Page 2 of 3 9/2/2001
again tonight. How much of the ten years there still remain in our hearts and minds and memories, some funny things some tragic things and a lot of wonderful fun and inspirational times. I mentioned a baptism we had many of them in India--my frsrt experience in the non-English Churches was when there were some baptized in the Ward Memorial Church in Khargpur (a Bengali speaking church) I was used to helping the candidate lie backward into the water as we do in our Churches here, but my first candidate was a woman --I knew her name and was able to ask her the usual question but then as I spoke the baptismal words and was ready to help her backward she just ducked down and I lost hold entirely. was really surprised. (later I found that was the usual custom because it was not proper for a man to hold a lady while she was going under the water). but for the rest of them that day I was ready so just held my hand on top of their heads. in our English Church one day a Chinese man who was a dentist in town and had started coming to our Church accepted he Lord and asked for Baptism I tried to explain our custom but he had very little English and also very little Hindi so we had problems as was manifest the day of baptism. there were to be several baptized that day and we had the two dressing rooms so when we men got into our dressing room we discovered he had thought we used the simple sprinkling method which he had seen in his home land, So came with no change of clothes. and no towel. well I jumped out the window and ran over to our home to get a pair of pants and a shirt for him to wear. well he was rather small so my pants waist came up to his armpits and the shirt sort of fitted like a blanket BUT we went through and the Lord blessed him in his life in our Church. but while all that was going on the organist wondered what was wrong but she kept playing and looking for me to enter the baptistery. the audience never dreamed or knew of the problem so all was well, another baptism which still rings in my mind and heart was that of a couple: one day the wife came to our home at her noon break from the office and talked with us about accepting the Lord and following Him in baptism. we talked and prayed and she opened her heart to the Lord. then she wondered how she could tell her husband --would I tell him? but I urged her to do it as a witness to him. so she said she would when he got home in the evening. Then about 4:30 he came to our home to see me and he too wanted to know the Lord Jesus SO we talked and he too opened his heart and after prayer he wondered how he could tell his wife. I said nothing to him about her having come that noon but simply urged him like I did her to make it a personal witness to her. what a joyful moment that was for them when they discovered they both had made the important decision the same day. They were the first two to make that decision in the Church after we came there. what a thrill that was for me as pastor and for the entire Church and their Baptism was the first of nearly 200 in that Church during our ministry there. (and to have three in the list to whom this goes who always called them Uncle and Auntie and who also know the same Lord Jesus is for me a joy unspeakable WOW) to be continued: with Love and a prayer that tomorrow may bring you all closer to the Lord Jesus ME
9/2/2001