Greetings from the Hendricks on Day 6

We wish we had written before, but as you know, we are much older than our travel companions and we go to bed earlier! That is, except last night when we didn’t arrive back to the hotel until 11pm. We had a very long but absolutely amazing day. Our time with Bombay Teen Challenge is difficult to even put words to. We feel so blessed to have witnessed their ministry which must so bless the heart of God. The founder, Devaraj, was given a vision by God to come to Bombay and serve in rescuing and redeeming the desperate and lost. He shared his vision with us over lunch and said he came to Bombay “with a one way ticket.” Recently he met in DC with the UN Secretary General (a Christian) and the leaders of many other Christian ministries and challenged all of them to believe that God wants to end sexual trafficing in 15 years. He has asked the Lord for 15 years of health to accomplish this goal. He and his staff are so filled with faith and the Spirit - what has been accomplished here already is awesome.

We spent most of our day yesterday at a center 1 ½ hours from the city in a center for women from the red light district that had chosen to escape from their lives in prostition and be given a new start in life. They had previously been attending the BTC church in the district where we fellowshipped on Sat night. God’s heart and Spirit is so evident in the lives the women we met. They are so transformed by His love and we saw them loving each other with His love that they have received through the lives and faith of those on the BTC staff and just having fun and joy in their lives that they have probably never had before. They are beautiful joyful women and you would never guess what they had experienced. One woman from Nepal (with a 7 year old son in the neighboring home for children with AIDS) shared with tears the blessing that coming to this center had been in her life. She kept saying that words could not express her thanks. By the way, all of the children in the AIDS home and the women who have AIDS are being treated with ARV meds and are quite healthy. We spent extra time with the women in the sewing center which has been supported by International Princess Project. A dear woman, clearly called out by God, instructs and leads these women and there is such a mutual love between her and them. She has a real commitment to teach them to make quality items so that people would really want them and not do “pity buying.” The ministry and both churches we attended are Pentecostal in their worship and we loved being a part of it. It is so encouraging and such a blessing to see the amazing work God is doing in this “dark” spiritual place. We have seen the God has given to these people and what a light they now are to their community. We experience such contrasting emotions each day. There is the sadness and suffering everywhere that is so hard to see and process, and then the light and hope that shines so brightly through the Christians is such a blessing to our hearts. Last night was the perfect example when we stopped at the orphanage of AIDS affected children – under 9 years old. Their stories were all so difficult – many of their mothers had died and many of them are there in the center. It was such a happy place and there was so much love there.

Okay, this is one page. Don says I can’t write anymore! We’ll try to write soon. We arrived safely in Chennai and are ready now for Part 2. With our love to all.