Sram Ashram Ministries
Work at the Ashram is coming along wonderfully; the students are improving by leaps and bounds. I am amazed that people who had never used a computer before two weeks ago now feel confident to write their own newsletters, promotional papers, and letters. Many of my students work for small churches near by, and our hope is that this knowledge will be very beneficial to their ministry. Please continue to pray for our teaching as we begin Excel in the computer classes and as we finish teaching the Pentateuch in the Bible survey portion of the class.

On top of teaching two classes each day, we are planing a training conference for pastors from all over Andhra. Many of the church leaders here have never gone to seminary. Therefore, they have not been trained in teaching, preaching, leading or even in the knowledge of Christian doctrine. In short, these pastors all have wonderful hearts for the Lord Jesus, but they lack the skills really needed to further the gospel in India. So, we are inviting trained pastors from America and India to come and speak to approximately 400 pastors at two different conference centers over a two week span. Organizing this conference is a difficult task; but on top of the usual challenges, we are trying to make this training free of charge for the pastors, whose churches simply cannot afford to send them for schooling. So, we are searching for inexpensive housing and food and grounds to hold this study seminar. Please pray that we may have the same wisdom God gave to King Solomon in our decision making (1 King 3:7-12; 4:29-31).

To am American, this is frightening and almost unimaginable. Yet here, among the families with whom I live and work, I have yet to meet a couple who did not have an arranged marriage.

I’ve always thought of arranged marriages in a horrible light. Young men and women having no choice in their own futures. People spending their wedding night together, asking questions like, “So what is your favorite color?” I never dreamed these marriages could be positive. Such a sad way of life, isn’t it?

Going to a Christian Indian wedding this week was unbelievable. They had three separate pastors, three separate sermons. It lasted a total of 3 and ½ hours and began 2 hours late. Then, they prepared two separate meals for all of the guests in order to accommodate the vegetarian Hindus. Weddings are huge here because it is not two young adults getting married for a period of time, it is two families merging for all eternity.

Finding the right words to describe how I feel about arranged marriages now is something I have been working towards for many hours. Yet, there are no words to describe my heart’s confusion. So many marriages in America end in terrible tragedies. Divorce, single parent homes and the like plague millions of American families. Here, however, the family unit is strong.

Clement feels that one reason for this is that Indians do not date. He reasons that American relationships do not last because by the time the couple is married, they have already been through that amazing “butterfly stage” where both individuals are drawn together by some force they cannot explain. Furthermore, because most Americans have had sex before they marry, there is not a new, bonding experience for them to share for the first time with one another.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that we all turn to an arranged marriage system. But I must say that being in a new culture has allowed me to see the benefits of a system I once considered ridiculous. It is amazing what you can learn about people when you see life through their own eyes.

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Any questions or suggestions for this publication? Any news from back home? Please email me at kjnbean@aol.com.  I’d love to hear from you!