India Trip 2008

Report by Alice M - Year 11

On the 10th February, our team of 7 students and 3 leaders flew out to India. It was an experience I will never forget, and I can say changed my life. We firstly stayed in the mountains at Paud - a village where Intermission runs a children's home. Most of the children there have been rescued from the sex trade, abandoned or orphaned, Intermission have given them a new life in Paud, and offer hope for their futures which otherwise would have seen extreme poverty and darkness. Not quite knowing what to expect, we arrived late at night to no electricity, showers or western toilets! However we all welcomed the challenge and threw ourselves into serving the Lord and the children and our hosts.

Our day started each morning at 6:00am with Indian devotions and worship. Following this we worked hard in the compound grounds -constructing a playground for the children who before had little else but rubble to play on. We finished concreting and painting the swing sets and climbing frames by the Friday, when we left Paud for Mumbai. We spent our evenings playing with the children and leading devotions with them. We also bonded incredibly well as a team. We conquered a nearby mountain peak, we named Mount Paud, several times. We even managed a hokey cokey or two at the summit. Our time at Paud really humbled me to serve with a servant heart.

The second stage of our trip in Mumbai gave us the opportunity to see the backgrounds of the children. Some of the poverty we witnessed deeply upset and shocked us, but it showed me how God works in these situations, bringing hope into a hopeless place. I have learned so much from my experience, and God has done amazing things with my heart. I am now thinking about spending my gap year working with Intermission. I would recommend the trip to anybody looking to serve the Lord but who is secure in their faith and up for a challenge, because it is not an easy thing to do.

Report by Bethany S Year 10

This February I left for india along with 6 other students and 3 teachers on a trip which completely changed our lives. We worked with the Intermission Ministry for the first part of the week - in the village of Poud where we stayed in a childrens home set up by Intermission. We constructed a playground for the children in the heat everyday - this was a challenge! Every evening we spent time playing with the children - the way they welcomed and accepted us was a huge blessing.

For the second part of the week we travelled down to the very busy city of Mumbai. We stayed five nights in a Christian mission house; it was comfortable but not luxurious! Here we spent a day with the Intermission teams working with them in various missions they have set up - clinics in the slums, pavement work, day clubs for kids, day care centres etc.

We as a team became close and together experienced many things which distressed and definitely measured us. We experienced true poverty and at first hand we witnessed the "Red Light District" - the darkest place I have been - which bought us all great sadness.

However, we saw God's amazing work through intermission - the way they love God's people is a free witness. This experience has thought me to be grateful and to cherish everything God has given me; I would love the opportunity to go back and see more of God's work.