Distant
India
Day 1. Thursday
We were not sure if we would be able to proceed with
our plans of traveling to India. Seems there was a growing unrest in the Jammu
Kashmir area making it unsafe for Americans and Christians alike. We also had a great concern about the lack of funds for the
trip. In the end, the risk was
considered slight and the funds came in at the last minute.
We chose to move forward with the trip.
My
reluctance to fly was somewhat eased when I saw the name of the KML 747 we were
to fly on to Amsterdam. Florence
Nightingale was her name and she looked strong yet sleek and ready for the long
trip. Her seats were cramped but
comfortable and her crew was kind and attentive.
So began our maiden voyage to a land we had seen only third hand and an
adventure that one could never completely prepare for.
Day 1 into 2. Friday
Day one and day two had somewhat mixed together for
me. Between the lack of sleep, my
limbs loosing feeling and the night coming and going so very quickly, my
reluctance to board another plane for another nine hours was growing by the
minute. We had but a couple of hours to wait in Amsterdam before boarding our
next airship bound for Delhi, India.
Day 2 into 3. Saturday
Another nine hours of flight had made me somewhat
delirious. My attempts to sleep had
failed, and my mind, spirit and body were competing for first place in
exhaustion. All was well though,
because we had arrived in India and would be able to sleep soon.
So I thought.
We were greeted at the airport by a couple of Indian
brothers in Christ and our luggage was piled into a Toyota SUV.
We met Blessen and Ashish for the first time as we began to take our
seats in the small vehicle. This was when I learned my first lesson about travel in
India. If four can fit adequately
in a vehicle, eight can fit even better. It
is still a mystery to me how we managed to fit eight suitcases, six carry-ons
and eight people into one Toyota SUV.
We traveled this way for thirty minutes until we
arrived at the bus station. Nothing
could have prepared me for the horrific things I would see next.
Some, I will omit simply because of the wretched repulsion of it all.
Thin, sickly people were laying all about.
One could scarcely walk a path without stepping on a body.
This, added with the smell, was enough to make me question what I had
gotten myself into. Dogs, rats and people defecated anywhere and everywhere with
no concern for who may be watching. As
I walked, I built up courage and forced myself to look into some of their faces.
For the first time in my life, I had truly seen the unfathomable pain of
hopelessness… in a child’s eyes.
It did
not take long before the three of us started attracting attention. Our flaxen skin color as well as our copiously stuffed
suitcases caused beggars to creep out of the dimness and surround us with stairs
and requests we could not understand. With
the sluggish movement of each minute, frustrations grew and it soon became
apparent that we would have to leave the station or suffer the wrath of the
beggars. Our belongings were
quickly stuffed back into the SUV and we were whisked around the corner to a
small hotel. There we rested and
waited four hours until our train would arrive.
Still
lacking in sleep, we returned to the train station and stood in wait for the
train to slow to a stop. I was
overwhelmed by the volumes of people crammed in car after car, passing in slow
pace before us. How could so many
souls sit, much less sleep, one atop the other down miles and miles of track?
We boarded the train at 5:50AM Delhi time.
I was very close to a breaking point.
The sleeping quarters were, by our standards, simply appalling.
After much shuffling, we found our perspective places and tried to settle
in for another eight hours of travel. Once
again sleep scarcely came, unlike my tears of mental and physical exhaustion.
Day 3 Saturday
I awoke with more hope than I had fallen asleep with.
It is wonderful what just a couple hours of sleep can do for ones
disposition. As we neared the end
of my first ride on a full-fledged train, we struck a conversation with a
couple that was traveling in the same car as we were.
They were Hindu and from the Kashmir area.
He spoke of how he and his family had been driven from their homes by
Muslims fourteen years ago. I could
tell how much he missed his homeland. In
added conversation, he stated how it was his opinion that India was
approximately fifty years behind the US in industry growth.
I believe it to be more like one hundred.
He also gave us counsel concerning beggars we may encounter in our future
travels. “They are lazy and would
rather die of hunger than work.”
After the train rolled to a full stop, we disembarked in Pathankot and were met
by Pastor Thankaraj. The pastor is
a very dignified man with a most commanding voice and bawd smile. Once again we
“piled” into an SUV, this time a TaTa, and were
taken to the Pastor’s home in the Chottepur Village. We were blessed to meet his wife Ronie (sudo mama), his eldest son
Lephen,
the younger son Vinod, their adopted son Ashu, another adopted son Kadak and
finally Appuh, their dog. We also were greeted by some of the village children.
Our room consisted of two beds, a cloths rack and one
table. Sheila took the smaller of
the two beds while Jeff and I shared the larger one. I use the word “bed” lightly.
I am reminded of the phrase in the Bible, “as far as the East is from
the West”. How fitting!
I say this because many things we consider “everyday things” or
“normal” would not be considered so here in India.
For example, the bed consisted of four legs, a sheet of plywood and a
pillow mattress approximately two inches thick.
It was much like lying on a blanked in the floor.
The windows had only screen wire and iron bars accompanied by curtains
hung from a bar above. The walls
were painted with a chalk type paint that was pealing in all four corners.
The light was a bulb that stuck out from the wall and the ceiling held a
four bladed fan. This room had
everything we needed and none of the clutter I’ve come to dislike in my own
home. I would later come to
understand just how blessed this home was and how little most other homes held
in such comfort and conveniences.
We
settled our things and were called into the main room for tea and fellowship. I could already see many British influences left over after
India’s liberation fifty years ago, one being our tea served with cream.
A typical British delight. Ashish,
a Bible collage student and friend to Vinod began to strum a guitar and sing a
praise song in English. We all
joined in and had a magnificent time of singing and fellowship.
Next we were off to the church next door where Jeffrey shared and Vinod
translated for him to a room of around fifty believers.
I was so impressed by the wonderful singing from the people and the heart
they put into the praise. I noticed
one little girl above the rest and felt the Lord telling me that she would be a
preacher and for me to go and pray over her.
Later I would learn her name to be Mamta and she would help me with
translating the needs of the people I would later be praying for.
We
met a little boy with Down syndrome, Chicu while we were in the church.
He looked to be around ten or eleven.
His lack of communication skills were made up for by his eagerness to be
noticed and his yearning to be touched. We
were told that he had never been able to speak understandably but loved to chat
in his “pretend language” to anyone who would listen.
We were also told of his love to dance.
Upon learning this, Sheila and I walked with him over to a place on the
wall where assorted pictures were pined one next to another for viewing.
At once his face lit up and he pointed to a picture of three local church
girls dancing unto the Lord in their beautiful dresses.
As he pointed he said, “They’re dancing.
I can do that.” Before
thinking Sheila replied, “Yes you
can. You can do all things through
Christ Jesus.” With this, Sheila
eyes met mine in a broad gaze. “Did
he just say…” I continued her
sentence. “They’re dancing. I
can do that.” I looked up and
pointed to another picture and said, “Who is this?”
Immediately he responded with, “That’s Pastor.”
Could we have been the brunt of a joke, we wondered?
This boy could not only speak, he could speak English!
We rushed over and asked Vinod what was going on.
He looked just as surprised as we were and assured us of his inability to
speak understandably. “Well, not
today!” I said in a laugh.
Day 4. Sunday
We arose from our intermittent sleep with stiff backs and half open eyes around
6:30AM India time. Our minds and
bodies still believed it was 5:00 in the afternoon and we had just tried to
sleep through the day instead of night. Couple
this with the two previous nights without sleep AND jet lag.
We looked and felt as if we were suffering from over zealous partying and
a punishing hangover. Still, we
were off to Bosoli!
It was a hard four-hour trip through small towns, across
vast flat lands and over the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains.
Though it was over 100 degrees, our trip was made bearable by the
refreshing wind blowing past the truck windows.
As we approached our destination, the air became cool and the land grew
in splendor. From our seat we could
see grandiose snow capped mountains crowned by a sapphire sky.
Our conversations stopped as we focused every moment on the passing
countryside. This was a land of
kings; a palace of nature, for all to enjoy.
We arrived to an open-air service under a shear canopy tied between two existing
buildings. 
The church numbered around fifty and was already in prayer.
To the side of the church was an area designated for the preparation of
meals. Here it was made very
apparent how desperately the church people needed a building for worship.
The entire area was covered with flies drawn by the smell of freshly cut
vegetables and 
cooking
rice. The discarded cuttings were
casually thrown in an open sewer ditch that ran just feet from where the food
was being prepared. Adding to this
was the fact that there was no bathroom for the masses to use. A person in need of relief would have to go to a near by home
and use their facilities. Consider
how we, as Americans, would think nothing of spending five thousand dollars
buying a car or taking a family vacation, while here, this money would build a
church including a kitchen and bath. These
are a very dedicated people. From
this remote area, people come from miles around for prayer and fellowship.
Day 5. Monday
All decided it would be a good thing for Sheila and I to
wear
some of the local, customary women’s suits to the GFI convention.
Not only would this be a sign of respect by us, but it would also curb
the long, inquisitive stares she and I had been attracting in the small towns we
had been passing through.
As
we left the small village we were staying in, we past an exceptionally aged man
sitting on a bus stop bench. He
could not have weighed more than 90 pounds and looked as if he could scarcely
walk. We were told that he could
not speak nor could he see well. Vinod
said, “Someone must have been
left him there to die. Sometimes
these things happen. But don’t
worry, people in our village have been feeding him and giving him shelter at
night.” Before I could say anything about how monstrous and callous
his family must be, I thought of our country and how so many times our old
people are placed in rest homes to be forgotten and cared for and by strangers.
Out of sight, out of mind they say.
The story of the old fellow as brought to mind another 
fact
here in India concerning the livestock. We
learned that when a cow or buffalo no longer gives milk, to save money on feed
the animal is simply led away from it’s home and left to roam freely someplace
else. This would account for the hundreds and hundreds of cows and
buffalo we’ve see walking up and down the busy city streets freely eating from
fruit carts and pulling things from store displays. They stand in the roadways, sit in-between parked cars, drink
from any ponding water they may come across and eat anything they wish.
It is simply astonishing.
We
arrived at the city market and found the place to be bustling with business and
smelling similar to a waste dump. Between
the lack of EPA standards, discarded and rotting food, animals roaming
everywhere and open sewers, I could scarcely take a breath.
In the midst of the bustle and confusion, we found a superb little
open-air women’s clothing store. Sheila
and I chose the suits we wanted and then began the second lesson I learned while
being in India. There are NO simple
transactions. Everything must be
discussed and prices must always be argued.
Though it seems like a yelling match at times, I found out that it was a
common practice and was enjoyed by both parties. In fact, if a buyer did not dispute the price, he would be
considered a fool.
The
rest of this day was allotted for travel to two churches in small villages not
far from the Pakistani boarder. We
were a little uneasy as we stopped at the boarder-crossing going into the Jammu
Kashmir area. Our first destination
was the village of Chak-Chhabe and it was a long, bumpy trip down dusty roads,
past camels, 4-foot high ant mounds and homes made of grass and straw. We arrived at the village and were greeted by some of the
beautiful children of the church.
This is a very poor area and most are dressed in old tattered and grimy rags,
but the love in their faces out shine anything else that might try to draw your
attention away. The people here are
so in love with the Lord, one would never suspect that this is a very volatile
area ruled by Muslims. Each day a
Christian lives here, is considered a threat to hard line Muslims. These Christians need our prayers. They are the ones on the “front lines” of war and they,
as well as their families, are willing to die for their faith in Jesus Christ.
After praying over people for a couple of hours we
were off to our next destination, the church in Amala.
We were three hours 
late,
but the people were extremely pleased
to see us. Children were waiting by
the road and at the sight of our approaching headlights; they turned and ran
laughing and looking back at us all the way up the hill and to the church.
This church, as well as the one
in Chak-Chhabe, was held outside a believers home.
The sun was setting, but we could still see the clean, well-kept homes of
the village. Everyone gathered and
we sang praise and worship.
Sheila
and I also sang a song for the crowd of around 60 people and Jeffrey spoke, as
he had done in each church before. We
prayed over the people and as we finished up, we were surrounded by everyone
yelling, “snap, sista snap!” We
soon realized this was a request to take their pictures.
Between Sheila and I, we took, I would guess, over 20 pictures in about
15 minutes. One woman wanted the
picture to be placed in her hands, but we had to explain that the picture would
not come out of the camera until we returned home to the US.
We promised to send it back to her, and we will.
Day
6. Tuesday
We awoke this morning to the sounds of “Wooah, wooah, wooah”.
This is the song of a local bird with a long multihued tail and a
dazzling plume of feathers along it’s back.
It sings this song in the garden just as the sun starts to spray colors
of orange and yellow across the horizon. We
learned that it was futile to try sleeping after this time, because as the bird
sings, it increases in volume with each “wooah”.
After taking turns going to the “squat pot” and taking
a “cupping”, we were off to the GFI Bible School. Let me explain. Here
in India there are BC’s an IC’s. The
IC is and Indian Closet consisting of a sink (if you are lucky), next a spigot
with a bucket and cup beneath. Close
by there is a porcelain covered hole in the ground with a spigot next to it also
with a cup beneath. The
idea is to “squat” with ones body over the hole and do your business. After finishing, you simply “rinse” using the cup.
If bathing is needed, one uses the bucket filled with water and the cup
to pure water over the body. The BC
is a British Closet. The only
difference here is there is a conventional “western” toilet available, but
you have to “brotp”. Bring your
own toilet paper.
We left for the Bible school refreshed. 
When
we arrived I learned that the property was leased and
the lease would be up in
six months. This would leave
little time for finding land and building a bigger facility.
The current building was much too small, beside the fact that the owner
would not re-lease to the school. Blessen
has been named Dean and will be in charge of finding a new location.
This is a good thing, as Blessen is brilliant in the art of negotiation
and bargaining. After viewing
the entire school, we left for the village of Dargabad.
Dargabad has many children. These
people are farmers and are very 
underprivileged. Most work the land
for wealthy men and make a modest amount of money for themselves and their
families. I’ve seen sickles in
the hands of children as small as six, as they walked back home with their
families after working all day. How hard life must be for them. The
flies are exceedingly thick here and sanitary conditions are poor.
A church building with fresh, uncontaminated water is needed as well as
hygiene education for the community. Jeffrey
spoke encouragement to the people, but most present were women and children
because the
men were out harvesting the fields. We
were whisked away from this place hurriedly because we were running late to our
next stop and did not get a chance to pray or lay hands on these people. This I earnestly regret.
On a lighter note, we made a very outrageous discovery on
the way to our next destination. The
miles and miles of common foliage that lined the roads past fields of wheat and
homes of mud was none other than that renowned weed called “weed”!
After laughing uncontrollably and numerous jokes told, we asked Vinod
about our discovery. He said most Indians did not use it because it was known to
cause madness. We all agreed with
his review and decided it was best that none of the locals knew how much this
little weed was worth and desired in the US.
“Sista”
Sheila, “Uncle” and I arrived back at the Bible School for lunch and
fellowship. We learned that most of
the people we meet in these villages would never leave to live anyplace else.
It is all they have ever known and all their ancestors have ever know and
to leave is just not considered a viable option by anyone born in a village.
We also were told that most marriages are still arranged by the fathers.
Vinod and Bessen will also submit to their father’s decisions.
Ashish cannot because his father has passed away.
We left for Mattuwawal village. It
was another very lengthy ride and 
I
have come to believe that our driver could feasibly be a Nascar drive if he came
to the US. Each time we arrive at
our destination, I am convinced it is a miracle from God.
Lanes? There are no lanes.
Vehicle Location on a road or highway was determined by who ever got
their first and did not yield to on coming traffic.
Drivers use their horns excessively and don’t mind passing amidst
oncoming traffic, bikes, three wheelers, pedestrians or cows.
Several times I believed my deliverer was coming at any moment to
retrieve me.
Mattuwawal village was good sized and seemed to be prospering because most of it
is owed 
by
the Sikhs. This church is large and
has many children. They number
around eighty. This is astounding
considering the church is only four months old.
Sheila and I sang “I love you Lord” and Jeffrey spoke as he had done
at all the earlier churches. The
people were very responsive as we
prayed for healing of eyesight, TB, growths, snakebites, back pain and stomach
illnesses. We were also asked to
bless many babies and children. Again
I had given my glittery shirt to a beautiful little girl.
We also gave out
pens and candy to as many as would come and hold out
their hands. After service we
retired to the roof with the pastor and his staff for sweets and tea with
buffalo milk.
As we fellowshipped and prayed more for the pastor, I
received a vision. I saw that the
door of the church was radiant with light and poised to inter was a long row of
souls. As soon as the first row
began to inter the church, another row appeared, as did two more rows until they
numbered four rows of souls to be saved. Upon
hearing this everyone erupted in joyous praise and tears.
These people are so passionate and open to the spirit.
Day 7. Wednesday
Sheila
and I left for the GFI Bible School wearing our traditional Indian suits.
They are made of dazzling colors and
multihued beads.
A woman could not help but feel more feminine in these cloths.
Especially when a hansom young man named Peter makes a lay of Jasmine
flowers to put in your hair!
We arrived at the school and met the students
ready for praise and worship. They
are full of hunger and zeal for the Lord. These
people live to serve and do in humility without complaint or regret.
If only more Americans could come here for just a week and see how these
people lived, I believe it would change their self-driven lives.
Blesson, Ashish, Vinod, Ashu, Peter, Jeff, Sheila and I all left to view the
Golden Temple.
Seems it was built
many years ago and is covered in solid gold.
Though it is a marvel to see, it’s glory
is shadowed by the
magnificence of the people. They
are a people of hardships, yet they are dignified.
They are also inquisitive. We
seem to draw stares as well as shy smiles, sometimes even “Hello’s”.
Only once have we been looked at with disgust and that was from two
disapproving Muslims. We left the
Golden Temple for the Indian Pakistani boarder to see the lowering of the flags.
Two gates stand one in front the other surrounded by a stunning garden.
The Army fellows are a
sight
to behold. They wear striking
headdresses with fans and tassels. When
marching, they begin their trek with a high step taking their foot above their
head, then followed with a hearty stomp of the foot.
Upon this, they turn and begin a hasty and vigorous march accompanied by
high swinging arms. The ending step
is long and followed with a stomp and turn. The leaders have thunderous long commands causing the bystanders to
comment in admiration and reverence. I
looked around at the
crowds of Indian people in the stands and beheld a proud
and hope filled people yearning for a quick and peaceful resolution to the
conflict that has divided brother from brother for years.
Regal is how to describe the grand lowering of the flags. Upon lowering the flags the gates were shut.
At once the peoples arose and began to rejoice and dance.
Though I was unknowingly starting to fall into the effects of heat
exhaustion, I could still enjoy the festivities and music.
Day 8.
Thursday
Today
has become a day of reflection and meditation as well as rest before the
convention begins. I am convinced
that these people need little rest as they are constantly working on this and
that. While writing this days
events, I stopped Vinod and asked him why some villages are chosen over others
for church planting. He informed me
that some villages are more receptive than others. When entering a village they ask, “Do you know Jesus?”.
Most say, “No, he does not live in this village.”
If the people are receptive they will stay and teach who ever is
interested. Later, a pastor is assigned to the village to further the
work.
Rev. JK Mathews came in today. He
is a very kind man and will be speaking at the Convention.
Several of us went to town for Chinese food.
It was more like Indo-Chinese food.
We returned from eating and began our preparation for the first night of
the Convention meetings. All four
of us will be speaking and we expect approximately three hundred people to
attend the meeting tonight. Many
people will be coming from exceedingly far distances.
JK Mathews himself traveled 50 hours by train to get to the Convention.
He is a fine Godly man.
I’ve chosen to list a few unexpected things we have
encountered during our stay here in India.
-
I feel the need to express my distress for the animals in this country.
So many are neglected, discarded or worked hard despite injuries they
may have.
- There
are no toilets, just “squat pots”.
- There
are no bathtubs or real showers.
- The
flies are very bad.
- The
drivers are crazy!
- Cows
and buffalo roam everywhere.
-
Roads are for ox carts, bikes, scooters, camels three wheelers
& trucks more than they are for cars.
- Our
ankles swell.
- Electricity
comes and goes.
- There
is no hot water.
- Indians
eat everything with their hands.
- Horn
blowing is constant while traveling in a car.
- Bottled
water is very cheep in India. It
is around a quarter for a bottle.
- The
beds are very hard.
- They
do not shake their heads yes/no, but bobble left/right for “yes” and
simply say “Nahi” for no.
Day
9. Friday
Our day began at 5:30AM. Prayer was
beginning for the day. 
The
convention began at 9:00 with close to three hundred people attending.
Sheila, Jeff and I spoke as well as sang.
JK Mathews also gave a most dynamic message.
He is from the AG church in Karalla located in south India.
This is the same place Mammon is from.
JK has been ministering faithfully for twenty-seven years.
He has endured many, many years with very few
monetary possessions even having to walk to his speaking engagements for the
first one third of his ministry years. Truly
this man is a modern day John.
The evening service began with Jeffrey speaking to the
children about being a light in a dark world. After Jeffrey spoke, we handed out small key chain strobe lights that had
been prepared the night before. The
children were delighted to receive such a souvenir gift.
For the rest of our trip we enjoyed watching the little ones playing with
the lights.
Every
morning, noon and night the people were fed in mass form.
On this night, nutria was the meat of choice served 
with beans, rice and
bread that bares a resemblance to our tortillas.
I resolutely believe that had we tried this menu in the United States, we
would have been met with shrieks of disgust.
I have to admit, I did not try the nutria. I was a good little girl and ate only what was given
to me by Ronie Thankaraj. This
amazing servant of God had to have become somewhat weary of trying to
find things our pampered stomachs could handle.
Day 10. Saturday
Today we began the 5th annual ministry class graduation, followed by
a baptism in the village river. The
people who were to be baptized walked the mile and a half to the waters edge.
One man was ill with a fever earlier in the day, but when he rose from
the waters, he was healed. It was a magnificent time.
We were privileged to be in the parade marching into the tent with the
graduates. We were also asked to
speak a word of encouragement to the graduating class. The graduates gave 
testimonies,
sang songs, read scripture and danced.
Each graduate also received a bicycle.
This will come in handy to the six graduates who will be leavening to
start churches right away. As the
ceremonies were coming to a close, we were presented with a gift.
When we opened our boxes, we discovered that we had received some very
“smart” cloths, as the locals say. Later
we were told that at this meeting they had a move of the spirit greater than any
they had ever felt. One was slain
in the spirit and many were lost in a joyful rapid praise.
Blesson said he had never felt
anything so strong before. Halleluiah!
After the service while everyone was dishing up to eat, I
gave out toys to the children that had memorized scripture for the festivities.
I was impressed when a five-year-old girl recited the first Psalm in
Hindi as well as the twenty-third Psalm in English! Another boy memorized Psalm ninety-one and recited it in Hindi without a
stutter. His little brother was
very anxious but managed to list the books of the Bible to the audience of four
hundred.
I
have befriended a brilliant young girl here in Chotepur.
Her name is Mamta and she is fifteen years old.
She has been an enormous help to me by acting as translator during our
times of prayer for the people here. I
would have been lost without her kind and enthusiastic help.
I’m
persuaded that these people squat to do everything.
They are so exceptionally nimble and agile.
They squat to eat, wash, read, talk and even...poo.
Speaking of poo, the women collect the cow and buffalo dung for many
uses.
They add straw and hand pat
it into eight inch by eight inch “Pies”.
This is used to start fires for different things, but is burned
completely before food is added over the fire.
They also use the dung to mold dense surfaces forming porches, sidewalks
and even walls. It seems to be very
resourceful stuff!
This night I had a build-up of frustration at one
point simply because of the communication hindrances. I am sure the main cause was just being fatigued in mind and
body. I was ready for bed
when a knock on the door reveled a family needing council and prayer.
We gathered together out in the cool of the night and started listening
to their concerns. Ashish took particular interest in the resistance of
one man to receive the Lord as his savior.
After all, he had many other gods, why would he need another one?
Ashish
began, “You are like a boat sitting on the water.
Sin can create a hole, even a small hole in your hull. Slowly, day-by-day
the hole will let in the sin until you are over come and lost into the depths of
the sea”.
Again, Ashish spoke. “Life
is like a train. You can board many
different trains, but only one can take you all the way to the final destination
of paradise. That is the train run
by the Son of God who is Jesus Christ”.
Finally he said, “If you, being a beggar, won the
lottery. Would you choose to go
back to being a beggar? As it is
when you find Christ as your Lord and savior, you never need to go back to other
gods or idols again and beg”.
Day 11. Easter Sunday
There
was a woman in the church of Chotepur that had gone to the hospital for many
tests. The doctors declared that
she had a very bad cancer and had no hope to survive.
She came back and told the church at Chottepur what the doctors had said.
Pastor Thankaraj called for a church wide fast.
For a solid week all the people fasted and prayed.
This is astonishing when you consider how thin the people are to start
with and how extraordinarily hot it gets here in Punjab.
A week later the woman returned to the doctors for more tests.
They sent her home. The
cancer was gone!
Today was our last convention meeting. We
all spoke, and were thanked by everyone for coming such a long distance just to
see what the ministry was doing in India. 
But
all the thanks in the world could not be enough to thank the woman of the house,
Ronie, for all she has done for us. She
has toiled sun up until
sun down. All of these people have
humbled me. They don’t just have
Jesus in their lives… Jesus IS their life!
Oh, how much we, as American’s, could learn from these unassuming
people. Question is, how do I take
back and teach others what I have learned here.
Mere pictures and written word just could not be enough.
One needs to experience this for themselves.
That is the difference in sympathizing and empathizing.
We sent the pastors off with a few gifts of food, but look forward to giving
them the true support they need. Most
of the churches hold their services outside, in the yard of a
believer’s home.
And all the pastors make very modest salaries and are in need of
dependable transportation. There
are now 22 pastors in all and all would give their life, as well as the lives of
their families for the gospel of Christ. Six
of this years Bible School graduating class are going strait into the ministry.
They will each be pastoring a new church in six different villages.
We went through what Indian money we had left and picked
out doubles of all the coins and bills, and all of it together added up to only
two dollars and fifty cents in American money.
The exchange rate is 43 to one. This
is a tell tell sign as to how the Indian Ruby is struggling in the world market.
But, I have great hope and trust that as these people seek God and His
wisdom, this land will grow in blessing.
The
children are so undersized here. What
would look like a one or two-year-old child in America would be four of five
here in India. But, I must say,
they make up for their stature in intelligence.
They continuously astound me with their swift and clever responses to
questions posed to them.
We sent Ashish off to the train station on this evening,
with fifty dollars, a
couple of notes of love, some sheet music,
cassettes and a suitcase. We prayed
he would be kept safe and cloaked from harm.
He, in turn, gave us his Bible Collage songbook.
He spent last year correcting and adding to the songs that were already
in the songbook from years before. Ashish
is so very intelligent and is, what I would strongly consider, a modern day
Paul. He listens to the Lord
and goes when he is told to go, stays when he is told to stay and prays sun up
until sun down. I have the up most
respect for him.
Day 12. Monday
Today we went to see where Ashu’s parents live.
He has three older siblings. I
will say, his mother looks like she could be seventy years old, but I was
shocked to learn that she is only in her forties.
The Thankaraj family adopted Ashu a few years ago.
His family could not afford to send him to school, much less put him in
good cloths. Ashu is a very
handsome child. He is quick to do
his work with no complaints. He
also works hard in school and he takes care of the family dog, Appuh. I have grown quite fond of Ashu and Appuh.
I will miss them
so much after we leave tomorrow.
I intend to send a few goodies to the both of them when we
return to America. I thought maybe
a baseball and glove would be nice along with a brush, medicine and treats for
Appuh. I will also send some
cloths, a hat, a watch,
some shoes, candy and what ever other toys I can cram into a box stamped
“India”. I will also send some
things back for Ronie. I thought I
would send some delicate glassware, some practical kitchen tools, whole vanilla
beans and peppercorn, some very attractive sheets and bedspreads and a 
tablecloth. For the rest, I ‘ll
send some Christian music CD’s, a few Christian DVD’s, a laptop computer and
some handsome cloths. I want to
send Mamta some things as well. I
thought a large stuffed animal, some stationary and colored pins, some shoes, a
pretty lamp and small table and maybe some other girl stuff I know she would
enjoy.
We
went to town to buy a few gifts for our families back in the United States.
Sheila and I bought Toms for the boys.
I also bought some books for learning to speak Hindi, jewelry, tea sets,
chimes, cloths, a tin milk container, a tin plate, some clay pots, a few shawls
and a head cover for myself. Now
would come the hard job. Forcing it
all into the suitcases we brought. Remember,
Jeff and I gave one of our suitcases away to Ashish, so we have less space to
fill.
Now was a time of heart felt
regret. We were packed and ready to
leave the people of Chottepur and 
the breathtaking place we called home for two
weeks. We made a lifetime of
memories here as well as some lifetime friends.
One thing that makes leavening tolerable is the fact that these are
people we will know for an eternity. They are all brothers and sisters in
Christ. As we left we were
surrounded by so many of the faces we had grow to know and
love.
The children followed us everywhere. Every step we took was shadowed by a multitude of curious
villagers. The only thing I regret
is not bringing more useful supplies for the people here. Now, I know what the people need. They
have educated me well without even having to say a word.
Not that they would ever even consider asking for anything.
They simply want to enjoy our company.
Wish I could just pack them up and bring them to America for a few weeks.
The
train was a sight I just was not much eager to see.
I knew I would not be able to sleep and I knew I would not be able to eat
the food. This train was different
though. It was much newer and
cleaner. It was much less crowded
and the smell was of clean sheets. I
was to sleep on the top bunk, as well as Jeff.
Sheila and Mammon would take the bottom two bunks.
Mammon’s back had been hurting him badly for the last few days and we
wanted him to be able to relax without having to
climb. Blesson took the side bunk
that was just across the isle. We
left at 8:00PM and would arrive in Delhi tomorrow at 5:30AM. 
Jeffrey made the mistake of eating the train food again and paid for it
the next day. It would be my turn
later in the day tomorrow.
Day 13. Tuesday
We arrived in Delhi on time and were met at the station by a
devoted brother in the Lord and his stunning daughter.
They promptly drove us to the YMCA.
Now in America, the mention of the YMCA contours up thoughts and visions
most people would not consider appealing. In
America one could just call it the “YMA”.
In this case, when we entered the YMCA in, we could clearly see why this
was considered the nicest place to stay in Delhi.
It was spotless and Christian pictures and books were on every wall. The rooms were fresh and had an appealing full-size bed and a
SHOWER in the bathroom!
Everyone checked in and settled in their perspective rooms.
After freshening up, we all pilled into a 
waiting
car and left for the Taj Mahal. 
It
was a grueling four-hour ride in a vehicle with marginal air-conditioning, but
the sights were magnificent. The
temperature was one hundred eight degrees when we arrive, slightly
dis-shuffled because of the heat and long ride, at our destination.
We entered Agra and were enamored by the statuesque buildings and the
hustle and bustle of the city and the people.
We could see the outline of the Taj Mahal from miles away.
As we approached we could start to see the artistic splendor this architectural marvel had. It is a
place that a picture could not capture no mater how 
many times you snapped a
shutter. This was a scene you
needed to see for yourself in three-dimensional form. A camel drawn cart was
waiting to take us through the multitude
and to the doors of the entrance building.
We spent a couple of hours soaking in the four-hundred year old wonder,
and wished we could have stayed longer, 
but time had become short and we needed
to make our way back to Delhi. I was
starting to feel somewhat rough from what I suspected
was the food I had eaten at the YMCA. I
knew the care that Ronie had taken in preparing our food, so I expected the same
from the “Y”. My guess was,
they did not was the dishes in boiling water and that was what made the
difference in me becoming sick on this day.
While everyone else ate dinner, I stayed in the room and watched Hindi
TV.
Day 14. Wednesday
Today
was a day for last minute shopping and reflection on our trip to India before
having to leave for the airport. I
have enjoyed getting to know Mammon better.
He is a gentle spirit and has a strong love for the Lord.
He loves his native country of India and yearns for her spiritual growth
in Christ. On this trip I too
have found a love for the people of India and feel strongly that God will
provide the funds needed to further the Gospel to the one billion
people who live there. The children
are gleaming gems in a crown lying at the foot of Christ.
They are eager to know more about Jesus and labor hard to learn more
about Him. When the young people
here worship, it is not hard to see how it is heart felt and in fact a gift unto
the Lord.
Lephen, Vinod, Blesson and Ashish have stolen 
my
heart. Never have I seen young
people with such a strong walk with the Lord. They live a life for Him and plan each morning around what
they might be able to do for God on that day.
Vinod will be going back to Bible Collage soon as well as Ashish.
Blesson will be the new Dean at the GFI Bible School and will be
overseeing the up and coming building project.
Vinod’s elder brother Lephen has just finished all his studies and will
be going strait
into full time ministry.
The GFI Bible School graduating class of 2004 consists of ten men and three
women ready to press forward in their lives for the ministry.
Six will be heading strait into pasturing.
Five will be praying and preparing for ministry where ever the Lord sends
them. Two others, Khadak and Peter,
who is only fifteen, will be going to their first year in Bible Collage.
Khadak is from Nepal and when he praises the Lord, he does it will all
his being. Peter, one of my very
favorites, was an orphan adopted by Mammon and has astonished everyone with his
aptitude for learning quickly and his absolute dedication to the ministry.
I
could never thank Mammon enough for the opportunity to speak into the lives of
so many believers in India. I am so
honored to be able to be a part of the GFI ministry team and cannot wait to
return to India and witness the wonderful growth each church has experience in
my absence. My time in India was
spent meeting remarkable and compassionate people and traveling to new and
remote places. I’ve had an
enthralling trip and learned so much about a country that I use to know only as
a place on a map. It
never occurred to me that I could have such exceptional friends half way around
the 
world praying for my ministry and me. I
have been blessed beyond measure. As I said in my final speech to the
people at the convention, “On this day the angels in heaven are rejoicing and
singing glory halleluiah because of this great accomplishment made by these
thirteen graduates. I in courage
you to pray without ceasing. The
word says, ‘The fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much.’
This means when you pray a heart felt prays, God will join with you and
add great power. May you all be
blessed in your coming and going and may the joy of the Lord forever increase in
your soul.”
~ I had fun ~
