walked across the canal to an open field to play soccer with some local teenagers. The fact that it was raining did not matter at all. Our guys had a great time playing soccer and dodging the occasional water buffalo that tried to join the game.

After almost two hours of running and slipping and sliding up and down the puddle-ridden field, all of the guys stopped to talk with one another. Zach represented our team well by sharing his personal story of following Jesus. Our new Hindu friends listened attentively and then thanked us for traveling so far to play soccer with them and tell them about Jesus. Before leaving, we invited them to our evening showing of the Jesus Film in Udayan Pally.

We returned to our guesthouse soaked to the bone and with muddy feet. Again I thought, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news” (Isa. 52:7 and Rom. 10:15). We returned encouraged by what God is doing among the poor in Udayan Pally. Things are slowly changing for the better there because God turned one man’s ambitions upside down and gave him a more noble purpose. Rudra is indeed living his dream and, as a result, is helping the poor in Udayan Pally to realize theirs.

PS | Read an inspiring post by Kingsland student Ana Gutierrez about our time in India.

The Sundarbans en route to Kolkata, India | 23 July 2013

Early this morning, our team of students boarded our boat to leave the Sundarbans and begin the journey back to the mainland. While the Sundarban Islands are beautiful, life for those who call these islands home is tough. The people contend with weather-related challenges, the threat of crocodiles and tigers, mud that never dries, unbelievable heat and humidity, and more. At best, many of the islanders experience subsistence living. Life for them is a struggle in the midst of beauty.

Once we reached the mainland, we loaded our gear onto our vehicles and headed towards Kolkata. Our plan for today was to stop at a school for the children of brick-makers and to spend a couple of hours with them, sharing Bible stories. The families of these children are unskilled migrant laborers from the Sundarbans. They bring their entire families to work at the brick kilns only to make barely livable wages. Because payment is made to the head of each family based on the number of bricks they make, they need to involve their children in the work in order to maximize their earnings.

The work at the brick kilns is seasonal because of the rains. And because we are here during the monsoon season, there are only a few workers present to keep watch over inventory sitting amidst puddles of water. We had an opportunity to see the places where these families live and to learn about how easily they are exploited. The only bright spot was learning about a woman who ministers to the children of the brick laborers. She has started a little school to help educate these children in the hope of giving them a way out of the misery they live every day.

As with other children we have served on this trip, the kids in the school here are beautiful. They absolutely loved learning new songs and sat in rapt attention as we acted out our Bible stories and continued to teach them through our craft projects. The lady who cares for and teaches these kids is amazing. She has found the greatest significance in her life in serving these children who are brimming with potential. She sees in them what others do not see and knows that God values each of them.

I never cease to be amazed at the people I meet as I lead teams to serve in so many places on the planet — people who serve God’s purposes in obscurity, not concerned about fame or riches or comforts. Because of the investment of one woman who saw a need and decided to do what Jesus would do, the future is brighter for the children of men and women who are doing all that they can to provide for their families, even working under extreme conditions for little pay in order to buy their next sack of rice. Because she is here, there is hope for those who live among the brick kilns of West Bengal.

Thanks for following our journey. Please visit my Instagram account @omarcgarcia for more photos of our students. As please visit our Go Beyond Kolkata blog for Kay’s updates on how God is using our girls to serve young women rescued from the brothels of West Bengal.

The Sundarbans | Bay of Bengal | 22 July 2013

Reaching the people who live at the other end of the Great Commission can sometimes be challenging — especially when it comes to travel. That’s why those who venture to distant fields must be willing to deal with inconveniences and overcome obstacles in order to reach those who have yet to hear the good news about the kingdom of God. Anything less will mean missed opportunities.

Today, our students learned just how tough it can be to reach those who live on the ragged edges. It was a planes, trains, and automobiles kind of day. After breakfast we divided into three teams and boarded boats that transported us to our assigned islands. Each of our teams traveled two or more hours to reach their respective destinations. The heat, humidity, and frequent cloudbursts made our treks all the more challenging but did not wither our resolve.

Our assignment was to distribute gospel tracts in specific areas where our partners are working. Our Kingsland guys did not hesitate to interact with those they met in the market places and in outlying areas. They traveled by boat, on foot, and by motorized-rickshaws to reach more distant areas. I lost track of the number of rain showers we had today. The rain was no deterrent, especially for our teenage guys. It only added to the sense of adventure.

We also had invitations to speak at schools on the islands and to distribute gospel tracts to the entire student body at each school. The children in the classrooms were so excited to have foreigners as guests and listened to every word we shared. Afterwards, school officials extended an invitation for us to return and speak to the students at any time. Our partners here are prepared to do that very thing.

We concluded the day by traveling to a fourth island to show the Jesus Film. With the tide out, we had to wade through thick, sticky mud in order to get to the island. Once again, no problem for our Kingsland guys. They embraced the challenge and jumped into the thick of it all. Once on the island, our hosts showed us where we could wash our feet.

Looking at our muddy feet reminded me of one of my favorite Bible verses — “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Isa. 52:7 and Rom. 10:15). Heat, humidity, rain showers, long boat rides, and muddy feet are a small price to pay for the opportunity to tell others the best news on the planet. And it was worth dealing with all of these things in order to see a packed house watch the Jesus Film and hear His story for the first time.

At the end of the day, we waded back to the boat through high tide — tired but thankful for the opportunity to serve God’s purposes at the ends of the earth. Tomorrow we will head back to Kolkata but stop along the way to talk to the children of brick makers. Thanks for following our journey. Please read Kay Smith’s updates on our girls at our Go Beyond Kolkata blog. And please take a moment to visit my Instagram account @omarcgarcia to see more photos of our great adventure at the ends of the earth.

PS | Please visit our Go Beyond Tanzania blog to read the latest on our team serving in the African bush.

The Sundarbans | Bay of Bengal | 21 July 2013

You will not necessarily find the ends of the earth marked on any map. However, you will find it located at the opposite end of the last command of Jesus to take the good news of the kingdom to all creation. The ends of the earth may indeed be in a remote location on the planet that looks like what you might expect the ends of the earth to look like. Or it may be in a bustling urban setting or located just across the street from where you live. Regardless of where it is, Jesus charged His followers to make the journey from where they are to where people are waiting to hear the news that through Christ sins can be forgiven and the kingdom of God is now available to all.

This morning, the guys on our team made the three-plus-hour journey from Kolkata to the eastern coast of the subcontinent where the Ganges River meets the Bay of Bengal. The distance we traveled was not long — the traffic just made the going slow and tedious. When we arrived we waited a few minutes for the boat that will be our taxi for the next couple of days. Two hours later we arrived at our destination and settled into our accommodations. The Sundarbans look more like what you might expect the ends of the earth to look like. Life is definitely hard for the people who call this place home.

This afternoon we had an enjoyable time with young children who came to hear our Bible stories. Our guys acted out and then explained three Bible stories from Luke 15 about things that were lost and then found. Doyle then shared his personal story of being found by Jesus. We followed up by doing a craft related to the story and had a great time with the kids. Our boys then played games with the younger children and engaged in a soccer match with a curious group of teenage boys that had watched and listened to the Bible stories from a distance.

Watching our guys take ownership of every aspect of our daily ministry initiatives is refreshing. They are doing a fantastic job of telling stories that are familiar to us but new for our listeners. And, they are taking the initiative to interact with anyone who will listen. After the soccer game they took the time to share with our new friends why we have come so far to visit them. Their home in the Sundarbans represents the ends of the earth for us, the place where Jesus commissioned us to go.

We pray that our time here will enable us to plant a mustard seed. As Jesus shared in the parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches” (Matt. 13:31-32). While the kingdom of heaven often starts small in many places, it always has the potential to grow large. May that indeed be the case in the Sundarbans.

Thanks again for following our journey. Please pray for our guys and for Kay and our girls as they continue their work with the victims of human trafficking in Kolkata. Kay has posted updates at our Go Beyond Kolkata blog. And remember that you can see more photos and videos of our students in action on my Instagram account @omarcgarcia.

PS | Please visit our Go Beyond Tanzania blog for the latest on out team serving in the African bush.

Kolkata, India

As many as one-million people pass through Kolkata’s railway stations every day. The chaotic press of humanity in motion at the railway stations presents special challenges to families traveling with small children. On occasion, children get separated from their parents and end up living a “Lord of the Flies” existence with other lost children. These lost kids quickly learn to survive by stealing from travelers and by scavenging for food in trash bins. Younger kids are pimped out by older kids to steal from others and must meet a daily quota or suffer the consequences.

Navin and Matilda. Compassionate beyond measure.

Years ago, my friend Navin and his wife Matilda became aware of the plight of the lost railway kids. They were so burdened by what they discovered that they prayed and fasted as they sought God’s direction about what to do. They knew that looking the other way was not an option. This compassionate couple did the only thing they could — they decided to open their own home to care for the kids they rescued from the railway stations.

Two little girls rescued from the railway stations.

Today, they have fifteen kids under their care. To say that the transformation in the lives of these kids is amazing would be an understatement. God has used Navin and his wife to lead these kids to faith in Christ, to educate them, and to give them a bright future. Not long ago they were living like animals and eating out of garbage bins. Today, they are courteous and well-behaved kids with aggressive plans for their future. Two of the boys want to attend seminary and the rest want to go to medical school to study nursing.

Two girls working on a Bible story craft.

Kingsland students with the rescued railway kids.

We spent several hours with Navin’s railway kids today. We sang together, acted out Bible stories through skits, listened to the kids share their memory verses, and sat amazed as a seven-year old preached a brief message. Navin and his wife are a living example of what can happen when Christ-followers are willing to go beyond and do more than they have ever done for God and His purposes. They have given up a lot of things in order to do what they do. However, the smiles on their faces tell us that they have gained some things that are beyond value.

Kingsland team (and friends) at Nirmal Hriday, home for the dying.

This afternoon our teams served at two of Mother Teresa’s homes. Our team of guys that served at Nirmal Hriday saw a man take his last breath. This morning, someone carried the man from the streets where he had spent his life to Mother Teresa’s home where he died with a measure of dignity. As a last act of kindness just moments before he died, one of our students massaged his tired limbs and sat with him. Our team that served at Daya Dan had a fulfilling but emotional afternoon as they cared for severely handicapped children.

Kingsland team en route to Daya Dan, home for special needs kids.

Last year, my friend Ashok Andrews, the pastor of Kolkata Christian Fellowship, shared something with me that I have not forgotten. He said, “My life is a single candle. I therefore prefer to burn it in a place filled with darkness than in a place flooded with light.” Navin and Matilda are indeed lighting up some of Kolkata’s darkest places. And our students are learning the importance of what it means to be a candle in places where love, hope, and acceptance are dim.

Thanks for following our journey and for praying for our students. Our guys leave for the Sunderbans in the morning and our girls will continue their work with our justice partners in Kolkata. We will be back together again in Kolkata on Tuesday. I hope to be able to post from the islands but am not certain if I can. So, stay tuned. And remember that you can see more photos of our students on my Instagram account @omarcgarcia.