Safety in Mumbai, India What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
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Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in Mumbai, India Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
People’s Opinions
Our ministry was insane, and slightly unpredictable. Our main ministry was working at the Manna House of Prayer, which is a building smack dab in the middle of the Red Light District where we ran a laid back youth program with children of prostitutes. The other times we went into like 4 different slums around the massive city and prayed and encouraged members of Abhay’s church. It was incredible. It was also exhausting. We averaged 7 hour days with one day off. However, it was incredible and its definitely a 4!
Lodging
Lodging in Mumbai, India Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
We stayed in a 3 story building with a rooftop. There were a few beds, but the majority of us slept on floor mats. We had cold showers and 2 westerns along with 3 squatties. There was a fridge and a kitchen. We stayed there with another team.
Food / Meals
Starbucks–there are 3 in Mumbai (Hiranandani Gardens, South Mumbai (tourist spot, largest Starbucks in India are the ones we went to). Cost 100-200 Rupees. Extremely popular.
Free WiFi, but ask for a card.
Chilis–in Hiranandani Gardens, across the street from a Starbucks. Cost 500 Rupees for dinner. No WiFi.
Hard Rock Cafe–Cost 500 Rupees per entree.
Food / Meals in Mumbai, India What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
Hit up the Starbucks. Take the train to the CST station (about a 45 minute train ride from Khargar where we stayed) Then we just asked around until we found it. There was also a McDonalds and a Subway nearby at Khargar. Just ask Pastor Minaj. Our meals were provided, and they were very spicy. Get ready. Also, if you are with Pastor Minaj, feel free to let him know if people can’t eat the food because he is an incredibly humble and unoffendable man of God. He is so hospitable.
Transportation
Rigsaw–Ask to use the meter. No extra tip required. Great for close distances. No more than 3 or 4 people to travel in. Use a taxi if travel time exceeds an hour.
Taxi–great option. More expensive. (2 hours, 1000 Rupees ($20)), Faster than a rigsaw. Use the meter as well. Some speak English.
Train–Use for a cultural experience. Will be extremely packed during morning rush hour. Starts to get jammed around 4 in the afternoon and will be tight until 10 p.m. Having a local with helps. A lot.
Transportation in Mumbai, India What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
People’s Opinions
Most of the time we would wake up, and Pastor Minaj would either take us to the train or hire a rickshaw for us. It costed about 30 rupees per rickshaw. Once we got to the train, our ministry contact (abhay or one of his peeps) for the first week until we knew where to go. The train is so fun! The doors are wide open and you get to hang out the side. They are really crowded at rush hour times though and all you can do is laugh as you get shoved on and off the train. LADIES: our women took the ladies car to prevent being surrounded by creepy men. You just gotta be quick, and have a plan just incase you get seperated.
Medical
Medical in Mumbai, India Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
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Communication
If you stay with Pastor Minaj, you should have wifi, but its shaky with too many people.
Joy, our india contact will take care of your sim cards. From what I heard, it was super complicated, and it takes filling out ridiculous paperwork. But we never ran out of minutes, and it was great!
Communication in Mumbai, India Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
We stayed at a hostel in the middle of three malls; the only wifi in the area was at the InOrbit mall – not the fastest but it works ok.
Financial
Financial in Mumbai, India Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
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Translators
Translators in Mumbai, India List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
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Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in Mumbai, India What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
Go check out Mumbai CST. That’s where the gateway to India is, and a lot of really cool architecture, and the nicest starbucks in the world. We went to Elephant Island one day. Its an hour boat trip from CST, to an Island with no elephants, lots of monkeys, and a bunch of cool caves. We got a tour guide, but if you don’t want to learn about Hindu gods then I wouldn’t recommend it. There are a bunch of shops, and it was just nice to get out of the thick smog for a while and see some green. It was alright, but it’s not that big of a deal.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in Mumbai, India Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
People’s Opinions
We pretty much had 24,000 contacts. Okay, so we only had about 6. It was rather challenging, and miscommunication was the norm. We had Joy, who was our India contact; Pastor Abhay, who was our ministry contact’ Pastor Minaj, who was our lodging contact; Pastor Deo, who lead us around most of the time; and there were 3 others who helped pastor Abhay by leading us around. It was insane. I would suggest letting Abhay have his own team, and Minaj have his own team, and not putting a team in a position where it is impossible to follow one contact without having conflict with the other.
Tips
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Additional Info
Additional Info in Mumbai, India Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?