After our introduction, we started a brief study of comparitive religion, where we compared Christianity to Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the newest major world faiths, Modernism, Post-Modernism, and Neo-Paganism. In these sessions we covered the very basics of each religion and related the religious system to our faith.
In France, we encounter Modernism, Post-Modernism, and Neo-Paganism. On our trip to Mauritius, we had the chance to learn more about Hinduism. Every time a CEM group comes to Mauritius, they visit a Hindu temple to learn more about the religion of 70% of the people in the country.
We walked around the temple with bare feet, which we found rather painful after the stones had been cooking all morning in the hot sun. I may be betraying my sinfulness in admitting my pain. Our guide says that during the ceremony where the faithful make a pilgramage to the temple and then walk across hot coals, being burned reveals that you are a sinner!
There were many mini-temples or shrines located outside of the main temple, housing "guardians" and demi-gods that you could pay respect to in order to get protection.
The temple was more terrifying to us than beautiful, with so many painted eyes leering down at us. We were glad for the experience but happy to go at the end of our tour.
On the first stage of our plane ride home (Mauritius to Antananarivo, Madagascar), I sat next to a Muslim woman from a nearby island. We started out by talking about the economic development of Madagascar vs. Mauritius vs. Comoros and the different attitudes and awareness within the countries of their problems.
I explained the purpose of my missionary voyage and what we'd accomplished on our trip. My new friend said that she admires how Christians are always serving: building orphanages, working as doctors, etc. From their, we launched a discussion of our faiths and I got to explain some of the fundamentals of Christianity. We discussed our different views of who Jesus was and the character of God.
On our next flight, the 12 hour leg from Madagascar to Paris, all the CEMistes were together, so I was disappointed that I would be having a more predictable conversation. We were all surprised to find ourselves seated in business class. We had been pampered more than expected at every stage of the trip, and now we were really spoiled! Can't complain.
What else did we do in Mauritius?
We spent alot of time at the beach!
Hmm, that does not sound like a very good missions-trip, you say.
If you happen to be called as a missionary to a country where everyone you should be evangelising happens to be hanging out on the beach, you should go hang out on the beach with them, too!**
We got to help a missionary couple finish building a house for their family of 6 to live. We performed our choral routine at the SOS Children's Village***, at the new Cascavelle Community Center, and at the home of a visitor to the church.
The 2 church families that we visited in Mauritius meet in homes.
We ate two delicious meals with our hands and 2 meals of Lo Mein during our stay, illustrating the mixture of cultures found in Mauritius.
We spent the last weekend of our missionary voyage on a retreat with the two church families.
Our group photo from the retreat in Mauritius, with the churches of Richeterre and Cascavelle.
Notes:
*In short, what do you have to lose if you believe in God and are wrong? (nothing) What do you have to lose by not believing in God and being wrong? (eternity)
**If this opportunity for serving the Lord sounds too good to be true, maybe you should try "Big Break." http://big-break.com/
***SOS Villages offer an alternative to the orphanage or the children's home. Find out more about the organization here: http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/Pages/default.aspx
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