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Today began when I was picked up at the hotel at 9:45 and taken to a church service. There were 9 of us in our group. It was a good worship service and we spent time afterward talking with many of the church members. We then went to the home of Jose’s in-laws for another delicious home-made meal of Indian cuisine! So tasty! Then Jose and I went out for coffee and talked about his future plans for establishing a church in Mumbai. He later told me that it helped him clarify the steps he needs to take. We also talked about some possible future plans for MTI in Mumbai.

Then we headed to the YMCA for the afternoon sessions of the Men’s conference. We began at 4 and finished at 9 PM. Things went well but I was kind of fading at the end, trying to not doze off during the final session! Lots of conversations at the end and finally returned to the hotel at 9:45, a 12-hour day. I just came up to the room and had a dinner of an apple and an energy bar.

Tomorrow morning we will have a breakfast meeting here at the hotel with Sheldon Bangera, the musician in the video I posted. In the evening, we’ll dine at the home of the pastor of the church we visited this morning.

It’s all good, and a bit exhausting, too. I think I’ll go to bed now!

Thanks for the prayers!

David

Yesterday (Saturday), the first day of the Men’s Conference took place at the YMCA in Mumbai. It was held in the gym and lasted from around 10-6. I thought it went well, and it was a good mix of music, chai breaks, teaching, lunch, and more. It really was a huge undertaking for Jose, and he had a good group of volunteers to set it all up. At dinner last night, I could tell he was a bit disappointed in the turnout, having expected more based on verbal commitments. Plus, there were a few technical glitches, which is to generally be expected here in India. But, all things considered, it was a good event. We’ll resume this afternoon at 4 PM.

I have added a link to a video by the musician who led the worship yesterday. He is quite popular in India, and a very nice young man.

Also, a couple of pics..

More tomorrow.

Had an eventful afternoon. I left my hotel by the Mumbai airport and took a taxi to the other side of the city, about an hour’s ride, where I checked into the hotel where I will spend the next 4 nights. It is within walking of the YMCA where the men’s conference will be held the next couple of days. I was picked up by friends and transported to the home of Jose Victor, the young man who is putting the conference. It was a home full of young adults who are helping with this exciting event. His wife, Sarah, made a delicious lunch of a variety of Indian dishes and naan. Wow!! My American colleagues were there as well. We then walked to the Y, about a 10-minute walk through a bustling, nice neighborhood of the newer area of Mumbai. The Y is a well-utilized facility, with basketball, ping pong, badminton, karate classes, and more going on. The gym was being prepared for the conference. We all helped out for a while, after which I came back to the hotel at about 8 PM.
I am looking forward to the event tomorrow and, hopefully, I’ll post some pics!

Thanks for the prayers!