3/16/12
Arriving in Bikaner on Thursday evening, I was warmly met by Arun and Chitra Henry and taken to their home for dinner with their pastor Rev. Annit Sheshthra. They are a delightful couple with two daughters the same ages as Jocelyn and Chloe, Aneesha and Aneela. Aneela was at home and helped her mother prepare dinner. It was a great pleasure to meet her. We know from Brian's research that JWD served in Bikaner in 1939. This morning the pastor Rev. Annit together with the full pastoral committee met me at the church, and after viewing the church and pausing for prayer I was given the traditional welcome of garlands of flowers from the church leaders present and a bouquet of flowers. I then took a tour of Bikaner fort and a tour of the State Agriculture University in which Chitra Henry is in a senior staff position. Tonight I will preach in one of the cottage prayer meetings and be translated into Hindi. This in part flowed out of some teasing by Chitra that all my Sundays I must have planned to be in big city churches in order to preach in those churches to the neglect of the smaller churches. She thought that was very biased on my part (just joking). Bikaner is an important desert city in the north, also a short distance from Pakistan, and as in Jaisalmer this proximity is marked by the significant and constant presence of the Indian army and army exercises. It is also, by virtue of the university, a key research and development place for more effective farming. Arun Henry is a senior geologist and has devoted his life's work to research and attention to ground water and groundwater levels throughout Rajasthan, an issue I have rapidly better understood through conversation with him. Enjoy the pictures...
The communion table in Bikaner Church
The Church leaders who met me.
Below: The plaque indicates that the church building does not to this day belong exclusively to the CNI congregation. They have hopes of building a new structure in another place because this structure cannot be changed in any way, because of its original charter.
The generous table of welcome.
Exploring the fort in Bikaner.
Below: picking sweet peas which were delicious.
Mrs. Chitra Henry outside her university offices
With Chitra, Rev. Annit, and Arun
With Chitra, Rev. Annit and Aneela.
With the director of the gardening project within the university.
Arriving in Bikaner on Thursday evening, I was warmly met by Arun and Chitra Henry and taken to their home for dinner with their pastor Rev. Annit Sheshthra. They are a delightful couple with two daughters the same ages as Jocelyn and Chloe, Aneesha and Aneela. Aneela was at home and helped her mother prepare dinner. It was a great pleasure to meet her. We know from Brian's research that JWD served in Bikaner in 1939. This morning the pastor Rev. Annit together with the full pastoral committee met me at the church, and after viewing the church and pausing for prayer I was given the traditional welcome of garlands of flowers from the church leaders present and a bouquet of flowers. I then took a tour of Bikaner fort and a tour of the State Agriculture University in which Chitra Henry is in a senior staff position. Tonight I will preach in one of the cottage prayer meetings and be translated into Hindi. This in part flowed out of some teasing by Chitra that all my Sundays I must have planned to be in big city churches in order to preach in those churches to the neglect of the smaller churches. She thought that was very biased on my part (just joking). Bikaner is an important desert city in the north, also a short distance from Pakistan, and as in Jaisalmer this proximity is marked by the significant and constant presence of the Indian army and army exercises. It is also, by virtue of the university, a key research and development place for more effective farming. Arun Henry is a senior geologist and has devoted his life's work to research and attention to ground water and groundwater levels throughout Rajasthan, an issue I have rapidly better understood through conversation with him. Enjoy the pictures...
The communion table in Bikaner Church
Below: The plaque indicates that the church building does not to this day belong exclusively to the CNI congregation. They have hopes of building a new structure in another place because this structure cannot be changed in any way, because of its original charter.
The generous table of welcome.
Below: picking sweet peas which were delicious.
With the director of the gardening project within the university.
I love the red poppies!
ReplyDeleteYes, I felt I was in a Scottish garden for a little while. It felt very much like home!
ReplyDelete