Andhra Pradesh, India

A view from the port city of Visag, 

Andhra Pradesh, India

Canadian Baptist Ministries India Team

C.P. Raju, Suraj Komaravalli, and Judson Pothuraju

It was a great privilege to be able to share time with our CBM colleagues serving in India with CBM’s first partner churches in communities in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Please continue to pray for the vital ministry that continues as the Church of India engages in Integral Mission as it seeks to bring wholeness and healing into communities struggling in poverty and division.

 I was so glad to have time with Guardians of Hope leaders and groups that are working together to strengthen the lives of those living positively with HIV and AIDS through heath and nutritional support, pastoral care, accountability, and micro enterprise development. One of the villages we spent and afternoon with has two groups that are making and selling soap, salves, and carves, as well as collecting and selling buffalo milk (Sadly, seeing someone milking a buffalo was one experience missed on this visit). I was grateful to be able to bring greetings from the self help groups and GOH groups that we wrk with in Africa, and presented scarves made by the PEACE Women’s SHG in Eastleigh to some of the leaders.

 In Visag with Terry, Suraj, Shannon, Judson, Judy, Aaron and CP

It was also a great opportunity to learn from Shannon and Judy, my colleagues from CBM’s head office in Mississauga, Ontario. Judy is CBM’s program manager and Shannon serves as the program officer for India and Latin America. Among our travels, we were able to see first hand the work that CBM is doing in partnership with the COCH hospitals, including their nursing school. I am thankful for this chance to be exposed to CBM’s wider work, and for the incredible people that are a part of the ministry that we share in together as Canadian Baptists.

Aaron with children of a Sangum (Self Help Group)
Pithapurum, India