i have been privileged to meet dr lalita edwards. she lives in pune and is one of those rare people who you feel you could sit at their feet and listen for hours. she is so humble and so full of christ. again we (dave and i – thanks dave for the photo) did a video interview. she works with sufferers of HIV/AIDS in the red light district in puna. it varies from region to region but the church hasn’t been too quick to engage in the issue. one of lalita’s current projects is buying a building to house children with the disease.

we also asked her about eunuchs as we have seen plenty walking around the cities. some boys and girls are offered to a fertility goddess. girls may become temple prostitutes where as boys are made eunuchs. they then group together and entertain at weddings and other such festivities. but they are feared and are low down the order in society. lolita clearly befriends many of them and told of a church leader who has also spent time with them. quite a few have become christians. but according to lolita they would not be accepted in the churches so a christian community is developing among the eunuchs – an emerging church?…

dr lalita edwards is a cms mission partner. it was fantastic to meet someone supported by cms to see what amazing work she is doing. i commented before about the murky trace of western mission but this is the other side – a christian indian woman who is following in the way of christ among the poor and downtrodden.

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