(November 4, 2010 –Thursday)
Dear Family and Friends:
More illustrations on the day-by-day changes that come here. The announced time of leaving here for Pitlam passed by repeatedly. The banners for the backdrop could not be printed from our computer slides. So they wanted Glenn to choose a photo from a picture roll they had. This done they took it to the printer and he scanned it but it was not ready in time for us to leave for Pitlam at the revised 3:30. Our meeting was announced on the flyers handed out, to start at 6:30 and it is 60 miles from here.
Our hosts didn’t seem worried about the time even though the road is so bad with huge ruts and potholes that it takes 2 hours to reach Pitlam. It is one of the worst roads we have seen anywhere and looks like it was repeatedly bombed leaving the craters. It is a great experience to see our driver maneuver in every way possible to avoid them or at least slow down to go through them and the speed bumps. We wonder why they need speed bumps periodically. The craters serve that purpose along the whole road. Sometimes the driver actually drives perpendicular across the road to avoid an especially huge crater. It is like he is drawing a circle around the pit by the path of the car.
We were supposed to bring all our luggage because they have rented a house in Pitlam where we ALL will stay in the space of one small apartment. We are to have the one bedroom with an in-floor toilet. All the other people will be in the rest and will do the cooking there etc. So, we hauled the 4 suitcases and other misc bags with water and food etc. down stairs to the lobby area only to learn that the house was deemed not yet ready for us and we would be coming back with the driver to the office and stay in Paulson’s apartment again. So we hauled it all back upstairs to lock it in and then went to lunch before the trip.
Since we had enjoyed the “cooler” food yesterday we went back to the same restaurant and ordered the same tomato soup and fried rice with vegetables. This time we insisted on having Manage and the driver eat with us. Inside, they seated us and then sat at another table, but we insisted they eat WITH us and they seemed to enjoy doing that. The whole meal cost us only $10 including tip for the waiter. We wanted them to know we value them and do not relish special treatment except as it is necessary to preserve our health.
On the way to Pitlam we crossed through some villages we had seen on our way to the Cathedral from Zaheerabad where we had the Week of Prayer. It would have been nice to have a map to compare the routes and interpret again the lay of the land. We had at home such a map from previous trips but Mary Alice decided not to bring it since we were conserving weight and space where possible.
We arrived in sound (if shaken) condition and went over the muddy, cratered lane to the house where we are to stay. You climb narrow stairs to get to our space which is very small. They had bought 2 cots with mattresses that are actually comfortable to at least sit on. The others, except Paulson, will only have mats on the concrete floor. We brought the huge kettle that will cook the rice for everybody, including us for the noon meal. We skip supper and do breakfast in our own room. We like to avoid exposure to food and water that could be less than sterile whenever we can. When we pray over our food we also have a Bible promise in mind. (Mark 16:18)
It is a short but difficult drive to the meeting place in an open field. The part for our meetings is enclosed with curtains except for the back entrance which allows for expansion as the crowd increases. It reminded us of the Tabernacle Courtyard. The “dais” or platform is elevated and canopied and nicely decorated. The wooden floor is carpeted but uneven giving the impression that you are about to leave in an undignified manner. The metal steps that ascend to the platform are not really steady. (It seems to be characteristic because even at the big wedding the steps leading to the platform were very shaky. Glenn came in from another entrance and wondered why the bride and her attendants wobbled so much in their entrance. As they exited Glenn discovered just why.)
At 6:30 when the song service should begin the crew was still working hard to get things in order with the sound system working etc. We managed to get two metal tables to use for the video projector and computer. The electric supply is uncertain so they have a generator which works ok so far. But the brightest light was trained on where the screen for the pictures should be. And the white cloth rather than beaded screen did not reflect as much light, so it took some doing to revise that. You have to choose between the audience seeing you all lit up or see the Bible verses in Telegu with pictures clearly. We managed to get them to turn the light the other way. But it took a repeat performance to keep it that way. Choices!
Open trucks loaded with people from the villages began coming at about 7:30 and continued to until the 9 truck-loads were there by 8:15. Song service began about that time and we managed to show the Jesus Video they are so interested in, after a variety of garlanding and naming of the important people of the town and the pastors etc participating in the series. There is an energetic Korean (Joo) who came at his own expense to help here and sleeps on the open porch if necessary. He had a children’s story elaborating on “ye are the salt of the earth.” But the allotted 5 minutes took much longer. So, longer story shortened a bit, Glenn started preaching at 9:45 and went till 10:30 with translation. In spite of having to ride back to their villages in those trucks and get up early next morning to work, most of them stayed through and listened attentively. Mary Alice’s health talk on Why We Get Sick went over well.
We learned there were more than 700 (500 seats filled plus at least 200 more sitting on the carpeted ground) on that first night and the audience usually grows when the word gets around. So we will see how it all turns out. We had to endure the 2 hour ride back to Sangareddy over those horrible roads rather than stay in the house at Pitlam. Actually, if we had brought our luggage as planned we could have stayed there, but the decision had been made earlier and our luggage would not have fit into the car along with all the other stuff we had to bring last night anyhow. Arrival back at the office and sleep was at 1:30 a.m.
We did manage to get the India Reports emails off at the Internet Café here in Sangareddy as we left for Pitlam. We trust they went through ok. As it turns out, the Korean who is working with the series has his laptop with wireless and he offered for us to use it there to check on our emails and send them. Otherwise, Pitlam would not have had a means for our keeping connected.
We love you all and appreciate your prayers.
In His love,
Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Glenn and Mary Alice