Tuesday 7/24/07

Tuesday morning we ate once more at Shevaroy’s. Per Karen’s recommendation, we had masala omelet which was out of this world. Bro. Guna and Bro. Nelson ate a more traditional Indian breakfast in their room, but then came to join us. Per Indian tradition, nothing is left on the plate and Bro. Nelson ate what we did not want so it would not be wasted. (I don’t know that he really wanted to eat again). Then we held church services in the home of Bro. Baboo (pronounced bob boo). The Old Baptist Church on Yercaud Mtn. began in his home and we had a sweet service with his wife being extremely gracious to us. (She fed us another breakfast and Bro. Nelson ate what she gave him. I think by that time he was looking a little green. We teased him about having his 3rd breakfast for the day). The church is meeting in 3 homes on Yercaud because their congregation is too large to meet in one place. They are currently building a church which will seat approx. 200 people but they think that will be too small. Bro. Baboo has a reputation for being an excellent minister and local response to the gospel has been tremendous. After an able service with Bro. Jeff preaching from Hebrews and Bro. Nelson translating, we visited a tourist attraction nearby called the Lady’s Seat because a British woman had supposedly once jumped off the cliff to commit suicide there. It was a pretty awesome place and we were actually in the clouds looking down (WAY down) below. Then we returned to Bro. Baboo’s home and had a wonderful lunch of fish, fries, and fruit. We were given gifts of bangle bracelets and earrings. It seems we were given gifts and really honored everywhere we went. We women did not have gifts to return and I felt really humbled about always being just on the receiving end while in India. We then visited a remote village where we walked and walked and walked some more up a mountain side to view a small but beautiful church. We sang How Firm a Foundation in the empty building and prayed. The minister, new to the Old Baptist Faith, wants to start a congregation in this building although I believe there are currently only 2 or 3 Christians in the entire village. This young minister has a doctorate in divinity and his wife has a master’s in divinity. He was converted to sovereign grace by Bro. Baboo.

Since we women had not been to the bathroom since the hotel that morning, we then asked for a bathroom. We walked and walked and walked some more further up the mountain to where the new minister was staying. Indian bathrooms consist of a hole in the ground that you stand over with a tread on either side where you’re supposed to put your feet. It was also very dark in this place when you closed the door. It was really funny to hear the first one of us to use the bathroom call out asking how do you use this contraption? We gave instructions thru the door as best we could. Afterwards Ashley told her Dad that in the future he should just point us to an available bush. No need to walk way up the mountain for a hole in the ground. (Oh, the joys of “roughing-it”!)
Afterwards we drove down the mountain (this huge mountain was an all day drive) and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. We arrived back in Salem and held services in a local home of a former Hindu priest. This was a poor section of Salem but we were told the inhabitants were members of a higher Hindu caste than the dalits. It was a sweet service with Bro. Jeff preaching from Luke 4:16 – 18 about Christ the healer. (Once while Bro. Guna was translating what he said, Bro. Jeff turned to me and said under his breath that some of the blind were driving on India’s streets). Afterwards, a Hindu woman who had been very attentive the entire time asked how she could get to Chettipatty to attend regular services. We told her that the homeowner would be happy to let her ride with him and his family for Chettipatty services. A high government official had planned to attend the services and provided the money for all the food – snacks before the service and dinner afterwards. But we arrived early (not knowing he was coming), and unfortunately by the time he arrived, services were over and we were leaving. It was then we were introduced to him and informed that he had provided the meal. Bro. Guna is beginning to preach in this area also, and hopefully, he can hear Bro. Guna preach there next month. He was very gracious.

It was on this return trip back to Shady Grove that I witnessed first hand what Bro. Jeff termed the "definition of a traffic fine in India." We were driving through Salem when a taxi driver had tried to enter a main street from the wrong direction and caused a traffic jam. The police officer didn't issue a ticket, but he was so angry that he took out his billy stick and knocked the side view mirror right off the taxi! I think this method at least saves a lot of red tape.