This past Labor Day weekend I went to The Annual Pakistani Indian Christian Convention held at Peach Orchard Christian Retreat, Silver Spring Maryland. This is important to me because it is when I can be with my Pakistani Christian community. Being a Christian in Pakistan is not easy; Pakistan is over 95% Muslim, and the Christian community is harshly persecuted. Personally, I feel proud of my ethnicity and religion, and because of this I love my last name, “Musih.” This is a common surname for South Asian Christians and it means Christ.

This convention is a 3-day, outdoor gathering of South Asian Christians from all over the East Coast and is celebrated as a time of great fun and worship. It was created and is organized by Mrs. Alfreeda Gill and Mr. Rashid Gill.

The convention is not only a time of spirituality, but also a social gathering.  I have been going to this convention for as long as I can remember. This year I, along with the majority of attendees, went to the convention on Saturday. One of my favorite parts was the talent show, during which people of all ages come and perform anything related to Christianity. Some read poems, some sing and others play instruments. Once this concluded, there was an hour-long break and then the service. This year was special because it was the twentieth anniversary of the convention, and this year’s theme was “by faith alone.”

The evening has the biggest service of the Convention.  Like anything South Asian, everything was off-schedule and ran late. After listening to the Canadian guest speaker, everybody rushed to the dining hall for a free dinner.

At 12 PM we decided to embark on our 45 min. drive back home. As we wished goodbye to all our friends and family, I had the sorrow of departing, but the hope of coming back.

-Elisha Musih, Staff Writer