From the Field: Reflections From Our 2026 India Mission Trip

8 Min Read

Aug 17, 2026

Elaine Van Hook, Set Free's Stewardship Manager, is the author of this post. After supporting the ministry for a dozen years, Elaine visited India on a Set Free missions trip for the first time in July 2026.

I had the honor of visiting our partners in India for the first time in July. It was a whirlwind of an eight-day trip, with half of it spent on an aircraft, but it was a trip I will not soon forget. After being a supporter of Set Free for 12 years, it was a blessing to finally see the ministry firsthand and to meet many of the people who are faithfully carrying out the work in their own communities.

There were so many highlights from the trip, but these seven experiences were particularly memorable.

Laying the Cornerstone for a New Church in India

One of the first highlights of our India mission trip was being honored to lay the cornerstone for a new church that will be built for a village. We also prayed individually with the 89 believers in this village.

The church building is a huge step of faith for this community because they are investing their own money to build it. It was meaningful to see their commitment to the church and their willingness to invest in what God is doing in their village.

Celebrating the Dedication of a New Church Building

We were also able to cut the ribbon and celebrate the opening of a new church building in another village, where there are 214 believers. Three ladies from Fellowship Greenville who were on the trip with us had the opportunity to pray over the building and the congregation and then cut the ribbon to open the doors for the first time. It was a beautiful moment to celebrate what God has already done in this village and what He will continue to do through this church.

The congregation then fed us lunch, which was excellent, and I got to experience eating rice and curry with my hand for the first time! It is not as easy as they make it look.

Meeting a Rescued Girl Reunited With Her Family

In that same village, I had the chance to meet one the rescued girls who had been reunited with her family. Set Free rescues thousands of children from slavery each year. We work hard to reunite children with their families when it's possible and appropriate. We want to make sure that when a child returns home, it is a safe and sustainable situation. Families may still be dealing with poverty, medical needs or other circumstances that could put a child at risk of being exploited again. Before a child can safely return home, those circumstances have to be considered, and there needs to be a plan for how the family will be supported.

Meeting this young girl (pictured above in red) was one of the most meaningful moments of the trip because it gave us the opportunity to see what happens after a child is rescued and reunited with her family. In this case, her father still has medical bills, so the pastor is continuing to help the family with food and other expenses. When a child is reunited with their family, the story does not end there. There are often still needs that the family is facing, and the local church is in a position to continue walking alongside them.

Visiting Children Living in Church Homes

We visited two church homes in other villages and met the children who live there. The thing that stuck out most to me about the children is their bright eyes and smiles. They are full of hope and joy! We had the opportunity to serve the children lunch and pray with them and their pastor, and it was such a blessing to spend time with them and see the care they are receiving.

These visits also gave me a much greater understanding of the need for church homes, an area of the ministry that will be highlighted in this year's Set Free Gala. There are children who need a safe place to live and people who will care for them while they are unable to return to their families, and these homes provide that stability and support.

Equipping Indian Pastors to Lead and Train Others

Set Free's foundation is sharing the Gospel, so a very important part of our work during this trip was Biblical training. The pastor training included 12 men who are leaders and who will go on to train others as part of a train-the-trainer model. I really appreciated seeing this approach to leadership development firsthand because it is another example of how Set Free is investing in indigenous leaders who understand their own communities and are able to continue the work long after an outside team has gone home.

The women's training was also an amazing example of the Holy Spirit showing up in a big way.

When the day started, we realized that a number of the participants were illiterate, so much for all the printed materials that had been planned! There were also three different languages in the room, so getting organized and finding people to translate across those languages was another challenge.

The ladies leading the training prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to fill the gaps because they could no longer proceed as planned. They were able to teach the story of Ruth and Naomi using hand motions, and God really did it! The women learned the material and received the Gospel message that is foreshadowed in that book.

It was one of those moments where we were reminded that our plans are not always God's plans, and He is certainly capable of working through circumstances that look very different from what we had prepared.

Providing Dental Care to Nearly 250 Children

Providing medical care is an important focus of Set Free's work. Set Free's first ever dental clinic, spearheaded by Brookwood Church, was another highlight of the trip. In two and a half days, we were able to provide professional cleanings for nearly 250 children. Most of these children have never had dental care in their lives, so it was exciting to see how much could be accomplished in such a short amount of time.

Dental care is available in India, but it is very costly, and we currently have no local partners in that field. We are hopeful about setting up a full dental clinic at the campus and, God willing, offering that as a medical mission trip option moving forward.

I think there is something very meaningful about being able to meet a practical need while also building relationships with children and families. The dental clinic was a great example of that, and I am excited about the possibilities for what this could become in the future.

Giving Children a New Opportunity to Play Basketball

Last but not least, a few of the team members assembled new basketball goals Brookwood Church provided for the campus and taught the kids some basketball games. These kids had never played basketball, and they took to it quickly! It was so much fun to see the fun and competitiveness come out as they took on this new challenge.

It may seem like a small thing to put up a couple of basketball goals, but watching the children discover something new and have an opportunity for recreation was a real joy. For children who have experienced difficult circumstances, having a safe place to play, try something new and simply have fun is important. It was a fun reminder that caring for children is about more than meeting their basic needs. It is also about giving them opportunities to experience joy and just be kids.

What I Came Home Understanding About the Work in India

Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support of the ministry. The need is great, and seeing firsthand not only what we have accomplished so far, but also the possibilities for the future, was a blessing.

For me, personally, after being a supporter of the ministry for 12 years, this trip was a beautiful affirmation that empowering the indigenous leaders to head the ministry is the right approach. There are fewer barriers—language, culture, food, climate, whatever it is—because it is their home and they know it best.

I praise God for the trip and for the team I was blessed to travel with. More than anything, I am grateful that I finally had the opportunity to see this work firsthand and to meet the pastors, children and families who are part of it.