{"id":24358,"date":"2023-03-28T14:25:47","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T20:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/?p=24358"},"modified":"2023-03-28T14:26:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T20:26:16","slug":"report-from-luke-10-exploration-trip-to-northern-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/news\/report-from-luke-10-exploration-trip-to-northern-india\/","title":{"rendered":"A Report from the Luke 10 Exploration Trip to India"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header\">The ninth of the first ten Luke 10 Exploration Trips went out on February 20-March 4 to Northern India, with a team of four from the US and three from India. Thank you for praying for this team and EFM&#8217;s Luke 10 Initiative as Evangelical Friends discern where to launch new mission fields as part of EFM&#8217;s Five-Year Goal. See more information here.The following is a report that Eric Dale from Indiana Yearly Meeting (IYM) prepared.<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<table style=\"background-color: #ff9933;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Who Was on this Trip?<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-24181\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Northern-India-286x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"202\" height=\"212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Northern-India-286x300.png 286w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Northern-India-975x1024.png 975w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Northern-India-768x807.png 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Northern-India-1462x1536.png 1462w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Northern-India-1949x2048.png 1949w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Northern-India-11x12.png 11w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Northern-India-600x630.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-24364 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Our-Team-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Our-Team-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Our-Team-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Our-Team-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Our-Team-9x12.jpg 9w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Our-Team-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Our-Team.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>The team was made up of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0Keith Huffman (IYM)<\/li>\n<li>Robin Huffman (IYM)<\/li>\n<li>Roy Jones (IYM)<\/li>\n<li>Eric Dale (IYM)<\/li>\n<li>A. M. (EFM National Leader in India)<\/li>\n<li>D.K. and Choity Sarkar (EFM National Leaders in India)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table style=\"background-color: #ff9933;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Where Did We Travel and What is the Need in the Area?<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-24365\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/India-260x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"151\" height=\"175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/India-260x300.png 260w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/India-889x1024.png 889w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/India-768x885.png 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/India-1333x1536.png 1333w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/India-1777x2048.png 1777w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/India-10x12.png 10w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/India-600x691.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 151px) 100vw, 151px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-24361 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/After-worship-in-Delhi-300x259.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"259\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/After-worship-in-Delhi-300x259.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/After-worship-in-Delhi-1024x883.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/After-worship-in-Delhi-768x662.jpg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/After-worship-in-Delhi-14x12.jpg 14w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/After-worship-in-Delhi-600x517.jpg 600w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/After-worship-in-Delhi.jpg 1058w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Despite centuries of missionary endeavors, the need for the gospel in India remains astounding. According to the Joshua Project, over 90% of India\u2019s people (approximately 1.3 billion people) belong to an unreached people group. This represents over 1\/3 of the world\u2019s approximately 3.3 billion unreached people. In addition, there remain roughly 1,900 people groups in India identified as frontier people groups, with virtually no followers of Jesus, and still requiring pioneering cross-cultural workers.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-24360 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Shop-in-Mehrauli-279x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"279\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Shop-in-Mehrauli-279x300.jpg 279w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Shop-in-Mehrauli-768x825.jpg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Shop-in-Mehrauli-11x12.jpg 11w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Shop-in-Mehrauli-600x645.jpg 600w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Shop-in-Mehrauli.jpg 849w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px\" \/>Our team focused on northern India, which has relatively fewer Christians than southern India. Our team gathered together in Delhi, India, in an old area of the city known as Mehrauli. We had originally planned to travel from Delhi to Uttarakhand, but heightened persecution and monitoring led us to change our plans. In the end, we spent several days in Delhi filled with a rich variety of meetings. Our connections included over a dozen ex-pat workers from various areas of northern India, Indian pastors of Friends churches from Uttarakhand and Delhi, a legal team from the central office of India\u2019s Alliance Defending Freedom, and Indian workers for an organization doing discipleship and small business training amongst a variety of groups across India. After a short time in Agra, we concluded our trip by traveling to Trivandrum and joining the conference of Evangelical Friends Church \u2013 India, where we were able to connect with Friends leaders and pastors from across India.<\/p>\n<table style=\"background-color: #ff9933;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Key Trip Moments<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>We were amazed by the breadth and the sheer number of connections that God helped make for our team. It was clear to our team that God helped orchestrate not only which connections we made, but even the order of those meetings. That process began even before departure, at the Urbana Missions conference, through connecting to a western worker operating a language school in Delhi. This language school proved to be a missionary hub, enabling us to connect to an amazing number of people in a short period of time. Our meeting with ADF also had the mark of a divine connection \u2013 bringing A. unknowingly into the office of the organization which had provided him with extensive assistance during previous periods of persecution and initiating a new collaborative relationship with the Sarkars.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-24359 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Prayer-for-Stephen-300x142.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"142\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Prayer-for-Stephen-300x142.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Prayer-for-Stephen-1024x485.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Prayer-for-Stephen-768x363.jpg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Prayer-for-Stephen-1536x727.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Prayer-for-Stephen-2048x969.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Prayer-for-Stephen-18x9.jpg 18w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Prayer-for-Stephen-600x284.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>We also had the joy of worshipping together with a new Friends church in Delhi. Perhaps most significantly, we spent hours upon hours with leaders of the persecuted church. These individuals had experienced being disowned by their families, shunned from their villages, arrested, and even beaten. Daily they choose to work under the threat of various forms of persecution for the name of Jesus. Yet, rather than discouragement, we witnessed confidence that God was at work, excitement at the growth of the church, reports of miracles, and a sense that the church was coming together in a new way in response to the increased challenges. Many times we were asked to pray, but never once were we asked to pray persecution would end. Rather, we were asked to pray for continued strength and faithfulness. Let us join together in this type of prayer for India, and workers across the world facing similar challenges. May we be emboldened and encouraged by their stories!<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-24362 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Auto-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Auto-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Auto-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Auto-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Auto-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Auto-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Auto-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Auto.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/td>\n<td><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-24363 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Delhi-Friends-Church-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Delhi-Friends-Church-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Delhi-Friends-Church-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Delhi-Friends-Church-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Delhi-Friends-Church-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Delhi-Friends-Church-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Delhi-Friends-Church-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Delhi-Friends-Church.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table style=\"background-color: #22283c;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong>What\u2019s Next?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Luke 10 Exploration Trips continue into 2023 as teams explore potential sites with second discernment trips where Friends see EFM&#8217;s CAN GO Criteria developing. Our next benchmarks include hopes that the EFM board will approve a commitment in November 2023 to launching at least five new fields.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\"><strong>How Can You Join?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Are you interested in exploring missionary service? Do you know of anyone of any age who might be interested in exploring the idea of serving as a missionary overseas for two or more years?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">EFM is currently looking to contact and connect with people about opportunities to explore serving as missionaries with the Friends Church!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">To learn more, visit\u00a0<a style=\"color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/five-year-goal-go\/\">aqu\u00ed<\/a>\u00a0or fill out this\u00a0<a style=\"color: #ffffff;\" href=\"https:\/\/forms.office.com\/pages\/responsepage.aspx?id=QJhAnJUk-Um0DXAbTsmoXwry0NRYUUVOskq1Ux_LSc1UMEZKU1Y4Q0VYRDVWWDJVRU5OSFZCMjVQTy4u\">interest form!<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>We look forward to sharing more news as it becomes available about what we are finding and discerning in EFM\u2019s Luke 10 Initiative as we continue to explore where EFM may launch new mission fields.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ninth of the first ten Luke 10 Exploration Trips went out on February 20-March 4 to Northern India, with a team of four from the US and three from India. Thank you for praying for this team and EFM&#8217;s Luke 10 Initiative as Evangelical Friends discern where to launch new mission fields as part [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"full","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[310,9],"tags":[363,64,311,205,261],"class_list":{"0":"post-24358","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-luke-10-intiative","7":"category-news","8":"tag-363","9":"tag-india","10":"tag-luke-10-exploration-trip","11":"tag-luke-10-initiative","12":"tag-pray-for-india","13":"entry","14":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24358"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24371,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24358\/revisions\/24371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/friendsmission.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}