India Report #18 Nov. 10, Thursday, 2011 at 8 a.m. from Lawngtlei, Mizoram
Dear family and friends:
Today, just one month from when we left USA, I feel better than at any time on the trip so far. Perhaps the extra hydrotherapy treatments and massage are taking effect. Yesterday we added eucalyptus oil to the steam I breathe for a while. That has extra healing qualities. So, the last half of the trip may be much easier than the first half. I’m glad we stayed with it and didn’t bail out based on feelings.
During the treatment yesterday my masseur (Zohmangaiha—short form is Zohmai) told me that he always preaches the love of God in every sermon including the Mark of the Beast. Then he said he learned that from me 13 years ago when we preached the series in Aizawl, Maubawk district, that led to the founding of the Maubawk church. I have been his role model through the years since then. What a responsibility! We never know how the Lord is using our feeble efforts to do it right, until many years later, perhaps.
After lunch we looked at the school that Sabbath and his wife, Mangaih, established with 3 other teachers. Sabbath does not teach since he is on conference payroll as a pastor. She does not take salary now because the income is too low. The school began on faith and is attracting more students than they can accommodate. The need for a larger one is evident. Their landlord is willing for them to build it on a piece of land adjacent to the house where they live. It will be built of materials that can be taken down and moved like the old Sanctuary. So, the investment is safe and they may even be allowed to buy the land sometime.
The children sang for us in English and repeated the ten commandments showing what they are learning along with English. Today I may take video of them to share with you. It is so precious to see those little 5 and 6 year olds learning so much in such a simple environment. The teachers work on a sacrificial salary. When I see people is USA striking for more than they have, I can’t help but think how they might feel if they could see how many are living on so much less and carrying a positive attitude about it.
Mary Alice and I made the decision to give them right now Rs 50,000 ($1,000) from the money we brought from Hill Evangelism and turned into rupies in Hyderabad. If we have enough left to get us through the Tlangsang part of the trip and back to USA via Calcutta and expenses there, we will leave most of the dollars we brought from our emergency fund at home. We think the money sent by Quiet Hour for the meetings here will be adequate. If not, we will have to give some to help make up the difference. But whatever surplus funds we have left we feel should go to start this school right away and get the 100 students waiting in the wings into the program. It will be an evangelistic aid for the town people to see that SDAs are doing so much to help them and their children. It is a FELT NEED for them.
Sabbath said there are SDA in a village near here who have cut timber that can be bought on credit to get the building started right away. And this is a good year for bamboo too. So he can buy with the money we left, enough materials to get a good start while the weather is suitable for building. That is why we felt we should give RIGHT NOW and support with what we can get together later. Where could we ever make a better investment for eternity? All the people involved are giving and living sacrificially.
The meeting last night was well attended in spite of another (4th since we came here) man from the town who died by drowning. He tried to swim across the swift river to retrieve a boat on the other side. He got to the middle and lost it. They announced that over the loud speaker just outside the building where we are staying and Biaka interpreted it for us.
My preaching this series with Biaka translating is giving him a fresh understanding of the visuals I left with him several years ago. He has been preaching with them all over Mizoram and even elsewhere. They want the Sanctuary book redone in Mizo. Maybe we can get around to that when some of the other things are completed.
We have a fresh understanding of how important it is for us to come even though they are very able and capable of preaching the message here themselves without our help. Our coming mobilizes the other workers and focuses them on a specific time when the meetings begin. Also, the American gives status to the work here. It helps our believers to see better how they are part of a world church that is doing so much around the globe. It gives a different perspective to their small church in a small part of the earth. And we learn a lot from the experience no matter how many times we do it. I’ll have to admit that it is refreshing to see people hanging on every word rather than dozing through yet another presentation of the “old, old story”. So, “thank you again, for aiding and abetting” our mission trips.
The latest on our upcoming move is that we may be able to move into a smaller room on first floor for a few days and then move back into the present room when the government officials have moved on. But if the smaller room with its eastern toilet proves manageable, we may just stay there for the rest of the time here. It would save some rupies that could be put to better advantage than more space we don’t need.
Lately we have had difficulty getting on line, but will try again this morning and get this on its way if successful.
With love,
Dad and Mom (Glenn and Mary Alice)