India/Nepal Report #4: Sunday, Oct 14 at 3 p.m. from Lunglei, Mizoram
Dear Family and Friends:
So much is happening in such a short time. The Circle Pastor, Liana, did not expect many out on Friday night to our meeting (the usual pattern here) but we had the largest attendance yet, 235 in a hall designed for about 200. The people seem so eager to hear. Fifty four of them were not SDA.
Then Sabbath morning (yesterday) Mary Alice preached at the church near one of our schools in Lunglei and I preached at the Conference church also near the Conference School. So we both had large attendance and the Lord richly blessed in both places. We both had lunch at the home of Liana, the Circle Pastor just beside where I preached. It was very good with vegetables, though they were not warm when we got to them.
Mary Alice’s translator’s wife translated for her and my translator was Liana, the one who had such a hard time translating on our first night and we feared we would lose the attendance. Maybe we did lose some of the non SDA. But he did very well at the Sabbath service.
There was a baptism at 2 p.m. at the church where I preached. Biaka had preached in the morning at yet another church in the area, but was present and officiating at the baptism. There were 63 baptized including 3 Buddhist students at the school. Liana is not ordained so the pastor of a village church near Lunglei baptized in the church inside baptistery while Biaka baptized in a makeshift outside baptistery simultaneously. They had put a tarp inside a square made up of wood benches from the church after the service and filled it with water. The water was not deep and the candidates had to crawl in and sit down in it. Then from outside that temporary pool, Biaka lowered and raised the candidates. So he did not have to change his clothes and did not get wet beyond his hands and forearms. The congregation was singing during the whole time. The women were baptized inside and the men outside. Both groups had a strong audience. We are always interested to see how they can improvise to meet a need.
Biaka has not been well. His acid reflux is still bothering him and he had not slept much Friday night after he translated my sermon on “The Origin Of Evil” with a full house. He developed a fever and was not able to preach on Saturday night, but slept at Liana’s house rather than here at the Lodge. Liana translated for me and did very well even without previous discussion about the subject, the Judgment. Biaka watched us on TV from his bed and was pleased with the translation this time from Liana. The audience was still larger at 245. They really crowd in. And the sermons are still aired on TV with an audience we have no way of knowing how many.
Now, today (Sunday) Biaka is still weak and worried about his reflux pain and voice damage. At mid morning he announced that our driver, Mahoo, is taking him back to Aizawl to consult an ENT specialist not available here. He will stay there until Oct. 25 and meet us again at Saiha where our next series begins that night. He has a wedding also in Aizawl on Oct. 24 and would have gone to perform that anyhow. Liana will continue translating for the rest of the Lunglei series.
He came to our room this morning and we went over the sermon for tonight and talked of the plans for continuing the meetings. As Circle Leader and pastor of the Conference Church here, Liana is in charge of the preparation for this series anyhow. He has had accounting experience and so will take over Biaka’s handling of the money we brought and paying the bills. We have not had other pastors helping with this series. That was by design. Liana wanted the lay members to give the Bible studies and bring their interests to our meetings. He said if there were other pastors involved, they would have left after the series and no one would be following up their interests. This is the first time the lay people have been so involved and they have done so enthusiastically. They will see to it that the interests remain rather than turn back after the meetings are over. This is according to the plan outlined in Inspiration.
One change is that Biaka will not be preaching as scheduled for Sunday night, Oct. 21 at Daniel’s Band Convocation at Thenzal. Instead they want me to preach on the Sanctuary in his place. So we will cancel the meeting here for that night but pick up again on Monday night through Wednesday when we close the series and leave the follow up to the leadership in Lunglei.
The next day, Oct. 25, we drive to Saiha and begin that series that night. Hopefully, Biaka will join us there and translate once again. It is a subject matter for continued prayer. We value your prayers. They have been wonderfully answered so far. We hear that Mary Alice’s Sabbath morning sermon was much appreciated.
We plan to close the Saiha series on Nov. 8 and drive back to Aizawl on Friday rather than the following Sunday. That way we can rest up over the Sabbath and have a choice of flying to Calcutta on Sunday or Monday to connect with our flight to Kathmandu, Nepal on Tuesday. We are well aware that there are many things that could change any or all of the above. That’s why our day by day must be in the hands of the Lord.
Good news from Lucinda tells that Lee is home now from the hospital but still in need of much prayer. She has heavy decisions to make regarding her planned schedule. The Lord will lead and they know it very well.
Sad news from Gentry told of the death of Joan Mizner. We sent condolences to Charlie via Alice Scarbrough in an email, but wish we could have visited him in person. Joys are always accompanied by sorrows in this life.
Just before the baptism we met a sixteen-year old girl, a student at the school here, who was with her parents at the Daniel’s Band Convocation last year. After the service they were driving back home and their car crashed when it left the road and the father and mother were both killed. The girl was not badly hurt. No other car was involved and the road was not curvy at that place. The only conclusion was that the father must have fallen asleep even with his eyes open. He had not slept well during the Convocation. We think they are planning for us to stay at a hotel after my sermon there this year and drive back to our meetings here the next morning. The man who died was an official at the school and the Board voted to grant her free school tuition, room and board through grade 10. We felt that was really nice, but it will not bring back her loved parents.
We heard many good things at the baptism but cannot tell them all here. One additional “chore” was facing the many cameras that obliged those who wanted to be photographed with the visiting Evangelists. They are so grateful for the funds that provided for the meetings. You donors are included in the success though not pictured in the photos.
The weather here continues very humid with occasional bits of sunshine. The Lodge personnel are finding it hard to get all the linen dried. We see it out on the parking lot pavement as well as the clothes line which is not sufficient for all. Some of our laundry will probably have to be ironed dry before we move on to Saiha unless we get more sunshine.
Our noon meal here at the lodge was really tasty today. They do not put in the spices so common to the rest of India. We have standardized with rice, dahl, steamed mixed vegetables and tomato soup (to use up some of the extra rice). We always have some rice left to send back. Our entire meal today cost only Rs 105 (about $2.20) That is less than a tip would be back in USA at a restaurant. We don’t eat often in restaurants when at home, but here it is necessity since we cannot bring with us in luggage all we would need for both meals a day. We sometimes top off the noon meal with a banana from the market or a bit of the power bars we brought with us. You see, we are eating well, but don’t expect that everywhere if you should come over here sometime.
It is soon time for meeting so we will close now and try to get this on its way if Internet is available now.
With love,
Glenn and Mary Alice (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)