Its Tuesday 23rd October We arrived in Chennai at around 2.00 am. After having to wait for what seemed forever to collect our bags we made our way out of the airport. I deligted that my close colleague Willie MacPherson has been able to join me on this trip. Willie has a great deal of experience in helping to assess the sustainablity of projects in the developing world, so I was delighted when he accepted the invitation to join me, to look at a number of projects her in India.

We were met by Capt. Thacker and Raj two of or World Without Walls partners, then duly taken to our Hotel. The Hotel is not all that great, the Abu Hotel Chennai, its being refurbished, and its badly needing it. The room we’re in is full of dust and grime, the marble floor hasn’t been polished for weeks. Willie is just reminding me that this Hotel is a like the Hotel Europia in Iquitos, cheap and cheerful in his book. We had some good laughs in that hotel, however I think the Europia, was well worn, but clean.

We were wakened up at 7.30am with a demand to pay the room service bill. I duly explained that it would be better to be added on to the account at check out.

After breakfast we were met by Daniel Abraham’s son and an evangelist called Shedrach. (Abraham has a ministry to the tribal people in an area near Dindigual, he is hoping that funding can be found to erect a small medical centre to deal with primary care health issues. Hs wife Ruth is especially passionate about helping the poorer women in that area to have a place where their children can be born in comfort and where anti-natal advice can be offered.

We then went off to collect Erica and Lorna at the YWCA. It was great to catch up with them again and to hear all their stories of how God has been undertaking for them in so many different ways during the four months since they left Scotland. Have a look at their blog Soultouch.

We then met up with Raj and had a tour round the area he calls the slum. Looking at the way people live. Some of the people who live near the church recycle rubbish for a living, around 800 families live in this enclosed area. It is really humbling to see how Raj and Vanitha work to serve this community.

The ladies in the sowing class picture to the left, are now sowing clothes for the Sangita Orphanage, thanks to the generosity of the congregation in Bo’ness. The picture below show Erica and Raj meeting with the women in the sowing class.

Today is Willie’s birthday! Raj had a cake for him and we all sang happy birthday.

After lunch we visited the Bamboo and Cane Giftshop and purchased some goods for Branches. It was then back to the hotel to join the first meeting of the Board of the new St Andrew’s Charitable Trust India. This is the name of the holding trust that has been set up to deal with the funds that we are now being send out to India from the members of St Andrews Bo’ness.

October India Trip 2007

Our flight from Edinburgh to Paris was delayed by about 40 minutes. It meant that we had barely enough time to get through he screening to board this flight however we made it.

Just passing over Terhan, at this moment, we’re about four and half hours into this flight and I’m listening to Radiohead’s new album called “Rainbows”.

It was just about this time last July we got turned back mid-flight to Heathrow, due to problems with the operation of the aircraft, so I’m hoping history isn’t repeated. I’m not sure what I think of this album. Yet,it has a much more hopeful feel to it, than some of their past compositions. It feels and sounds more self assured. Sometimes I think that it is a good idea when your not convinced one way or another about an album of music.You need to give it time. Its a bit like relationships with people. It takes time to get to know each other. I guess that is what this visit to India is all about. I’m also full of hope that good things will develop out of this visit.

Anyway Radiohead are the first big established band to offer their album to the public with no price tab. You can download it for as little as a penny. Of course their loyal fans will buy the CD when it is released next month. Critics are saying that it has been a clever publicity stunt and one that will do them no harm. However I do feel Thom Yorke is pretty genuine about wanting to make a statement about music and its ownership. All this reminds me about the way we as Christians look upon music. I’m often saddened when Chrstian artists seem to have sold out to the
publishing world of Christian music. Anyway I’m signing off. Maybe I might get some shut eye before we land.