With nearly a sixth of the world’s population, India is home to 29 languages, the religious practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and tribal religions, some of the spiciest food on the planet, and a highly segregated rich and poor class. Thanks to the ancient caste system, crimes of social injustice, discrimination, forced prostitution, and human trafficking occur daily. Baby girls are often killed and abandoned, simply because of the financial burden on their families. Lepers are treated as untouchables, and the poorest of the poor live in slums. We are going to share hope with the poor, abandoned, and outcast in India.
Type of Government: Federal Republic
Official Name: Republic of India
Religion: Hindus-80.5%, Muslims-13.4%, Christians-2.3%, Sikhs-1.9%, Buddhists-.8%, Jains-.4%, Others-.7%
Language: Many different languages are spoken in India. The main ones are Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, and Urdu.
Currency: Indian Rupee
Different foods they eat: Rogan Josh – This dish is cooked in oil at intense heat. Spices including asafetida (hing), cumin (zeera), cloves (laung), bay leaves (tej patta), fennel (sauf) and cardamom (elaichi) are added for flavor. It tastes best with boiled rice.
Population: 1.21 Billion
Climate: Temperatures vary from tropical monsoon in the south to temperate in the north.
Fun Facts
1. The national Symbol of India is the endangered Bengal Tiger.
2. The most popular sport in India is cricket, with the Indian team being the first to win the Cricket World Cup on home soil when they were victorious in 2011.
3. India has the largest postal network in the world with over 150,000 post offices. The floating post office in Dal Lake, Srinagar, was inaugurated in August 2011.
4. Do not touch anyone or receive/give anything with one’s left hand, as the left hand is only used for one’s “morning business.”
5. Cows freely wander the streets of India. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune.
Prayer Points
1. Pray with me and my team for protection while we are there.
2. That God will direct our team where to go and who to speak with while we are there. That God will open doors for us to share the love of God.
3. Pray for the missionaries we will be working with. That we can be a breath of fresh air to them, and also for God to align our team under the right leadership.
4. Pray with me for God’s direction and purpose for India to be evident to my team and I while we are there. That God’s heart and purpose for sending us there will be what leads us.
5. Pray with me for miracles to happen while we are there. For signs and wander to follow my team all around India. That we are able to demonstrate how much He loves them.
