Life Changing Words Ministry

Missionary Journal

February 11, 2007

Our last Monday in Dimapur, I went to the internet first and then to shop with Amenla. She wanted to show me her sister-in-law’s clothing shop. She is sharing the expenses with another lady’s business, but it helps bring income. She enjoys traveling to Delhi twice a year to buy new blouses, pants, etc. for selling in Dimapur at a more reasonable price than the Hong Kong market, which has things at USA prices.

We ended our shopping time at our favorite eating spot to have chow and momos before going home. I think it becomes the highlight of the day for Amenla, who spends most of her time at home looking after the children and her husband when he returns from revivals. He is gone almost every weekend ministering as a youth evangelist. His vision is to have the recovery training center. He took pictures of the land with teak trees that would be perfect for the center, and one of the property with a house that would be good for their family needs. The combined cost of both properties is only $25,000. We prayed for the Lord’s will to be done and that most funding would come from the hearts of people from India and Nagaland to "invest" into this kingdom vision.

Daniel asked if Opu would make roast chicken. Bill said if he had a chicken he would make it. So we committed him by buying a chicken. It turns out that one chicken is not enough for Daniel. He cleaned out the last pieces in the pot and licked it with his fingers. Now how that for finger lickin’ good?!

We finished the prophetic intercession series in the last Wednesday Bible study I would do this trip. We prayed for the young people who were scheduled to begin their exams on the 12th. Now they will have to implement what they have learned for the greater blessing. I expect to hear good reports.

Kilang had contacted his brother-in-law, Wati, to come help us catch our train to Delhi. We found out that with the violence and other problems cause by the Assam underground militants that had murdered innocent workers, the Rajdhani we were to take was cancelled from Dimapur to Guwahati. We would have to take the Intercity train from Jorhat to Guwahati. It was the only train running between these cities. Wati came the night before to take us back with him to Guwahati, where he was studying to be a law student.

Kilang had personally gone to the station to find out if the Rajdhani was originating in Guwahati. The man said yes, and that we could get the refund on this leg of the ticket. He picked up our Intercity tickets at the travel agent for us.

We said goodbye to the children with tears and left following the auto rickshaw that carried our luggage. We had Mar, the rickshaw driver who takes the boys to school, find out exactly where our bogie would stop. It was a necessary thing to do this because there is only a five minute stop. A man was holding his watch timing the helpers getting his relative on the train, while I am standing next to him trying to get on the train. Someone told Bill to get on at the next car because there was a walkway between. He went that way and I was just stepping on as the train began to move. I had to squish against other people to let two men jump off the train. Kilang jumped off at the place where Bill got on and waved at us.

Poor Wati, he was caught between the shoving and pushing of the people trying to get their bags in the overhead shelf. Bill and I could not move at all and there was no place to put our suitcases. We were the last persons to sit down in the bogie and I was next to the window and had to sit cockeyed for the six and a half hours ride. Wati knew some girls from the college, so he asked them to keep an eye out on our bags. Every time we stopped at a station, he would get up and check himself. I am so thankful for him. How would we have done this by ourselves?

Wati helped us get two auto rickshaws for the luggage to be transported to the Central Baptist Conference center where Pastor Kilang arranged for us to spend the night to rest before catching the seven am train. Bill and I slept together on the single bed under the mosquito net. Wati slept on the other single bed. The room cost Rs 350 ($8).

In the early morning Wati found out that the train had been cancelled from Guwahati and it was to start at a place three and a half hours down the way. He went to confirm the information and to find out the cost of the car to the next destination. Upon his return we had to make a decision. The best advantage was to sell the train ticket and fly to Delhi. Again Wati went to the station to sell the ticket. Because of Wati’s inexperience with these type of things, he did not dispute for the value of our tickets and we received only about $35 (out of $113) back on a train we did not ride. There was no receipt, no ticket, and no way to dispute it. The reason given for no receipt is that the computer was down and they could not confirm the amount. The amount we paid was on the ticket. Grace, grace, Lord.

Wati called a friend to find out about what was available to fly out of Guwahati. The flight he gave us meant that we had two hours to get to the airport thirty-five minutes away. Sounded good. Wati gave us the info his friend was not able to print out on paper for the e-ticket.

We had to wait for him to arrange for a car to take us to the airport. On the way, the traffic was pulled off the road to let the entourage heading to the airport to pick up Mrs. Sonia Ghandi, who was coming to open the national games starting that day, go by with screaming sirens. After some time, we were permitted to proceed to the airport. [As we found out later, there were two bombs which exploded in two train stations, we would have been involved if we had gone that route, and as a result of this, Mrs. Ghandi was taken by helicopter to the stadium where the games were held.]

Once inside we located the Air Deccan ticket window on the outside of the building to confirm the information we had, they had also. Then we were permitted to enter for obtaining our boarding passes. At the inside ticket counter we were charged a luggage penalty because the policy on the paper, that we didn’t have, said that each person was allowed 15 kg/33lbs only no matter how many bags you have. We had 70kg/154lbs. They charge Rs 70/kg overweight, but she gave us grace and only charged 35kg amounting to Rs 2450 ($50). Yeah.

Getting back to Delhi airport brought us back to familiar turf. Getting a pre-paid taxi, we safely arrived to Gene’s house. We had rain and thunderstorms in the night hours.

Bill and I went with Gene to see a building he is considering buying for a house-church for Pastor Sam and his family. The building was around the corner from where Pastor Sam is currently renting. We then had the evening meal with Pastor and his family. Bill and I were invited to come stay with them in their home. We agreed we would and would check the calendar to set the time.

On Sunday morning Dr. Carthi invited us to go with him to his church. The sign said it was a Pentecostal church. I sat on a chair in the back, separate from Bill. Since you have to leave your sandals outside, I moved my chair up to the grass mat to give some warmth for my feet. The marble flooring is very cold in the winter.

I danced and used the worship tool I had with me. No one saw me because they were in front, except the pastor. After the service, only three ladies ventured to come to shake my hand and say, Praise the Lord. We left with Dr. Carthi. He took us to a south Indian fast food restaurant not far from Vasant Kunj where we were staying. He had to go to his office for some unfinished work. He hailed an auto rickshaw and sent us on our way. Just as I was unlocking the door, the phone rang. It was Dr. Carthi calling to see if we were back yet. He was still waiting at the bus stand for his bus to the office.

Bill and I took a nap!

Gene came back with a TV for Pastor Sam’s family and a young man named Rodney Patrick was with him. I visited with Rodney for a little while. He is from Lucknow working with Mission India as a regional co-ordinator and director. He will stay with us for a few days before going home. He was in Delhi for a meeting and Gene told him to come.

A phone call came to Dr. Carthi from his wife. Her cousin needed to catch an international flight with a group of people going to Singapore. She needs a place to stay overnight. Gene asked if Bill wouldn’t mind giving up his bed for one night. He agreed. So in a few hours, Dorothy Bennett arrived.

She is a growing believer who lost her husband by a heart attack early last year. She has two girls, 17 and 21. Her purpose in going to Singapore was that she had been chosen, after working with the IT company only 2.5 years, to receive a 5-day cruise to Kuala Lumpur as a reward for her accomplishments. She said her girls were more excited than she was. They had already done online shopping to see what was available there and had given her a list of goodies to bring home.

Dorothy and I had a wonderful time of fellowship and encouragement for her to keep her eyes on the Lord to see her destiny in Him. She is a very beautiful woman inside and out. Even though the time was very short, she was one of those persons that you felt like you have already known her. She and her daughters have finally found a home church that they are growing in the word. We have an invitation to Chennai anytime we are in the south for her home. [She called me when she got home to thank me for spending time with her and reminded me of the invitation. If the Lord is willing and permits, we will be there.]