Turning Our Hearts Toward Home

We arrived by rail in Bangalore yesterday. It was a pleasant 2 hour ride in an AC car with large windows. The Indian railroad prides itself on always being on time. And it was! Viju picked us up at the terminal and we quickly were swallowed up in the overcrowded traffic. As you take in the sights, you are so aware of Thomas Samuel's words, "You can not just hear about India, you must experience it." For instance, we drove behind a fuel tanker that said, "Caution, contents inflammatory."  I thought you might enjoy seeing just a sample of the sights you may see in India. Just click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Tribal Out House minus the house

Village Laundromat

Motorcycle built for 4 or 5 or 6

The Neighbors

The Infrastructure

BFF

Water-top Property

Where are they taking me?

We got the Right of way

Cowdallac

Billboard

Trucking

Road construction IS a work in progress

The Final Days

Today and tomorrow will be our final days here at QCI. We are in the throws of packing and organizing. This is no job for the fainthearted. We will be heading back to Bangalore on Friday. Instead of the usual 7 hour car ride, we have decided to try the rail system from Mysore. We will be driven there (about 2 hours) and then take the express train (about 2 hours). Our luggage will come by car and we will be picked up at the station in Bangalore.

Yesterday Bev and I visited the Elderly Feeding Program. There were about 12 people present. They are given a good amount of rice and dahl to take home. Many of these people are frail, deaf and have poor eye sight. We made up speci
al tote bags for each one. They included a sweater and some soap, shampoo and candy. Many of these dear people asked for prayer and were happy that we came to visit them.

Nila and Her Puppy

In the late afternoon Sal and I along with Pastor Vasu and Deva went to Bokkapuram Village to pay a quiet visit to Prayma and her family. It was a happy visit. Prayma is 12 and her sister, Nila, is 14. The father, Raj, and mother, Monju, were very welcoming and happy that we have a special love for their daughter.

The girls attend an English immersion school and are doing

Me and Prayma

nicely in learning our language. I asked them if they would like an English Bible. They both said yes so we will shop for that in Bangalore and have it sent to them. There were lots of hugs and kisses as we said goodbye and how we are looking forward to the next time we are together.

I will write one final blog after we arrive in Bangalore. It has been a most interesting trip. On March 6 we will be back at Lake Country Bible Church. Sal will preach a message based on this trip. We will have a video that highlights parts of the trip. You are welcome to come if you are in our area. And stay for lunch when team members will be sharing about the time spent here at Quiet Corner India. 

Pure Religion

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27

Thomas Samuel is 86 years old. God still gives him vision to expand and develop ministry here in the jungles of south India. Just this year Thomas received a burden for the young widows. There is no pension or social security for these ladies. There is no life insurance policy or charity programs to help lighten the load. They have children to raise. Just keeping a roof over their heads is difficult since many of the homes they live in are literally crumbling. And so Thomas and Marykutty took the initiative and started a relief ministry for these widows. 

Young Widows

We met with 12 wonderful ladies who all have lost their husbands. Each one stood and told us their name, how many children they had and how their husbands passed away. Some died of health problems, some were in car wrecks, some committed suicide. Two women were abandoned. All of them were young with young children. 

Each is given rice and lentils

I was asked to speak to the ladies. What can you say? We are sorry for your loss? We can't imagine your grief? The only encouragement was to tell them of God's love and provision for them. Through the kindness of QCI these ladies have found a place that is showing the love of Christ to them in authentic and practical ways. Once a month they come here, they participate in prayer and praise to the God of the Bible. They are given a sac of rice and lentils. They are given about 300 rupees (a day's pay). They are served lunch. One lady's roof was in need of repair. QCI put a new tin roof on her home. What better encouragement could there be then to know that God loves the widow and fatherless children? How can they know that if we do nothing? 

Later we made a visit to see the latest member of Pastor Vasu's family. Little Sarah was born one week ago weighing in at just under 5 pounds. Everyone is doing fine.

Jemema, Vasu, Joyce and Sarah

 

Sunday, Sunday

Sunday was a long, hot, tiring yet a wonderful day. We left Quiet Corner early in the morning in order to attend church in Gudalepet, a good size village about one hour away. After a rough ride through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (at least 50 speed bumps), we arrived in the village which has a population of about 300,000.

The Quiet Corner Church there is a wonderful little community of believers. Thomas Samuel is especially proud of the

The Church in Gudalepet

Christian presence that exists there. Forty years ago QCI planted this small church. Since that time many have come to faith and Bible Vision has distributed many bibles throughout the area. Sal preached a message on being a light to the world. After the service we enjoyed fresh coconut water.

Satellite Church planted in the village

We had a good lunch at a vegetarian restaurant and then traveled about an hour to a newly established satellite church. Pastor Thomas, the pastor of the Gudalepet church, travels this distance every Sunday to conduct a service there and then comes back to conduct a service in Gudalepet. The small village of about 70 people is very poor

Rural church believers

and rural. The church meets in a tiny building with no electricity. As we drove down the narrow dirt road, villagers began congregating at the tiny church and gave us a warm welcome.
The Christians who attend the church read scripture for us and sang some hymns in their language. To see the conditions in which they live was troubling to us, and yet they all seemed to radiate with joy and peace.  

Our next stop was Elmbrook Farm. This 10 acre farm is home to almost 100 coconut trees and a large crop of tomatoes. Pastor Samuel and his young family live in a nice house there. It was a sweet time of fellowship. One of the farm hands climbed a tree to cut down some fresh coconuts for us. While at the tree top he took a call on his mobile phone. Technology has infected India!!!!

Completely exhausted we safely arrived back at QCI around 7:00 PM. A hot shower never felt so good. After a wonderful meal, we all called it an early night.

This is the (Sun)day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Basking In Blessings

Class of 2016

It's a mixed feeling of happiness and sadness as we concluded the final day of the Bible School. Happiness because the students are
thrilled with all the material and information they were given. Sadness because we must say goodbye to old and new friends as they leave to return to their homes. This year we gave each student a pen drive with instructions how to download free Bible software. Most students now have lap tops and the study tools will be most useful for them in their ministries.

Tashi & Philemon

Tashi and Philemon are old friends. They are leading Bible Vision Teams that travel from state to state distributing Bibles. They shared that times have changed in India. Only in the last two years have they sensed danger in entering these remote villages. They ask for prayer for safety as they continue to serve.

Right now I am sitting on the terrace balcony and listening to the lively sounds of the surrounding jungle. There is one annoyed

monkey somewhere nearby that is sending out a very angry message. Birds are chirping out a symphony of melodies. In the distance is a constant playing of music from a Hindu festival. The summer winds are blowing and a rooster just crowed. This is India. The beauty of this place is amazing.

One personal sadness for me was the realization that due to the trouble we encountered with the local authorities, we would not be able to visit a small local village where a sweet little girl lives that Sal and I are quite fond of. We know Prayma since she was about three. It was love at first site. Each year I look forward to our visit. But this year I saw no hope of seeing her. Yesterday I did some errands and my driver asked if we could stop at the Good Shepherd Medical Clinic on the way back. As we pulled into the grounds, children were leaving the school. And there she was! Prayma.

Sweet Prayma

I called her name and she looked at me but did not immediately know who I was. Then I took off my sunglasses and her eyes got bright and huge with excitement. She ran into my arms and started kissing and hugging me. All I could do was thank God for the chance to see her. It was to me a personal confirmation that though this trip has had some bumps in the road, the Lord was well pleased. Just having a few minutes with Prayma was a personal blessing and continues to put a smile on my face.

Bible School in Full Swing

Let me start off by apologizing for not posting sooner. The Bible School is in full swing and the days fly by quickly. This is day four with two more to go. Things are great. We haven't even had a power outage yet! And no sign of the local authorities. Thank you, Lord.

The students trickled in Sunday and Monday. By Tuesday morning we had 20 pastors and church leaders in attendance. Our day is full beginning at 9:30 AM with the first session and ending at 6:30 PM. The students are delighted with the information they are receiving. They share with us that this depth of teaching is not readily happening in the churches here. Yesterday, at the end of one
session, they were full of questions about false teachers and bad teachings which run rampant in India.  We are sharing resources with them so that they can continue to hear sound doctrine on line and pass it on to the churches. One student suggested we think about pod-casting the Leadership School so it can be shown all over India.

Dinner is served around 7:30 PM. Each night a number of pastors request to meet with Pastor Sal after dinner to share their burdens and receive counsel from a fellow pastor. They are precious men of God and we are humbled when we hear of the troubles they suffer for the sake of the Gospel. Persecution of Christians has escalated over the past 2 years since the new prime minister took office. Many of the pastors feel their lives are in danger. But they also are dedicated to spreading the Gospel and believe that God will protect them. Please pray for Christians in India.

God is Our Fire and Glory

Even the monkeys miss Team B!

As the bus carrying Team B pulled out of the gate, Quiet Corner became quiet once again. We all wish they were still with us. What a fantastic team! They will never know how much we appreciated their excellent attitudes and cooperation in light of the circumstances. 

Soon after their departure we were left with the decision whether to go forward with the Bible School. Sal and Tom had gone to town and within minutes there was a policeman watching them. Benji and Deva went to get permission from the local police to have us teach. The police said it was fine as long as we did not do any outdoor speaking with microphones. We asked that be put into writing but he was unwilling to do so. With that said, Sal decided we should not go through with the school. We called Thomas and Paul to let them know. We were all sad and disappointed.


The next morning Sal got up and opened his Bible to Philippians 1:12-14:  Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.  As a result, it has become clear through the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. 

Sal felt God convicting him that we had been listening to the advise of men and had not truly sought God. These verses spoke clearly to his heart to stay and teach. He left each of us to make our own decision to join him or not. Both Tom and I trust his discernment and we all agreed to teach. 

Some students have already arrived. Others will be arriving tonight and tomorrow morning. We will start sessions tomorrow afternoon. Please pray for us and for protection. God has shown me the following verse. I am claiming it for the coming week. Zechariah 2:5   Then, I myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem (Quiet Corner) says the LORD. And I will be the glory inside the city (camp)! 
 

Love, joy, peace. . .against these things there is no law!

It was just before the dawn that Team B loaded their luggage on the bus and shared a final cup of tea before leaving for the long trip home. If there was disappointment in our hearts over the closing of the mission project, you would never know. Instead we basked in the Fruit of the Spirit which was pouring from them with each kiss and hug. Galatians 5:22, a familiar verse to most of us,  lists the fruit and Team B demonstrated the fruit-
Love: Everyone praising God and extending His love to one another.
Joy: Pushing away the disappointment, they continued with a happy attitude and trust in God.
Patience: Almost moment by moment plans were changing and they received it with great patience.
Kindness: Words of encouragement and gestures of mercy given.
Goodness: No "what if's" or "if only's" - only words that were good and uplifting.
Gentleness: Expressing gratitude for having been a part of the trip. Comforting one another with sincerity.
Self-control: No anger or unkind words but bringing everything under the control of the Holy Spirit.
The law may have interrupted the mission project but against the Fruit of the Spirit THERE IS NO LAW!

As we watched the bus drive off, Team A was left behind as the quiet returned again to Quiet Corner. We instantly missed them all. Our day was spent waiting as staff members met with the local police chief to get a guarantee that we could conduct the Leadership Bible School beginning Feb. 15. Our only demand was they provide our permission in writing. As of this moment, they were unwilling to do that. We are almost certain the Bible School will be cancelled now unless God provides a miracle. What remains right now is the witness of Team B - and against such things THERE IS NO LAW. 

India Needs Our Prayers

It has been a very different few days then we planned. Due to the order of the local authorities our plans to continue the Medical/Good News Outreach ceased. So we spent our time in quietness and prayer.

The spiritual climate here is definitely charged. You can feel it all around. Thomas called his pastoral staff to meet with us for a prayer meeting. It was a precious time as we prayed, sang and recited scripture in several different languages.

Picking Totes at the Tailoring School

Yesterday we took the bus to the nearby village to visit the tailoring school and purchase some of the handmade items. As we stepped off the bus, we discovered a policeman taking our pictures and watching us. When he was questioned he said he was just doing his job. In spite of his presence, we enjoyed visiting with the girls and their teacher Soji.

Team B leaves in the morning

We witnessed the funeral procession of a forest ranger that was killed by a local tribal boy. We were prevented from taking any field or shopping trips because the main road was closed due to construction. That is the only road that leads to Quiet Corner. Due to all the changes to the schedule, we have decided to send Team B back to Bangalore a day early. They will use the time to shop and rest before the long journey home on Saturday. They will leave at 6:00 AM on Thursday before the road closes for construction. Our last day together ended with a bonfire.

Currently, Team A is waiting for word from the local authorities regarding our participation in the Leadership Bible School which is February 15-20.  If the police do not give us permission, we will not conduct the school which would be a great disappointment to the pastors who look forward to it. Persecution toward Christians is gaining strength in India. Please pray for Quiet Corner. India needs our prayers. 

A New Day

A Ride on the Nilgiri Toy Train

The weekend was a time of R&R after the first week of the Medical/Good News Outreach. The team enjoyed a day in Ooty. They took a trip on the railroad and saw some beautiful scenery. Back in Ooty they enjoyed a terrific meal at a Chinese restaurant. After eating way too much, we boarded auto rickshaws and visited a wonderful spice shop. Everyone enjoyed the shopping spree and bought fresh spices, tea and chocolates.

Sunday the team enjoyed church at Bethel Bible Church. Terry led some worship in English, Freddie shared his thoughts on Psalm 132 and Pastor Sal preached from Philippians 3. Some of the team headed for a cold drink at a local Coffee Day Cafe after the 3 hour church service.

Sadly, we are not able to continue with a second week of the Medical/Good News Outreach. The local authorities have asked us to cease all Christian activity. Even though we are serving at a Christian camp it appears that the current political party is clamping down on the small minority of Christians and Muslims. We have come to find out that many Christian orphanages have been forced to close their doors in the last year. In some parts of India the sale of meat has been banned which makes it very difficult for Muslims to live there.

We are proud of our team and how they are handling this great disappointment. Today we spent the morning in prayer with our Indian friends. Persecution and hardship is a way of life to them.

We will take down the clinic later today. We plan to visit a feeding program also but will not interact with the children in our usual way.

Please pray that we have wisdom and understanding in the days ahead. Team B leaves Quiet Corner on Friday and returns to the US on Saturday. Team A is planning to conduct the Leadership Bible School from February 15-20. We are trusting God to keep that door open without interference. 

Walking in the truth of Isaiah 41:10

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

The first week of the Medical/Good News Outreach was amazing. Although the stream of patients was much lighter than the previous outreach of 2013, the response to the gospel what much greater. Eighteen in all accepted the Lord and will be followed up by the QCI pastors. 

The Boys Messing with Josh

We also visited the local feeding program where about 40 children are given a well balanced meal each day. They also attend Bible classes where they memorize scripture and are taught about the One True God. Freddie entertained the kids by making balloon animals. Josh wrestled around with some of the boys. The children recited scripture for us in Tamil and English. They sang songs. When it was time to eat, some of our team helped serve them. We ended the visit by passing out school supplies and toys. It was a wonderful experience. You could not help but wonder what the Lord would have in store for these little ones as they grew up. 

God gave many blessings over these days. However, the enemy was working behind the scenes through local authorities that are hostile to any Christian ministries. Please pray for us as we have been ordered not to continue the outreach into next week. We are complying with these orders and pray there will not be any ongoing trouble for Quiet Corner in the future. We have taken the weekend off to do some sightseeing and praying. Pray with us that the authorities will have a change of mind and let us complete the outreach planned for next week. 

We'll keep you posted. 

The Battle Is The Lord's

As we sang the song The Battle Is The Lord's this morning I am certain every heart was thinking about the first day of the Medical/Good News Outreach that opened its doors yesterday.

Villages wait patiently to see the Doc

The bus left to gather people from a nearby village. About 40  were brought to the clinic.  Each was processed and registered, seen at triage and then patiently waited their turn to see the doctor. We are always humbled by the patience these simple people demonstrate as they wait their turn in cue.  After the doctor meets with a patient they are sent to our "pharmacy" center to have the proper drugs given. Leaving the clinic they are escorted to the Good News table. There they are told the gospel story if they are willing to hear it. Nine people were told the gospel. One was a Christian and 5 prayed to receive Jesus. Each person is recorded in a book and one of the local pastors will follow up. We are rejoicing!

Subash and his parents

After the clinic closed we quickly cleaned up and got ready to visit a small village on the elephant corridor. The village of Cargudi  is very poor. The people are considered squatters since they have settled on government land. The team enjoyed seeing a family of elephants along the road. When we arrived at the village we were graciously welcomed. Two years ago we led a young man named Subash to faith. He and his family were happy to see us again.

School girls watch from the wall

The Good News players presented The Walls of Jericho. Everyone from the village gathered and children from a nearby government school watched from the wall. Cat shared the gospel and all the children and three women prayed with her. Every child received a tee shirt, a beanie baby and some candy. We also distributed toothbrushes and toothpaste to everyone, I will never forget the look of happiness on the face of one little boy about 5 years old. His arms were filled with gifts and he ran in his house to put them all on his sleeping mat.

We also stopped at the fence to speak with the children who attend the school. Pastor Benji spoke to them about the One True God and led them in prayer. Only God knows what was in each heart but the truth was told and we know His word will not return void.

On this first day there was also much spiritual warfare behind the scenes. For a number of reasons, I will not explain the details here. On March 6 at Lake Country Bible Church, Pastor Sal will bring a recap of the trip and speak of how God saw us through some tricky bends in the road. As Thomas would say, "The devil had a plan, but God had a better one." The battle truly is the Lord's.

Team Work

Dining on the Lake Country Patio

After early morning devotions the team was served a great breakfast which we enjoyed under the Lake Country Patio awning.

Team Work

Promptly after that we met with our Indian fellow workers to discuss the process of running the medical/good news outreach. Each person was given a specific duty and we even performed a dry run to see how things would flow. One of the delights of serving in this mission is the team work that happens between us Americans and the Indians. Our American doctor will be assisted by an Indian nurse. Our triage team is a joint effort. Our good news workers will communicate with the help of Indian translators.

Tomorrow morning at 8:00 our touring bus will leave to pick up villagers and bring them to the camp. The clinic will open at 9:00 AM. Having done a clinic in the past, we are aware that the first day will bring unexpected surprises. The key is to remain flexible and adjust accordingly. Everyone is ready to get going.

Tonight the team was treated to a jungle drive in open jeeps. No elephants were spotted but there was a bear sighting, samba deer, water buffalo, pheasants and the most beautiful sunset imaginable.

The camp is quiet now as we all settle down to get the rest needed for what will be a very busy day.

Welcomimg Team B

Bev, Cat & Elena Awaiting Team B

We woke up this morning to the news that Team B had safely arrived in Bangalore and was on their way to Quiet Corner. We were excited to welcome them all, but no one was more excited then Cat. Her husband, Kevin, was part of the team and joining her after nearly 2 weeks.

A tender reunion for Kevin & Cat

David and Paul Samuel kept us apprised of their progress as they made the long trip. We made sure to charge our cameras and prepared to take pictures of the happy reunion.

As we heard the roar of the bus approaching, we all made our way to the road and filmed the approach of the bus. We were thankful to see everyone made it without health or safety problems. They were just in time for lunch which consisted of rice, daal, vegitables and fried mackerel. After lunch they all checked into their rooms and took a long and needed rest.

Team B

Bev and Elena went to the village to pick up the ordered drugs for the medical clinic. On the way back, we met Annie, a government nurse, who has happily volunteered to work with the medical staff at the clinic beginning on Wednesday. She is a nurse practitioner who can dispense medications and speak very good English. She will be a great blessing to Doctor Tony.

God has been so faithful to go before us on every detail. There are too many to mention in this blog.  We know that His blessing is upon this mission. We can hardly wait to see what the outcome of the Medical/Good News Outreach will be. Thank you for praying and please continue to do that.