A Glimpse of Life Across the Globe

by Becky Bergey

Colorful sarees, the sound of continuous horns tooting, the taste of masala dosa in the morning and the smell of jasmine flowers in my hair are sights, sounds, tastes and smells that will always remind me of India. 

This first trip to India changed many of the ignorant impressions that I had of this unique and beautiful country. Our friendship with Paulus and Sumatha over the past 10 years had provided us with numerous invitations to join them in a trip to India. Finally in February, Ron and I joined them in traveling in and around Hyderabad, India to attend a five-day PPMI conference and meet the pastors and spouses who are part of PPMI. 

When traveling to a place where I cannot speak the language of the area, there are certainly challenges in getting to know people. I would have loved to speak Telugu to communicate freely with the women, but after five days with this group it was surprising to see the friendships that can be formed and communication that can be expressed without many words. Women who initially seemed very different from me seem not-so-different after spending several days together.

Several interpreters provided us with the ability to hear stories from the pastors. It was great to see and hear the love and respect that they have for Paulus and Sumatha – and the love that Paulus and Sumatha have for their people in India. Both the pastors and spouses appreciate the opportunity they have at these conferences to connect with others. In an area of the world where Christian churches are not as plentiful as they are in southeastern PA, this opportunity to be encouraged by other believers who worship the same Lord is treasured!

Pastors Babu, Kumar and Manek were extremely helpful to our team of seven from the US:  Paulus, Sumatha, Joe Manickam, Robert Null, Ron, Jessica and I.

Our last day as we left Khammam toward Hyderabad, we attended a dedication service for a church involved in PPMI that was recently constructed. When we arrived, the building was already packed with people coming to celebrate the dedication of this new place of worship. The white concrete church was simple but beautifully constructed with windows and ceiling fans to keep it somewhat cool on a 90-degree day (at least for as long as the electricity was on).  

As usual, the people of the church community were welcoming and generous, providing a meal for us after the dedication service and ribbon cutting. While most of our team was comfortable from the start of our trip eating as Indians do with their hands – Robert, Ron and I usually reached for the few utensils that were provided. As we were served a meal of rice and goat curry without any utensils, I somewhat welcomed this last opportunity to eat this meal with my hands (also thankful knowing that this forced opportunity was easier for me at the end of our stay than it would have been at the beginning). Here on our last day the meal was delicious, as usual, and we felt honored to celebrate and thank the Lord with them for God’s provision of this beautiful place of worship.

The commitment to faith and sacrifice that we saw in these men and women of India, was remarkable and unfamiliar to us who have the resources and freedom that we too often take for granted. This first trip will probably not be my last – I was privileged and blessed to have the experience of spending this time with fellow believers across the globe.