(November 8, 2010 Monday)
Dear Family and Friends:
The unexpected continues. Last night at the well attended meeting we had things going better than usual except the busses did not all arrive until after 8:15. We started the Jesus Video earlier but had to restart it several time because they didn’t want to turn up the microphone that amplifies from the small speakers of the computer. We learned that the reason was the Moslems were in worship nearby and requested we not have loud sound during their worship time. Glenn pointed out that the music is especially loud and that would be objectionable, but the video need not be so loud. Well, by the time we got that explained the time of “silence” was over and we could proceed as planned.
During the preliminaries something happened (maybe someone tripped on a cord) and the laptop fell to the floor. It was open but in the fall the lid closed. We wondered if the series with visuals would end right there. Miraculously, the computer was not hurt and came right back to the place we had it on the screen. The table it sits on is not the most stable and people walking across the stage can shake that table very much. At least the Lord did protect us and the laptop.
We closed earlier and (the Lord be praised) Paulson had them cancel their planned singing after the sermon and the people got to go home earlier for once.
This morning we are going again to a village to see another baptism. Paulson left last night to do business at Sangareddy and then Hyderabad. So the car is there. But we will go by the 3 wheel taxi (Auto Taxi) to the village. It may be another special experience to be remembered. This time Glenn plans to keep control of the video.
Riding the 3-wheeler yellow taxi reminded us of our time in the Philippines. That was the standard way we got to the meeting and we had to carry all our bulky equipment with us. In those days we did not have a computer but a 35mm slide projector plus a video projector to show the Jesus Movie. It was quite a chore to chug along with the taxi barely moving because of the heavy load of people and equipment. Our driver today was SDA. He lives and works in Pitlam where we are having the meetings. We got a video of him but he was eager to get on with his work to earn the needed rupies wherever he could.
Today the village we visited was named Karegao. We visited several homes and had prayer for the people inside. They had been worked with by Volunteers preparing for our series and were ready for baptism. We got some excellent photos and video of people, homes, and animals close up. It was quite a distance out to the “tank” where the baptisms would take place. We walked a good bit of the way and were glad for the exercise.
At the baptismal site there was a steep path down and it was moist dirt and could be slippery. So our hosts refused to let us go down it. Rather we were to take photos from the top- a vantage point. But we missed the preparation-for-baptism instructions of the group down there. We could have made it but didn’t want to offend them. Besides, our shoes might not have had the same traction as their bare feet or flip-flops.
Twenty-one “took baptism” as they say here, making a total of 40 we witnessed in the last two days. On the way up the footpath they paused while a pastor gave each one a new Telegu Bible. Our part was taking photos and video of each. Following that we were invited to visit a home (as in the previous village yesterday) for refreshments. It was hard to tell them without hurting their feelings that we could not drink the warm milk (with no water, they emphasized) from their buffalo. Glenn explained that even in USA we do not drink milk as it brings congestion to the sinuses. We did accept their bananas and enjoyed them, but did not stay for the rice they were cooking to feed the pastors who worked at that village to prepare them for baptism. Bananas have peelings that protect from all the germs around. Even though we have antiseptic hand cleaner we don’t like to visibly use it in their presence. But shaking all those hands makes it a health necessity to be careful what your hands pick up afterward.
Glenn bought a sickle from the host family for 150 rupies (more than it would take to replace it). We plan to use it in USA as a visual aid when telling children in schools about the reaping methods of India. In our going and coming right now we see them in the fields using those sickles to gather rice, dahl and other grains. The corn processing is different.
Yesterday on the way to a baptism we noted some shelling corn with a motorized machine. Often they just shuck and shell by hand as we used to on the farm. Today in the village we saw people busy gathering into sacks their shucked corn because of the rain from those Cyclones mentioned before. That poses a real threat to their food supply when they cannot dry the grain as usual.
While walking to the baptism this morning we photographed a farmer using a wooden plow pulled by oxen. They really work hard to get a living from the soil. It will soon be time to go to the meeting tonight. We are going to have the luxury of a warm water pour. All previously have been cold but the pastors here have a 220 volt heating element thatyou can submerge into a bucket of water and it heats quickly. (That is, if the electricity is on at the time you need it. ) Today the power has gone off and on fairly often. If there Is time after our “pour” we will try to email the last 4 reports and fill up your In-box once more.
With love,
Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Glenn and Mary Alice