BELC Team Pics

Chennai...the City that really never sleeps

So you think New York is the city that never sleeps? I don't think you have been to India. The moment we left the airport, India was awake. Chennai at 1am in the morning had all the hustle and bustle of a Friday morning communte into an American city. Drivers in India don't use their car horns to say "Get going, or you are in my way," but more like, "Hey I see you, how close can we get to pass each other but not crash?" It's exciting to drive in Chennai traffic wether 1am or 3pm. All the different car horns are kind of individual to their driver. They all have a voice shouting to be heard. Also, each car, bus, and van plays a little song when it backs up like an ice cream truck! :)
Lining the streets is an incredible mosaic of billboards which are the faces of the buildings. Some are familiar names, others I can not even mentally try to pronounce. All the colours of the women's sarees and tunics add to the rainbow Of India.
On Wednesday we went to a mall in Chennai to try and find a saree for us girls. Each of the store venders would wave and welcome us into their shops and try their very best sales techniques to reel us in. We went into a scarf and rug shop, and the salesman their was so incredible! He pulled out as many scarves in as many designs and colours as you can imagine. One of our girls was looking at scarves that were a little darker than the rest, but she said she really wanted one that was India bright. However our salesman told her and us that "We" meaning himself, "wear the Indian bright colours because we are dark. However you can where the darker colours because you are white." He ended up selling each of us a scarf at a very good price and we truly hope to come back and give him more of our business at the end of our trip when we shop again. Trying to find a shop that sells sarees was much harder than we expected. We finally found one, but when we went in and asked the saleswomen about sarees, they didn't understand at first. We finally asked where do you buy your clothes? And then they understood. Sadly, we did not get the time to have them sew a saree for us.
We had our first real Indian meals today too. We had dosa and veg fried rice and buryani rice. Everything was delicious! But our personal favorite was the dosas. Dosas are like a giant crepe with a potatoe and pea filling, and you dip it in different sauces. There was a coconut curry and then 3 others, which I'm not sure what they were. But they were spicy and delicious.
*Mackenna, Lindsey, Steffie*

And at 2am in the morning U.S. time, 14 hours until take off to India, I'm anxious about the flight and all of the differences between India and America.  I feel packed, prepared, and potentially ready for what awaits.  But one never knows. Prayers as we journey.  

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion looking for who someone to devour. RESIST HIM, standing firm in the faith." - 1 Peter 5:7-9a

*Lindsey*

A welcome note from the Church of the Lutheran Confession of India (CLCI)

GOing to India

The 2016 CLC Mission Helpers to India are counting down the days until their July 11th departure. This trip will allow these volunteers the opportunity and privilege of proclaiming God's saving word to more than 2000 children. Some of these children will be members of CLC affiliated congregations, but many of them will not. For many of the the children, this will be first time they have heard a clear presentation of the simple Gospel message of Jesus Christ as the one who died and rose from the dead for their sins! Along with the child evangelism efforts, several pastors and leaders will receive encouragement and training.

The Mission Helpers will travel together to India and will then divide into two teams following a welcome ceremony at the CLCI headquarters. They will then spend the next 2 1/2 weeks traveling to several different villages and districts of the BELC and CLCI. 

CLCI Team

Missionary Peter Evensen (India)

Pastor Joel Fleischer (Sioux Falls, SD)

Alex Fleischer (Sioux Falls, SD)

Raven Haight (Markesan, WI)

Becky McKenney (Cambridge, WI)

BELC Team

Pastor Todd Ohlmann (St. Louis, MO)

Caleb Ohlmann (St. Louis, MO)

Mackenna Johnston, (Vernon, BC, Canada)

Steffie Pavey (Spokane, WA)

Lindsey Quiggle (Dallas, TX)

Please pray that the Lord would give an abundance of wisdom, love, compassion, patience, and safety to the Mission Helpers and to those they go to serve as the Gospel is proclaimed to many children in several villages throughout south India. Pray also for the pastors and church leaders that Pastors Fleischer, Evensen, and Ohlmann will be working with during this time in India.