Blogs from Umri, Maharashtra, India, Asia

Tomorrow is my last full day in Umri. It is certainly bittersweet. I don't have anything new to write, but that I look forward to seeing all of you soon and sharing countless stories with you (if you're willing to listen). Mike, good luck in the marathon. I wish I could be there to cheer you on. Hope everyone is enjoying the spring time weather or snowy April or whatever it might be like. It's pretty predictable here. Hot and hotter with no clouds and less electricity. I love it though. Love you all. Brett... read more

I just got done checking my e-mail which had about a dozen e-mails from friends and family. Most of them were worth my time...no, all of them were worth my time even the one's debating whether Rodney should be black or white. Staying with the race issue, I was asked today what "Macaca" meant. Let's just say that it's a bit uncomfortable explaining that term to an Indian who doesn't speak too much English. Awkward. Reading all those e-mails reminds me of how blessed I am to have such lifelong friends and such a loving and caring family. It also helps me to overcome the minor distractions that become major distractions and focus on the big picture. God is so big. The body of Christ is so big. I'm in awe and I'm eternally thankful to ... read more

Well, this should be fairly short because I don't have a whole lot to say, but I was on the internet, so I thought that I'd drop everyone a line. I had a great time last week playing cricket one morning and "teaching" baseball the next. It's always enjoyable to play sports with a bunch of kids as anyone who has done soccer camps can attest. Another highlight was talking to mom for about 7 min 45 sec one morning. Always good to connect with home. That said, I always appreciate reading your comments on my blogs. Thanks. Tomorrow I head to Yevatmal for the weekend and a change of pace. It's more of a city and the church has some ministries there. I'll probably just observe what they do, but I'm getting used to that. ... read more

Well, I made it to Umri. My time in Mumbai was fantastic. I spent some quality time with the church members there and began to forget that my real reason for coming was to come to Umri. The city reminded me a lot of Cairo with the pollution, smells, enormous amounts of people, poverty, etc... However, the culture was completely unique. The church times were great. I really developed a good feel for the many ministries going on. God is really doing some great things. They have a ministries to the blind, a leper colony, the slums nextdoor, services in four languages...the list goes on and on. It was great to see such passionate people and such a vibrant church. They are organizing a huge outreach called Harvest Mumbai which begins just after I leave, so ... read more