Life Changing Words Ministry

Missionary Journal

February 4, 2007

My Shop, internet cyber café, opens at 10 am. I checked the emails for the first time since reaching Nagaland. I spent most of the time deleting the spam. Bill made some phone calls home to check on some things he thought about. Later, Pastor Kilang asked us to submit a request for nine more days after the expiration of our current permit. The process is not necessarily done quickly, so we ask early in order to get an answer before the deadline.

Somehow there always is something to do, even if you don’t have any particular plans in a day, which makes the day go by fast. Makes you feel like you don’t want any opportunity to preach or minister the gospel to go by.

We realized that Daniel’s birthday was on the first Sunday we came and we were in Changki village then. So we all decided to celebrate with a cake. We jumped into the car with Daniel and headed off to the center of town to purchase his gift and cake. When asked what he wanted, he said a keyboard. We searched all over the toy shops, but to no avail. I asked Pastor if he could have a real keyboard. So we drove over to the music shop to look at what was available. The owner helped with the type and even gave the number of the music school that was near their home in Signal Bosti.

We purchased the keyboard paying more than half down with a small payment to be made in the next two months. Amenla called the tutor and set up an appointment for both Daniel and Along to take lessons. They were excited.

I even wrote on a piece of tape the name of the key on the white keys of the middle C octave. I marked Arenla’s favorite hymn with the key names and showed her how to play the melody. She spent her free time plunking it out.

Along’s favorite feature of the keyboard was the microphone. Daniel plunked the keys as the auto music played and Along sang into the mike. Next year we will see how they have progressed.

I continued with my series with the young people’s bible study. Few are coming because this is exam time and they have chosen to spend the time with the tutors instead.

On Thursday evening, Susan picked me up for the Acts of Obedience meeting. They have been having much success in touching people’s lives. The Nagamese church is growing as a result. This night we tabled going out in order to show the young people how to make glory rings and streamers. Then I made each of them use a worship tool, while Susan played the guitar and we sang songs. Not long into the singing, we began to feel the presence of the Spirit. Someone said that we needed to go to Mrs. Yaden’s house because there is more room there. So we quickly jumped into the two vehicles and hurried to Mrs. Yaden’s. Indeed there were two large rooms to move around and invite the Lord into our midst. He came. It was so precious. Each one of us felt His love.

Mrs. Yaden’s daughter, Marian, and Marian’s husband were visiting from Mumbai where they live when they are not working. They both work for airlines, he is a pilot for Air India and she is a stewardess. They invited us for lunch on Friday because Babu had a flight scheduled and had to be back to Mumbai on Saturday. Marian cooked the meal of vegetable mushroom spaghetti, which was very good. There was also Naga favorites that Kilang enjoyed. We even had a no-bake cheesecake!

I went to My Shop on Saturday with Amenla. She did some errands in the area, made some local calls, and came back to where I was sitting to wait for me until I had finished my emails. I was informed that my evangelist uncle, George Edward Mandel, had finished his earthly assignment and went with his Lord. I rejoice at the thought that he is now one of the cloud of witnesses encouraging us in the kingdom realm. I will look forward to our reunion and knowing he is with one who had been named after my uncle, both I will anticipate seeing. Thank you, Lord, for what he has done here in other’s lives and for the impartation of encouragement he has given to us and to Kilang that has even reached the other side of the world. Well done, servant of God.

The four of us took advantage of a day of no programs to go with the boys to see where their piano lessons would be and later went out to the restaurant to celebrate Amenla’s 31st birthday. Bill discovered that the Popular Restaurant has very tasty and impressive pizza. We decided that the children should get to taste this new snack.

Sunday morning Kilang and his family took us about 45 minutes from their home to the local police church outside of Dimapur. It is a regular police post with the church as part of it. They dropped us into the hands of the pastor and headed for Teens Up Faith church where they were scheduled.

We were presented with two yanko (book bags) before I gave a greeting and encouragement to the church. Bill shared the message with translation into Nagamese. We took some pictures after the service of the pastor, his wife, and the elders which were present.

The walk to pastor’s house was in the rain. I thanked the Lord for filling the wells. We had a glass of hot water before being led to the back door and into the separate building where the food is prepared and a finely set table was waiting for us. The wife’s sister served us. The pastor came in from his elders’ meeting just as we were leaving the table. Courtesy conversation was made until the church secretary arrived to take us back to Signal Bosti.

The Lord did not lead me to talk about or give worship tools to this church. This was the third church that did not receive the tools. How sad, Lord, help them to see that You have so much more for them.

We arrived back to the house some time before pastor and family. We got the key from the girls in the hostel at the front and made ourselves at home by changing clothes and making a fire in the kitchen for warmth – that was Bill’s job.

Pastor had a meeting so he left in the car. The Longkumers had called to say they were not able to come get me for the youth meeting at 4pm. So Daniel rode the rickshaw with me to church. He told the auto rickshaw driver nicely directing him. When the driver wasn’t sure, I told him the same way. Daniel is a miniature Kilang Jamir, especially in his stature of carrying himself. He walks and talks like the leader his dad is.

We were supposed to get an auto rickshaw and come home right away, but Susan said that someone would drop us back. Besides, there is no rickshaw in the area this time of the night. She was right, but we still got home an hour later than when we expected safe and sound.

We fellowshipped around the fireplace and drank tea. Then we went into the drawing room to sing some hymns, pray and go to bed. We were somewhat melancholy because we only had a few days left. We had prayed the Lord’s will be done and He had determined that we would not stay. The murdering violence in Assam and the political issues between Manipur and Nagaland were mounting up to violent acts. All new permits were not being granted and no additional days either. It was looking like big trouble to the Central Government of India. Military forces were arriving already to the area.

Have mercy, Lord, and change the hearts of men in this place. Expose those evil things being done in the darkness and bring them to light and justice in Jesus’ name. Amen.