India/Nepal Report #2: October 10, 2012 at 2:30 a.m. India time, from Lunglei, Mizoram
Dear Family and Friends:
Some of you mentioned that Report #1 did not fit within the margins of your email page. The copy I sent to myself came out ok, but maybe that is because mine was on a different computer (Mac) than yours. Let me know if this one does not come through ok. I sent #1 as an attachment also which might change the configuration.
Getting on line has been a challenge thus far, but we think it is solved now by our buying in Aizawl a mobile connection that should work all over Mizoram. Last night I was able to get email and will test it this morning trying to send this. One disturbing sight is this morning I have killed several small ants crawling around on this computer. It reminded me of another trip to India when my PC laptop crashed and had to be partially restored before we could continue using it for the meetings. We wondered if the small ants might have crawled into the inside and shorted the wiring in some way. That would be a different kind of “computer bug.”
The 170 Km (102 miles) trip by car down from Aizawl was over the badly eroded road we remembered from last year. The rains have begun and there were several places where recent landslides had brought huge boulders down. By now they have been dealt with and the road is open. Too bad that the mudslides could not have come down precisely where the deep potholes were and filled them on its way. We enjoyed seeing a multitude of small but beautiful waterfalls, but knew that they were the cause of the road erosion and mud quagmires our four wheel drive car had to get through. Fortunately, we did not have to get out and push. We are always amazed at how the vehicles including large trucks are able to get past each other safely with so little room between them. They often must slow down almost to a stop and carefully maneuver past each other using every inch of available space. As noted before, we wonder if wax paper was invented here to help the cars get past each other.
One place just (20 Km before we reached Lunglei) we had to stop along with several other cars. The day before, one truck (larger than a pickup) had missed the turn and gone over the side. The roof was crushed down onto the steering wheel. A front end loader was trying to pull the car back up onto the road. Several people were also helping pull on the rope to make the rescue possible. We were relieved to learn that no one died inside the car.
The whole road is one series of S curves up and down the mountain. We saw our driver, Mahoo, constantly turning the steering wheel in more than 360-degree movements and realized he was getting an equivalent of a workout in a gymnasium. That accounts for his bulging forearms and shoulder muscles. Biaka relieved him in driving part of the way. That might be partly because Mahoo had a boil on his behind which added to his discomfort. An additional pillow may have helped a little.
It was seven hours from Aizawl to Lunglei here in the southern part of Mizoram, but that included several stops. Since we left Aizawl at 5 a.m. we stopped mid morning at the home of an SDA friend to eat the hot food Biaka’s wife Nettie had sent. The Mizos are always ready to help one another it seems. We also stopped at the place where Biaka was born. We had seen it last year on our way to Lawngtlai for our series there, but this year the house has been torn down and a small SDA church stands in the place. A small group of SDA attend and must climb a long set of stairs up the mountainside to reach it. All this recalls the turmoil when Biaka decided to become SDA along with two sisters and their father chased them into the jungle intending to kill them with his long Mizo knife. This time we met those sisters too.
Another stop was at Thenzal where 2000 Mizos from all over the state are expected to arrive Oct. 19 and spend three days at a Daniel’s Band convention. There are only 20,000 living in the town, so it will be a temporary increase of 1/10 as in ancient Israel at the festivals in Jerusalem. We wonder where they will all sleep. Our SDA church there has made plastic “coverings” like tents surrounding the building to give shade and protection from light rain for the overflow crowd. Daniel’s Band is a lay organization within the SDA Church in Mizoram. They are heavily involved in giving Bible Studies, conducting evangelistic meetings and in providing funds for special projects within the church.
We were invited to speak to the group but have decided to decline since we would not understand the Mizo language of the messages and would be taking seats others should have. Lodging and food for us would be a challenge. If our meetings here are closed for that time, we will just use the time in our Tourist Lodge room for study and rest. It may be that enough of the leadership here will skip the Daniel’s Band Convention and we will continue our meetings here. Did we mention “Adaptability” as an ongoing way of life when we travel abroad?
One SDA home we visited in Thenzal has a hand weaving cottage industry with two looms on their front porch. In a nearby shop we saw many examples of their work. I bought a small piece of cloth as a reminder. They told us that some little strips of cloth were worn as headbands by the warriors. I thought that since we are here doing battle with Satan, it would be appropriate to have the cloth even if I don’t wear it. We would have enjoyed buying a larger piece of their special cloth but did not see a practical use for it at home. Also, it was pricy since there were so many hours involved in making it.
I should be wearing that headband this morning because I am continuing to do battle with a small army of tiny ants apparently living or marching through this computer. When an ant surfaces I promptly kill it and have to remind myself that it has to be a finite (not infinite) number of them. There will be an end sometime and I hope it comes before they do serious damage. The ants remind me that it is the “little sins” in our lives that may be our worst enemies. (SOS 2:15)
Our lodging here is so much better than last year at Laungtlai and the cost (RS 700 or about $14 per night) is very little more than we paid for that mould stronghold. The bed here is relatively comfortable and we have a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains from several vantage points in our room. We can buy food at their restaurant here, but will have to check it out more fully before committing to it. We will eat breakfast in our room and skip supper, as usual. It is the noon meal that is in question. If it is hot but not spicy hot, we should be ok. Otherwise we will depend on the market for materials for that meal also. There is hot water on demand from a small tank heated electrically on the wall of the bathroom. The toilet is western style even if toilet tissue is in short supply. Our needs will be met!
We received a royal welcome when we arrived here at the Lodge. The local church leadership greeted us with small bouquets of roses (beautiful artificial) and we rejoiced that it was not leis or garlands which carry the unwanted insects as part of the package. One local church leader was once the political leader for the whole district surrounding Lunglei. He is the translator for Mary Alice’s health talks.
Our hall for the evangelistic meetings (Bible and Health Seminar) is very nice. Our 8 x 8 rear view screen for projecting the PowerPoint pictures onto hangs well from the ceiling on the stage. All the electric cords are away from the audience. They told me that the hall can seat 250 by crowding the people in. Last night (our first) it was packed with people, but I don’t know that there were that many people in last night’s configuration. They are discussing whether or not to move into a larger auditorium.
Our weak spot last night was the translators. They know English but are having a hard time getting our English into Mizo. I’m glad I have made Mizo bible verses to use in the sermons so the people can follow easily the scriptures we use. Today we are insisting that the translators get together with us to go over the materials before we are on stage delivering them. Otherwise we will have to continue discussing meanings of words and concepts in front of the audience. Sometimes the audience speaks up prompting the translators of the word meanings.
From all we hear, the audience was very happy with the meeting and plan to return tonight and ongoing. There was much enthusiasm. Biaka said he felt the Holy Spirit’s presence. It showed on the faces of the people. We were told by the district leader that this is the first evangelistic meeting at Lunglei by a foreigner. We trust it will not be the last. In fact, ours last year at Laungtlai was the first in all of southern Mizoram. The government is planning to build up this part of the State and have a military presence to guard against incursions from Myanmar and Bangledesh .
We did not have time to shop for food before the meeting because the car we came in had sprung a small leak of Diesel and Biaka and Mahoo had to take it to a service center to have the leak welded shut. Probably it happened when the car hit bottom on one of the deep potholes or ridges built up when trucks drove through the mud
and rocks.
After the meeting we did find two little stores open where Biaka bought bread for us in one and I bought some crackers in another. They had no fruit available but we will check the markets for that today. We have things from home also that will be part of our breakfast. I started to buy a box of cereal but noted that it was covered with dust and probably far beyond usable date. Mary Alice’s wonderful dry crackers along with the dried fruit and nuts we brought along will be helpful.
It is now 4:30 a.m. and I may have killed all the interior computer ants, so will close and get this on its way. Hopefully it will bring you into our mission experience as well as remind us later of all that happened. Otherwise, things come so fast and thick that we would forget a lot of the details needed to match our pictures.
We should have some time today to catch up on the rest of our needed sleep. We have not seen many mosquitoes but are glad for the netting that covers our bed at night. Malaria is present around here we are told. There are open windows up high but no broken panes as we have experienced before.
With love,
Glenn and Mary Alice (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)