I am now in Delhi after a wonderful trip. We head to the airport in an hour or so, but thought I’d post what we did since my last entry.
We met with the evangelist in Pitoragar, Mahesh, and he took us to the village where he was born. It is interesting to see that often the most difficult people to reach in our lives are the ones we know best. I think this is the case with Mahesh. They can see an amazing difference in his life since he was become a Christian, and they admire and respect him, but it seems they know him too well to want to hear new teachings from him. It reminds me of when Christ had a similar response in Nazareth, and Jesus said “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country.” I can only pray that the messages Dad and I shared and the numerous tracts we distributed there might touch some of their hearts.
On Sunday, we attended a service in a church about 15 miles outside Pitoragar. Mahesh actively evangelizes in this area, and since the pastor lives in Pitoragar and can’t make it out to the church very often, Mahesh plays a principal role in nurturing and encouraging the believers there. A lot of visitors came, and the church was nearly full. Afterwards, we had lunch with one of the Christian families and then headed out for Bageshwar. We experienced torrential rain along the way, and the hillsides are so steep, flash floods and landslides can be a real problem. At one place a large amount of water came ripping through a narrow ravine and across the road. Although it wasn’t very deep, it was quite swift and we all held our breathes as Dad backed up to gain some speed to blast through it. We made it through safely, but it certainly added some excitement to our day.
The next morning we met with a pastor, Manoj Singh, who we had first encountered in 2004 just outside Bageshwar. He is such a sweet man and full of love for the people he works with. He wanted to take us to a very remote village where he had gone before several years back but had not visited since. So we started up the trail, accompanied by several faithful members of his church. The trail was quite steep, and since some of the women along were having some difficulty, it was slow going. Along the way we stopped at several houses, giving out tracts and witnessing to some of the villagers. It was a beautiful hike. I relished the expansive views and the pristine mountain air, the sound of pine needles crunching under our feet and the delightful smell of the pines. I also had a great time attempting to relate with Manoj along the way. His English is limited and it would be a vast understatement to describe my Hindi in that way, but it’s amazing how much you can communicate and bond with someone without knowing each other’s language. When we finally reached the village, we had hiked about 4 miles and gained about 2,000 feet in elevation. Edwin said, “I think we can be pretty sure that we are the first Americans to visit this village.” Of course this was the event of all time for this small village, and nearly every inhabitant came to listen to songs, Dad and I share some messages, and receive tracts and New Testaments. They paid close attention, and seemed to really appreciate the New Testaments. We had brought only 5 along, and several more villagers asked if they could have a copy. After we were through, we got to watch how they pound their wheat to remove the hulls. It takes a tremendous amount of work and skill, and they all laughed when Dad attempted to try it. It was getting late, so we began the long descent and reached Manoj’s home shortly after dark.
The next day we spent the morning in the area around Manoj’s church to hand out tracts and speak with some of the Christians there. Many of the Christians here are nominal, and are confusing some interested neighbors. It is interesting to see how integrated Indian culture is with Hinduism. So many things in their lifestyle, world view, thought processes and even their daily lives are connected with the Hindu deities. Hindu superstitions can be seen from the numerous shrines to the faces painted on houses and shoes hung on new vehicles to ward off the evil eye. It really is a transformation of not only of soul but mind when converts, and it is often a slow process. Many Christians need clear teaching and instruction to put away their Hindu practices and accept a new world view. Manoj feels very few of the Christians there are strong, and seemed to really appreciate the time we spent speaking with the some of the Christians there.
That afternoon we said goodbye to Manoj and headed to Almora, the first stop in the long haul back to Delhi. The road passed though some very high passes, and had it not been so hazy we would have had an excellent view of the Himalayas. As it was we still got some breathtaking glimpses of the lofty peaks and ridges, most over 21,000 feet, their sharp points and astounding height seeming almost ethereal and unearthly.
Wednesday we left Almora at 6:00 in the morning and made the grueling drive to Delhi. That evening we had supper with Max’s family and then bade a sad goodbye to Max and Della. They were such a blessing on our trip, and I will really miss them.
Today we did some shopping and finished up packing for the long flight home. As I am writing this I am both sorrowful and glad that we only have a few hours here in India. I miss my family and I have those SATs and ACTs looming before me needing studious preparation, but I will really miss being here. I feel I have been able to appreciate and experience the culture and country in a way that I never have before, and I have been so enriched by it. I feel I have left a part of my heat here, and my life has been changed.
