Gateway Partnership
Mikey, Lydia, and I had the opportunity to visit our Gateway Partnership for the first time since 2019. It was a wonderful experience for us, as it was Lydia and I's first time in this area of the world. Mikey was the seasoned veteran among us, as this marked his 10th trip!
Our main focus of the trip was to see the church in action, meet with and pray with the pastor and his family, see the Aruna project and the work that is being done behind the scenes of the nonprofit, as well as sight-see and get a feel for the area for future trips with our church and our members.
We were invited into the homes of some of the families of the church to enjoy delicious home-cooked meals. Definitely the best Indian food of my life. We were encouraged to see and hear what the Lord is doing in Gateway. The church is growing, and the number of young professionals joining the church was staggering. Not often do Lydia and I get to speak at church on our experience with balancing our lives in finance and software development with the ways we volunteer with the church, and how we still continue to live missionally with the church. Mikey was also able to preach the Sunday we were there, showing his support for the Bengals halfway across the world. I think our church needs to take a page out of their book and bring back after-service potlucks.
Mikey and I had the pleasure of attending a Men's group on Saturday morning, discussing male friendship and the importance of these friendships on our spiritual journey. Like the Sunday church service, they meet on the floor of a coworking space, hoping to interact and meet young professionals throughout the week. I hope to see these men again on future trips and see how the Lord is working in each of their lives. With one of these men, I had the pleasure of running with him along the coast, near our hotel.
Seeing the front lines of the Aruna Project was an emotional and eye-opening experience for all of us. I'll start with Savera, the organization that does outreach in a red-light district in the city. Hearing about the experience of the staff, and the women, was heartbreaking. As women transition from a life inside the brothels to a life of working with the Aruna project, it can be a difficult transition, as they haven't lived a life outside of the brothel system. When a woman graduates from Savera, they are moved to a payroll position with Somerset, which makes the products that Aruna sells. Women there are given a competitive wage and benefits they aren’t offered in their previous work. It was beautiful to see the transition some of the women have made, and how their lives have changed for the better. Please be in prayer for the women currently in the brothel system, as well as the women who are searching for something else. Pray that the Lord would lead them to Savera.
My hope and prayer is that this is the first of many trips that would not only serve to encourage Christ's church across the globe but serve and encourage members at Missio Dei, as our hearts grow a deeper affection for the world and our church partners.
Submitted by: Seth Yoder