A month into their "motor mission' Sydney Anglicans Nathan Brown and Melbourne-based friend Julian Price have found themselves building tents in disaster-struck Kashmir.
"This was not going to be part of our trip," said Julian.
"But we feel if we are able to be useful, we must, to be Christ-like in attitude to people in need."
The tents are the work of a Kashmir-based Christian known as Titus*.
The economical nature of the design and the ease of construction has attracted the attention of both government and NGOs.
"The idea is simplicity itself," explained Julian.
"Four half-round pipes, some metal stakes, 9 sheets of corrugated iron and some plastic insulation. Cheap, quick and easy to build."
It's cold in Kashmir in winter at the best of times but for the estimated 3 million people left homeless by the recent earthquake winter could be a death sentence.
With the death toll nearing 90,000 aid agencies fear the winter weather may claim even more lives than the earthquake itself.
Nathan and Julian are on the first stages of an epic journey visiting Christians in some of the most isolated parts of the world.
After beginning their journey in India, they plan to head from Kashmir to Pakistan, followed by Iran, Turkey and Syria.
The intrepid pair will carry out the entire trip on the back of two motorbikes, taking more than six months to cover the thousands of kilometres involved.
People interested in praying for their success in Kashmir and beyond can follow their adventures in the Motor Mission Blog on Sydneyanglicans.net.
* not his real name
