Roshini and i went to Bombay on Wednesday, August 17th. We stayed at Atma Darshan, a retreat house run by the SVD (Societas Verbi Divini, which is Latin for Society of the Divine Word). Atma Darshan is on the Gyan Ashram Campus, Mahakali Caves Road, Andheri (E). To find a campus with so many tall trees right in the middle of very busy Andheri is such a surprise for anyone visiting Gyan Ashram, founded by Fr. G. Proksch, known to old folks in Lucknow for the presentation of the life of Christ in Indian dance form, at the time of the centenary celebrations of the Isabella Thoburn College in 1970. It was terrific for Roshini to have been at this Ashram, from which the legendary Fr. Proksch had come.Roshini and I were there for a Light of Life Writers’ Workshop conducted for the Evangelical Medical Fellowship of India. This was a really good experience for us as we made so many new friends. P Abraham, Editor of Light of Life, and Robert Clements of “Bob’s Banter” fame were the other resource persons.
Any time I go to another city, I always get in touch with folks who’ve been under my pastoral care and ministry earlier. A surprise connection was made with Allyson and Pheroze Khan, who were in Lucknow back in the early 1980s, and have faithfully remained in touch with us. From Lucknow they went to Jaipur, and on to Bombay, from where Pheroze was sent by his company to Germany. After that they went on to Australia, the US of A, Mexico, Switzerland, and Greece. Pheroze had posted on Facebook that they had returned to India, but I hadn’t picked that up. Allyson was in touch with her friend Nandita (standing fourth from the left in the picture above), and when she heard that there was a writers’ workshop she assumed that I would be there and asked for me. And so we met with Allyson and Pheroze,
along with Nandita and Deva.
On Saturday, 20th, Babita and Narasimha, brought Tanya and Tanvi to spend time with us. They travelled by bus for two hours and ten minutes to do this.
Babita’s wedding was our first in Grace Bible Church. She’s really special, and so is Narasimha Sherugar, who committed his life to Christ at a students’ camp in Allahabad, where I was the speaker.
We had stayed on because I don’t like to travel on Sunday, if I can help it. We went to the Church at Powai, which is where Babita, Narasimha and their girls attend, and I had recommended to the Sarwan family when they were transferred to Bombay. So we were able to get a picture with both the families and us together.
After the service, we had lunch with the Smita, Sujeet, Sukriti and Sucheta, and spent the afternoon with them in their home before returning to our room.
