Namaste (Blessings) from the Thomas family in Mussoorie, India.  We trust this letter finds you well, enjoying the colors and crispness of fall.

We are individually doing well – all busy with school responsibilities as we enter the second quarter – and by the grace of God, we are doing well as a family.  It is the first time that both parents have worked full time, and with evening meetings and weekend leadership of activities for boarding students, our family time together is sporadic. However, we pass each other between classes during the day and check in with each other by email. And Sundays are sacred. We worship together, have a family meal and meeting, and start the week together.

It is amazing to us that despite how separated we are from “civilization” down at the bottom of the mountain, we have ample opportunities for Christian worship and fellowship at 6,000+ feet in Mussoorie.  It is probably because we are rather isolated here that we band together as a community, enriched by the diversity of the staff and students, and challenged by the seekers or un-churched. We have devotions before all staff and student assemblies, monthly mandatory chapel services, weekly voluntary student worship services, bible studies for staff and students.  Religious education is taught across all grades, and many classes incorporate prayer into their day.  And that’s only on the campus.

Mussoorie, since its beginnings in the early 1800’s through the British purchase of land from the local rajah, has always had a church.  Christ Church was the first to be organized, serving the civilian British parishioners with the liturgy of the Anglican Church.  Its beautiful stained-glass windows, marble altar and pulpit and carved walnut lectern remain today, as does the “high church” liturgy.  Once served by clergy sent from London, it is now one of several local churches served by ministers of the Church of North India.  CNI is a union of the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Church of the Brethren, and Disciples denominations.

At our eastern end of town is St. Paul’s Church, also an original garrison church of the British.  The brass plates that reserved pews for officers are still there, as are the notches in the pew backs that held their sword tips or rifles! Today, St. Paul’s offers a traditional liturgy in English, made modern with praise hymns.  It is served by the same CNI clergy couple, Eric and Anita Templeton, who serve Christ Church, as well as the Hindustani CNI church.

The Hindustani Church is actually on the campus of Woodstock School. Many of its hometown members are local Woodstock employees. A plain white-washed building with a corrugated tine roof, it offers a service and traditional hymns in Hindi.

The Union Church was built in the middle of Mussoorie bazaar in the late 1800’s. Built like a Grecian temple, it remains a vibrant congregation of Indians, Anglo-Indians, and Westerners.  It is avowedly non-denominational but follows a Baptist liturgy and polity. As a service to the community it serves, Union Church started the Hebron School on its grounds, serving Kindergarten through Grade Seven children.  The Sunday we visited, the school children, who are not all Christian, sang a well-rehearsed song based on various biblical scriptures.  The Woodstock string quartet and staff choir (in which Jeff is a bass) contributed music on this Thanksgiving Sunday.  The sanctuary was decorated for a true harvest celebration with flowers and baskets of food, which would be given to the poor following the service.

When missionaries abounded in Asia, many at one time or another attended Kellogg Church, established in 1903 by the American Presbyterian Mission. Why? It is next to the language school where many missionaries came to learn Hindi and Urdu.  Both the language school and the church are still in service.  Kellogg Church, now non-denominational and with a very relaxed, bilingual worship style, serves as the main Sunday School for Woodstock students. 

Newer to Mussoorie is the small congregation of Evangelical Friends, who meet in the upper rooms of the local hospital.  The Indian minister and his wife, also a staff member at Woodstock, lead a bilingual service.  The praise hymns, though often sung in Hindi by the predominantly Indian congregation, were familiar and we joined right in.  Their special way of praying aloud all at the same time was moving. We were amazed that the Sunday School children, who had already had 30 minutes of their own class, could sit respectfully still for the 90 minute service.  The Sunday we visited, a man who the congregation supports financially spoke about the church planting he is doing in an area near Nepal.  This small vital congregation is doing big things to spread the Good News. 

Although St. Peter’s Catholic Church is no longer in use, there are several Convent schools for girls and St. George’s College for boys.  Clearly the Christian influence that was brought to this part of India over the past 200 years is still evident. We feel blessed to have opportunities to choose where we worship God.

Next month we will write more about Woodstock School, its staff, students and supporters. Thank you for your continued interest and support.

--Barbara, Jeffrey, Chris and Coleman Thomas,  October 18, 2005.