KolkataBiglife23

 No, this is not a raunchy 1969 theatrical revue, this is just my trying to paint some kind of picture of the city we find ourselves in.  The first thing that comes to mind is that this is a city (and country) of immense contradictions, We found ourselves this evening driving in a stream of traffic. On one side, tuk-tuks, rickshaws, normal cars and beat up buses. On the other side of the car, a brand new, luxury Maybach Mercedes, probably worth £100,000-£200,000. There are glitzy malls, only doors away from dim, shack-like stalls selling food. This is a country where 70% of the population live in poor, rural villages, yet the country has a space program and nuclear weapons. From the very top down to the street, the contrast is stark. And yet there is no visible hostility between rich and poor, no sense of tension as we walk around.  So we have now visited rural villages twice now, with one or two more ahead of us. I was very nervous before each visit - I did not want to f...

 Jodie: I got up early this morning to accompany Peter and Ben to Bishnupur Baptist Church. It was just over an hour away and down a little lane. The church was a large, bright, airy space full of beautiful, rich colours with all the amazing Sunday attire. There were a few hundred people (300-400 I estimate) of all ages present. The church was celebrating its 178th anniversary, so there were balloons and decorations up. It was brilliant to enjoy the children worshiping Jesus with a few songs (including an action song) leading from the front of church, followed by a song and dance from some of the teenagers. There was prize-giving for various competitions from art to music to sewing.  All helping to add to the celebratory feel. A women’s group did a little drama with a strong message about the importance of Godly character, the older young people did a drama about overcoming evil and difficult times by focussing on God’s Word and trusting in Him alone. I got to bring greetings ...

 Sarah: On Saturday the women had a women's conference at the BMS base called Women of the Word. The men met with some local group leaders to encourage and support them. It was a blessing for the team to not have to travel today and we had time this morning to start the day with our own Three Thirds meeting after a yummy breakfast of toast, butter, jam (which is more like jelly), bananas (in season and locally grown) and cold porridge (surprisingly good!). We prayed together and read the passage about the Ethiopian official who Phillip helped to understand scripture (Acts 8) after which followed some really interesting discussions. We each reflected on our time yesterday and what we had learned from our visits to the village with some sharing they'd felt really humbled by the simplicity of life we saw but also the respect we were shown. The passage encouraged us all to be ready to give answers to anyone who asks or needs the gospel explaining, believers and non-believers alike....

 Jonathan:  Whilst the ladies in our team got to have some WOW time (women of the word!), the chaps got to spend some quality time with the "K"team! A group of key leaders from around Kolkata that gather once a month with Benjamin Francis to share fellowship and encourage one another in their disciple making. We heard some amazing stories of healings and visions, and how ordinary followers of Jesus who were prepared to step out in faith, and be there at the right moment, made all the difference to these men and their wives and families becoming disciples and disciple makers. But we also heard about their failures and challenges. People who seemed eager but fell away, hundreds of groups led astray by one person, unwise decisions leading to perhaps avoidable persecution. Struggles with spiritual warfare and the realities of a country full of idol worship. We gained insights into strategy and the importance of a lifestyle of prayer and the fundamental foundation of real relation...

Imagine you are at the fairground, enjoying the bump  a cars. Now instead of there being a lot of small plastic toy  cars, imagine you are playing dodgems with buses, lorries, coaches, cars, motorbikes, push bikes, auto-rickshaws, hand pulled rickshaws, pedestrians, dogs and the occasional nonchalant cow, and it goes a small way describing our  introduction to the roads of Kolkata, and the remarkable country of contradictions that is India. A country of vibrant colours, smells, sounds (predominantly car horns) and activities. People everywhere, selling, buying eating, sleeping, talking, or just sitting.  But a place of immense challenges. Modern office blocks overshadow crumbling, colonial mansions, BMWs quite literally rub shoulders with hand pulled rickshaws. The infrastructure is straining under the pressure of a huge population, and yet there is a warmth of welcome and hospitality that challenges our western reserve.  Our first lesson in faith, to "let go an...

 This has been the first full day for us as a team, and full it certainly has been!   Travelling by road in India is an experience for us from the UK.  In a remarkable way the traffic does keep flowing as drivers jostle for position and remind each other of their proximity with their constant peeping of their horns.  We set off early to reach the Biglife boat in the Sunderban Islands region – a network of rivers and islands that works its way down to the Bay of Bengal in the south.  Having navigated getting on to the boat we then had a wonderful cruise down the river and entered what is another world to the hustle and bustle of the city of Kolkata. The Islands have no cars and just the occasional motor bike crawls safely by.  Otherwise, it is a tranquil setting with a slow and steady pace to life.  Undoubtedly the people work hard to eke out a living from their fish farming and vegetable growing, but there is a quieter atmosphere than the frenetic...