India Report #23, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, 9:30 a.m. from Lawngtlei, Mizoram
Dear family and friends:
Guess What? We moved yet again. Biaka suddenly announced that he and Mahoo,our driver, were moving in with Pastor Sabbathaga because he can’t stand the cigarette smoke that is here in spite of the official posters that say it is strictly prohibited. We have not noticed it particularly. Maybe Biaka smelled the musty odors from mold. Anyhow, they take 3 meals a day with Sabbathanga and it will be more convenient for them. We then moved into Biaka’s room (after a hasty cleaning) because it has two electric outlets that actually work and we can do our computer work here and also warm our own water for the pour. So now we are acquainted with three rooms in this building and Mary Alice has cleaned all three. Maybe she should turn in a bill as maid for the building. We can sympathize with ancient Israel who moved 50 times during their wilderness sojourn. At least that would average out one move in just over a year in between.
At Sabbathanga’s house for lunch yesterday he told us that the Government Guest House now has a room available for us. It is cleaner, but we are not about to move again (unless forced to) since there are only 3 days left before heading for Aizawl (assuming we have enough diesel then).
Often water is turned off here so we fill a large plastic barrel with it when available and are prepared to hold out a while in such events. Do you take for granted your ever-flowing faucets and hot water?
Last night Biaka did not translate for me. He is a bit under the weather. His voice problem is coming back. He took the treatment that I forfeited today (Fomentations on the chest and massage) He probably needs it more than I right now. I told him not to talk so loud and to let his voice recuperate a bit. We’ll see. My translator did very well and knows English better than Biaka. The Lord always has a way out of the crises.
We had a smaller group at the Hall and learned that yet another man died yesterday. That is six since we came here. People were doing their comforting. But the smaller group at the Hall was very interested. Biaka and the other workers including the translator said they had not understood the USA in Prophecy before as at the end of the meeting. They are happy for the Church/State updates in USA.
Returning to our room we discovered another “guest” had been here—a rat! An apple we left on a table had the marks revealing hearty eating. We began our trip this year with such a visitor and may well end it the same way. There should be a way of dealing with it short of chasing it down with our kitchen knife. At our room the Internet Connection did not work. We will try it near open windows etc and see if that makes a difference. As last resort we will just take the computer with us each day to Sabbathanga’s house when we eat there and catch up on email then.
There is a lot of work going on at this building now. Hosts of workers are all doing something at the same time. They were on a scaffold right outside our second floor window in our room. They tore off lots of loose cement and coverings that had deteriorated. We live with lots of noise now. I think the upcoming visit by the Chief Minister and other government employees has something to do with the sudden flurry. Two of them with their long knives like machetes cut down the growth out of the sheer banks all around the building. Maybe they will do some painting and we will have the “treat” of that odor. Just another day in our interesting lives. The IPod and Bose earphones (noise cancelling) came to the rescue once again.
Just now the on line connection has returned so we were able to get several emails on their way and read responses from before. It is helpful for us to learn of new groups joining in prayer for the success of these meetings. God is richly blessing. We hear that many are saying they have never heard preaching before like ours—right out of the Bible. Of course, the visuals with Mizo texts and sometimes quotations on the screen are an additional learning aid. We do not need to screen the Jesus Video here (not available in Mizo) because of the Christian background they already have.
The workers are back with their clatter-banging outside our windows. We are getting used to it already. Concentration continues without missing a beat. At least we don’t have the animated voices of the children insisting on getting and keeping our attention. We love them, but too much of anything is tooooo much.
Since the morning air is a bit cooler we have changed our bathing habits to afternoon when the sun has had a chance to do its work better. We might even get some warm water from the faucet when it is available. It is interesting that the wash basin, fastened to the wall in the bathroom, is not connected to running water or to a drain other than it falling onto the floor. We don’t want that and so brush our teeth but have to spit toward the “in-floor” elevated toilet. Our spit usually falls short of its mark and we have to pour water to wash it to its place. So we have to remember each time what to use and what not to. Automatic responses don’t work here. Just like walking. You don’t look around at the scenery no matter how interesting or beautiful. You look down to where your feet will be going next. Otherwise you will end up on your nose on those cobblestones and other protruding foot-catchers. Mary Alice learned that in Zambia when we were visiting Victoria Falls. She didn’t pay attention to her feet and ended up all skinned up on the ground.
Mary Alice is just headed for the roof with our latest laundry. She keeps it up to date to save the too-much-for-the-line conflict. We like the benefits of the sun drying rather than just hanging in the room when possible. Our confidence is increasing that the clothes will still be there when we go to retrieve them. They might pick up a little of the construction dust along with the sun, but that is the way it is here and we will live with it.
We discovered that a small stool intended to help with laundry in the bath room is also a blessing in “ascending to the dias” (platform with the embedded toilet). We literally climb up to the toilet. There is nothing here to encourage reading in the bathroom. It makes the process very efficient. So, parents, if you are having problems with your children staying too long in the bathroom, you might consider remodeling into India bathrooms. That should cure it in a hurry!
Now we are keeping all our food in the clothing cabinet that has closed doors and no entrance available to our guest mouse. Most of our food should not absorb the odors of the closet since our stuff from home is triple bagged with zip locks. Also the bananas we keep in big zip lock bags to keep fruit flies away. And ants.
It is such a blessing in our present room to have electricity available most of the time. It is off for short periods, but returns in time for us to complete what we need it for. When the Internet is not available here, it is usually that the tower is not sending the signal that day or time of day.
We were pleased also to discover that we still have lizards here in this room. They are our front line of defense against insect invasion. We have noticed that we do not have the hoards of insects all around us at the meeting since we are in a hall and not in the open night air as at Andhra Pradesh. It is easier to read the computer screen when hoards of bugs aren’t crawling all over it (and you). Every place has its own unique environment with blessings and curses mixed.
It seems that insects are the bane of most animal life. We remember seeing the regal and powerful male lion at the Serengeti Game Preserve in Tanzania with flies crawling all over his face and into his eyes. He was powerless to do much about it. His mighty roar only discourages them for a little while. And we are thankful to be living in USA most of the time where we do have some means of dealing with insects including screens that keep them out of our houses and bedrooms. We can expect a night’s sleep without mosquitoes. We have not seen many of them here in Lawngtlei and so have not been using the nets at night around the beds.
I’d better sign off for now and get the sermon and health talk ready for tonight’s meeting.
You are much in our thoughts and prayers—right up there with our anticipation of home frozen corn and mashed potatoes with cashew gravy when we get back home.
Debbie sent us via email a copy of the Hinsdale School Paper with a photo of Jason, our youngest grandson, who came in second for the whole school in the Run-a-thon for charity. He is small but strong and has proved it by that run and a climb of the Sears Tower steps there in Chicago with his dad recently. I think Jason came in 4th in his category. Not bad for his first try and without preparation. We are glad also for his brother Austin who is doing so well in school and is getting more exercise too. The Chicago branch of the Hill family is being renovated by more exercise. It might rub off on me too with good results. At least we are planning that for our home program.
With our love,
Dad and Mom (Glenn and Mary Alice)