December 1982

Dear Saints.

Christmas greetings in Jesus' name from Nagpur.

This is the season of the year when we are generally blessed with lovely weather. The skies are blue, the air during the day is soft and warm, but not hot, and the nights are cool to almost not-get-up-easy-in-the-morning cold ... Sundays are still nice due to the fact that the kids have either gone to church, or for a walk or, those who are detailed for kitchen duties, are out in the field flying kites - in between stirring the rice or whatever.

I share King David's wonder at the way God is dealing with him:

"Who am I, O Sovereign Lord ... that
you have brought me thus far?
Is this your usual way of dealing
with man, O Sovereign Lord?

But it is reserved for the hymn writer to express the WHY of that wonder:

"Ten thousand, thousand precious gifts
My daily thanks employ,
And not the least a cheerful heart
Which tastes these gifts with joy."

Since my last newsletter we completed Rekya's place, my place and put the flooring in the big hall. The well is in the process of being cleaned out again because a lot of dirt fell in during the rainy season. And we also completed, more or less the fencing around the whole of our 17.80 acre property.

Our garden abounds with cabbages, cauliflower, eggplants, tomatoes and beans. Soon we should harvest chilies, melons and papayas and, a bit later than soon, carrots, onions and horseradishes ...

The chickens blessed us with a total of 19 chicks and the goats gave us one baby goat each ...

"Ten thousand, thousand precious gifts ..."

The big goat killed the little dog - he got too friendly with her little one … The big dog bit the little goat because he was mad at the world and it was close by and so - handy ... The goats got loose and "picked our flowers" ... Reshma jumped hurdles, tripped and - there was a sprained ankle ... Jivlya got an infection on his foot ... Bujya is still not over his bout of typhoid ... The power company shut off the electricity for a week while the kids had exams ... Then the water pump went on the blink ... Buti "tapped" Yohan on the head with a rock in a dispute over a kite. He was a bit reluctant to sit after I "tapped" him you-know-where ... The teens were up in arms thinking I work them too hard and they feel missing that train to the labour camps in Siberia was a great misfortune ... the 16,4000 Rupee draft lost in the mail since the end of June has as yet not been discovered nor a duplicate issued ...

"And not the least a cheerful heart ..."

While all the big boys work on various jobs in the field i.e. putting up the fence, cleaning part of the well, digging a much needed outhouse etc. the little fellows - cook ... This is difficult for some of them since they will have to stand on a chair in order to see what's "cooking" ... It is also difficult for us who have to eat the food. We are frequently surprised and - it ain't for joy either. Usually there is too much or too little of the other ...

"That tastes these gifts with joy ..."

During Sept/Oct. I spent about 7 weeks in Nasik teaching Phonemics, a subject in linguistics to a group of Indian graduates aspiring to become Bible translators and/or Literacy workers. It was nice to meet, apart from the students, a number of old friends from SIL with whom I had a good chinwag.

Unfortunately for me my foam rubber mattress has completely spoiled me for any serious work for the Lord, for I found the bed too short and believed the mattress to be something salvaged from the torture chambers of the Inquisition.

While I was away Rekya had his hands full. At one point, in order to prevent me from going on to Chilkaldara for one or two weeks to teach and speak he wrote to me:

"Bujya is better but does not eat food only drinks milk and eats apples, oranges, and biscuits. doctor comes every two days, medicine and injections providing him by us and doctor ...
Rs. 14,000 draft came and I deposited in the bank. Bank sent it to Bombay and has not come back ... I have no money.

Our water motor is not working therefore we have no water but natural water drops continuous for three days...

Your boys are lazy and crazy. Every day they are not filling up the drums ... All big boys are only thinking about their girlfriends …

Here are many troubles come one by one. I am loosing my brain ... I am rounding all Nagpur Some people are asking are you an engineer? ... I reply them, I am in charge of a new hostel which is continuous building up ...

Ok. my partner ... Love in Jesus … R.L. Kuwar”

Well, just in case you wonder, Rekya didn't loose his brain, the "water motor" is fixed, Bujya is getting better, the money has come from Bombay, the big boys are not all the time thinking about their girlfriends - only sometimes, and the hostel continuous its "continues building up."

The translation work is going ahead too. The historical books of the O.T. Panorama are off the press and so is the book of Matthew. The prophetical books of the O.T. panorama and the book of Luke are ready for the press. John needs at least one more checking before that is "printable".

Mathew and Kurien left us to work on their own. We are considering another young couple in order to help them through their training etc. But for the time being let us catch our breath

In closing let me again thank you for your love uswards and for your gifts of prayers, money and concern.

I wish you a beautiful Christmas and the Lord's richest blessings for the New Year.

Frank and kids.