Angels at our doorstep

Last night after dinner I was washing up while Mama watched a serial about a widow 's struggle to look after her family. Suddenly Sheeba started to bark and someone rang the doorbell. Opening the door I found a group of carol singers with lighted candles standing at our door step. They were David and Diana' s Bible study girls. Remember I told you about them earlier. I had been to one of their Bible studies.

Sing we now of Christmas

Noel sing we now.

We were so delighted to see them.

Since the past two days I was thinking about

carol singing during my healthy younger days.

It was an exciting Christmas activity.

Much planning and preparation went

into it. Practicing the songs and informing

families when we would visit them. Many times

it was a surprise visit and people didn' t mind.

After we sang for them people offered us Christmas cake

and goodies. So it was a series

of parties. Once I remember we went to

rich aristocratic Christian homes

and each one of them tried to outdo

one another other with the goodies they placed before us.

We had a gala time.

David and Diana on the right side of the picture.

Diana is an American lady.

David was our youth fellowship leader and mentor.

He went to study in Prairie Bible College (Canada)

Lived in Canada and the US for 25 years or more.

He is a professional photographer and graphic designer

among many other things.

Both of them have a heart to reach out for Christ.

The young ladies are really

enjoying themselves.


Most of these girls have recently come to Christ.
We hugged each on e them warmly.

David had a word of encouragement for
us from Psalm 2 and Diana prayed
for us.
We were so blessed by this surprise.
All our loneliness vanished.


Diana' s beautiful girls.
On the extreme right is a visiting friend.
*********
I have loads of work to do in the house
and I am doing it slowly . My knees are bad these days and I get tired
with the normal housework.
********
Its wonderful how God fulfills our desires.
Mama wanted to have both our church
gates painted, but we did not have
any money for it.
I told her to wait and see what we could do.
Good old semi- barter system worked.
Our head painter Pradeep wanted to buy
a couch and 2 chairs which we did not want anymore.
They were in good condition,, but we
sold them to him for a very low price and
some fuel wood too. And in exchange he
will paint both the gates for free.
As a thank you present he
brought us fresh river fish
which I fried for dinner tonight.
God is good.
All the time.
*******************
Its past 11 pm.
I hung up the living room curtains while watching TV.
I like watching social dramas or situations I can
somewhat relate to.
I am watching serials based on the
life of a physically disadvantaged girl,
a woman fighting for justice and empowerment
and a family comedy about a girl married
into a family of just men (5 of them) and
no women...a lone woman
in a man' s world.
I prefer the
whole drama to end in one episode, but
that seldom happens.
*********************
Please pray for us.
Mama has some important business
at a bank. Three times we have filled
forms but they got rejected - some minor glitch.
I am trying afresh.
I will first show the papers
to the manager and get his approval,
then I will take Mama to sign them before him.
I also have take Mama to a government office
which is on the 6th floor.
They have an elevator but Mum can' t climb the steps leading up to it
Fortunately the officials are very kind
and they agree to come down and
meet her in the parking lot.
Please pray that it all
happens smoothly.

The Annunciation

Today is the day of the Annunciation.

Exactly 9 months untill Christmas.

Do you think its good to remember special events in the Christian calender?

Christmas in a temple

A few days prior to Christmas I read in

my newspaper that a Mr Upadya (Upadhyay)

would be celebrating Christmas in his (Hindu)

Sai Baba temple and organizing a picnic for

orphans.

The Lord spoke to me and said this was a

good opportunity to share the love of Christ

with the disciples of the godman Sai Baba.

I decided to pay them a visit and gift them

Christian literature and CDs.

My Mom and sister we not very pleased with my

going alone, as strange things have happened to women

in temples and other religious places,

but I was determined to go

in the Lord 's name confident that His

hand was upon me.

While other church folk were busy preparing

our love feast and basking in the sun I slipped out quietly.

Not knowing where to find Mr Upadya

(no address was mentioned)

I went to the most popular Sai Baba temple of the city.

There I got Mr U 's address in an unfamiliar part of the city.

I hopped onto a rikshaw and asked him to take me

to Durga Park, a residential

area of rich and wealthy people.

Upon reaching the temple cum house of Mr U

I met the priest (picture below)

who told me that everyone was

away at a picnic with orphans.

I was quite disappointed and gave him

my packet of literature and Cds, leaving

a message for Mr Upadya.

But the priest insisted that I stay

a while.

He disappeared into the huge

palatial multi storey house.

(Below -the entrance)

Mr Upadya is a multi millionaire

bridge contractor (builder).

The priest brought me a plate

of refreshments and water and

told me about the Sai Baba and his

various charitable works.

Then the priest invited me to visit the temple.

Although there was hardly a soul stirring

in the huge house,

which made me nervous to follow him to the 2nd floor

of the house

I did not look back.

The temple hall festooned for Christmas

Here the disciples sit on the floor for devotions.


Sai Baba is worshiped as an avtar or
incarnation of god, Jesus also one of them.
He has many rich disciples in the West.
More than 25 years ago ,Tal Brooke the son of an American diplomat
became his disciple and started living
in his Ashram in south India.
A missionary couple witnessed to Tal
and started to fervently pray for him.
Tal who was amazed at the miraculous happenings
at the Ashram refused the thought of any other god.
But gradually his eyes were opened and he saw
the TRUTH.
You can read Tal Brooke 's story on his books,
'The Lord of the Air ' and
'Avtar of the Night '


In the early 80s while attending a revival meeting
I spotted Tal Brooke in the crowd and told my
family and friends about him.
I recognized him from his photograph.
At that time he was writing 'The Avtar of the Night '
He was living incognito with a mission group
( I can 't name them) and was much hunted by
Hindu radicals for exposing the guru.
His book had been banned in India.

We invited him to speak in our church
and he accepted our invitation, but was very nervous
of unknown people. We could understand
that because he had been given life threats.


So this was a great opportunity for me to
go to this place.
Hoping another Tal Brooke might arise
from here.
You can pray with me


A Christmas tree in the library

Overlooking the balcony.

This is Durga Park, a place for the affluent

to relax

The neighbouring houses.

Manicured gardens surrounded with high walls.

No poverty in sight.

Some people have these fenced gardens

outside their walls . They look pretty

and prevent people from damaging

their walls

A TV tower in the vicinity

Another large house.

Visiting the temple and sharing Christ with them by way

of literature and Cds made my Christmas meaningful.

To paraphrase the song-

" Go tell it in the temples

All over India and everywhere

Go tell it in the Ashrams

That Jesus Christ is Lord".

Philippians Chapter 2

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature God

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

7but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.
(New Testament)
Glory to God in the highest.

O Come All Ye Faithful

I have some photos taken on Christmas Day Our guest speaker was a lady from

the NE state of Manipur

Listening to the Word of God

Greetings from India

I want to be photographed too

After church a few of us hosted a lunch

for all church people and our helpers

and men working on the wall.

We also invited some folk

who were away from home.

(Above)

Rajendra, Sunila (Pastor 's wife)

and Pastor Shay cooking chicken curry.

These young men preparing the salad

Now is the time to eat.

Chicken curry, pea pilaf, nan bread

and salad.

Senior ladies

Children

Afterwards the kids played badminton & basketball.

Across our street a shop selling Christmas decorations.

A camel man giving rides to

the kids from the Methodist church

I offered to pay for rides for our kids,

but they did feel very confident,

so we let it pass.

In the evening we took a walk in the shopping area.

The shops and hotels were all lighted up

Crowds of people were milling around

everyone was enjoying the festive atmosphere..

We had a good day and were tired at

the end of it.

Sunday Blessings - Ripe Harvest

I took these pictures on a trip to the brick kilns.
These are channa or black gram lentil fields.
You can see the kiln chimneys in the distance.

It had rained that day and
the sky was cloudy.

The fields reminded me of the Lord of the Harvest.

The fields are ripe unto harvest, we need to pray for and assist

in the work of the harvesters.

Below are pictures of a reach out group we have

in Rajendra 's home

Pastor Shay with wife Sunila.

Rampal preaching

2nd from the left is Gudiya, Rajendra' s wife.

Their daughter Chandi

(official name Shristi which means Creation

or New Creation)

turned 5 on Dec 16th

The Pastor 's wife gifted Chandi with her

birthday dress.

We arrived early and Sunila

dressed up Chandi.

They had a little birthday celebration for her. Many believers and their

non-Christian family and friends were invited.

It became an occasion of witness as

we sang worship songs and

a Pastor and a Bishop gave short messages

and several people prayed.
They served us a simple meal of chickpea curry or chole

and bhaturas,( somewhat like Mexican tortillas,)rice and salad

and birthday cake.

Chandi with her cousin.

When I go to their house, the boys come running

to me shake my hand and

say "Praise the name of Jesus". (Jai Masih ki)

and I return that greeting.

Their parents are not Christians

but the children go to a kids Bible club.

Cakes are very special and sacred in India.

Having a cake to celebrate means

you are someone.

Chandi 's cousins, Granny and parents.

I am reading Dr J Vernon McGee 's book,

RUTH, The Romance of Redemption.

Ruth and Esther are my favorite women of the Bible

and I identify with them in some ways.

The story of Ruth the maid from Moab is a powerful and

passionate portrayal of pure love-

the redemptive love of God.

Just as Boaz became Ruth 's kinsman redeemer,

Jesus is my kinsman redeemer.

God became man to save me from sin.

That is what Christmas is all about.

She stood breast high amid the corn

Clasped by the golden light of morn

Like the sweetheart of the son

Who many a glowing kiss had won

On her cheeks an autumn flush

Deeply ripened-such a blush

In the midst of brown was born

Like red poppies growing with corn

Round dark eyes her tresses fell

Which were blackest none could tell

But long lashes veiled a light

And her hat with shady brim

Made her tressy forehead dim

Thus she stood amid the stocks

Praising God with sweetest looks

"Sure",I said ,"Heaven did not mean

Where I reap thou should 'st but glean

Lay thy sheaf adown and come

Share my harvest and my home".

(Joseph Parker -The People 's Bible)