Bhopal

Today started off another beautiful day up early to sound of Muslim calls to prayers in the distance.   The weather was actually a bit crisp for this part of the world but felt wonderful.   The blessings today again came in form of a wonderful Ladies Day put on by Juanita who taught the ladies and Renee who taught the children.  Jerris and I and another Indian brother taught some classes up on the roof where the future home of the Bhopal School of Preaching is currently under construction!  Our audience was geared more towards those would become preachers.  Again we went out into the night to teach classes at homes away from town (I'm beginning to think Columbus was right…I get closer to the edge every night), where we shared the gospel with several responding, asking for prayers and stating the desire to be baptized into Christ. The practice of teaching with a translator is becoming more fluid and routine.  There is a certainly a method to the madness.  In this morning’s class teaching, a Telegu speaking preacher had to interpret for not only Jerris and me in English, but for another brother who spoke Hindi.  But we all shared the understanding of the bible verses and what was being taught.  

Coming home, watching the long line of pigs, cows, horses and stray dogs, it’s odd to see it all disappear when we turn into the hotel road.  It amazes me how close some of these people are in distance, and how far apart they are in social classes.  There is also a large middle class here, who if they are not getting around every day on motorcycle (where I have seen an entire family of four on one motorcycle) they are driving, riding bicycles, or walking to where they need to be.  The economy is here is such that most can get by on what we know would be impossible to live on in the states.  Tomorrow we will participate in Sunday morning worship and teaching, and when the day is done come back to the hotel to pack for our train ride tomorrow to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal.