Ross Stewart has recently retired as a Sergeant after 42 years with the Hastings Police, he was awarded the Queen’s Honour ONZM in 2016 for his work as a youth aid leader.He is married to Jill and has two sons and two daughters and enjoys spending time with his grandchildren. He enjoys travel and climbing.
Ross spoke about his recent experiences on a trip to India as part of the mission work he is involved within the Havelock North Baptist Church. He reflected on three aspects, death on a train, murder and death and prostitutes.
Ross spoke about his recent experiences on a trip to India as part of the mission work he is involved within the Havelock North Baptist Church. He reflected on three aspects, death on a train, murder and death and prostitutes.
While on a journey on a high-speed train from Delhi to Agra, the train killed a person on the track. The train didn’t stop apparently this is an all too common experience. 12,669 people were killed by trains in the first 6 months of 2017. Life is cheap in India trains don't stop!
Murders are common place especially politically motivated ones against Christians who represent only 2.3 % of the population. 46,000 die from poison from snake bites every year but the most poisonous chemical is water. 140,000 children die each year from waterborne diseases. Sewage seeps into the waterways and if you drink the water, you’ll get sick.
Young girls are forced into prostitution and in a red-light district in Calcutta there are 11,000 sex workers in an area only half size of Hastings. Freeset is an organisation that helps to set prostitutes free. Young girls aged 10-16 work the streets and when 1820 they are cast out into the slums. Ross said this made him weep and one must question the morality of mankind.
Ross said we really need to look in our own back yard. We also have too many people die in rail accidents, a recent murder in Flaxmere has seen the arrest of young people all under 17, the water supply in Havelock North was contaminated and he recounted the experience he had while in the police, with the terrible abuse of a young child of a sex worker in Hastings
The mission Ross is associated with is Asha (Hindi word for hope). This Baptist Church mission looks after orphans in India and has 65 kids in care. They build community centres, toilets and provide water bores and herds of goats.
Ross said India is a place you either love or hate.
Murders are common place especially politically motivated ones against Christians who represent only 2.3 % of the population. 46,000 die from poison from snake bites every year but the most poisonous chemical is water. 140,000 children die each year from waterborne diseases. Sewage seeps into the waterways and if you drink the water, you’ll get sick.
Young girls are forced into prostitution and in a red-light district in Calcutta there are 11,000 sex workers in an area only half size of Hastings. Freeset is an organisation that helps to set prostitutes free. Young girls aged 10-16 work the streets and when 1820 they are cast out into the slums. Ross said this made him weep and one must question the morality of mankind.
Ross said we really need to look in our own back yard. We also have too many people die in rail accidents, a recent murder in Flaxmere has seen the arrest of young people all under 17, the water supply in Havelock North was contaminated and he recounted the experience he had while in the police, with the terrible abuse of a young child of a sex worker in Hastings
The mission Ross is associated with is Asha (Hindi word for hope). This Baptist Church mission looks after orphans in India and has 65 kids in care. They build community centres, toilets and provide water bores and herds of goats.
Ross said India is a place you either love or hate.