Focus on the Heart Retreat in India |
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Location: India
Jessie 
Hebbal, head of Focus on the Heart India, organized a first-of-its-kind event on October 18 and 19: a two-day retreat for the wives of the AFC evangelists. Attending were: Rama Christi from Gujarat, Rhoda Duthie from Maharastra, Reeni Johnson from Tamil Nadu, Roseleen Michael from Uttar Pradesh, Jessie Hebbal from Karnataka, and AFCI’s Women’s Ministry Coordinator Chris Hanak from the US. Mumbai (Bombay) is the city with easiest access for all, though the women had to travel long distances by train – up to thirty hours – to reach the city.
India is a very large country, about one-third the size of the US, with a population of over one billion. The AFC India team of evangelists is scattered among different states. Each state is as big as a country, with its own language, history and culture. Hindi is the official language and many people speak English. Jessie led the sessions in English with summaries in Hindi for those whose English was not as strong.
The group stayed at the YMCA in Mumbai where they had comfortable lodging, 
delicious meals, and private meeting space. Jessie had asked each woman to either lead a devotional time or worship time, so the group was blessed by each one’s gifts. During the meeting times, Jessie presented an overview of three Focus on the Heart courses that she has tailored to meet the spiritual and practical needs of women in India: Inductive Bible Study, Titus 2: Invitation to Godliness, and Hope for the Heart. Through these overviews, the women were able to catch Jessie’s vision for Focus on the Heart as well as to be encouraged by some of the content of the courses.
On Saturday afternoon, the group took a break to drive into downtown Mumbai where the old buildings give the city a very European look. The first stop was a large market area, packed with shoppers, where each side street features a different kind of items for sale, like a giant open air department store. From the shopping area, they went to the harbor to see an historical monument, the Gateway of India, and to relax in a 
boat touring the harbor.
The retreat closed on Sunday afternoon with a time for the group to pray for each woman individually. The AFC India wives are brave and faithful missionaries in their home areas, caring for their children and for their family, as the husbands travel and preach the Gospel. They are grateful to be in ministry at the side of their husbands and their prayers are central to the success of the mission.