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?

Heading to Another State

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.

Thursday (Nov. 6) – Arrival in South Africa

   We arrived in Amsterdam at 9:00 a.m. and departed again at 10:05.  The plane was already loading when we arrived, so we had to rush to the gate. The flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg was 11 hours.  We received our luggage and cleared customs by 11:00. Rob Buchanan and Allan Fox, two of the South Africa preachers, were waiting for us in the terminal. Rob had made the five-hour journey from White River, where he preaches. He was driving his 7-passenger Indian-made vehicle (called a Mahindra) and pulling a trailer. He had removed the back seat, which will allow us to transfer even more food that what would only fit in the trailer.

We drove to Allan’s house to spend the night, arriving there just before midnight. We were able to get a quick shower and immediately go to bed.

Friday (Nov. 7) – Departure for Zimbabwe

   We had thunderstorms during the night. As I was awakened a couple of times by the thunder, I said a short prayer that Zimbabwe could receive some of this rain. Many areas have been without rain for 3-4 years. The brethren have not had good crops for years and the hunger continues.

   Sylvia prepared a nice breakfast for us before our departure for Zimbabwe. We drove a few hours and then stopped in the town of Louis Trichardt. We filled up the containers with diesel, bought groceries to take to the brethren in Zim, and then went to a fast-food restaurant for a late lunch. We called David & Joanne Beckley, an American couple living and teaching in South Africa, and invited them to join us at the restaurant. We ate sandwiches and enjoyed a good visit together. We left there at 5:45 and arrived at the border crossing at 7:10. One has to go through customs on the South Africa side, enter “no man’s land” and then go through customs on the Zimbabwe side. We encountered long lines and absolute chaos. Several of the officers tried to find things wrong with our papers, in hopes of getting a bribe to let us pass on. It was 8:45 before we completed things on the South Africa side and 11:30 before we finished on the Zimbabwe side. We had to pay for our Zimbabwe visa in South Africa rand. We then had to pay a carbon tax, a road access tax, and to buy what they call third-party insurance.

   Things were bad when I was in this country last year, but it has even gotten worse in the past year. In one supermarket, which has branches all over the country, they are selling goods only in Zimbabwe dollars.  More than half of the store is completely empty and closed off with strings of white plastic tape. The shelves contain a few light bulbs, cayenne pepper and a few raw vegetables that should have been thrown away a couple of weeks ago.  In another market, they have a few old magazines, condoms, and loose tea for sale. For Zimbabweans who have no access to foreign currency, this is the extent to what food is available to buy. The vast majority of citizens do not have foreign currency or if they do it is one single, previous note hidden away in a safe place and is not anywhere near enough to buy food. There is another supermarket in town that is selling goods in U.S. dollars, Botswana pula, and/or South Africa rand. They will not sell you the goods in Zim dollars. If you have these foreign notes, you can buy cooking oil, tea, coffee, salt, pasta, tinned goods, and a few toiletries.  Our brethren are suffering, not just because of the lack of food and the high prices, but because of other silly things the government has done. The Reserve Bank Governor has banned electronic transfers and limited cash withdrawals to 50,000 Zim dollars a day. The lines at the banks are usually requiring 2-4 hours of waiting. It can possibly take 8-10 days to withdraw enough money just to buy a loaf of bread. The inflation is now estimated to be at 231 million percent.  The prices change rapidly daily. In one week, the exchange of one U.S. dollar to the Zim dollar went from an exchange of 250,000 to 300,000 to 460,000 to 600,000 to 860,000 to 1,500,000. The brethren cannot afford to even buy a loaf of bread. Things are getting harder and harder for the brethren every week.

   We finally arrived in Bulawayo at 2:30 a.m. We went to the home of George & Jennie Edy, where we would stay for our days in Bulawayo. Jennie fixed us a nice salad. We then got a shower and finally got to bed at about 3:30. Rob took one bedroom, Stephen took another one, and I slept on an air mattress in the front entrance.

Saturday (Nov. 8) – Classes in Tsholotsho

   It rained all night in town, but we later learned that they got none of the rain in the villages. We got up at 6:30, had our breakfast, and were ready to start our day. The phone lines were not working (which is normal for Zimbabwe), so we drove to Mountbatten Brewer’s house. He had arranged a schedule for us in the village of Tsholotsho. In traveling to any location, whether in the city or going to the villages, one does not necessarily travel the shortest route; we try to take the route with the fewest potholes. Some of the holes are large enough to destroy the tires if you fall into one of them. One has to move back and forth on both sides of the street in order to avoid the largest of the holes. There is a new joke in Zimbabwe that says that if a man is driving straight going down the street, the policeman will stop him thinking he’s drunk.

   We bought some mealie meal (crushed corn) in the market and then stopped along the highway to buy some vegetables. Knowing the reports that some of the brethren have not had food for a long time, we wanted to share a meal with them. We had 92 assembled for our classes. Rob, Stephen and I all taught lessons. The interest was very good. We ended our classes at 2:00 and then ate lunch. We were then ready to head back into town. Dark clouds were gathering as we departed. The brethren were hoping for some of the rain.

   We got back to Brewer’s house at 5:15. His wife had a supper prepared for us. We enjoyed the meal and the visit. We then drove to George & Jennie’s and she had prepared a supper for us, too. We ate again, but not so much. We were all very tired, having had little sleep last night, so we went to bed at 9:00.

Sunday (Nov. 9) – Visiting with several churches

   Like the Israelites in the wilderness, who got God’s provision of manna while they slept, while we slept last night God provided the needed mealie meal for our brethren. Brewer received a phone call at 5:00 a.m. saying, “I have one ton of mealie meal. If you want to purchase it, you can have it.” We were made to rejoice at such good news. He came to the house early to give me the opportunity to photograph the first $2,000 worth of mealie meal the American brethren had helped buy for the needy saints. It is very sad to see the kind of hunger that exists in this country.

   We had our breakfast at 8:00. Jennie used the groceries we brought from South Africa and fixed us boiled eggs, cheese, cereal, toast & jam. George was like a little child, making strange sounds with each bite. He said, “This is a feast.” He enjoyed all of the food, eating some things he had not eaten for a few months.

   Stephen went with George and Jennie for Bible study and worship at the Hillside Church, where he would preach the sermon. Rob and I went to the Queen’s Park Church. Newman Gumpo taught a wonderful class on the qualifications of elders. I was asked to preach a sermon, so I gave a study of Ephesians. The sermon was translated into both Mshona and Ndbele. Rob and I later discussed how lovely the singing was. They ended their service and exited the building by singing, “Thank You, Lord.”

   Several of the families expressed their deep thanks for the boxes of food they are receiving from Christians in America. Many other families explained that they had not been added to any of the lists to receive food boxes. Food is difficult to get. Many shops are without food. Those shops that do have food are selling it in foreign currency, something nearly impossible for most of the Christians to get their hands on. I took their names and addresses and promised to pass these along to interested American families.

   Rob & I drove back to Jennie’s for lunch. We then drove out of town to the Kensington Church, where Newman preaches. We had 107 in attendance. Rob preached a sermon from Psalms One. We met from 2:00 to 4:00. After our worship, we once again worked on the list for those who were or were not receiving food parcels. I once again promised to try to help those who were not receiving any food to get their name on a list from the American Christians.

   We returned to the Hillside Church for 6:00 p.m. worship. I had asked the afternoon church to meet with us. I preached a lesson on “The Sermon on the Mount.” The government had turned off the electricity, so we used an oil lamp. The singing was beautiful, with the two congregations blending their voices together. One of the songs was in Ndebele, the native tongue of the brethren from the afternoon church.

   Jennie prepared a nice soup for our supper. We finally got to bed at 10:00 p.m.

Monday (Nov. 10) – Travels to Mutsari

   I woke up this morning at 4:00. The sky was a beautiful blue. There was no electricity in the city. The folks have become accustomed to this nuisance for the past two years; they never know when they will have water, electricity, internet, or phone service. Jennie used a gas grill to prepare hot tea for us. We ate breakfast and departed at 7:00.

   We stopped at Brewer’s house to leave him another $3,000. He has already made three trips to various villages. We have been so thrilled to be able to buy the mealie meal for the brethren who are in such need.

   We then drove to Professor’s house to fetch him, his wife and his son. We had to stop at the market in search of salt, tea, and sugar.  We had to go to four different stores in search of sugar, but were never able to find any. We finally went to the streets and bought the sugar at black market prices, about four times the price that it should have been.  Most of the stores are without many of the items the brethren need, such as cooking oil, milk, eggs, sugar, etc.

   We finally got out of town at 8:45 and reached the village at 11:30. The people had been called to town for election of their ward chairman. We went ahead and set up our tents for sleeping for the next two nights.

   We had an afternoon class with four of the men. We had lunch at 2:30 and then started more classes. The numbers continued to grow and grow. Rob, Stephen and I alternated in teaching the classes. There were lots of questions that continued into the darkness. We had 50 women and 46 men by the end of the sessions.

Tuesday (Nov. 11) – More village classes

   I got up at 4:30 and went for a walk up the mountain. I later walked past the kraal and saw some of the men plowing their fields. The dust was rolling behind the plow. This area is so dry and they are so in hopes of rains in order to plant their seed corn. I came back to the tents and had tea and bread with the brethren.

   All three of us taught classes again this morning. Once again, we had many, many questions being asked. Two ladies requested baptism. The nearest water was in the cattle watering trough. We had a problem with the village headman. He wanted a bribe for his permission to allow the baptism. Rob and I were not in favor of paying the bribe; we thought we could put them in the truck and take them to the river about 45 minutes away. Professor went ahead and promised the headman payment, so we went to the cattle trough for their baptism.

   As soon as Professor had finished the baptisms, a heavy rain started. The brethren were so excited. It gave them hopes of their corn germinating.

   We got back into town at 5:00. We stopped by Brewer’s house again to photo the latest two tons of mealie meal he had purchased. I gave him another $1000to try to buy more tomorrow. We got back to George & Jennie’s and got bedded down for the night.

Wednesday (Nov. 12) – Working with Newman at Dadata

   I was able to sleep until 6:00 this morning. We had fresh eggs for breakfast. We departed at 7:45 and drove to Newman Gumpo’s house. I was excited to see the first shipment of the seed corn that had arrived at his house. I can’t say enough to express my thanks for the work of Les Maydell, a preacher in South Africa, for working so hard with the United Nations to learn how to buy this seed. The brethren are continuing their prayers that there will be enough rain to cause the germination of the seed once they get it in the ground. Thanks to many American brethren, 17 tons of seed corn was purchased and distributed in four different areas.

   We stopped along the way to buy fresh vegetables for the brethren. I had previously given Newman money to buy as much mealie meal as he could.  We arrived at Dadata, 116 km southeast of Bulawayo, at 10:10. Bigboy Dube, a preacher in Gwanda, arrived with seven brethren from his area. Rob, Stephen and I all gave a lesson. Our attendance was 92. Once again, the singing was so beautiful in their native tongue.

   After class, we distributed bottles of Ibuprofen, multiple vitamins for the adults, chewable vitamins for the children, liquid vitamins for the infants, and about 25 tube of toothpaste. We departed the village at 2:10. A heavy rain started falling as we were leaving. The roads became slippery. Right in front of our eyes, the small river started flowing as we crossed several little bridges. It was an exciting thing to behold.

   When we got back into town, we went to an internet café but were unable to get online. We were told that the server had been down for two days. This is life in Zimbabwe!

   We attended Bible study with the Hillside Church. Once again, we had several of the brethren from the afternoon church to visit the classes.

Thursday (Nov. 13) – Drive to Victoria Falls

   We got up at 4:30 and finished packing the trailer for our departure. We had breakfast at 5:30 and left at 6:00. We drove 330 km and met Tenson Mangwinyana at Hwange. We drove another thirty minutes for Bible classes at Lukosi. We had 69 in attendance under a big tree.

   After classes, we drove on into Victoria Falls. We were scheduled to meet Peter Mudenda, but learned that his car had broken down somewhere on the highway. We went to the Sunshine Lodge and checked in. We had been quoted a price, but it had doubled by the time we arrived.

   We divided into two teams for the evening. Stephen went to the Mosi High Church with Tenson and taught a class there. Rob and I went with Peter at the Chamabondo Church. After classes, Tenson came to the lodge and wanted us to give him some lessons on preparing Power Point lessons. I was happy to get a shower and lay down on a bed. This was my first night of the trip to sleep on a bed, since I’ve slept on an air mattress in the tent and at George & Jennie’s house.

Friday (Nov. 14) – Travels to Zambia

   We got up at 6:00 and packed the trailer for the trip into Zambia. We had breakfast at the lodge and then drove to Peter Mudenda’s house. We got his uncle to travel with us across the border to buy the part needed to repair the clutch on Peter’s truck. He then crossed back into Zimbabwe and we proceeded to the village where we would have our classes. We first had to stop and buy mealie meal, veggies and bread.

   We were expecting the brethren to be waiting for us when we arrived, but arrived to an empty village. We learned that one of the Christians had died at midnight. The brethren were all with the family and preparing for the funeral. We were asked to join them at the home.

   When we arrived, all of the men were under one large tree. All of the women were under another tree near the house. The body had been placed in a small wooden casket. It was inside a mud hut. The wife, mother, and immediate family were all inside the hut. As we approached the area, we could hear the brethren singing hymns. They had been singing for two hours, waiting for our arrival.

   Once we were introduced to the family, the casket was then brought outside and opened for the viewing of the body. The mourning, crying and screaming are totally impossible to describe. Several of the ladies fainted when they viewed the corpse. Once everyone had passed the casket and viewed the body, the lid was then screwed down. Six men then lifted the casket and started a slow procession down a dusty path. The brethren all started singing hymns as we walked. It was a long walk, going up and down several hills. We finally went up a steep path, to the top of a large hill, where the grave had been dug. I had been asked to preach the funeral sermon. When I concluded, the family members were invited to speak. The casket was then lowered into the grave. From where I was standing, I tried to do a quick count of the crowd. I counted 268, but there were many others sitting on the ground that I could not see.  I’m sure there were well over 300 people present. The men took turns shoveling the dirt into the grave. Possibly as many as 30 men helped with this process. They viewed this as an honor to help fill the grave. The dirt was mounded up very high. Friends then placed branches and flowers on top of the mound. One of the man’s brothers then stepped forth, holding the tea pot, drinking cup and eating bowl. The then took an axe and chopped holes in all of them. These were then placed on top of the grave. The symbolism is to state that no one else will ever eat or drink from this brother’s utensils.

   We then started the slow procession back to the house. All of the brethren continued singing hymns during the walk back to the house. We soon said our good-byes and departed for the village where we would be holding our Bible classes. Our schedule was arranged by Chris Simulnda. He and his son-in-law, Efran Njovu, share in the preaching. Chris works as a school teacher. He gets a very small salary from the government, but they allow him to live in a small house, owned by the school. He will be retiring soon, so he will have to vacate the house.

   We were given our supper, set up our tents for sleeping, and then started our Bible classes. We had to use flash lights, since there was no other lighting.

Saturday (Nov. 15) – Classes in Zambia and returning to Zimbabwe

   I woke up at 5:30. Chris boiled some water for me to have a hot bath. After bathing, I went walking with Chris to see the church building where they worship. It is in need of a new thatch roof. He then took me to the area where he is building his new house. He has been cutting small trees for the walls and hauling dirt to make the floors. We came back to his house by the school and had breakfast. We then started another class. I did a survey of “Ecclesiastes” and tried to emphasis how to find real happiness.

   We left the village at 9:30. We gave a sister a ride into town. She needed to see a doctor at the hospital. We then went to an auto shop and bought two new tubes for Peter’s truck, plus some motor oil. We filled up the containers with diesel, in hopes that this would get us through the rest of the trip.

   Our next stop was the Super Spar, a giant grocery store. We were able to buy food for our lectures in Binga, more food for George & Jennie, and to buy another truck load of Mealie Meal for the brethren. We also bought 15 bottles of water. This was to be our supply for our days in Binga, five bottles for Rob, five for Stephen, and five for me.

  We got to the border at 1:00. It only took us about thirty minutes to get things completed on the Zambia side. We then got to the Zimbabwe side and ran into big problems. The government had changed their rules over night. We had to pay customs on the mealie meal. We then were told to go to the Agriculture Import office and pay a few there. Yesterday the cost was only 4,000 Zim dollars. Today it went up to 4,000,000. There were many Zim residents standing there with only one sack of mealie meal, but still had to pay the four million. If they didn’t have the money, which most of them didn’t, the government confiscated their sack of food. Several of the women were crying, stating that they had left their children at home, walked across the bridge to get to the store in Zambia, and were now trying to get back home to their children. Sadly, they crossed back across the bridge without food for their children.

   We then had another big problem with the insurance man. He said we hadn’t for the insurance for the trailer. He ordered the guard to not let us pass through. We argued with them for over an hour. We showed all of the paper work, showed our receipt for payment, and explained that we had been inspected by the police at about a dozen road blocks. It soon became evident to us that he was only holding out for a bribe. Rob and I refused to give him to his robbery and asked that a policeman be brought in. We made our arguments and explained that this man is not in uniform and does not have an I.D.  We were even more convinced that he was trying to rob us. The policeman eventually let us go through at about 3:30.

   We had wanted to be at Peter’s house at 2:00, when they started their men’s training class. We figured the class would be over, but we went ahead to his house and were able to be with the men for the last 10 or 15 minutes of their class.  The men meet every Saturday afternoon for developing class materials and sermons. They also discuss some more advanced subjects. Today they were studying whether or not a Christian should marry a non-Christian. The ladies meet at the same time in another location.

   We returned to the Sunshine Lodge in Victoria Falls, where we had slept before going into Zambia. We ate supper and had some time for studying before going to bed.

Sunday (Nov. 16) – Visits with different churches

   We got up at 6:00 and got our showers. We had breakfast at 7:00. Peter came for Stephen at 7:30. The Mosi Church (where Tenson preaches) and the Chamabondo Church (where Peter preaches) had decided to meet together for today’s service. Stephen agreed to teach the class and preach the sermon. Rob and I traveled together to Hwange to be with the Lukosi Church once again. Tenson works with these brethren from time to time and he arranged the schedule for today. He had already arrived by the time we got there. I was asked to preach the sermon and Rob then taught the class. We ended our service at 12:00.

   Rob and I waited beside the highway for Peter and Stephen. They were supposed to meet us at 12:00. They hadn’t shown up at 2:00, so we started driving back toward Vic Falls in search of them.  We met them on the road at 2:45. When we inquired as to whether they had car troubles, they said they had gone to a restaurant for lunch. We finally got everything organized and started the journey to Binga.

   We passed an area where people were in long lines to collect cooking oil and mealie meal. It was a charitable work from the U.S. government. The people seemed very appreciative of their gifts. I hope I don’t hear any of them bad-mouthing the U.S. while I’m here. These gifts should show them how kind the U.S. can be to folks around the world.

   We got to the lodge where we should stay at about 6:30. We were happy to receive the news that the truck load of seed corn had been delivered on Saturday. If the rain comes, the brethren can get their fields ready soon. We were given the keys to check into our cottages near the lake. Rob and I shared one cottage; Peter and Stephen shared another lodge. I had agreed to a price for the cottages, but we were told the price had doubled. This has become rather “normal” in Zimbabwe. We got a shower and were ready for bed. It was extremely hot tonight, so we appreciated the ceiling fan.

Monday (Nov. 17) – Classes in Binga

   We had breakfast at 6:30. We were served fried eggs, fried fish, beans, and toast. It certainly wasn’t a typical American breakfast, but we’re reminded that we’re not in America. We departed the lodge at 7:00. The lodge is 15 km from the main road and then it is another 7 km to the village where we’ll be having our classes.

   I was very impressed with the new chapel the men had built. It had a very high roof, covered with new thatch, and had several split trees for benches. They had also built a corral for the kitchen. Several men were working with large black kettles. I had previously sent money to Peter, so the brethren had bought a few goats and some crushed corn. We brought the rest of the food with us.

   The brethren wanted to sing a few songs and then get started with classes. We had three classes before our break for lunch. I had been given a bunch of blue plastic bowls from a medical clinic or hospital in Alabama. These were used by the doctors in surgery. They were thrown away after one use, so a good sister collected them for us to use in Zim. I distributed 390 of them, so I’m guessing our attendance in Binga was well over 400.

   We unloaded the mealie meal we had purchased in Zambia. We allocated so much per meal, agreeing on 40 kg for breakfast and then 50 kg for lunch and 50 kg for supper. We were also informed that a small cow was available for sale if we were interested. Stephen agreed to purchase the beast with money that had been donated by a Christian family in Alabama.

   We were able to see many signs of malnutrition. Several children had the big tummy, not caused from junk food, but from malnutrition. We distributed a case of vitamins, clothing, toys and medicines. The brethren were very appreciative.

   We had more classes in the afternoon and then broke for supper. I think our meal tonight was the worse mealie meal that I’ve ever eat. It tasted like it had charcoal in it. Today was an extremely hot day. All of us were weak and running short on water. We had no lights and could not get the generator to work, so the local men recommended that they teach the final session and let us go on back to the lodge for bed. When we got back to the lodge, we learned that the water pump was broken. Two young boys brought us buckets of water for our bath. It was a very hot night, so we really appreciated the bath.

Tuesday (Nov. 18) – More classes in Binga

   We woke up this morning to learn that in addition to there being no water, there is now no electricity. The boys brought more water buckets to fill the tub for our bath. Peter loaded the seed corn into the truck. Distribution was made to the brethren today. We had to emphasize that this was seed corn and not corn for eating. We feared that some of them would grind it for mealie meal. We emphasized that it was coated with fertilize and insecticides and could make them sick if they attempted to eat it.

   We had breakfast at 6:30. The little kitchen was out of eggs. We had fried fish, potatoes, toast, and a mango. We departed for the village at 7:00. The brethren had prepared porridge for their breakfast. Everyone was in a good mood and acted like they were thrilled to see us. We started our classes and used the same rotation we used yesterday: Rob, Stephen and then me. We took a break for lunch, having mealie meal and beef.  We then had another busy afternoon in classes.

   After the classes in the afternoon, we started our annual Bible quiz. The person with the correct answer received one of the things we had brought for distribution: toothpaste, books, candy, or toy. The brethren were a joy to watch in their excitement of winning one of these gifts.

   We ate supper and were ready to start the evening classes. It was already pitch black by this time. Once again, we planned on using the generator to power the computer and projector, but never could get it to start. All of us were disappointed. Since no one was able to see their Bibles, we simply used the time for singing and prayers. We then said our good-byes to everyone and went back to the lodge. We still didn’t have water or electricity at the lodge.

Wednesday (Nov. 19) – Driving back to Bulawayo

   We woke to no water and no electricity. When we got to the kitchen for breakfast, we were told there was no food, except for one fish each. We departed the lodge at 8:00 and got into Bulawayo shortly after noon. We drove to Jennie’s and she prepared lunch for us. We then needed to do some more shopping. The little church in Tampico, Mexico, had learned of the poverty in Zimbabwe.  They wanted to send relief to some of the brethren. I agreed to serve as their “delivery boy” and take their funds to buy some food for the afternoon church in Bulawayo. We were able to fill the trailer with mealie meal and take it to the evening Bible class. We were able to buy 50 bags of 10 kg each at the cost of $7 per bag, a total of $350.

   I was asked to teach the Bible class for the morning church and afternoon church combined for the class. I taught a lesson from the book of Ezekiel. We had no electricity in the building, so we used a kerosene lantern.  After class, we used a small flashlight and went to the trailer for the distribution of the mealie meal. Each family signed their name to show the receipt of the food. All of them expressed their deep appreciation.

Thursday (Nov. 20) – Classes in Gwanda and driving back to South Africa

   We had to get up at 5:00, in order to get the trailer packed and ready to leave at 6:00. We drove to Gwanda and met Bigboy Dube at 7:30. Then then drove to Sathina, about 80 kms to the south and east. We arrived there at 9:00.

   I have visited with these brethren on several occasions in the past, but it was noticeable to me that many of them are much thinner. They explained to me their difficulties in feeding their families. Rob, Stephen and I each delivered a Bible lesson. The brethren also wanted to sing many songs, which were so very lovely. We ate lunch with them and distributed about 30 bottles of Ibuprofen, many bottles of multiple vitamins, and numerous tubes of toothpaste. I gave each of the cooks a potholder, made by one of the Christians in Kentucky. They absolutely loved these gifts.

   Bigboy explained that there were many older women who had walked to the classes. He was concerned that they were too old and too weak to walk back home, but he didn’t have the money to buy gasoline for his old truck to transport him. I gave him the funds for the gasoline and everyone seemed so thrilled. We departed the village after lunch. We arrived at the Zimbabwe/South Africa border at 3:00. We finally finished customs and immigration on both sides at 5:15. We stopped along the way for a bite to eat and finally reached the Buchanan’s house at 10:30. Stephen hit the bed immediately; Rob, Cheryl and I stayed up to talk for a while. Their son, Graham, also stayed up, so we could catch up on all of his college work. He is studying computer programming. We finally turned in for bed after midnight.

Friday (Nov. 21) – Departing Africa

   We got up at 5:30 and loaded our belongings back into the Mahindra. We wanted to be at the bus terminal at 6:00, in hopes of getting a good seat in the front. Our bus left at 7:00 and we arrived at the Johannesburg Airport at noon. Our departure was not until very late, so Fred & Pearl Liggin came to the airport to fetch us. We went back to their house for the day and had a very delightful visit. Pearl and her maid, Martha, fixed us a nice lunch and then later fixed us a delicious dinner.

   We left the house at 8:15 to drive back to the airport. We got our luggage checked at 9:30 and then had to clear customs. Our departure was scheduled for 11:55, but we were late in leaving.

Saturday (Nov. 22) – Flight home

   Since we were late in leaving Johannesburg, we were a little late in arriving in Amsterdam.  We got in at about 10:15. The pilot had tried to make up for some of the delay, but we were 15 minutes late. Stephen and I were both scheduled for flights to Detroit, but with different departures.  If he had used my flight, there would not have been a connecting flight on into Birmingham at that time of the evening. He was to depart at 10:50 and I was to depart at 1:25. As soon as we landed, many of the people took off running to get to the gate for the early Detroit flight. Stephen was late in arriving at the gate, so they had already closed the gate. He had to get rescheduled and left out on a flight to Memphis and then into Detroit. I was able to et my 1:25 flight without any trouble. I got into Nashville at 8:15 p.m. Delores met me at the airport and we made the drive home.

   I arrived home very tired, but with the feeling that much good was accomplished on the trip. I want to thank all of those who provided donations for the food , vitamins and medicines for the brethren. I also want to thank all of those who said they prayed for us during this trip.

   I accepted the invitation of Dana Whisler and Greg Whipple to return to Belize to help with several Bible classes and conduct a few special lecture on assigne topics.

   The island is 19.6 miles long and 6 miles wide at its broadest point (70 square miles) and most of it can be toured by car. Aruba has good roads, though many are unmarked. However, the government has marked the roads to point the way to the resort areas and specific attractions. Although some of the maps show street names and highway numbers, once you leave the downtown area in Oranjestad road signs and street markers are few and far between. If you venture into the countryside, the roads are not likely to be paved. The divi-divi trees always point southwest, away from the trade winds, so if a tourist gets lost it is important to remember that these trees blow in the direction of the resorts. The island is unusual in that it does not have a lake or river anywhere on the island.  All bodies of water are salt water.

    The population of Aruba is 70,007. The currency is known as the Aruba florin. It is divided into 100 cents. One U.S. dollar is equal to about 1.75 Aruba florin. The U.S. dollar is widely accepted at most restaurants and shops.  There is no sales tax on purchases, though a 6% government tax and 10-15% service charge are added to most hotel and restaurant bills.

   At the island 's northern tip, the California Lighthouse, named for the wreck of the passenger ship California just offshore, is on a cliff that offers a panorama of four beaches. At this point, the difference can be observed between the calm southern coast and the northern coast with waves crashing against the shoreline.

   Practically all Arubans are fluent in four languages: English, Dutch, Spanish and Papiamentu, the native language of the three “ABC” islands. Papiamentu is a melodic language derived from a blending of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, African, English and French. It is spoken by locals at home and with friends. Arubans, known for their hospitality and their friendly, outgoing nature, treat visitors as important guests and extend a sincere bon bini (“welcome”). I feel that their warmness can be traced to a line from the country’s national anthem: “The greatness of our people is their great cordiality.”

   Gold was discovered in Aruba in 1824, attracting considerable investment, but a century later the mine was exhausted. A different sort of gold renewed interest in the island in 1924, when the Lago Oil and Transport Company built a large refinery that brought one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean. This prosperity was furthered by the development of tourism, which became Aruba’s primary industry when the refinery closed in 1985. It reopened in 1991. Because of the focus on tourism and number of resorts on the island, Arubans enjoy a very low unemployment rate. A moratorium on building new hotels or timeshare resorts contributes to sustainable development and a high standard of living on the island. Arubans are proud of their heritage and are concerned that with the importation of additional workers the island’s local flavor might be lost. 

Bonaire -- "Diver's Paradise"

   The title used above is on the license plates of Bonaire. The island  enjoys the same kind of tropical weather as Aruba, with a near constant 82 degrees temperature year round.. It, too, lies outside the hurricane belt. The island is 27 miles long and 2-7 miles wide. The Bonaire Census Bureau reported a population of 14,006 inhabitants as of December, 2006. The island is served by Flamingo International Airport. The water purifying plant in Aruba uses 9 times more energy in one day than the whole island of Bonaire for one day.

A History of the Lord's Church in Aruba

   The Lord's church in Aruba can be traced back to 1955,  when three American families came to Aruba to work with the Exxon Corporation of the Lago Oil Refinery. They lived in an area known as the “colony,” a self-contained community for Exxon employees. For three years, the three American families met for worship every Sunday. They  met in the homes of the members. They wouldn't think of forsaking the assembling and forsaking the partaking of the Lord's supper., but they had done nothing to evangelize the island for these three years.

    The church in Aruba is proof that a population more than 90% Roman Catholic can be taught the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.  In 1959, this group of American Christians woke up to their need to evangelize the people of the island. They  invited C. A. Brown of Dalhart, Texas, to work with them as an evangelist. The efforts of this group are an inspiring example of what members of the church who are employed abroad can do, if they will only try.

    The first convert to Christianity among the locals was Antonio “Tony” Semeleer. He attended special Bible lessons in San Nicolaas in 1963. Tony went from being a strong Roman Catholic and an alcoholic to a faithful Christian and a leader of Alcoholics Anonymous. It was the activities of this week in San Nicolaas that produced the dream that later started the church in Tamarijn. Tony continued to meet with the San Nicolaas congregation until 1969. During those six years, he completed several Bible correspondence courses and continued to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

   The language spoken among the brethren at San Nicolaas was at that time and now still is English. Bro. Tony felt the need to establish a congregation that would use Aruba’s native tongue, Papiamento. He purchased a small wood frame structure for $400. On August 20, 1969, the Tamarijn Church of Christ began to meet at this building. They continued to grow and had plans to tear down the “little shack” and construct a new classroom building, but estimates for construction were $20,000. Since the brethren did not have this much money, they were not able to start their work. It is important to understand that the government of Aruba owns all the land and simply leases it to the building owner for 99 years. The lessee must improve the land within a certain time frame or lose the land. Well, the brethren procrastinated (due to lack of funds) and lost the land adjacent to the existing little building. They later reapplied for it and, by the grace of God, were once again approved. The government will not take land away from anyone if there is steady improvement being made. Without knowing where the money would come from, these brethren surveyed the land, excavated the area, placed the steel reinforcing rods, and poured the foundations for the building. The members did all of the work themselves, sacrificing their Sunday afternoons to do the construction. It took them ten years to complete this project, but they moved into their new building in 1989. With a rejoicing heart that this job was completed, they then undertook the project of building a new classroom annex. It, too, took them ten years to construct and it was completed in November 2005.

    For the first years of the church at Tamarijn, all the preaching and teaching was done by local men. They would occasionally have a visiting preacher from the U.S.A. In 1982, the church at Tamarijn had its first fulltime preacher, Frank Thornton. He and his wife, Telula, worked with the church for one year. In November 1984, Gary Roeder began working with the congregation. He committed ten years to the work in Aruba. He left in June 1994. In January 1995, the brethren hired their first fulltime “local” preacher, Humphrey Kock, a man who had been taught and baptized by Gary. After his conversion, he had been meeting with some brethren in his home. They referred to themselves as the Aruba Noord congregation. These were all Spanish brethren, from Colombia, Ecuador, and Santo Domingo. Humphrey was given a commitment of a salary from the Tabernacle Church in New Jersey for five years (but later two extra years were added) to work with the Tamarijn congregation. When he started working with the church at Tamarijn, the Aruba Noord congregation disbanded and these brethren joined themselves to the Tamarijn congregation. When the support from New Jersey ended, Humphrey returned to his job at the refinery to support himself and his family. The Tamarijn Church is now without a full-time preacher. Humphrey now shares the preaching duties with other men in the congregation.

    The opportunities and potentialities of work on these Caribbean islands can best be demonstrated by some of the results of the work on Aruba itself. Since 1959, more than 125 people have been baptized. Some have moved away and, sadly, some have fallen back into the world. Today there are two congregations on the island and both churches are working to develop stronger leadership.

     The attitude of the people is good; the language of many is English. The people are available, just waiting for Christians elsewhere to teach them the truth. The numbers are staggering. St. Vincent has a population of 77,000; Grenada has 82,000; St. Lucia, 86,000; Tobago, 34,000; Trinidad, 794,000; Barbados, 232,000. These are but some of the islands. A few churches have been established, but when one considers the population of these islands, there is certainly a need for more teachers, more preachers, and more churches.

   There can be no doubt that the accomplishments on Aruba can be repeated on these islands. There are surely several places in the world ripe for harvest of souls, and the Caribbean is certainly one of those places.

A History of the Lord's Church in Bonaire