INDIA
MINISTRY
AS SEEN AT BOUNDLESS
A message from India India. A country rich in history and culture which is home to 1.2 billion people. Its diverse sights, sounds and smells are evocative even to those who have never visited. For two weeks in May, a three-strong team from the International Headquarters Communications Section – Major John Murray, David Giles and Gary Rose – undertook an extensive visit to explore The Salvation Army’s varied ministries in the subcontinent and to produce a documentary that will premiere at The Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary international congress, Boundless – The Whole World Redeeming. This is their story.
N
AGERCOIL, near the southernmost tip of this enormous landmass. Six o’clock in the morning. It’s 36 degrees Celsius already, the cicadas are singing and – having travelled separately from London – the three of us are together in India for the first time. We’re all first-time visitors and a little daunted by the scale of the task ahead. Our aim over the next two weeks is to document The Salvation Army’s work in six major Indian cities, and some rural areas as well. In this, the Army’s 150th anniversary year, it is appropriate to Above: the ‘band of brothers’ who played cricket with the Communications team near Kanyakumari. All attend the local Salvation Army corps (church)
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highlight the ministries undertaken in India – The Salvation Army’s first mission field, and the first place its work was established in Asia. In searing heat, we’re driven through the dusty, bustling streets to Catherine Booth Hospital. This is another Army ‘first’, being the first hospital to open in this area. While there are now 250 clinics serving Nagercoil, Catherine Booth Hospital retains an important role in training nurses. We set to work, interviewing the hospital administrator, clinicians, dentists, nursing staff and students, and filming the extensive facilities. The challenges of filming on the fly soon become apparent – the stark contrast in lighting caused by the searing sun presents difficulties, and the humidity means that we tire much more
quickly than usual. But it’s encouraging that we’ve got our first footage in the can. Nagercoil is just a few kilometres from Kanyakumari, the southern extremity of the Indian subcontinent where the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet. Unsurprisingly, the region was badly affected by the tsunami which struck on Boxing Day 2004, and The Salvation Army was heavily involved in various disaster responses and longerterm rehabilitation projects. On our way to the coast we spot a small group of young boys playing cricket in a roadside field. Intrigued, we stop the car and walk over to them. Noticing Salvation Army uniform, the boys run towards us exclaiming: ‘Hallelujah!’ It turns out that the lads are part of the Salvation Army corps (church) in a nearby village and are delighted to welcome us into their game. We try not to disgrace ourselves as we sweat profusely in the midday sun. What is it they say about mad dogs and Englishmen (oh, and Canadians)? After a quick lunch in the coastal town we manage to buy some cricket bats and balls for our new friends. Although they’re no longer playing when we pass by, our guide takes us to their village where we experience sincere hospitality