All of us have skills that can be used to serve God and serve the poor. For those with engineering or architectural abilities, eMi² is a great way to do just that, while at the same time gaining valuable experience and learning more about another country. Over 100 interns have participated in eMi² internship programs over the years. Not one has left here without being impacted in some way by God through serving with eMi² in the great Republic of India – probably the most diverse and culturally rich country in the world.

In the late 1990's former EMI architect and CEO Glen Woodruff and family were called to India to expand EMI's vision. In 1998, they traveled together to Mussoorie and identified the site of our current office: The Oaklands Estate. Over the next two years they worked to build Oaklands into both the office and the home on top of the mountain that so many staff, interns, volunteers, friends, travelers, and guests have enjoyed. You can read about what God has done during the first ten years of eMi² by ordering your own copy of the eMi² Anthology.

No. EMI and eMi² are non-profit organizations and all workers serve on a purely volunteer basis. Each intern and volunteer is asked to cover his or her own costs to participate and to help EMI / eMi² continue to be able to provide design services free of cost to approved charities. Most workers raise financial support from friends and family to cover their cost. Don't worry if that sounds challenging, we will guide you through the process.

Mussoorie is a small town of 35,000 people located in the foothills of the Himalayas, ~300 Km north of New Delhi and 35Km north of and up from Dehradun. Oaklands Estate, the location of the eMi² office, is at near the highest point in town (about 2,200m / 7,200 ft) on the ridge of the mountain range. From Oaklands, the northern view is of the Greater Indian Himalaya (with peaks of 6000-7200m) and the southern view is of the ‘Doon’ valley and beyond, the Indo-Gangetic plain. The long winters (Nov-Mar) are clear and cold, the short summers (Apr-Jun) are hazy and warm, and the monsoons (July-Oct) are misty, rainy, and, well... wet!

Single staff and intern women live together inside Oaklands. The single staff and intern men live together at Tipperary, about a 10 minute walk downhill from Oaklands. Married couples either stay on the apartment side of Oaklands, or find another apartment nearby. Living in Mussoorie can be 'rustic'. Electricity comes and goes. Water is limited, and is stored on the roof in tanks. The climate inside the buildings can be colder than outside. And if you’re not careful monkeys may steal your food!

The office has a (fairly reliable) broadband connection for internet services, so emailing and Skyping are options, though it may be slower than you are used to. A nearby internet café with a slightly better connection is another place you can do these things, as well as keep your Facebook page or blog updated with all the pictures / video clips you want to upload for your friends and family back home to see. Getting a pre-paid mobile connection is another way to stay in touch with people, and don’t forget that receiving a postcard or letter or small package by mail from India is always a special experience.

Yes. In fact, we highly recommend it. However, since project trips and work periods and other events are scheduled well before your internship starts, the flexibility in visitor timing may be limited or visitors may need to come during your holiday period. Giving advance notice of possible visitors works best. While in Mussoorie, your friends or family may be able to stay at Oaklands or Tipperary, depending on the season. Having someone from home or a good friend visit will deepen your relationship and also build understanding about what you are experiencing in India.

No. eMi²’s work environment and output is generally in the English language, though Hindi is also spoken in the office. The majority of client interactions are also in English. Hindi as well as English are official languages of India, and many Indians speak English well or would love to practice it with you. Most people in North India and a large portion of South India also speak Hindi. Hindi is not an extremely difficult language, and we encourage you to take initial steps to learn something of Hindi during your internship. We can help you work out a practical plan for time you have.

Daily working hours are 8:30 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday, starting each morning with a time of corporate prayer. The dress code is sharp-professional. Delicious Indian food is provided for all office workers for the daily lunch break at 12:30-1:30, followed by a second break at 3:00 for chai. Interns can fill just about every conceivable role in addition to working within their field of study. Their primary task, though, is to help produce the concept reports for the project(s) they participate in. A majority of the office work is architecture / engineering related, so interns spend much of their time designing and working in AutoCAD / Sketch-up / Photoshop or making revisions to their red-marked drawings or in writing design reports. Technical guidance comes from staff and volunteers that go on your project trip or manage design work in the office.

Yes, if you can. Having a laptop for your internship is the easiest way to manage your work and correspondence while you are in India. However, there are a number of desktop computers available for use in the office in the case you don’t have your own laptop to bring. Wireless connectivity is a must for accessing the office network.

India is a diverse country with every kind of tourist destination you can imagine. Interns have a scheduled holiday and there are plenty of places to choose from. Wildlife parks, treks, old forts, Hindu religious sites, the Golden Temple and the Taj Mahal are all possible destinations. Dehradun, the state capital is a 1.5 hour drive down the mountain. Closer to home, there are numerous day hikes, along with lots of books and videos to choose from. Individual interns have taken Hindi classes, or have taken private lessons to learn some of the language on their own. Also, from time to time Woodstock International School hosts concerts, plays and cultural programs. Fascinating people abound in the area and going out for chai is always an option. Mussoorie has several good churches, so there is plenty of opportunity for involvement. As an office we connect with the wider Christian community in Mussoorie in a variety of ways. Some attend a prayer or cell group. Some join a church worship team. Others have helped with women's literacy classes, and many have visited local orphanages or participated in village children’s programs.

Well it’s the rare case that interns ever need them, but a local hospital is only 10 minutes away from Oaklands. Local medical personnel are very familiar with stomach bacterial or amoebic sicknesses which are the infrequent, but most common causes of sickness for interns. Also, several dentists and a number of pharmacists with a wide variety of medicines are located in Mussoorie. Other specialized care or lab support can usually be found in Dehradun, 1.5 hours drive away.

The best way to get money in India is to withdraw cash with your bank ATM card / credit card as you need it. There are a number of ATM machines accessible in the various Mussoorie bazaars. Room and board while you are in Mussoorie is included in the internship cost, but you may want to get other things or eat out from time to time, buy gifts for your family or supporters, or just replace miscellaneous toiletries, etc. Having a pair of pants tailored costs roughly $US 20. Women can buy a Punjabi suit, tailor-made for $US 15. A nice meal would run $US 3. You can buy gifts in the $US 4 range. Travel by train is relatively easy and cheap: a 24-hour (1500 km) train ride will cost you only $US 12 for non-AC, $US 25 for air-conditioning. Also, you can find a clean and simple hotel in most cities for $US 15-25 per night.

The EMI website contains more intern resources and information for your use.