India: Small Things, Great Love

Welcome to India! Fly into Delhi and transfer to your hotel to rest after the journey. Welcome dinner and opening devotional: what does it mean to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in a new culture?

Meet our local community health partners for orientation and our first day of health education workshops — teaching hygiene, nutrition, and disease-prevention basics to families in Howrah. Afternoon and evening free to rest or explore. Evening devotional on cultivating a servant’s heart.

Workshops continue. In the afternoon, stroll College Street, home to one of the world’s largest collections of secondhand books, and sip Masala Chai at a local tea stall. Evening devotional on the value of small, faithful acts.

Workshops continue. In the afternoon, visit Dalhousie Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Victoria Memorial, a striking marble monument to Kolkata’s colonial history. Evening devotional on seeing the overlooked as Christ does.

Workshops continue. Afternoon and evening free to rest or explore Howrah.

Workshops continue. In the late afternoon, take a cooking class to learn how to prepare authentic Indian curry — marinating, using a tandoor and clay oven, and sharing the meal together as a team.

Workshops continue. In the evening, try on a traditional saree and learn about mehndi (henna) as a local artist demonstrates this traditional art form.

Workshops continue. Afternoon and evening free to rest or explore Howrah.

Workshops continue. In the afternoon, tour a local gem market to learn about the semi-precious and precious stones found throughout the region.

Our final day of workshops wraps with a visit to the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity, the heart of Mother Teresa’s ministry. Learn about her decades of service to Kolkata’s poorest and reflect as a team on what it means to do small things with great love. Evening devotional and closing reflection on the week.

Say goodbye to our local partners and travel to Goa, arriving at a beachside hotel in Palolem. Spend the afternoon kayaking and exploring nearby fishing villages, and enjoy South Indian cuisine while learning about Goa’s Portuguese colonial history.

Take a rickshaw to Agonda Beach for breakfast, then explore the area’s coastal villages and natural attractions.

Wake up for a yoga class on the beach. In the afternoon, visit a wellness center to learn about Ayurveda, a traditional practice translated as “the Science of Life” that has shaped Indian wellness culture for 5,000 years.

Final group devotional and debrief: what did God teach us this week? Enjoy breakfast before heading to Dabolim Airport in Goa for your international flight home.