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What About Bob?Keeping up with the travels and escapades of Bob Buchanon Philippine Islands (May 19 - June 12)2009 Team Members --
I have taken folks with me on most of my trips, but I'll have to say that this year's Team is the most diversified group that I've ever attempted to travel with:
Casey Richardson is from Paducah, Kentucky. She just finished her second year of college in Bowling Green, studying New Testament and religions of Asia. Her parents are faithful Christians and they have brought Casey up to love God, His Word, and the Lord’s church. They are all members of the Sutton Lane Church of Christ in Mayfield, Kentucky. Branden Lewis is from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He just finished his third year of studies in mathematics. Branden worships with the Lord's church in Appleton. His grandpa is the preacher for the church in Antigo and his Dad is the song leader there. Branden is the third generation of Christians on both sides of the family. Both of his grandfathers started the congregations where they are currenly worshipping. Reggie Ross is from Greencastle, Indiana. He owns and operates an embroidery business. He and Beveraly were blessed with two daughters, Leah and Heidi. Sadly, Heidi died of a disease when she was 17 years old, but the family can rejoice that she was a faithful Christian and died in the Lord. Reggie has been teaching teen or adult Bible classes for nearly 25 years. Tom Wells is from Shelbyville, Kentucky, where he serves as an eldr. He has been married for 25 years and has one daughter, Machala. Tom has made two trips to preach the gospel in Jamaica. Tom has great musical talents and loves to lead singing. Machala Wells is 16 years old and just completed the 10th grade of high school, with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. She would like to become eithr a veterinarian, bioligist, or zoologist. Machala has battled with diabetes, so she has learned how to discipline herself by watching what she eats and properly taking her shots. She is very gifted and especially loves music, having been in the band for six years and also in several choirs. Iva Baker is from Williams, Indiana. As an energetic 73 year old, she is our senior team members. She has lived in the same house for 64 years. so everyone in Williams knows her well. Iva has a very large extended family. She has 26 nieces and nephews, many cousins, four sisters and two brothers. Our Trip from U.S. to Philippines -- We all flew from different cities, but met up in Detroit. We got settled in for the long journey to Japan. We arrived in Tokyo at 4:45 p.m. As we were taxing toward the terminal, the captain made the announcement that we must remain seated until the medical team came on board. We soon learned that they were paranoid about the swine flu. Six men entered the plane, wearing a complete HazMad uniform. They had full-body uniforms, rubber gloves, hoods, and eye goggles. One man pointed a special machine that looked like a camera at each passenger. It registered your body temperature. Anyone entering the country with a fever would be quarantined. The process took over an hour. Once we were finally able to depart the plane, we had little time before our next plane was to depart. It was now getting dark, the first we had seen since Monday night. We departed Tokyo at 7:30 p.m. We arrived in Manila at 11:20 p.m. Ben Cruz and six other preachers were waiting for us in the parking lot. We loaded all of the luggage into the Kia and made our way to the Cruz house, arriving there at nearly 1:00 a.m. We were assigned our sleeping rooms. Machala, Iva & Casey shared a room on the second floor; Tom and Reggie had separate rooms on the third floor; Branden and I shared a room on the fourth floor. I had to explain some of the “house rules” before we went to bed: (1) Don’t attempt to put toilet paper in the commode, because it will clog the pipes, (2) The shower consists of a 5-gallon bucket of water and a dipper, so you should refill the bucket when you are finished with your shower, (3) Turn off all lights when you leave the room, because electricity is very expensive. We finally were ready for bed at about 2:00 a.m. I told everyone they could sleep in until 8:00. Thursday, May 21 - Adjusting to Philippines -- Jet lag can be very cruel at times.
Although everyone had permission to sleep in, most folks were awake
after only two hours in bed. When we went to bed at 2:00 a.m. our
bodies were still on our American clock and thought it was 2:00 p.m.
I think our bodies thought we only laid down to take a nap, so
everyone was awake by 4:00 a.m. The jetlag, combined with barking dogs and noisy motorcyles, caused everyone to awaken early. Everyone was finished with their
showers and ready for breakfast at 6:00. After breakfast, I wanted to give
The Team a walk through the neighborhood. We walked across the little
foot bridge over the river, which is about 85% raw sewage. The stink
is horrible. Casey and Machala attracted children like a giant
magnet. We had a crowd of kids following us everywhere we went. They
wanted to take turns holding our hands and asking for their picture
to be taken. Casey and Machala estimate that they have over 100
different pictures of all the kids around Kapitbahayan. We then took a walk through the
market. I think everyone thought this was an exciting adventure. The
market is not like anything you experience in many places. They sell
all sorts of different commodities, from chicken feet for making a
soup, to the pig’s head, to bags of blood, to their form of hot
dogs. Iva was shocked at the
size of the green beans, about the length of your arm. After we ended
our tour in the market, we then went into town to exchange our U.S.
dollars into Filipino pesos. After we
exchanged our money, we drove to the Mall of Asia, the second largest
mall in the world. I took them to the Kultura Shop, where
they could buy Filipino souveniers. We then went to the food court
and ate at the Sizzling Plate. Several were disappointed to learn
that restaurants don’t give free refills on their soft drinks. They
were also surprised to learn that public toilets do not provide
toilet paper. All the ladies have learned early to keep a roll of it
in their bags, with their bottle of hand sanitizer. One of the first
words The Team learned was masarap, the word for delicious. We returned from the mall feeling
pretty tired under the effects of jet lag, so we tried to take an
hour nap. We ate our supper and then took off for the church
building. While the
adults were in the auditorium, Casey, Iva, and Machala had classes
for the children on the second floor. There were about twenty kids
and they were all very exciting to work with. For the adults, Reggie
taught the first class on “Parents & Children.” I then taught
a lesson, asking “What Are You Worth?” Friday, May 22 - All Day Lectures -- We awoke at 6:00 and started classes at 7:00 a.m. Tom gave the first lesson on “Churches Have Personalities” and then Branden gave a lesson on “Abhor What Is Evil.” Casey and Machala were in charge of about 15 kids during the morning services. We took a 15-minute break and then started more classes. I taught a class on “How Jesus Viewed the Scriptures” and Reggie taught a class on “Dead Man Walking.” In the children’s class upstairs, Machala and Iva taught “Baby John” and “Noah and the Flood”. They had around 30 kids. After lunch, Tom had a lesson on “Elders and Deacons,” Branden had a lesson on “Timothy,” and Reggie had a lesson on “Why Pray?” For the children, Casey had a lesson on “Creation” and Machala had a lesson on ”Baby Jesus.” At the end of the lectures, we opened the floor up for a question-answer period. A lot of good discussion took place, and questions were asked that would be taboo for many people in many places. When we ended and stood around talking, Iva and I observed one little girl with a horrible puss coming from her eyes. At about the same time, we both said, “Pink eye.” I was able to get Dr. Tess to examine her and prescribe some medicine. I used some funds donated by American brethren to pay for the medicines. I also met a family that was recently converted. They lived in a small lean-to close to the church building. Six of them shared one bed. There was no electricity, no running water, and no way of cooking, except for building a small fire. He makes a small salary by working in the shipping docks, but he doesn’t make enough to properly feed this large of a family. They were as poor as could be, but still seemed very contented with life. After class, we all returned to B-01, ate supper, and then started the late-night schedule. Tom taught the teenage boys in a study on “Living Morally In An Immoral World.” Casey taught the girls on “How To Teach Your Friends the Word.” While the teenage classes were in progress, Elias and Abraham took me to the vegetable market. I used some more of the American donated money and bought several sacks of vegetables for the family that lived in the tent by the river. When we delivered the vegetables, I was taken back by his remark. He thanked me over and over again for the food and explained how this would greatly help his family, but then he said, “You have provided so much for me, so, with your permission, I’d like to share this with some of the poor families near me.” I wondered how anyone could be poorer than his family. Saturday, May 23 – Two Churches in Manila -- We departed B-01 at 7:00 a.m. and drove across town to the Pasig Church. We began our classes at 9:00. Elijah Sikat had made all of the arrangements for us. He has been working with these brethren for the past two years, although he has no financial support. His good wife, Janice, is working the evening shift at a call center for AT&T in order to provide an income for them. Elijah was assigned the task of introducing all of us and then did an excellent job in leading the singing before we started the classes. I spoke first on the theme of “Are You Settling For Just Being Average?” Reggie then gave a lesson on “The Misunderstood King & Kingdom.” After a 15-minute break, Casey, Iva, and Machala then took the children downstairs for special classes, while we continued with more classes for the adults. Many of these children were with families who were visiting for the first time and they had never attended a Bible class before. Machala taught a lesson on Jesus, the twelve apostles, and creation. She said she really felt good when the classes were over and said most of the students could name at least five of the apostles, tell you who were brothers, who Jesus was, and name all six days of creation. Branden gave a lesson on “Blessed Assurance” and we then broke for lunch. We drove about twenty minutes to be with a newly established congregation at Makati. They are just barely over one year old. Jimmy is a retired police officer. He and his wife now operate a security firm. They allow the church to meet in their office. I gave a lesson on “The Book Of Life,” Reggie gave a lesson on “Things That Save,” and Tom gave a lesson on “Marriage Is For Life.” Sunday, May 24 – Mindoro Island -- Our worship began at 7:00 and continued until 9:00. Branden gave a lesson on “Noah’s Faith” and then Tom gave a lesson on “Living Morally In An Immoral World.” We loaded our luggage into the Kia and said our good-byes to everyone at B-01. Vicente had asked to make the trip with us to Mindoro. He is from the island and only sees his family once or twice a year. Elias had volunteered to drive us south to the Batangas pier. So that he would not be alone on the return trip, I asked his wife and kids to travel with us. There were about 15 of us in the back and it got pretty hot for the first hour. We stopped at Jollibee (the Filipino version of McDonald’s) for a quick lunch. We got to the pier at about 1:30. Edwin DePedro met us at the pier. He, too, is from Mindoro and asked to accompany us on the trip. We were able to board the 2:00 p.m. ferry to Calapan. The ferry ride to Mindoro is lovely. We pass by numerous islands, many of them uninhabited. Some of them are covered with palm and banana trees. Several of them have lovely white-sand beaches. The second level of the ferry has benches and allows you to enjoy to breeze over the ocean. Almost as soon as we sat down on the ferry, Vicente and Edwin got into a discussion with a lady who was a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. She had many questions. Reggie then got a study started with a young lady sitting in front of him. I had been given a few hundred bookmarks by a good sister in Ireland. She printed the plan of salvation on the bottom of a lovely Irish picture. I wandered from level to level on the ferry and distributed these to everyone. They loved the bookmarks and this opened up many more discussions. The ride from Batangas to Calapan takes about three hours. When we finally got off the boat, Eliseo Sikat was waiting for us with the jeepney. The air is clean and fresh, quite a contrast to Manila. The drive is very picturesque, with many rice fields, banana trees, and palm trees along the way. Machala and Casey sat on the back edge of the jeepney. They had a great view of everything, but this also gave everyone a great view of them. We had many young men on motorcycles trying to follow close behind us. We had about an hour drive to Aurora, and after we got out of the city limits of Calapan, I told the young people they could get on top of the jeepney if they wanted to. Casey, Branden, and Machala climbed up top and acted like they had lots of fun. Machala said there were a few bugs, “but they just kinda bounce off of you.” We arrived at Aurora and got settled in. The chapel sits between Eliseo’s house and his daughter’s house. I was assigned my “normal” room next to the kitchen at Eliseo’s house. Reggie, Tom, and Branden were placed on bunk beds in what we’ve nicknamed the “boy’s dormitory.” Iva, Casey and Machala were given the two bedrooms at Esther’s house next door. Esther and Dhel slept on the floor in the kitchen, with their three children. They argue that it is not an inconvenience for them and they love to extend their hospitality. Monday, May 25 – Preacher-Training Classes -- By the time we woke up for breakfast, several preachers from different areas of the island had arrived. Tom told us that he got hot during the night and took a shower at 1:00 a.m. He was also developing a sore throat. We started our first session at 7:30 a.m. I immediately took note that we were missing three of our normal students. Leonard was the oldest preacher on the island. He died this past year. Timothy is the second oldest preacher on the island. He recently fell from a tree and is in very poor health. Ricky has been battling cancer for three years and was not able to attend the classes this year. Eliseo gave a welcome and taught the first class on “The Measurement.” Tom then had a lesson on “God’s Word Is Relevant for the 21st Century.” We had a 15-minute break and then had three more lessons before lunch. Branden had a lesson on “Naaman, Leprosy and Sin.” I had a lesson on “An Introduction to the Prison Epistles.” Reggie had a lesson on “All Spiritual Blessings Are In Christ.” In the afternoon, we had two classes with all of the men and women together. Eliseo, Jr. had the first lesson and Branden then had a lesson on “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.” We then divided the men and women into two classes. Iva taught two lessons for the ladies from the parables. Tom had a lesson for the men on “The Husband & Father as Communicator.” I then had a lesson on “Why Did Paul Write Philippians?” We ended our session at 5:15 and had free time until 7:00. It was so warm that everyone wanted to cool off, so we walked down to the river. The water lilies are in great abundance and it is so peaceful just to watch them floating by. For the evening sessions, the adults were in the chapel and the children were at Esther’s house. Reggie preached a sermon on “The First European Converts.” Elijah Sikat, Eliseo’s son, then gave a lesson. Iva, Casey & Machala worked together in the children’s classes. They covered creation and Machala had a lesson on “Little Children Come to Jesus.” It was close to 9:00 when we ended. Tuesday, May 26 – Classes -- Tom was feeling worse when we woke up this morning. His throat is really bothering him. We had our breakfast at 6:30 and started our classes at 7:30. Efren Algaba gave the first lesson on “The Gospel of Christ.” Reggie noted that he didn’t read any of his scriptures; he quoted them from memory. Tom gave a lesson on “The Husband & Father, Head of the House.” After our short break, Branden gave a lesson on “Elijah at Mt. Carmel.” I then gave a lesson on “What Are You Worth?” Reggie gave a lesson on “The Work of the Church.” We had delicious pork kabobs for lunch. In the afternoon session, Dhel Camposagrado gave a lesson on “A Christ-Centered Church.” I then gave a lesson on “Onesimus & Philemon.” We divided the men and women for the next classes. Iva taught two more classes for the ladies on the parables. Reggie gave a lesson on “The First Supper.” Branden gave a lesson on “Jonah.” I made a quick trip with Dhel & Esther into town to buy some more supplies and to get some Bible lessons copied for Iva. I also went to the market to buy some fresh tomatoes. When I got back to the house, I prepared a big pot of pinto beans. We had the beans, tomatoes, and pork tenderloins for dinner. In the evening, Tom was not feeling well enough to give his lesson. Reggie covered for him. Eliseo Sikat, Jr. gave a special invitation sermon. Casey, Iva and Machala did two more lessons for the children. Wednesday, May 27 – Two Churches in Mindoro -- We got up and had our breakfast and left at 7:00 for a visit to a
waterfall. Many of the brethren went with us. As soon as we arrived at the waterfall,
one group took off to the river and one group took off to climb the mountain.
Some of the Team had their first experience of being on the look out for a
leech. Those little blood suckers can pop up out of nowhere. After our hike, we
inspected each other and removed each of them. Tom was still having
a light fever, so he enjoyed just standing in the river and cooling off. Many
of the group went upstream and were jumping off a cliff into the river. We went back to
Esther’s house and had our lunch. We then loaded up the jeepney for our
journey. Dhel agreed to drive us to the seashore. Esther, Flor and a couple of
the sisters from Aurora
rode with us, in order to help keep Dhel awake on the return trip. We drove
about an hour to the Alcate
Church. This is where Bob Agustin preaches, the son
of the late Leonard. Tom was not feeling like giving his lesson, so Reggie gave
a lesson on “Mysteries of God Revealed.” We then drove about another 45 minutes
to visit the Pines
Camp Church.
This is where Rodolfo Basilio preaches. Branden gave a lesson on “What Is So
Great About Heaven?” The brethren gave
us several snacks after our classes. We then drove over an hour to the little
town of Pinamalayan
on the northern shore. We made a stop at a pharmacy in order to get Tom a
prescription for his sore throat and fever. We finally found the rooms we
needed at a little hotel and got settled in. Eliseo and one of the young men
from Aurora
slept on the first floor. Machala,
Casey & Iva shared a room. Reggie, Branden and I shared a room. The manager
had trouble understanding that we didn’t want to sleep with each other. He
finally, reluctantly, gave us three mattresses. We got Tom a single room with a
bed and air conditioner. We thought he deserved a quiet room. After getting
settled into the rooms, I suggested that we go to a Chinese restaurant for
dinner before Dhel and the group had to return to Aurora. After eating,
we said our good-byes to Dhel, Flor and the group. We then decided to go
walking down a few of the streets and stopped at a store to buy a gallon of
mango ice cream. We sat at a little table on the sidewalk and enjoyed sharing
the ice cream. Thursday, May 28 – Island of Marinduque -- We took our luggage to the pier at 7:00 and caught the 8:30 boat. The three-hour ride was relaxing. I think all of us took a short nap as we glided across the water. As we arrived on the island, Iva made a comment that we all laughed about. She was admiring the scenery and said, “This is just like a different island.” Reggie reminded her of that quote the rest of the day. Roberto Geronaga was waiting for us when we arrived on the island. He rented a van to transfer us and our luggage to his house. Shortly after getting settled in, we had lunch at Roberto’s house. Tom felt stronger and was able to give the first lesson on “Needed: Real Men in the Church.” Branden gave a lesson on “What Does God Want?” Reggie then gave a lesson on “Daniel.” We traveled across town to a second congregation that has been started. They showed us the lot that has been donated for the church. They have completed the foundation and several columns, but have no walls or roof. I did a lesson on “Old Testament Survey.” Tom gave a lesson on “The Father as Disciplinarian.” We still had a couple of hours before sunset, so several walked to the ocean. We made arrangements to sleep at Roberto’s mother-in-law’s house. Machala & Casey shared one room and Iva had another one. Reggie was given a mattress on the floor. Tom volunteered to sleep in a chair. Branden took a bamboo couch and I took a hammock on the front porch. Friday, May 29 – Return to Manila -- We had to get up at 4:00 a.m. in order to meet our van. We hired a service that is called “Door-To-Door.” They picked us up at Roberto’s house and were responsible to get us to the hotel in Manila. We drove for nearly three hours to the town of Boac, in order to take the ferry to Lucena. The van was able to cross over on the ferry. The ferry ride was also three hours. We had an enjoyable trip on the ferry and could feel the heat as soon as we got back on Luzon. We arrived in Manila at about 4:00 p.m. and checked into Bayview Plaza Hotel. It was directly across the street from the U.S. Embassy. We all got a good, long HOT shower. We got dressed and took a taxi to the Hard Rock Café. It was a delight to get a good cheeseburger and all-you-can drink softdrinks. When we finished our dinner and got back to the hotel, we were forced to say our good-byes to Tom and Machala. They were scheduled to depart at 2:00 a.m. for the airport. The rest of us would leave later. Iva had come down with the pink eye, so we walked down the street to Mercury Drugs to get her some eye drops. She and I had also developed a sore throat and a horrible cough. We didn’t want ours to get as severe as Tom’s had gotten, so we went ahead and bought some antibiotics, too. Saturday, May 30 – Vigan City -- Breakfast wasn’t the same without Tom and Machala. Elias and Maricel Cruz arrived at about 6:30. We loaded into the van and were ready for the long drive to the north. We drove for about ten hours to Vigan City, getting there at about 5:00 p.m. Vigan City is a most unusual city and has a better economy. There is a tourist area, which consists of several blocks of old buildings from the Spanish era. The streets are for pedestrians and horse carriages only. The shops and restaurants would easily provide a few days of pleasure to roam around in. I wish we had the time to visit all of them. Rolando Azurin is the preacher. I had never worked with him before. I met his wife and daughter in Baguio City last year and we have corresponded many times in the past year. He had asked me to schedule a day or two for classes with them. His family was quite a delight. Roberto has a nice house and has built a two-story building in the back yard for guests. Reggie & Branden slept in one room on the first flooor; Elias & Maricel were in the other room. On the second floor, Iva & Casey had one room and I had the other one. We shared a toilet and shower. The brethren have constructed a very nice chapel. They provided their own funds and did most of the labor themselves. The land was donated by one of the sisters in the congregation. She is a very successful business woman and the Lord has blessed her financially. After supper, we walked down to the building and I gave a lesson on “Building the Tabernacle According to the Pattern.” Sunday, May 31 – Two Congregations -- We had a very good breakfast and then walked down the street to the chapel. Reggie gave a lesson on “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises.” I then delivered the sermon on “Who Killed Jesus?” After the Lord’s Supper, we had two more Bible classes. Branden gave a lesson on “Elijah on Mt. Carmel” and Reggie gave one on “The Judgment Day.” After the lessons, one young man expressed his desire to be baptized into Christ. We loaded into two vans and drove to the China Sea. He made the confession of his faith and then Branden baptized him for the remission of his sins. It was a very exciting moment for all of us.
We then went back to Roberto’s house for lunch and later drove to another
congregation at Malingeb. I gave a lesson on “How
Could Peter Sleep?” Iva taught a children’s
class on “Noah and the Flood.” Branden
gave the second lesson on “Joshua.” Casey taught another children’s class on
“Birth of Jesus.” After the lessons, two more souls expressed their desire to
be baptized into Christ. We planned on going to a near-by stream, but learned
that the cattle had been there all morning and the water was full of manure.
Since it was already dark, they said they would come to the church building
tomorrow morning and we could take them for their baptism. After dinner, we
discussed one of the major problems in Ilocos Sur. One preacher
receives checks from over a dozen churches. All of the checks are made out in
his name, but the funds are for other preachers. It operates like a one-man
missionary society. Monday, June 1 – Vigan City and Baguio -- Iva and I have had a bad cough since we left Manila. Both of us blame it on the horrible smog in the city. We both had a rough night in coughing, but feel it is a little improved today. We had breakfast at 7:30 and then went to the building for three more classes. Reggie gave a lesson on “The Glorious Gospel.” Branden gave a lesson on “Moses.” I gave a lesson on “The Hall of Fame of Faith in Hebrews 11.” After our classes, we had two more souls wanting to be baptized. This one, plus the one who came from Malingeb, made for an exciting trip back to the China Sea. We had our final
meal with Roberto and his family and started our journey to Baguio.
It took us six hours. As we started up the mountains, the temperature
dropped and a big cloud sat right down on us. We could barely see ten
feet in front of us. This was Maricel’s first time to be north and to see the mountains. She
was scared for about two hours of the ride. It started raining, making it even
more difficult to see. We finally arrived
in Baguio City at about 7:00 p.m. I called Ray, one of the members of the
church and he came to meet us. We had been invited to stay in the home of
Juliet. She is a nurse in New York, but still
owns her home in Baguio
City.
Tuesday, June 2 – All-day Classes in Baguio City -- I think we all enjoyed the cool temperatures and got a much better night’s sleep. Iva and I were still coughing this morning, which created a minor problem for us. Two sisters, Rose & Sonia, are members of the church where we had been invited. Their sister, Noria, lives in the family compound where we were staying, but is a member of a different congregation. Noria works in health services and explained that she didn’t like our cough. She gave me about a 30-minute speech about swine flu being brought into the country from the U.S. She wanted to quarantine both of us. I asked her if this was just a suggestion of if she had authority from the government to “force” us into quarantine. Sonia’s husband is one of the elders, so I felt he should be the one to make the decision. Iva and I both argued that it was nothing more than allergies caused by the pollution. Since I wouldn’t consent to the quarantine, Noria wanted me to at least wear a mask. I told her that I could not preach with a mask. I explained that if the elders were afraid of us and felt we could not be effective, we would move on to the next location. The elders asked us to stay and conduct the classes and to ignore her “request.” I walked on to the church building and got the projector ready for the classes. When Casey arrived, she passed me a note stating that Noria had grabbed Iva and quarantined her. I went ahead and taught my class, but I was very annoyed. My lesson was on “Introducing Paul’s Prison Epistles.” Elias Cruz gave the second lesson. Reggie then gave a lesson on “Fruit of the Spirit.” We then took our break for lunch. I explained to Rose what had happened and she went to the house to talk with Iva. Soon the two of them walked into the church building together. Rose had talked with the elders and gotten all things resolved. We had a good laugh together as she told me that three doctors had come to her room while I was teaching. She said they were dressed in full uniforms like we saw in Japan. They had gloves, boots, face masks, eye goggles, and the whole outfit. After lunch, I gave a lesson on “Philemon” and Branden gave a lesson on “What Is So Great About Heaven?” Paublo, the local preacher, then delivered a sermon. We ended at about 3:30 in the afternoon. The elders said we could use the remainder of the day in sightseeing. Joseph Gawe volunteered to be our guide, so we went to see the president’s mansion, the gold mines, and then went to a large shopping mall. We decided to eat at Pizza Hut. Joseph has lived in this city all of his life, but had never been to this mall. He had never eaten a pizza either. It was fun watching him. We had a great time together. India (February - March 13)My First Trip To India For several years I have received the reports and corresponded with I. S. Deenadayal, a gospel preacher in Jadcherla, India (pronounced Zad-cherla). We have become friends through our e-mails and he has invited me on several occasions to visit him and teach classes, but I had never been able to fit it into my schedule until this year. By the grace of God, I have just returned from a very exciting trip, being with Deenadayal, his wife (Victoria) and their two sons (Sam and John), both of whom are college students in Hyderabad. I will share a few stories with you in this report, to help you understand the country and the Lord’s work in that country. The names of the folks in India appear very strange to us. Their given name is written last, preceded by two initials. His full name would be Immadi (his family name) Sundaram (his father’s given name) Deenadayal (his given name). He has two sons, Samuel and John, so their names would be written as I. D. Samuel and I. D. John, showing the family initial and the “D” for their father’s given name.
A Few Facts About The Country India is one of the largest countries. It has a population of 1.2 billion people. The government is controlled by the Parliament in Delhi. The senators are elected every five years by popular vote. The party with the most senators then chooses the prime minister from their party. The government is run by the prime minister, but the president is over him. The president can hire or fire, plus can reduce the punishment or abolish the death penalty. If the senators send a paper to the president for his signature, he can refuse to sign it and return it to the parliament for amendments. If the senators leave the wording as is and returns it to the president, he has no choice but to sign it into law the second time. India is on a strange time zone, being 11½ hours ahead of Central Standard Time in Bowling Green. Most of us are accustomed to time zones changing only by hours and not by thirty-minute increments. The country has fifteen official languages. All of these can be seen on the left side of each paper bill in their currency. The language of Telugu is used in Hyderabad and Jadcherla. There are 56 letters in the Telugu alphabet. I noticed in the translations, that it would often take Deenadayal twenty words to say what I said in ten. I entered the country at the start of the summer season, which means that there is no rain for several months and the temperatures are high. The country has a wide mix of cultures and is especially seen in the buildings. Some are from the British rule and older buildings are from a Muslim king. The clothing styles are extremely varied in India. Some of the men wear the traditional long, white lungi with a white shirt. Some of the men wear pants with a kudta, which wears like a shirt that goes all the way to the knees. Some of the men are now wearing Western-style clothing. The clothing of the women is extremely colorful. Most of them wear the traditional sari, with a blouse of one color and a scarf over their shoulders that will match the lower pants. One very unusual thing seen regularly is that most of the folks never touch a glass or bottle to their lips. They hold it about two inches from their lips and pour the water into their mouth. The only exception I saw was when drinking from the small disposable plastic cups. The national currency is called the rupee. It takes 100 paise to make one rupee. The coins consist of 50 paise, 1, 2 and 5 rupees. The paper bills consist of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 rupees. The 1 and 2 rupee bills are legal tender, but seldom seen anymore. For the Hindu families, the priest chooses the day for the wedding. All of this is based on their superstitions and the signs of the zodiac. Many weddings will be held on the same day.
A Few Facts About The Lord’s Church Hinduism is the prevailing religion in India, but the country enjoys freedom of all religions. There seems to be a temple or mosque on almost every corner. Because of the diversity of religions, the school calendar and work days are varied. For the Muslim, Friday is the holy day. For the Hindu, it is Saturday. Christians, of course, worship on the first day of the week. This creates a problem for many of the Christians, because some schools have classes on Sunday. From what information I have been able to gather, I would say that Christianity was introduced to the country in the late fifties or early sixties by J. C. Bailey, a missionary from Canada. Deenadayal’s father was a Mennonite preacher and met J.C. in 1974. They studied together on four different occasions during that year. He was eventually baptized and he and his wife left the Mennonite faith. He started a new congregation in his home, desiring to follow closely the teachings of the New Testament. He met John Humphries in 1977 and studied the organization and work of the church. He learned that he had become involved in an “institutional” concept and a few practices that violated the autonomy and independence of the local church. He rapidly made his stand for truth and left the more liberal ways. Deenadayal was baptized in 1976 and started preaching the following year. I allowed Deenadayal to make recommendations on how to best use our time in India, so he planned our schedule. We divided the days into three areas: Hyderabad, Jadcherla, and Hampi.
Churches in Hyderabad Hyderabad has a population of 10 million. The city has several churches of Christ, eight that would take a more conservative approach to the Scriptures and the work of the church and about twenty that are more liberal in their attitude and practice. Because of our limited days, we only worked with two of the churches in Hyderabad. The Banjara Hills Church meets on the roof top of the home of the preacher, M. J. Suryakant Raj. He had worked hard to invite many of his neighbors to the Bible studies. We had over 75 students at his place. All of the students sat on mats. He stretched electric wires across the roof to provide enough electricity for everyone to see their Bibles. The singing was very enthusiastic and the students were very attentive. I especially enjoyed being with so many children who were anxious to learn more Bible stories. On Sunday morning, we assembled with the Mount Olive Church, where M. Solomon Raj preaches. Solomon and Suryakant are brothers. Their father is also a member at Mount Olive and I would later meet two more brothers, all of whom are faithful gospel preachers. They are an amazing family. The attendance at the Mount Olive Church was around 50. The brethren have built a modest, but very adequate building for their services. They take great care and concern for the building. The ceiling is decorated with long, colorful ribbons. The floor is covered with colorful mats. All of the brethren remove their shoes as they enter the building. There are no pews, so everyone sits on the mats. As the brethren enter the building, they prostrate themselves in prayer before sitting. The songs in Telugu are very long, some of them having as many as fifteen verses. The building is equipped with three microphones and an amplifier mounted on the roof of the building. The worship service is heard throughout the whole neighborhood. Psalms 63 was read in unison. For the Lord’s supper, the ladies moved from their sitting position to their knees. They took the bread, held it in the palm of their hand, bowed their heads to the floor, prayed and then ate the bread. The same was done with the juice. After our worship, one lady opened a box of homemade candy. She explained that her daughter had made the highest marks in her class at school and she wanted all of the brethren to rejoice with her, typical of what we read in Romans 12:15. After several minutes of visiting, I was invited to Solomon’s home for lunch. It consisted of rice, chicken curry, boiled eggs, papaya, grapes, and bananas.
Our Work in Jadcherla We left Hyderabad late in the afternoon and drove to Jadcherla, about 100 kilometers away. Along the way, we saw many little boys (about five years old) with horse-driven wagons. These children are extremely “street smart.” We saw many Brahma bulls on the highway, many of them having their horns painted bright green or blue by the Hindu as a high honor. We passed workers, building a stone wall between the highways. The men usually carry the stones and the women carry the mud. I’m told that a typical salary would be three dollars a day for the women and five dollars a day for the men. A skilled mason could get nine dollars and a carpenter could get ten dollars a day. John decided to skip classes for a few days in order to attend the preacher-training classes in Jadcherla, so he rode with us from Hyderabad to Jadcherla. We stopped at the church building, a comfortable little building built in 1978. The wall surrounding the building has scriptures painted on each panel, as well as the walls inside the church building. The brethren were cleaning and doing last-minute preparations for our classes. Deenadayal had rented a large tent and 40 plastic chairs for our classes. The men were erecting the tent in the yard between the church building and the house. Most of the preachers were going to sleep under the tent and the ladies were going to sleep on the floor in the church building. Deenadayal had decided that I might be a little more comfortable at a little hotel in Mahabubnagar, about 30 kilometers from Jadcherla. It was starting to get dark before we could reach the hotel. Driving on the highways at night is almost an invitation to take your life in your own hands. There are so many 18-wheelers, public buses, motorcycles, and three-wheelers without any tail lights, plus all of the animals. It can be very dangerous.
Preacher-Training Classes Deenadayal sent invitations to many preachers all over the state. Some came alone and some brought their wives with them. Our lowest number was on Monday, with 35; our highest number was on Wednesday, with 43. Each preacher was given a small notebook and ink pen. With their words of thanksgiving, you would have thought we had just spent a thousand dollars on them. At the end of the classes on Friday, I gave each of the preachers the money for their bus fares home. Our classes were for morning, afternoon, and evening. The students were very attentive, took lots of notes and asked many questions. We chose a different theme for each day: summary of biblical books, Old vs. New covenants, the preacher & his work, the Lord’s church vs. men’s churches, and godly living. When I would mention any Bible passage, the students seemed to compete to see who could find the passage the fastest, in order to be able to read it. There was one particular student that I was especially impressed with. He was the first to find the passage, the first to ask questions if there was anything he didn’t completely understand, and the first to use up his notebook with so many notes. I knew he was a preacher, but I didn’t know for what church. At the end of our classes on Friday, he said, “I want to thank you for teaching us, thank the Americans for supporting you, and thank you for showing us the truths in the Bible. I have learned much. I now realize that I haven’t obeyed the true teachings of the Bible. I was only sprinkled and never immersed into Christ for the remission of my sins.” I was almost speechless. After a few more questions, I learned that he was the “pastor” of a small Methodist church. Deenadayal had conducted several studies with him in the past and had invited him to these classes. His decision to obey the gospel gave another lady the courage to do the same. We filled the concrete baptistery in the yard and witnessed both of them making their good confession of their faith in Christ and following Him in baptism. After the baptisms, he ran down the street to a little bakery and bought a large box of special treats. He came back and distributed these to everyone. He said he wanted everyone to celebrate with him that he was now a true child of God! His work will be difficult, as he tries now to bring the congregation out of this denomination and see if they are honest enough to make their stand for truth. Let’s keep him in our prayers.
Electrical Problems Deenadayal had requested that I use the Power Point projector with the classes. Since English is the second language for all of the folks, he thought the charts and visuals would help them in taking their notes. It worked well for a couple of days, but then the city government starting turning off the power for 12 hours at a time. Without the ceiling fans in the church building, we started getting very hot. Since we couldn’t use the projector, we moved our classes to under the tent in the yard. During one of the afternoons when we had power, I was using the computer and projector. The power went off so I continued my class without the charts. When the power came back on, it came back with too much strength and force. The power surge ruined my computer and projector. For the rest of the trip, I had to teach all of the classes without the aid of the projector. Replacing those will be one expense that I certainly hadn’t counted on.
Visiting the Villages On Tuesday evening, we moved the evening classes to the village of Bhootpur. The church here is where Lazarus preaches. Many of his neighbors came for the classes. We had an attendance of 41. After our classes, we were invited to have supper with them. When I reached for a cayenne pepper, the women thought I didn’t know what I was doing and slapped it out of my hand. They tried, in their broken English, to explain that it was too hot for Americans to eat. I explained that I loved hot peppers and picked it back up. They watched in amazement as I ate three of them. They said they had never seen an American who could handle their hot peppers or hot curry. On Thursday night, we went to the home of Prakasham, another gospel preacher. His wife and daughter-in-law prepared a delicious curry meal.On Friday evening, we went to the village of Adirapally, about 18 kilometers from Jadcherla. The preacher here is also named Lazarus. Our attendance was 55 for the classes. The sky was lit up with a full moon. It was very hot, so many of the village folks were sleeping on the sand outside of their houses. After classes, we were invited to eat rice and chicken. On Saturday morning, we departed from my hotel at 7:00 a.m. to drive to Kwthur, about 30 kilometers away. We left the paved road and drove down a dirt road. It was quite a contrast in vegetation. One side of the road would be dry, with cotton growing. The other side would have irrigation, with rice or corn growing in the fields. The land was also full of sheep and goats. Most of the houses were constructed of mud. The brethren generally have to be in the fields for work by 10:00, so they wanted to meet for a Bible study before going to work. They have started construction on a new chapel. The walls are finished, but they have no money for a roof. We had 38 for the class. After class, I went to two homes to share a cup of boiled buffalo milk, a local tradition of hospitality. On Saturday evening, we went to another village. We drove down a long dirt road, an area with no houses and no electricity. We were not as warmly welcomed in this village, since some Hindu extremist are in this region. One of the Christians invited us to her home for a Bible study. Everyone sat on mats in the yard in front of her house. While we were conducting our Bible class, some of the Hindu teens stood near the house where we were conducting our classes and beat their drums, in hopes of disturbing us. After our Bible class, we walked down the street to a second home. We were asked to have a 15-minute Bible study here and then share a meal with them. We then returned to the first house and had another meal. We were then asked to walk to a third house for another Bible study (with about 25 folks) and another meal. That was three meals in three houses in a one-hour period. After the first meal, I was no longer hungry, but it would insult the people if I didn’t eat with each of them. I was stuffed at the end of the night!
Marriage Proposal Our visit in one of the villages gave me the opportunity to witness another part of their culture, a marriage proposal. Lazarus has two single daughters. One of them had been chosen as a possible bride for one of the young men. In the villages, the marriage proposal is arranged by the boy’s family. His family visits the girl’s family. They will ask many questions about her character, her health, and her cooking skills. This is often the first time for the boy and girl to meet each other. If the boy and girl express some interest in each other, then the girl’s family will make an appointment to visit his neighborhood. They, too, will ask lots of questions, both of the family and the neighbors. If the girl approves of the boy, the two families will then meet to discuss the price the girl’s family will pay the boy’s family for the right to marry. If the price is agreed upon, this will be followed by a big engagement party in the next few weeks. The expenses for the party will be paid by the girl’s family. The average cost would be about 30,000 rupees (or about $600 in U.S. currency). At the engagement party, the boy provides a ring, clothing, sandals, hankie, perfume, powder, and bracelets. For many of these young couples, the boy and girl have never even met each other before. After the engagement party, the couple can now talk to each other, sit together in public, visit the shopping mall, and sit & drink a Coca-Cola. The boy is now allowed to visit the girl at her home. For the wedding, the boy gives the girl more gold: earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. This usually amounts to about $2,500 in U.S. currency. Some of them laughed when I told them I would probably have been forced to remain single, because I could never have afforded all of the gold gifts. A typical wedding would cost about $7,500. Many rich families will spend even much more. At the wedding, an older man from each family will give an “introduction” speech for the bride and the groom.
Sad News on Sunday Deenadayal received a phone call early on Sunday morning to inform him that his mother had suffered a stroke. He and his brother left at about 3:00 a.m. to drive to Hyderabad to check on her and take her to the hospital. They were delayed in getting back, so a young man came to my hotel on his motorcycle to ride me to the church building. We were about an hour late in starting the services, so Deenadayal arrived as we were ready to start the singing. He explained that his mother was resting comfortably and the doctors did not feel that she would suffer from any permanent damage from the stroke. The church worded a special prayer for her. Since we had rented the tent for the week and it was still in place in the yard, we met under the tent for our Sunday morning worship. Our attendance was 88. All of the men sat on one side and the ladies sat on the other side. After our worship, the lady that had been baptized on Friday brought out a big box of candy. She wanted to share with everyone and thank them for the encouragement they had given her in her first two days of being a Christian.
My Second Problem In my haste to leave the hotel with the motorcycle, I may have left my suitcase unlocked. I can’t really say for sure. I had felt safe there all week and had no problems with any of my belongings, but when I got back to the hotel that evening, my Blackberry cell phone was missing. I called the manager and they interviewed a few of the staff members, but nothing turned up. With the destroyed projector and now the stolen phone, my expenses mounted much higher than I was expecting. Oh, well, life does not consist of material things, does it?
After our Sunday morning worship and lunch, we loaded up and took off for Hampi, in the state of Karnataka. Since the college was going to be out of class for two days due to the Hindu festival called Festival of Colors, John decided to skip one day of school and travel with us. We were glad to have him along with us. He had never been to this state and thoroughly enjoyed getting to see the sights, attend the classes, and be with all of the brethren. The journey was about 400 kilometers. Because of the crooked roads and passing through so many villages, the drive took us about six hours. Once again, we saw a great contrast in vegetation, with lots of rice and cotton growing in the fields. The area around Hampi is filled with one temple after another. It is a real haven for Hindu pilgrimages. One of the saddest things was to see how many American college students were in the area to indoctrinate themselves in the Hindu religion. The big bulls roam the streets and seem to have total control of the sidewalks and shops. I had my picture made beside one of the big bulls, but I was warned that I should not touch the horns. They consider the Brahma bull to be the highest form of life on earth. Many of the folks also worship the monkey god, the elephant god, the fire god, the river god, and a host of others. I felt like Paul must have felt when he walked into Athens and saw all of their altars. I wanted to tell them about the “unknown God.” It was some very sad sights. Once again, we rented a tent and had all of our classes underneath the tent. Many preachers came from many different locations. Our attendance average about 45 each day. We had classes for the full day, ending by about 6:00 p.m. since we didn’t have electricity at night. The area around Hampi was having a shortage on producing electricity, so they turned off the power for twelve hours each day. The timing differed each day. India had new records for high temperatures while I was there. I could sure have used an electric fan at night, but we had no power.
Festival of Colors Our classes went from Monday thru Wednesday. The Hindu folks went crazy on Tuesday. This was the day of what they call their Festival of Colors. The schools are closed, the businesses are closed, and everyone is on the street and their bodies are colored in bright powders, dyes, or paints. They paint their clothing, their faces, and their hair.
Safe Arrival at Home On Thursday, I had to be back at the Hyderabad airport to fly out at 7:50 p.m. I flew from Hyderabad to Delhi and sat in the airport all night. My flight then left Delhi at 1:25 a.m. on Friday. I arrived back in Nashville on Friday afternoon at 2:45. By the grace of God, I had a safe journey. I want to thank those who prayed for me during this trip. I feel that much good was accomplished. I pray that God was honored in all that we did. China (November 26 - December 18)Teaching Team 2008
Three of us would make up this year's teaching team. I departed from Nashville. Gert-Jan van Zanten departed from Amsterdam. LiLian Kok depared from Singapore. We all flew different airlines and all arrived at different times. LiLian was the first one to arrive, I came in second, and Gert-Jan came in later in the evening. LiLian has worked as my translator in China on numerous trips. I have known Gert-Jan for many years, having met him when he was living in Canada. He was converted to our Lord while in Canada and decided to return to his homeland of The Netherlands and teach the gospel there. He and I have worked together many times , once in South Africa, once in Russia, and several times in Holland and Belgium. I look forward to traveling with him and sharing the teaching on this trip.
Our Mission
This trip will be divided into three sections. The first leg will be in the northern seaport of Dalian. We will then fly south to Shanghai and end our trip in Beijing. This year's trip is designed more for edification than for evangelism. Now, that doesn't mean we are not willing to teach classes for the non-Christians, but it means that we are not placing as much emphasis on bringing in as many new students. One of my great concerns is why many students are baptized when the foreign teachers are there, but they fall away after two or three weeks. The Great Commission said to baptize them and then to "continue teaching them." I have tried to maintain correspondence with many of the students over the years. We have e-mailed often. I have written to all of them and given them my schedule for the three locations. I'm trying to "round up" all of the lost sheep and see what we can do to strengthen their faith and get them reconnected.
First Leg: Dalian
Francisco is the teacher for the group in Dalian. He became a Christian in 1993 and has been "on fire" for the Lord ever since. He has a great skill of the English language, working as a translator for many people. Anyone in Dalian who knows English knows Francisco. He visits about six of the English Corners each week. He even worked as the translator for the U.S. Track & Field Team during the recent Olympics. Francisco has suffered several persecutions. He was arrested in 2001 and the soldiers confiscated all of his religious books. I have tried to bring him a few extra study books each year since, in an effort to help rebuild his reference library. He loans these books to many of the English students in town. He hopes that their desire to read English will help them learn the Bible. Francisco was with us for every day of our time in Dalian. He was constantly using his cell phone, trying to call students and arranging classes with them.
Abraham is one of the oldest Christians in Dalian, both in his age and the length of having been a disciple. He was baptized by Tom Sutherland in 1993. I started studying with him in 2000. He has such a deep love for the Lord that I feel stronger every time I am with him. He has read the Bible all the way through many times. On my first three trips to Dalian, he would generally come very early in the morning for us to study together for about two hours. He will be 82 years old in a few months. His wife is about 40 years younger than him. They have a young son, Isaac, who is in elementary school. Abraham spent twenty years in prison for believing in God and the Bible. He was beaten on several occasions and once the belt buckle hit him in the left eye and is now blind in that eye. I had not seen Abraham on my last two trips. I had been misinformed and thought he had died. I learned on this trip that he had suffered a stroke and was unable to walk or talk, but was very much alive. I asked permission to visit him. His wife said it would be fine. When I entered the room, he threw up his hand to wave and gave me a big smile. His wife was surprised to see him react so much, since he had little movement since the stroke. I sat beside him and held his hand. I then asked if I could read a chapter or two in the Bible. He seemed to be listening so attentively. When I finished, I said, "Well, we must be going. I don't want to get you too tired." To his wife's shock, he spoke up, "Please stay longer." Sarah said he hadn't talked since the stroke. This brought tears to my eyes. It was an absolute joy to be with us once again.
Tommy was one of the early contacts from English Corner. He was baptized by John McPherson. I spent much time with him on the 2000 and 2001 trips. He showed good leadership ability and I had high hopes for him as a leader for the group in Dalian. Sadly, he was out to sea during the 2002 trip and I had not seen him since. Tommy was trained as a chef on a ship and his contracts are usually for nine months to a year at a time. This has not been good for his spiritual growth or for his relationship with his wife and son. He sends me e-mails from time to time, when his ship makes stops. I have done what I can to encourage him and give him materials to read by means of e-mail. I was thrilled to learn that he would be in Dalian for four days while I was going to be there. He would then leave for another contract at sea. He brought his son, Little Tom, to the hotel to see me. We were able to talk about many of our classes in the past. I was thrilled to see him, but saddened that he has done little spiritual growth.
Grace Liu is a very sweet girl, but she is so messed up on so many religious topics. Francisco met her at the Zhongshan Square English Corner in 2002. She was baptized in November '02. She attended most of our classes in '02 and '03. She later married a man she met on the internet, an unbeliever from Taiwan. Shortly after getting married, they moved to South Dakota. Her husband is a Buddhist, so there have been several marital problems. Her husband had told her to stop reading the Bible. For several years of my return trips to Dalian, she was not in town and I thought I had totally lost contact with her. She states that she is now seeking psychiatric care and is on medication. She has suffered much verbal abuse, both from the Buddhists and the native Americans. They make fun of her and have convinced her that they can control her mind. Her husband sent her back to Dalian for a six-month visit with her parents. This gave her the opportunity to attend many of our classes.
Esther attended many of our classes last year. Francisco met her at the Zhongshan Square English Corner many years ago. She attended several Bible studies with John McPherson. She was baptized in the spring and we were there in December. She attended all of the classes at the start of the trip last year, but then "disappeared" from the classes. We later learned that she had been threatened by the State Church and told to stay away from Francisco and any classes he organized. It was a joy to see her again this year. She had recently started assembling with Franc and the believers again. She is now working as an English teacher with elementary students. She came for classes every day, often coming for class, leaving to teach some of her English classes, and later returning for Bible classes. She went out with us for meals on several occasions and went to the airport to see us off. She is a good student and a great encouragement to Franc and his work. She is one of the most dependable in her attendance.
Thomas was a contact from the Olympics Square English Corner in 2003. Franc brought him to our Bible classes that year. He proved to be a very good student. He was later baptized by Franc. Thomas married right out of high school. She is a Buddhist and gives him much opposition. He has seemingly worked hard to be a good husband and has really had to struggle to provide for his family. He is a businessman with a cosmetic company. He admits that he puts his job ahead of everything else, including God and his wife. He attended a couple of the studies on this year’s trip, but his schedule kept him away from most of the studies.
Joe Zhao was a contact that Francisco met online. He is working for the Cannon Company. He has attended many of my classes, plus many with Keith Barclay, David Hurst, and Hugh DeLong, but Franc is unable to figure out where he now stands in his spiritual growth or interest.
Grace Yu was a friend of Esther, who brought her to several of the Bible studies with Keith Barclay and Hugh DeLong. Hugh baptized her in October of this year. She attended nearly every class we had this year, often arriving early in the morning and staying until the very end of the night. She contstantly wanted to talk about her 15-year-old son, who needs corrective discipline, and her estranged husband. The Chinese government forbids spanking or any form of corporal punishment. She has joined Franc for worship only when foreign teachers are present. She is constantly talking about signing a work-contract in Canada or Finland. She thinks the separation will fix her marriage problems. Gert-Jan and I studied with her on several occasions, emphasizing that she needed to stay here with her husband son and work on the problems.
Dennis Zhao was introduced to Francisco by a guy called Peter Yuan at the Zhongshan English Corner in 2002. He came to classes with us in 2003 and was later baptized by Franc. Shortly after his baptism, he disappeared for a few years. Franc met him again and brought him to studies with Hugh DeLong in October and to several of our studies in December.
Chris attended most our classes in '07. Francisco distributed cards at the State Church English Corner and Chis got hold of one of them. His English is possibly athe best of all of the students. He always speaks highly of his mother, who is now going blind. He is developing a good grasp of hte Bible stories. He was baptized by Franc in May of this year. He came almost every evening of our classes. He is regular in his attendance with Franc on the Sunday meetings.
Sara is dating Chris. She understands English, but cannot speak it. She was baptized in July of this year. She came with Cris to the evening classes. She also attends the public meetings with Franc very often.
Grace Yu was baptized just a couple of months ago. She came for classes every day. She is married and has a 15-year-old son. She had a long list of questions for us every day, especially questions about marriage, since she feels her marriage is a failure. Her son senses that the marriage is close to failure, so he is encouraging her to sign as contract as a domestic worker in a foreign country. She is looking at going to Austria, Canada, or Denmark. We talked with her about the dangers of going to a place where there was no church to help her with her spiritual growth. She invited us out for meals on a couple of occasions, gave us a parting gift, and saw us off at the airport. She wanted to study with us every day, but we are concerned about her future.
Harry met Francisco at English Corner. He works with a company as a translator. His English is very good. He heard some teachings from a Korean Church, telling him that there is a Mother God and a Father God. This caused him to have many questions. He attended classes with us every day during his lunch break. He returned for many of the evening classes. He is currntly living with his girlfriend, so this is one of the things that must be addressed.
Frances is a co-worker of Harry's. She also does translating. She, too, sacrificed her lunch hour to come with Harry for classes every day. She became so interested, she returned for more classes as soon as she got off work each day. At one point she said she wanted o be baptized, but her sister talked her out of it. Her sister is an atheist and argues that you can't decide to be a Christian until you know every verse of the Bible. She has a good heart, so we hope the seed was planted and will bear fruit later.
Kitty met Francisco at English Corner. She lived in Los Angeles for 16 years and just recently moved back to Dalian. Her son served in the U.S. Navy and still lives in San Diego. She had invited Franc to her home for a study. When she learned about our classes, she wanted to attented as many classes as she could. She comes from a charismatic background, but listened well, took good notes, and seemed to examining all that we were teaching. She agreed to more classes with Franc, so we hope she can become a Christian after more studies.
Jason was attempting to learn English and attended the State Church English Corner. Francisco met him in '07 and started studying with him. He works as a security guard at a German-owned department store. He attended our classes in '07 and returnd for many classes this year. He as been attending many of the assemblies with Franc. Marvin was introduced to Francisco by David Liuminghui, who was a former student at Dalian University of Technology. Marvin is working on his PhD program. He has received lots of Buddhism teaching, but has not embraced all of it. He joined the Baptist Church, but later came with David for some studies with us. John McPherson was able to baptize him in '06. |
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