May 1993

Dear Saints and Aints.

Shalom from Nagpur.

For those dreamers among my friends - who want to step out for God - in ministry, at home or abroad! When I, in 1975, decided to come to India on my own, a lot of people told me why this was not practical, not possible, not sensible with a lot of other “-ibles” thrown in - all receded by a not

Sometimes the Lord Himself seemed to remove the veil from my enthusiasm-covered-eyes and I saw everything that could go wrong or at least how it looked from the perspective of a normal, sensible person. Though it frightened me somewhat fierce, it was good for me as, the giants in the land and the fortified cities will not go away by ignoring them.

My closest friends (though they supported me and helped me) and others gave me no more than three months after which "the land will know him no more" and he will be back in Canada. My problem was that after three months I wouldn't have had enough money left to go back to Canada ...  I have been here now over 21 year - 17 since I returned on my own. The scenario my friends painted was perfectly true, the giants were there and the fortified cities i.e. lack of funds, lack of spirituality, lack of academics, lack of language, lack of most everything that makes for a missionary - disqualified on all counts. However, we are the only ones who can disqualify us - by accepting other people's verdict on our life. I refuse to do so. I came, I did the job I came to do, I am doing a lot of things I never dreamt of doing and - I am still here. The only logical explanation - God!

Beyond that I dare not reason, neither for the why nor the how. My part in all this - I went when I felt God offered me a chance to go, trusting Him to make up the deficiencies, which He knew existed when He offered me to go. I have nothing else to recommend me.

We have but faith: we can not know,
For knowledge is of things we see;
And yet we trust it comes from thee,
A beam in darkness: let it grow.
-- Tennyson

Yet going is one thing, staying, when things get rough is another. What do you do when romance has fled? Will commitment keep you in place? Will we let God decide, and not our heart or friends, what is futile, useless, hopeless or impossible? That will make the difference ... Don't worry, God isn't against the seeming stupid, only against hypocrites and cowards - they dishonor Him... 

It is summer again. The temps are a sizzling 110° Fahrenheit. It will cool down to about 80 Fahrenheit at night ... This weather is nice for people who crave a suntan and, its acquisition apart, plan on doing nothing else.

As for us who have no such cravings but are faced with a variety of jobs, of which correspondence is not the least, have very different feelings about the weather.
This newsletter is a last-minute-thought before leaving for Germany for a month holiday cum meetings. How many of the latter will materialize will have to be seen ... Yohan, our Superintendent of Hostels, will accompany me.

Another last-minute-thought is a fourth hostel ... Last week I spent the better part of the day at a place comes 90 km from Nagpur. (The temps were around 110 Fahrenheit - and I fried what little brain I had ...) Some people built a school there and beg us for a hostel so they can enroll more kids. Though located on the Highway the area is totally isolated and populated by tribals living dispersed among farms etc. It was my first time up in that area. It is also an area where the Gospel has made no inroads mainly for lack of people willing to go there. I am negotiating with some young people who just might be willing to spend a year there ministering to the kids and others they come in contact with.

There are tremendous opportunities for the Gospel and such tremendous needs. I came home and cried because that was all I could do... 

Some days I think I am nuts and at other days I am convinced I am ... I guess I never fooled anybody else into thinking otherwise... 

We got started on the translation of the Old Testament - at last. One of my old co-translators is doing the rough translation. Then we will put it into the computer, check it, revise it, check it, revise it till such time that we are satisfied.

I applied again for Indian Citizenship. There is a good chance that I will get it. The next best thing would be a 20 year visa. After that, my ashes will have been widely dispersed and the question of having to leave India does not then arise. The work on the one Boys Home in the village is progressing nicely. We have some problems with the paper work for the Girls Home. But for those interested, besides the boys still needing sponsors, I sent photos of about 60 girls for sponsorship to Head Office. We are immensely grateful for your help and are amazed at the increase in sponsorships. The kids, though less vocal, share my gratefulness and joy.

Thanx a lot!

Though Mountains from their seat be hurled
Into the deep and buried there.
Convulsions shake this solid sphere -
Our faith shall never turn to fear.”

Are you kidding?

Love from us all.

Saint Francis and Assorted Saintlets.