India and South Asia

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India and South Asia
Pune
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Why India?

• India is probably the biggest challenge for
  mission and the Gospel among the countries of the
  world

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Setting the Scene Some of the Mission
Challenges of India (1)

• The most people in the world Over 1 billion
• The most people in poverty over 300 million
  living on less than US1 a day
• One of the most unequal countries in the world
  with wide gaps between rich and poor, reinforced
  by the caste system which still dominates the
  social system in most of India
• The largest number of people with HIV-AIDS in the
  world
• The highest number of child labourers in the
  world 40 million
• One of the worlds major conflicts e.g. Kashmir

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Setting the Scene Mission Challenges of India
(2)

• One of the most unreached nations for the Gospel
  - officially less than 2.5 Christian
• A multi-religious society - more religions than
  most other countries 75-80 Hindu
• The birth place of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism
  and Jainism
• The second largest Muslim nation in the world
  after Indonesia Islam is one of the great
  issues challenges for world mission today
• A rise of persecution in recent years with many
  states passing anti-conversion laws

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Mumbai home to 18 million people
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Paradox and Positives of India

• The worlds largest cross-cultural mission
  movement 75,000 Indian missionaries
• Fast growing new emerging mission movements and
  churches
• The worlds largest democracy
• One of the worlds fastest growing economies
  5th largest economy
• The worlds largest middle class over 250
  million

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Who is Dr Lalita Edwards?
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Lalita Edwards

• A medical doctor who has served in Christian
  missions for many years
• A consultant and trainer in HIV-AIDS care and
  prevention, sex education and child development
• A CMS co-mission partner who shares the Gospel
  through her work and leads people to Christ
• A family person - married with three adult
  daughters and several grandchildren

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What does Lalita Edwards do now?

• Runs Santvana, a new small home for children
  affected by HIV-AIDS
• Conducts medical clinics in the red light and
  slum areas of Pune city
• Provides training and consultancy in HIV-AIDS and
  child care for various Christian organisations
  and churches
• Counsels those with various needs and shared her
  faith in Christ

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Lalita counselling ladies
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Outreach Medical Clinic in red light area of Pune
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Lalitas heart is especially for young people
from poor backgrounds at risk from HIV-AIDS .
She believes that Bible values rooted in faith
in Christ are the key to prevention
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Lalita shares her faith with those who do not
know Jesus
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Santvana Childrens Home, Pune
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The three boys who recently came to Santvana Home
Robin
Yogesh
Shankar
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Preeti and Suwarta help to care for the children
of Santvana Home
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How will St Andrews connect with Lalita Edwards?

• A gift of 2500 in 2006 and a similar gift in
  2007 .
• This will be from the funds allocated for
  overseas mission from the Legacy Fund.
• We hope to have regular contact with Lalita,
  receive her news and pray for her and her work.

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What can we pray for?

• For Lalitas health and strength wisdom for the
  future

• For a new larger home for the children of
  Santvana
• For children and women to find Christ
• For more fellow workers for Lalita

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