News from India has been, well, non-existent this week. Their internet access has been sketchy at best from what we have heard previously. We trust everyone is well and enjoying their last few hours in India. They had planned to spend Thursday and Friday shopping and sight-seeing in Mumbai.

The team begins their long journey home today (Friday). They are scheduled to depart just before midnight local time (mid-afternoon here) with a 16 hour flight to Newark, followed by a much shorter flight back to Halifax. Please pray for them as they travel… and for their luggage to stay with them. You may remember that several members of our 2009 Ecuador team lost their bags during the return trip, never to be found. That thought has probably crossed Rebecca’s mind, as she was on that team, too.

We look forward to having them back with us and hearing of their many adventures in West Bengal, Gangtok, Mumbai and points in between!

Our team with everyone who attended the conferences in West Bengal

The adventures continue for our team in Gangtok!

Pastor Don found himself in a somewhat familiar spot on Sunday morning… the pulpit of a local church, but with a little twist since he doesn’t speak the local language. Thanks to the help of an interpreter, he was able to share God’s word with some of our brothers and sisters in Gangtok. Following that, the team planned to visit a nearby orphanage.

Monday will be a busy day, as the team will again be teaching at conferences for pastors and women. As we mentioned the other day, these conferences had to be shortened to just one day because of our team’s travel delays.

Your prayers are so very important as they continue to serve and minister to the people of India. We are so thankful for God’s hand on each member of this team and look forward to hearing what He has done in and through them during their time in India. Please keep praying for continued good health and stamina during these last few days. The team has specifically asked for prayer for their time… that it be profitable for both themselves and those they are teaching and interacting with.

One last thing… if you’ve been wondering about what they’ve seen and heard over the last week, click here to check out a few of Colin’s pictures and a short video from West Bengal.

It’s a day later than planned, but our team is now in Gangtok! They received permission to travel on Thursday night and early Friday morning, a bus from Sikkim province arrived to take them on the five hour drive up the Himalayan mountains to Gangtok.

Because of the highway blockades and travel uncertainty, the conferences planned for Friday and Saturday in Gangtok had to be cancelled. Instead, the team is pulling together a one day conference scheduled for Monday. It’s expected that 50-100 people will be able to attend.

We are grateful for their safe arrival in Gangtok! Please continue to lift  up Pastor Don, Colin, Tara, Lisa, Rebecca and Samantha  in prayer. No doubt they are adjusting to being in another new community, as they roll with changing plans and embark upon this adventure in Gangtok.

It’s been one week since our team headed to India and it’s been a busy one between travel, teaching and changing plans! Everyone is doing well health-wise and enjoying rich fellowship.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday they taught at conferences for pastors and women. Everything went very well. (That’s all we’ve heard about that!)

Here’s where plans changed. On Thursday, the team was supposed to travel to Gangtok in Sikkim province for another conference. However, road blockades and strike actions by the Gurkha people made that impossible. Since there is only one way in and out by ground, they tried to book helicopters. Unfortunately, they were already booked solid due to the blockades.

For now, they will remain in West Bengal and keep an eye on the situation. Instead of traveling on Thursday, the team was able to have some down time and do some sightseeing. If they are unable to travel to Gangtok, they will seek opportunities to serve with other missions where they are.

No doubt God has a purpose in keeping our team in West Bengal, at least for the time being. Please keep praying for them… that they would make wise decisions about travel, that God would open up opportunities for them to serve where they are, for continued good health and that God would use them to draw people to Himself.

That’s the latest! We’ll pass along any news as soon as we get it!

After weeks of preparation, moments of excitement, trepidation and wonder and many, many hours in the air, our Gangtok team arrived safely in Delhi, India on Friday night (local time; they are 9.5 hours ahead of us).  On Saturday, they flew to West Bengal then spent several hours on the road before arriving at their destination.

Today (Sunday) they had the privilege of attending the grand opening of Four Corners church, a new church in West Bengal. Another Canadian team began work on this facility in November. Remarkably, an entire church can be built in India for $10,000!

Monday will be a big day… and probably a little nerve-wracking for some! They will begin teaching at the first of two conferences they’ll be leading while in India. Pastors and lay leaders are excited about this opportunity to learn; many of them have little education and little understanding of English. For some our team members, teaching in this environment is a huge step outside of their comfort zone, with the added challenge of teaching through a translator. On Thursday the team flies to Gangtok, where their second conference begins on Friday.

We are excited for this opportunity to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ in another part of the world and to reach people for Christ. Please continue to pray for our team and those they will interact with over the next two weeks. No doubt they will have many exciting stories to share about the people they meet, the things they see and what God does in their lives.

We’re hoping to be able to post a few updates while they are in India, so check back in a day or two!