In December 2010, eight of us from Hope Church Brisbane’s student leadership team headed to Mumbai for an exposure and exploration trip. It was an overwhelming, eye-opening experience…in a good way.
We hooked up with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and rubbed shoulders with a number of missionaries and pastors at a Christmas dinner. It proved to be a good learning opportunity and through YWAM, many doors were opened. We had the opportunity to spend time in ministry with children in the slums and streets with songs, stories, cricket matches, and prayer and to bless them with food and necessities.
It was overwhelming and heart-wrenching to see the extreme poverty and hopelessness of the people, even as we walked the streets. It felt like we had to process everything we set our eyes on. It is hard to describe the experience in Dharavi (the world’s largest slum where Slumdog Millionaire was filmed). We were invited into one of the homes in the slum, and they served us dinner on their bed. Also through a divine appointment, we met a pastor of a church numbering 150 people in the slum; we spent some time with, and ministered to him and his team. The presence of God filled the room so strongly; we felt it physically. Prophetic words flowed as the Spirit moved and everyone was visibly encouraged and blessed. On Sunday, we visited a large, and growing, church of about 3000 in Mumbai. It was an amazing worship service as the congregation overflowed with passion and the Spirit. It was encouraging to see the gospel reaching so many from various demographics of the community through the church.
All in all, it was a fruitful trip. In terms of exploration, God revealed much through the prayer walks and times of intercession for the city - some keys to unlock the heavens over the city. For a short trip, there were some good contacts made. We are praying and trusting God that some long-term impact and opened doors will come forth from our time with various people and intercession. In terms of exposure, we got more than we hoped for. I believe God’s done some deep work within each of us in enlarging our hearts and deepening convictions for the Great Commission, as we continue to grapple with and respond to God’s purpose. Written by Sunita Pala
