Not my idea of a good time. Nineteen hours on a crowed, hot Indian train to spend a few hours with a stranger, then turning around and making the trip again. Thankfully, I am not making the trip. Subumal Dutta is.

My next stop during my whirlwind tour is Rajamundry, on the eastern side of India. My plane flight there was quite nice. The service was top notch, rivaling European flights, which was a pleasant surprise.

The euphoria of the plane flight disappears quickly when I leave the airport and reach my hotel. The weather here is hot and sticky. The air conditioner in my room produces a lot of noise, but no cold air.

 

It’s in this room that I meet Subumal. He lives and ministers in Keshiyari, three hours south west of Calcutta, and a quite a few miles from Rajamundry, where we meet. He is experienced, and has a solid vision for sharing the gospel with his people. Just the sort of things Worldlink looks for in a partner.

I can tell Subumal is tired. He stays engaged with me, and we are able to record him talking about his ministry, but at times he nearly falls asleep in the wooden chair.

I ask about his nineteen hour train ride trip to see me, and discover that for $50 his return ticket could be upgraded to an air conditioned travel car. He would be able to stretch out more and be much more rested. I tactfully offer to pay for this upgrade, but he refuses.

He assures me he will be able to sleep on the train, despite the crowding, heat, and periodic stopping. He is not comfortable using God’s money to make his trip more comfortable. He tells me to use the money for the kingdom. We are definitely going to try and find a stateside partner for this guy.

When Subumal departs, my hosts and I head to the rented car for our next adventure: driving on Indian roads.

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