Life Changing Words Ministry

Missionary Journal

October 10, 2004

The ESL class began on Monday evening with four adults and two children. It seems that the two teachers that teach in Hindi are not able to come for the training due to their parents’ restrictions. The two teachers are young girls who have received their Montessori certificates and are about 17 years in age. They live in the Ghatkoper area.

The man who stays at the Ghatkopar school building also tutors the students in that area in the afternoons. He has 28 students. It looks like he will be our target teacher and his students will be our class project. He has been faithful to come to all three classes this week. He is eager to learn. I will work with him and the others who are faithful.

Those who have said they wanted to learn did not show up and some have come to see what the class is about have not returned. This is ok because it is our first attempt at this project and bugs will need to be worked out in order to be completely successful.

The English classes are held on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday morning for two hours each until the end of October. After this first week, the class has successfully completed the first 26 phonograms. We are following the lesson plans, but forcing the "teachers" to learn faster than any of the students because of their own English experience, even if it is only a little. They are being challenged and seem to be pleased with what they are learning.

I have begun to teach from the Kingdom Living textbook. We meet Wednesday and Friday evenings, beginning with worship and then teaching time for anywhere from 45-60 minutes. We are focusing on who is the God in whom we believe in Part One. We will probably remain in this part for the whole time we are here as there is so much material and in one hour we probably move only one inch on the page. We are reading the scriptures aloud in order that those who cannot read may hear and understand what God is saying from His word as to who He is as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The pastor is watching who is faithful to come to these classes. He is looking for lay leaders to continue to train.

We have been invited to several (4) homes so far for meals, prayer, and sharing the word time, in addition to the classes and services. Another place we were invited to visit, the pastor felt was too dangerous for us to go. So, he and his wife, Florie, went in our place. The lady of that house came to church on Sunday for prayer. She had not slept in a year. After receiving prayer, she fell on the floor and went to sleep. The ladies helped her to a chair, she fell asleep. They helped her to the floor, she fell asleep. Pastor prayed again and her husband helped her home where she went to sleep again. The next afternoon when the pastor and his wife went to see them, the wife was awakened to greet them.

I have been able to go shopping with the ladies twice since we have been here to get some dresses to wear.

We are mentoring Pastor Paul as he realizes that there are issues that he has no one else to ask tangibly, except through prayer, which is best if the time is spent to listen for the voice of the Lord. The issues deal with those who have chosen to believe false doctrine, lack of following leadership by going out and doing their own thing, managing people who live in different areas, hospitalized members, being good stewards and servants, and accountability to leadership, to God, and in financial things. These things are not unlike any pastor must deal with anywhere around the world. I think it is why the Lord said that we are to be subject one to another and be in unity of Spirit for the blessing of peace.

We have had a free afternoon and caught up on some sleep with a two hour nap. Bill is preparing his message for Sunday morning. Didi (sister) Padmini has been taking good care of us in her home. I got to talk to her son in NJ. We will plan to meet him when his mother is there visiting. We would like him to bring her to our home in Oregon.

In moments when we are waiting to be picked up for a meeting, I sit and watch the construction from my window as the laborers construct what looks like it will be an eight-story apartment building with shops in the ground level. They are disciplined in how they have set their routines to move materials from the ground to the floor by hand. It is interesting to watch.

I watched yesterday as Hindu family members moved a relative who expired from the apartment in the next building section to the place where he would be cremated. No one seemed to be with grief at this time. The men take the deceased body to the crematorium while the women stay back.

People who have money seem to like the changes. The commercials and movies on TV look like Indian versions of ours. The lure of worldliness and having possessions is the same focus on this side of the world. I have a sense of great sadness over it. What will happen when this illusion of prosperity bursts its bubble?

I am trying to be consistant in emailing at least once a week on Tuesday.

The weather is humid and in the upper 80s and lower 90s still. The evenings cool down a bit, but it is not like the summer.

Happy Birthday to Kaitlyn Dunn (10th), Bill Staffeldt (13th), Marlene Marshall (14th), Kilang Jamir (15th), Pam Hawkins (18th).

We are doing well inspite of a small chest-level cough I have developed only last night. It is probably from riding in the auto rickshaw behind the buses that spew exhaust at our level when riding.

Must end to get this sent at the cyber cafe.

Pray for our trip to Nagaland and for the stay there. There has been some assassination attempts on some political leaders and a bomb exploded and killed about 20 children who came to the train station to see a train for the first time. Pastor Kilang had arrived home from conducting revival meeting only 10 minutes before the blast. We are very grieved to hear about the tribal village children. Please pray for their grieving parents, life is hard for them because their children are their hope of the future and life divides them in other aspects. It is always hard for any parent to lose a child.

We love all of you, Georgene & Bill