TRIP TO INDIA POSED FAITH CHALLENGE

I instantly became fascinated last spring as I listened to a fellow missionary discuss growing up in India. It made me want to go there, too -- even though I've loved getting to know the people and culture in the African country of Mozambique.

When Susan Weil mentioned that she and her husband were going to India in the summer, I jokingly said: "Sign me up!"

From that start, I was on my way to India for a month. My travels as a missionary in India would provide more opportunities for me to share Jesus Christ's message of salvation and show his love. It's a powerful thing to be a witness. A good thing about being young is that I can touch the hearts of fellow youth who wouldn't listen to a similar message from adults.

One such experience took place on a night-train trip from Delhi to Allahabad in the northern part of the country. I stayed up till 1 a.m. talking to three 16-year-old Indian girls about their beliefs. Their family is Muslim. They told me about Allah as their one and only God.

I told them that is similar to my God. They have read the Gospels and believe in all our prophets but denied Jesus as God. They see him just as another prophet like Abraham or Moses and don't believe he was crucified.

I was shocked and emphasized my belief in Jesus Christ and how he died for our sins to set humankind free. How could we all read the same Gospels and believe totally different things?

We sat on the bed in silence. The oldest girl finally spoke up and told me that I was very different from her friends and that she would think about what I told her that night.

India was fascinating for so many reasons. I learned so much and was able to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World -- the Taj Mahal -- and put my faith into action.

But the most important "wonder" of the trip was learning so much about myself. I now realize that we all need to be open to other cultures and be willing to listen to those in need, but I learned that I need to get out of my comfort bubble and speak up about Jesus' word, too. You never know when someone could come into your heart and change your world.

Editor's note: Chelsea Berryman, 17, lives with her family in Mozambique, where her parents are missionaries for OMS International, a global ministry active in 46 countries. The Berrymans have been there for a year and are setting up an English-language program in Maputo, the capital.