The streets of Delhi provide a window into the contrasts of a nation.

A new home in india

As the Stoltzfus family, formerly of Harrisburg, Pa., spend their first Christmas in Delhi, India, they speak of the contrasts they’re observing – “the rich and the poor, the beautiful and the ugly, huge mega-cities and small rural villages. One can see on the crowded streets – all at the same time– fancy Mercedes and rickety rickshaws, big trucks and ox-drawn carts, old bicycles and new motorcycles, dogs and big bulls and cows, and hundreds of people walking on or along the street.

“And the myriads of languages. Over 800 different languages and around 2,000 dialects have been identified. India’s constitution recognizes 23 languages with Hindi being the official language. Yet Hindi is in a sense a “minority” language. More people speak other languages than Hindi. English has become the more common language of the nation.

“Another contrast is the many religions. India is the land where Buddha lived and preached and where the Moghul Muslims erected the Taj Mahal many centuries ago. And yet India has recreated itself as both a majority Hindu nation and the world's largest secular democracy, home to well over one billion people.

“One can hear the Muslim call to prayer from the mosque, which may be located next to a public Hindu temple, which is located down the street from a Buddhist altar with its prayer wheels. It is also where one of Jesus’ disciples – Thomas – came to establish a church in the first century, and where great missionaries like William Carey and Amy Carmichael came to bring the good news of Jesus Christ.”

In this challenging environment, the Stoltzfus’, who went to India with years of pastoral experience and church leadership at Rockville Mennonite Church, are coming alongside and supporting two Indian ministries in encouragement and leadership training.

In one new initiative that ties their old world to their new, they are helping to organize and set up a Bible quizzing program. A team from Rockville Mennonite is coming in January to help with a quiz tournament.

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