Khandesh, the land of the Khans; the home of the Mawchis – Memories evoked…
Dear Saints and Aints.
Shalom.
The crowing of a rooster, at an unearthly hour, coinciding with the ringing alarm, awakens me. He must have mistaken the feeble light of a suddenly lit stall lantern for the rising sun. Whatever dream the crowing interrupted is irretrievably lost and the sound, for all I know, could have been Fatty Bolger in The Lord of the Rings, blowing the horn, “Awake, fear, fire, foes, awake!” But the still form of Anup, sleeping the sleep of youth on the floor and whom no army of roosters could awaken, could hardly be considered a foe and the deep darkness due to another power failure made a mockery of the thought of fire. I shrug off whatever vestiges of sleep cling to my befuddled mind as I feel my way through the darkness-cloaked guestroom to the bathroom where a splash of water on my face does the rest. I bent down to Anup’s still form in the general area of his shoulders and shake him. The groan that follows would have evoked pity in a stone. The two day visit to the girls’ home went by far too quickly.
The arrival of Dilip with the car whose headlights now illuminate the room made any further persuasion unnecessary. Quickly we grab our few pieces of luggage load them in the car and, with a last look around, quietly drive out of the of the compound for the 650 km return trip back to Nagpur.
It is 4.15 am.
Dilip, befitting our mood, loads a DVD with Mawchi worship songs in the player as the car hurls down the narrow rural road weaving its way through the sleeping villages of Manjri and Warsa. The mud-daubed huts near the road briefly illuminated by the headlight quietly fade back into the shadows of the night after our passing. Now on a wider, tree lined, road the headlights burn a tunnel of light through which we swiftly pass till the road flows into the Surat-Nagpur highway driving into the rising sun that now illuminates behind us a landscape that never ceases to fill me with wonder…
Khandesh, the land of the Khans; the home of the Mawchis! At the beginning of the rainy season, in the early morning sun, it offers often a spectacular sight. The mountains, their crests draped with low hanging clouds form the background to a haunting scene. The mud-daubed huts with their rain-washed red-tiled roofs, sitting in rain-saturated green fields dotted with pools of water and crisscrossed with little rivulets that appear like molten silver make it look like a scene lifted out of a fairy tale. Khandesh!
Curled up on the backseat of the big car my mind drifts to the many times I travelled this highway and country roads that then were but a pothole-strewn waste land. Was it worth driving thousands of km over several years during the night or heat filled days - sometimes 17 hours at a stretch? Just to bring kids in an overcrowded bus from that area to Nagpur to help them to an education and maybe better life. Often I had barely enough money for the round-trip and for long stretches along the road no way to communicate with the Nagpur home. Pure madness! Was it really worth it?
After a brief stop to get me a coffee from a coffee shack, the time Anup used to brush his teeth– I didn’t, figuring that that coffee could manage anything some toothpaste could – we continued our journey. The silence that marked the first 75 km of our journey makes place for an animated chatter as we reminisce about our two day stay at the girl’s home and the tribal area. I still smile thinking of the little girl who wished me good night and sweet dreams – in English. I remember their unfeigned welcome, their happy faces and their smiles and giggles – Bhaisahib!
We talked about the homes we visited, the former students we met. Some showed us their small shops, their small business, driving autorickshaws etc. Others talked about churches and changed lives. The most touching encounter was with a 25 year old former student, father of two children. He looked me in the eyes and said, “Bhaisahib I am so very happy you came to my house.” I pulled him close to me and for a moment he rested his head on my shoulders and then quickly turned and went inside the house – he did not want me to see his tears.
At one point at the girls’ home Anup looked at me with undisguised wonder in his eyes, “You did all this, the boys’ home, this girls’ home and all the other things?” What to say? How to give God the glory and not in the process demolish the accomplishments of the man? How to explain to him the unseen hand of God at work behind that which is seen? I had no answer.
Going back to my former thoughts, “Was it really worth it”? I shrug and smile. Let the future decide. For now I am satisfied being driven in a nice minivan by a competent driver – a father of two, another of my kids – from Khandesh.
Bapu, yet another of my kids -- from Khandesh – is, so far, doing well in Canada on his itinerary. Below are two excerpts from e-mails I received:
“He’s done a really good job of presenting the work in India – you would be proud of him! I must tell you that the documentary he’s showing is excellent – the best I’ve ever seen – and is really effective in conveying the heart of the ministry there.”
Ruth Stagg (Pastor’s wife of Heartland Church, Mississauga, ON)
“His focus for your kids is clearly that they will know the Lord and his dream is that even more children will be reached. The job he has taken on is so immense!!! My mind can't even comprehend it! I can understand why 'one of your own' would have such perfect insight into the day to day running of things. Last night Bapu spoke to a gathering at the church. Carl told him afterwards that 'you had them eating out of your hands!' He spoke very well, clearly communicating about the hostels and future dreams. There were lots of questions afterwards which really demonstrated how engaged people had been. We have some new pastoral staff...new senior and youth pastor, since you were here in 2008. Both were quite taken with Bapu. Our youth pastor is very much into video production and told me afterwards how impressed he was with the quality of the video ... Our senior pastor, Michael Versluis, is even planning to show it this Sunday during the morning service. This is amazing! Seldom do they make room for anything that is more than 10 minutes!”
Wendy Wake (Member of the Parkway Church – Greely, ON.)
The above is but a sampling of several I received and I am satisfied and happy. He still has two months to go as he makes his way across Canada.
May your prayers be with him!
At Nagpur things are going well. Yohan is looking after things and there are no major hiccups; the kids are being fed; they have a place to sleep; they get their twice-daily bath; they go to school and college. The 12th graders seem to do exceptionally well – though the final exams next year will prove how well. Nobody has been seriously ill. The rains which played havoc in many parts of India left us unscathed ...
Please pray for Yohan he is losing control over his diabetes.
I am ok doing what I do best – just being here. Still I have a busy day and I am satisfied the way things are going, knowing - that the unseen hand of God is still at work behind that which is seen!
Our thanks are yours – because of your prayers and gifts that are ours!
Frank |
