“Feeling better now?”

Dear Saints and Aints.

Shalom.

My mind blank and bereft of any idea for another update makes the thought of going back to bed very appealing; though it but 8 am … However it is doubtful that the watermarked ceiling in my bedroom will offer any more inspiration than the tomes that decorate my bookshelves upon which my eyes rest.

Side by side with Theology books are Greek and Hebrew dictionaries, word studies, commentaries, Bibles in different languages and a number of English versions; all mute witnesses to untold hours of toil by men who scoured other men’s works in the form of Greek and Hebrew manuscripts and commentaries for a nuance of meaning that escaped other scholars who labored in the same discipline. They bespeak of a desire to bring afresh before the reader the life of Christ and the lives of apostles and prophets ... Others devoted themselves to ponder the mystery of the Trinity, of the Christ and the miracle of salvation and, other themes vital to understanding the Gospel. All are about Theology, the Knowledge of God – the Queen of Science.

No doubt – this is a bit of justified imagination - wives and daughters provided probably endless cups of tea or coffee and words of encouragements to those delvers into the mysteries of the Word of God.

Yet, no spark of inspiration issues forth from that fountain of knowledge and wisdom to ignite my own imagination that is as dry as the dust that covers the exposed tops of these books.

The other morning I felt dull and pleaded with God for a touch of his spirit upon my heart. He answered, and waves upon waves of joy flowed over me. When the sense of his presence faded, though not his presence, a still small voice asked, “Feeling better now?”

Yet even these touches, never mind how frequent they be, offer no inspiration this morning and so, reluctantly, my mind turns to our own scholars for inspiration...

At the beginning of July the new academic year started and the winners and losers of the past academic year have been declared. The good news is that we had one boy who scored 90% in the tenth exam to be followed by two who scored around 85% and by one who scored 78%. The rest were average and some failed. The 12th class boys all passed even though the scores weren’t that high. But as the State average was low and only 67% declared passed - I am satisfied. 
A psychologist, upon Bapu’s insistence, gave the 12th class boys an aptitude test (something Bapu will get done for all upper class boys) which revealed that we don’t have the brightest lights on the Christmas tree. Yet as I belied the dire prediction against a bright future, I want to give those who want to try, a chance to go for higher studies. So, three will attempt a Bachelor in Computer Application; one will take up a Bachelor in Hotel Management and one will go for a Diploma in Education. Six will take up industrial training in various trades.

Work is underway to start an “English as a Second Language” course over the Internet with a qualified person as supervisor. We will have 15 students in the first batch. The course is for 5 months.  Alongside all that, the computer classes with qualified teachers will continue. The college students will also be introduced into the mystery of computer hardware. By the middle of the month a strict study regimen will be in place to ensure that the kids – will study hard.

The girls also did well and we hope to have at least some of them enrolled in the “English as a Second Language” course. So far one girl wants to pursue nurses’ training. Greater efforts will also be made in computer training and sewing. Bapu expects more than 500 girls this year… He will purchase a more powerful generator to counter the frequent power outages that plague that area.

The other good news is that Bapu wants to pursue a Ph.D. in Psychology. It will be a befitting degree for the head of an institution of our kind. In December he will sit for a qualifying exam.

As for me, I continue to meditate upon God’s word and study it. You could say, “I am cramming for my finals.”
I spent the month of June in Thailand out of which three weeks were devoted to finishing my memoirs. The job of editing, by Sue Carlisle, is almost done and sometime in August I should be in possession of the coveted manuscript. Then the hunt for a publisher will begin. I want to go through the traditional way of publishing i.e. a publishing house rather than self-publishing. The title,

Fearfully and wonderfully mad  
The life of a Living Epistle with a few pages missing

should make somebody interested enough to have at least a peek at my creation.  I already decided that 90% of the earnings from the book will go to the homes; I keep 10% to buy a cup of coffee.

One friend, referring to my German background and German accent, jokingly asked me if I would get it translated into English.

Bapu joined me in Bangkok on the 22nd as on the 24th we attended the SEA (South East Asia) Regional Retreat in Phuket. His arrival brought to mind something one of our staff said. “I was born with a perfectly functioning brain that worked well 24/7 – till I got married.” I now know what he meant. I suddenly became incapable of washing my own dishes, cleaning the apartment and carrying out my own garbage – things I had done rather well for three weeks … I was glad for his presence; at airports though; he moved like a seasoned traveller. When I asked him how he knew something. He replied, “I asked.”  It is one of his great strength - he is not afraid to ask.

When I handed over the directorship to him that part was easy. But to live with it, to be honest, was sometimes not easy; his cautious approach; his seeming lack of faith; his fear of the future, his constant worry about money (which considering all the needs he faces is not unreasonable) sometimes drove me to distraction. Once while fuming inside, God spoke to me, “Stop nagging! Start praying!” I did and now we have a beautiful working arrangement – he does the work and I do the praying …

Bapu invited Ethan Morden to come and help him with the ChildCare sponsorship program and other things. Ethan has been here twice for s short period of time and Bapu stayed at his house in Belle River in Ontario for some time when he was in Canada last year. Ethan also reworked our Website. We are praying for a 1 year volunteer visa for him.
I am glad for all these developments. God lifted us to a higher plateau, to higher ground and offers us new vistas of what can be and – by His grace and a bit of hard work will be.

Though always included in my “Thank You” a special thank you is due to the staff of ERDO and the PAOC who over all these years has spoiled me with their generous help. My plea for special help has always been answered in the most gracious way - after all “it is Frank”.  Thanks ever so much! Thanks!

Evening has come and now I turn my eyes towards my other great source of inspiration – my friends.  Our accomplishments here became possible only because God has blessed me with extraordinary

friends … Thank You!

Frank