April 1977

Hi!

Greetings in Jesus' name from Nagpur, India.

“Since no condition from defect is free,
Think not to find - what here can never be”

I wrote that to explain all those spelling mistakes, grammatical errors etc. If you come across a German word or two include them in the above mentioned categories.

I guess I better start off with all my complaints. I know we shouldn't complain that we didn't get what we wanted, but rather be glad that we didn't get what we deserve. But ... It isn't that I don't like to suffer in silence ... I just want you to know that I suffer in silence. Actually my complaint is only about the heat. The temps went up to 110 degrees but now have come back to a pleasant 105 - 103 degrees. When it gets really hot you can see strange things happening. A calf is walking down the street; suddenly its legs buckle under and it lies there. After a while it shakes its head, gets up and wobbles along. It looks as if its mother had eaten something in the advance stages of fermentation and the poor calf got a swig of something besides milk ... Occasionally you see a bird flying along and suddenly drop out of the sky like a stone. But, unlike the calf, it never gets up again. The doctor tells you that, in order to avoid a sunstroke, you should take - daily - one spoonful of salt and drink 16 (sixteen) glasses of water. So now at least you can choose between - a sunstroke and drowning ...

It was rather funny - though I didn't laugh - when the temps were around 110 degrees I got myself a nasty cold. One day even my voice didn't show up for work ... I was –speechless. That morning, in church, a lady shared her hymnal with me, and here I was 'whispering' hymns. It was, to say the least, very embarrassing. On the whole however I am feeling better. I think that my main problem is mental and physical fatigue - though I wouldn't know why since my co-workers did most of the work - and a little bit of rest in a quiet cool place should fix me up again.

Well we managed to get Paul and company safely to Rome again - for the third time. However I wish he had walked to Rome rather than taking a boat. Or better still got himself transported like Philip and suddenly find himself there. However if wishes were horses ... Rekya is typing up the final manuscript and I am proofreading it. That is a job for somebody who killed his father and mother. But since we have nobody with us THAT bad, I got the job - being next in line ...

We also got all the monkeys, in the Jungle Doctor Monkey Tales, sorted out. Sorry, no ... I don't feature in them ... just in letters ... Devdas and Rekya and some other young people plan on an outreach program into the Mawchi area, hoping at the same time to distribute the Gospel of Mark. They hope to stay there for about 6 weeks. I am sure that earnest prayers from you on their behalf will greatly enhance their chances of being successful.

The Lord willing I will go to Bombay about the 8th of May to see the people at the press. I probably will stay there for a couple of weeks. When I think of the traffic I feel that -absence of body is preferable to presence of mind.- But I have to go and might as well get used to the idea. After I completed my work at the press I hope to go on a short holiday. My big problem is I really don't know how to have a good holiday. Maybe this time I will surprise myself ...

The end of June or the beginning of July we will resume our translation work - the Lord willing. We plan on giving the Old Testament panorama a try. It is a big job, comprising 10% of the whole O.T., but it should prove very interesting. I really enjoy our work and find it fascinating - most of the time ... It is F.W. Faber who summed up my own experiences with God over the past 15 months when he penned the following words:

“For the Love of God is broader
Than the measures of man's mind
And the heart of the eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.”

God has been exactly that to me - and more. We have all, lacking nothing and - abound. The Lord, having made use of your kindness and generosity, has supplied us with enough finances to do many of our needed and desired projects - including eating and drinking ... So if a bone pokes a hole in my 'birthday suit' nobody but myself is to blame.

So thank you for your love and your concern; thank you for your letters too which very often made the difference between being cheerful and sad. May the Lord bless you richly with those blessings you are in need of.

Lovingly in Christ

Frank.

Ps. All plans are subject to change without prior notice. But please pray that they don't.