November 3, 2010
Dear Family and Friends:
Well, we did not get to send the emails out from the West Andhra Section office as planned. We were able to get and read our emails on their computer but it did not have Office Word which is the program we wrote them in. Nor would our computer fit the cord to Internet they use. At least we got to read and note that some addresses were not correct and the emails were returned to us. We have taken measures to correct that.
When we arrived here at Sangareddy the pastors and officers were waiting for us. It was then Glenn learned that he was expected to address them for half an hour. So, during the song service he looked up some verses and his prayer for wisdom was answered in response to claiming the promises in James 1:5. In the Sanctuary service of ancient Israel the fires on the Bronze Altar, the Golden Altar, and the Lampstand were always burning. And the bread was always available on the Table of Showbread. This illustrated the Lord’s continual atonement, provision for our physical needs, intercession accompanying our prayers, and Holy Spirit fuel to let Jesus shine through us in Christian witness. In like manner, our readiness to speak for Him must be continually available. You never know when the “golden moments” will come.
Paulson let us stay in his apartment for the night while he returned to Hyderabad on more business. This has been a very busy time for him with the wedding of his first son, Praveen and all the details of accommodating relatives who came to it, plus the church meetings he has had to attend, and then arranging for our needs to be met and for services for us to conduct. He will join us tomorrow at the evangelistic site but may not be able to stay for the whole series. There is another in charge who is very capable. And our translator, Pastor Kumar, has had experience working with others like Bill Tucker of Quiet Hour.
It was so inspiring to see the group that had been working in the villages to prepare for our series. They sing with energy and conviction and listen attentively to the Word we share with them. We hope to find time to learn their stories of how they came out and are now working for the Lord as pastors etc. Several who have been on the front line of preparation for our series say that the village people are very eager to come. We provide the transportation (truck loads) and that helps make it possible for them.
While Paulson was busy in committee meetings he designated Manage who is in charge of maintenance at the office and speaks English well to take us to a nearby restaurant for lunch at 2 p.m. They had available tomato soup which must have come from a can imported from USA. Also they had fried rice which they made for us without the chilies and pepper. So we enjoyed it immensely. Later, after working on the emails, we went to the place where our cell phone was bought to learn more about how to use it and where at what cost. The manager speaks good English but does it so rapidly and with a British accent that we could almost understand his words as well in Telegu. We may need translation from the English. Manage who accompanies us speaks more slowly and distinctly and so we are able to get it. Our English probably provides as much challenge for them.
Following that we went to an Internet Café in town to try to send from our computer the emails, but the problem was the same as at the SDA office. We did learn that Internet Cafe can use our material in Word on their computers. So we will put it on a Memory Stick from our computer and copy from there to their computer email. This morning we plan to go and see if it really does work. This is likely the last chance we will have to Email out before going to Hyderabad after our evangelistic series is over. If so you will have a chance to rest up for the next barrage of email reports from us. Always remember, you do have a delete button if it gets too much for you and your time.
Last night also we went to a local food market to get toilet paper which is not generally available in most places. While there we bought some more mosquito repellent and one that you plug into electricity to give off fumes that are deadly to mosquitoes of both kinds—those that spread malaria and those that spread Dengue fever. We have meds to help deal with the malaria but not the Dengue.
We spent some time with the workers last night who are designated to provide a picture for the back-drop on the speakers platform. We found pictures on our computer that would give a pattern and they copied them onto the same stick where our emails are transferred. We will learn later this morning if it worked out for them. There are always things to look forward to learning. Perhaps that helps keep us younger than otherwise.
This afternoon we plan to visit the restaurant again before going on to Pitlam and begin the evangelistic series tonight. The car driver we have been with all along lives in this town and does all the driving with the car we have been using. So he doesn’t have to catch a bus home every night as previously—a real advantage.
We request your continuing prayer for the meetings here and we will continue to remember you in our prayers too. It was great to learn of the revival that broke out in Ozark Academy during the Prayer Convention there. God is working all over the world just now to prepare people for Jesus’ soon return. We want to be ready and active in helping others to get ready to live with Him forever in a perfect environment.
In His love,
Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Glenn and Mary Alice