June 30—July 1, 2010

After the day's activities at the school, we had a devotional in Yangon at the home of Winsome and Sheila. Members of several congregations came to be with us in that gathering.

Thursday evening, two Burmese evangelists treated our party to supper at the Million Coin. These brethren became quick and enduring friends from the time we first met them two years ago. Fine dining in an international restaurant with close friends and brethren exceeds comparison with anyone, any place and anywhere else.

June 29, 2010

We made a couple of side trips, today. Randy Gaddy, Rebecca, Bonnie and I were treated to Kyaw Sein's home and family for lunch. That involved climbing aboard a pickup truck/bus and after traveling about five or so miles on hard road, turning onto a sandy path barely wide enough for the vehicle in which we were riding. Fortunately, the only vehicle we encountered traveling toward us was a bicycle, and they could not pass each other without the bicyclist dismounting.

We had some of the best spaghetti and meat sauce we have had before anywhere, french fries, fish, prawn, diet coke, water and bananas. Our host's daughter, Sandra, learned to cook well in Singapore. Next, we walked maybe a half mile to the school compound where spring and fall classes are conducted each year for church leaders and budding church leaders, as well as for outstanding Christian women. Bonnie and I will be back in the fall for one of these sessions.

Along the pathway, we saw a big sow under a dwelling and a couple of baby pigs. As cute as the babies were, I simply would not want pigs living under my house—or anywhere near my lodging. Another home sported a sizable garden beside it. Still another home was dedicated in part to a storefront.

I picked up one copy each of a few books in Burmese to bring back to the USA for use in a Burmese work in Nashville, TN.

We were late returning to the school, and added 30 minutes to the day to close out teaching of English Grammar, Conversational English and Bible Instruction for the day. While I concluded classes accordingly, Rebecca was invited outside by the nursery school students who approached the windows from outside. They mobbed her and showered her with touches, followed by hugs and leading her through the yard to show her butterflies, etc. They called her, "Teacher, Teacher" in Burmese.

Bonnie washed about half of the clothes that we will need for the balance of the week and for our return trip to the USA. The amount of clothes washed in the bathroom sink corresponds to the number of plastic hangars we purchased upon arrival here.

When going to Winsome and Sheila's for supper, we went early to buy some wicker at the shop near our hostesses' home. Rebecca is the only one who bought anything this trip: wicker balls, fans and a small box with a lid.

Like we do every night, when back at the hotel, we assembled in one room to evaluate the day's activities and plan for the following day. We closed with prayer, especially for Debbie Richey back in Collierville, TN who is battling acute cancer.

June 28, 2010

How quickly the time passes. Only momentarily does one reflect on the fact that his or her clothes are completely saturated with perspiration, and that the situation will persists for hours on end. One's attention quickly refocuses on the reason for which we are here, so far from home (12 time zones away), and the mission on which Jesus sent His disciples, of whom we are four.

Many pictures, though desired, are missed due to lack of opportunity. Often, we see the perfect snapshot from the seat of a moving vehicle, and we cannot get it; I've given up expecting to capture memories with my camera from a transportation in motion. Therefore today, I said, "Picture!" Our chariot driver pulled to the side, and once the passing traffic, going both ways afforded a dart across the pavement, Randy and I snapped some photos that we bemoaned missing the day before. Happily, we got these pictures of yoked cows pulling wooden implements in the rice paddies. On another occasion, we observed laborers hand sowing grain in flooded fields.

We lost three students, two young women and one young man. They are Buddhists, and they cannot allow themselves to listen any longer to talk about a Creator-God. Buddhism has no answer for questions about where we came from, why we are here, where we are going and how to get there. To contemplate how everything came to be, etc. goes beyond the teaching of Buddha, and adherents cannot think about those things without questioning their blind faith in their religion.

Monday (as well as Tuesday and Wednesday), we had breakout classes where Randy taught the young men about morality, what the Bible teaches about good husbands and fathers, and the Love Chapter in 1 Corinthians. Rebecca and Bonnie taught the women comparable classes especially for them.

Tonight was our night for another excursion to downtown Yangon, first to the Shwedagon Pagoda. It is a magnificent structure, covering blocks and rising several stories high. Yet, it was among the most depressing manifestations Randy Gaddy had ever seen, with literally hundreds of idols every direction one looks or walks. "This is the reason we are here!" he exclaimed. Incense, candles, prayer beads and flowers for the Buddhist man-god. Among the activities we observed was water being poured on Buddha idol heads—those icons cannot do it for themselves. Shops lining stairways to the main area sell their wares, including miniature idols for homemade shrines.

After the pagoda, we scurried over to a dinner theater that emphasizes Burmese culture. We strolled through the buffets and sampled many dishes with which we are not familiar in our country. I wanted Rebecca and Randy to see this remarkable production, at a fraction of the cost of a comparable diversion in the States. Bonnie and I like the dancing, sometimes gymnastic, elephant best of all; Rebecca and Randy concurred. This time of year, the theater was sparsely attended, and we stayed until the end. We were the only table still in attendance for the last show; we closed the place down (at about 8:30 p.m.!).

June 27, 2010

The four of us started the day in our Burma Sunday best clothes and had this photo snapped of us following breakfast. We received special treatment, and upon request, we received some of the most tasty scrambled eggs and delicious, crispy bacon. We supplemented that with orange juice, watermelon and toast with butter and strawberry jam.

Thereafter, we were on the move, and the miles we traveled, if in the States wouldn't have taken a long time, here required an investment of travel time. A little after 10 a.m., we arrived at Eight Mile for worship in Winsome and Sheila's home; 14 gathered for worship, including two Buddhists and one denominational. I taught about "True Worship Today," with an emphasis on singing without instrumental music.

After lunch at Winsome and Sheila's home, we traveled about an hour, including crossing the Yangon River, a watercourse at least as wide as the Mississippi River. We arrived at the home of Numon for worship at about 2:00 p.m.; Randy Gaddy taught during the worship about "True Worship," and he did an outstanding job. There were 55-60 present, including Buddhists and denominationals, some of whom were visiting for the first time. This church has grown from 0 to 39 baptized Christians within the past two years. This resulted from benevolence by the churches of Christ, coupled with evangelism, following a devastating cyclone in the spring of 2008.

Following refreshments, we headed back to Yangon for worship at Esther's house. We were late, but the assembly there knew we would be late and waited for us. It was again my pleasure to teach at that worship; fifteen were present. Several dear friends and brethren were among those we greeted cheerfully.

Back at the hotel, we spent hours together rehearsing how the day transpired and tentatively planning our activities for teaching on the following day. Cleaned up and clothes washed in the bathroom sink, it was time for rest in anticipation of another busy day and the beginning of a busy week.

June 26, 2010

About 9:30 a.m., Winsome and the four of us rode a mini-bus taxi to downtown Yangon. We went first to Scott's Market; I have never seen all of the market, but we certainly get through much of it. Bonnie and I bought several semi-precious stone bracelets and small woodcarvings of elephants, which we give away as tokens of our appreciation for hospitality extended toward us (lodging in one's home or a meal to which we are invited) as we travel in the States to apprise congregations about our missionary labors. Bonnie bought some Burmese longis (skirts) and blouses, and I bought a Burmese shirt, which we will wear sometimes when reporting about our labors; Bonnie will also wear these clothes routinely in Myanmar. We bought a couple of carved elephants, a little bigger than the ones just mentioned, for our grandsons, Eli and Nate; in addition, Bonnie picked up some carvings at the requests of friends in Mississippi. Rebecca also bought some Burmese outfits and some miniature Jade elephants for her schoolchildren. Randy bought the least, including a shirt and a shoulder bag.

Among the interesting sights at Scotts Market was this fire station, reminiscent of former years, doubtless, anywhere in the world.

We had planned to visit the large, downtown pagoda, but since it was raining, we opted to return to the hotel. However, we did have a couple of photographs printed and some papers copies for brethren in Hmawbi. We happened on a digital camera with the features and a price tag with which I could live to remedy the difficulties we currently experience with our present camera; the former camera works fine, except that technology has moved on, and our camera now experiences some compatibility issues with our present computers. We expect to expedite the transition of good enough pictures for us and what we do to computers, and from there to production (Internet, newsletters, Global Harvest and The Voice of Truth International magazines, etc.).

A little after 5 p.m., the Jay Ahti family met us at the hotel; the four of them and the four of us took taxis to the Million Coin international restaurant a little over a mile from Seasons Hotel. Almost immediately, we were joined by Winsome and Sheila Vertaines. The ten of us enjoyed various superb meals, except for the four-year-old who refused to eat. Jay Ahti's children had never seen foreigners like us before (three white and one black), he admitted to me, resulting in extreme shyness in the little boy.

Bonnie and I, Rebecca as well as Randy, returned to our hotel, while the Ahti and Vertaines families returned to their homes. Bonnie and I, plus Rebecca and Randy gathered for a few minutes in one of the motel rooms (as we do daily) to discuss the day, now gone.

June 25, 2010

We distributed NKJV Bibles to our class, from which we read several Bible passages throughout the day. We read verses about creation from both testaments of the Bible, as well as verses about the replacement of the Old Testament with the New Testament. We read still other passages, some of which we committed to the students for memory verses.

The class was promoted to prospective students (by invitation only) as a course on English grammar and conversational English. Many of the members of the group that assembled know the fundamentals of English, but they need to hear native English speakers speak the language. In addition, they need to interact in English conversation to improve. Yet, it turns out that these same students, most from Baptist, Catholic or Buddhist backgrounds, came to the school in part to learn more about the Bible. For instance, one convert from Buddhism, at a congregation that we visit tomorrow, has remarked that his former religion only offered him after this life to be reincarnated into something else, whereas Christianity offers eternal life.

Traveling back to the hotel, we stopped at a shrine for the Sacred White Elephant. No pictures are permitted, perhaps to dissuade contention by foreigners that the their white elephants on display have been whitewashed! Nearby, we visited a pagoda, a truly remarkable site and in every way a stark demonstration of the idolatry the apostle Paul found in Athens in his day. It was raining, so we had to be careful that our bare feet didn't slip on the stone floors and steps (many steps). Idolaters bowed down before the marble idol, prayed with folded hands or counting prayer beads with their prayers and placed money in transparent boxes.

June 23-24, 2010

Today was a busy day; we did everything we had done yesterday again. Breakfast was excellent, comprised of scrambled eggs (we saw the brown eggs headed for the hotel restaurant a day or so earlier aboard a bicycle); delicious, crisp bacon; watermelon slices; toast with jelly; and fresh orange juice.

Next, our pickup truck/bus delivered us an hour or so later to our classroom destination. Randy and I taught the young people about English grammar and Bible related matters. Rebecca and Bonnie taught English and Bible lessons to the nursery school students.

En route back to Yangon, we observed many interesting sights. One was a motor bike on which two young men were riding, with dead chickens tied by the feet and slung over the rear of the bike, dangling their heads on either side of the rotating rear wheel.

Upon returning to the hotel, we received a phone call that a Burmese brother was in town and wanted to see us (and I wanted to see him, too). An hour later, he arrived in the lobby, and the four of us greeted him. This Christian brother has done so much to print literature for use in Myanmar and the border regions of China. Bonnie and I have determined to encourage brethren to provide us with the funds to print Christian literature for use primarily in Myanmar. Our dear brother and another brother in Myanmar have printed several thousand tracts. I encouraged both brethren to widely and freely distribute the literature, as opposed to hoarding it—which results in the literature not being distributed as it should be, or the material ruining in the heat and humidity. I advised them to give it away, and we'll make more! Tentatively, on Friday evening, we will have supper, our treat, with this first brother and his wife in a local restaurant; we want to adequately encourage our hard-working counterparts here.

While at supper tonight at Winsome and Sheila's, we received confirmation that we can purchase 30 NKJV Bibles, and we are so happy about that. We want to give a Bible as a gift to each of the young people with whom we are discussing English grammar and the Bible. We will use the Bible as part of our resource material, from which we will read together. This will attend to both the effort to heighten the students' English language skills and acquaint them at the same time with biblical material.

Finally, we had a devotional at our Burmese sisters' home. Randy presented a fine lesson of encouragement for all of us to consider. Next, it was off to the hotel for showers and retiring for the night, so we can begin the process anew again tomorrow.

Thursday was what has become a routine day. I did, though, make a new friend, a four-year-old girl, the youngest daughter of the owner of the school in which we are teaching. Flora came right up to me while I was conversing with her mother in an English language exercise, turned around and backed herself into my arms and against me as I leaned forward to talk with Mary.

June 22, 2010

The first curiosity to greet us was realization and appreciation of how well our air conditioning is working this time at the Seasons hotel. Entering the hallway from our room, Bonnie and I experienced a furnace blast of hot air, which fogged up our glasses. That's when one knows that the AC is really working, and that it's going to be another scorcher of a day.

As the day began, we had more questions than answers. We did not know who was picking us up at what time taking us to what location. Of course, the taxi was late—right on schedule for Burmese time, and a few other places throughout the world. To our surprise, instead of a car or a van, our taxi turned out to be a pickup truck; this was the first time Bonnie or I had ridden in this type of transportation in Myanmar. About an hour later, we arrived at our destination, a small nursery school with 25 two to four-olds; while these youngsters were upstairs, a class of 20 mostly women and some men assembled downstairs for the classes we would teach.

The small building was in such disrepair (mildly put) and so obviously filthy that Americans would be hard pressed to begin to imagine the setting. There is no electricity and a primitive example of an outhouse for use by one and all. The people, though, are charming to the point of endearing.

Bonnie and Rebecca were invited to teach the young children, which they did all morning. One little girl kissed Rebecca on both cheeks, and another became her new best friend and shadow. At lunch break, Randy made friends with all the little ones, and it sounded like the beginning of a small riot due to the laughing, boisterous interaction between them.

Everyday, the little ones send us off at the end of the day with well wishes in English. The classes this day concluded two hours early because of the oppressive heat; our brother hosting the summer school session said it was too dangerous to continue. We were told that several people have died recently because of severe heat, including a taxi driver who stopped for a red light in Yangon, but who had died before the light changed. Especially, Randy and I sweated so much that we joked about wetting the floor where we stood to teach class. I sweated so much that I literally ran out of perspiration later in the day. Bonnie and I both exhibited an indication of another possible sign of dehydration (or a reaction to something we ate).

In the morning and after lunch, Randy and I taught the young adults English grammar and Bible material, including Getting to Know the Bible by Kevin Moore and my new tract, From Creation Until Now. We provided a copy for each student of The Church by J.C. Choate, Baptism by Roger Dickerson and my tracts Which Covenant? (new) and The One True Church of the Bible, as well as the two titles just mentioned. If we can arrange it, we will also give each of the students a complete Bible, from which we will read and explain various passages. We gave tootsie rolls and lollipops to all, toothpaste and toothbrushes, too.

Upon returning to Yangon, we showered and changed (at least two showers daily) before going to Winsome and Sheila's home for supper. In the interim, Randy decided to walk to Ocean's department store, but got lost on the way back, walking a mile or so in the wrong direction. He hailed a passing taxi, but he could not remember the name of the hotel in which we are staying; he could only remember that it began with an "S," which meant NOTHING to the Burmese taxi driver! Randy was fruitlessly drawing an "S" in the air. Then, Randy had the driver drive to the airport, from which Randy could indicate where the hotel is. Randy has the word, SEASONS, inscribed in his memory now!

The hotel manager informed me that the staff had found "two" mosquitoes in our room. That amused me, and I asked, "You counted them?" I came to learn that the hotel exterminates mosquitoes in one's room by taking a bug zapper into the room, and apparently counting how many bugs fry.

Whiskey, the dog, was anxious to greet us upon arriving at our supper venue. We enjoyed a good meal and fellowship with Winsome and Sheila. The torrential rains were little distraction or hindrance, though we got a little wet, even in the taxi.

Upon returning to the hotel, we washed clothes as previously described, before turning in early for the night. Yes, we awoke and got up about 4 a.m. because we had retired for the night too early, but we couldn't stay awake any longer when we had gone to bed. What prompted me to get up was the pesky mosquito that left itchy bumps on my hand and face. Somewhere in the room, there is also a little lizard lurking, sometimes peeking at us from his perch on a wall just below the ceiling.

June 20-21, 2010

Each of the flights were nearly full, and the airlines wanted to scatter our party of four throughout the plane; on one occasion, Bonnie was to sit by herself in the front of the plane while the rest of us were to sit in the back of the plane. Thankfully, most of the time we were able to get the airlines to change seats so that we could be seated two together in one spot and two together in another area. However, the longest leg of our trip, from San Francisco to Taipei, Taiwan, Bonnie was to sit in the middle of the center aisle of four seats nearer the opposite side of the plane, and back a row, from where the rest of us were sitting. Randy's chivalrous disposition rose to the occasion, and he switched seats with Bonnie, so that Bonnie, Rebecca and I sat together for this 13-hour and 25-minute flight.

The food was more pleasing to our taste buds than sometimes it has been in past experiences with airline food. Mainly, Delta and China airlines do not serve super spicy hot foods as do some of the other Asian airlines. Especially China Airlines' aircrafts, though, were older than, for instance, Singapore Air, and I missed the individual TV's at each seat, from which one could learn from self-help videos, watch a movie of one's choosing or watch a map of the progress of the flight. Looking at the back of the seat in front of me on China Airlines, with an occasional movie on a community screen, was not the same. Aside from mere amusement, trans-Pacific flights are ever so long or long but more bearable based on the presence or absence of these distractions.

We had little time between flights, but enough time to traverse security screenings, use restroom facilities, buy an occasional cold drink and seat ourselves with time to spare (not rushed) at the respective boarding gates. Rebecca is bringing back three empty Coca Cola cans with Chinese writing on them (to show her school students).

My health continues to be a little of a puzzle on this trip. Just sitting in my seat, on the third day of our air travel, I apparently broke a blood vessel in my left eye. Somehow I scratched my left hand and brought blood to the surface to form three side-by-side, elongated scabs. I had been reluctant to take my new blood pressure medicine (and pill for regulating my blood sugar) because of the reaction I experienced on Friday before the trip; however, Tuesday evening I took both, hoping that I would not suffer rapid swings in my blood pressure upon the new day when facing severe heat and the high humidity. I also developed bruising on my right arm without any apparent injury. The kidney stones having passed from my right kidney, I had thought that I was clear from that constant back pain, etc., but it proved not to be so; the pain returned while on the planes and persists.

After our arrival and checking in to the Seasons Hotel, across from the Yangon Airport, we showered and changed clothes. The four of us decided not to eat supper owing to the frequent meals already consumed in flight, and we rented taxis for going to and from Ocean's department store, a little less than two miles away. Between the four of us, we bought three cases of water; some plastic hangars for hanging our sink-washed, shower-rinsed clothes; notebooks for the school students; and two longis (one each for Randy and me). Randy decided to wear the cooler, traditional garb of Burmese men for the two weeks we are here (and save his own, heavier trousers), and I opted to follow suit, each of us emboldening the other.

We all went to bed about 7:30 p.m. Burmese time these first two days (besides a power nap the first day) because we were exhausted. The only problem with that is that we are awakening in the wee hours of the morning before the sun ever hints at gracing us with the dawn of a new day.

June 13-19, 2010

This week was a busy affair, trying to accomplish as much office work as possible in anticipation of our departure Saturday evening for Myanmar (Burma). Bonnie and I completed what we could do on both the next issues of The Voice of Truth International and Global Harvest magazines. Bonnie and I bound 200 copies of Rebecca's book, What Makes Us Tick? That involved perfect binding the pages together and affixing the colorful cover. Jerry Bates and I on another day trimmed each of those books three times to finish them and ready them for distribution.

I printed thousands of tracts this week, many of them personalized for congregations in the United States. I printed 500 each of the new tracts I recently penned, planning to take several copies to Myanmar.

This week I received a long over due physical, thereafter beginning to take medicine for high blood pressure and diabetes. Mowing the grass in the high heat and humidity, coupled with my new medicines almost proved disastrous. I'm going to have to rethink some of what I think I can still do in light of the high blood pressure medicine.

We think that we are ready for our trip. There are some flies in the ointment, though. We are unsure of our accommodations since the Gem Emporium will be in progress for three weeks, consuming all rooms in the hotels in the area in which we stay. Coordinating schedules of the four of us and the opportunity in Myanmar and when our airline flies into Myanmar, resulted in our arrival a day late for the classes; school will start one day later than planned. Here is a picture of the four of us in our Sunday Best (June 13, 2010) BEFORE departing; we'll try to get an AFTER picture of one of our occasions for worship in Myanmar.

First, we fly to San Francisco (4 hrs.), then board another airplane for Taipei, Taiwan (13 hrs.), then board another airplane for Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) (4 hrs.). We will arrive at 11:30 a.m. Monday, having left Memphis at 7:35 p.m. Saturday. We will have been wearing the same clothes and having no stop overnight. We will be 12 time zones away, exactly on the opposite side of the world from America.

Bonnie and I with other coworkers will return to Myanmar in the fall for three weeks of teaching in the Bible school outside of Hmawbi. We'll preface that with one or more weeks in India.

We solicit your prayers. We'll be running silent mostly for the next two weeks. Phone service between there and the States is inconvenient and expensive, and Internet service has serious impediments.

June 12, 2010

The highlight of my Saturday was adding a new feature to Gospel Gazette Online, creating a Blog/Newsletter page for brother P.R. Swamy. He and his good wife, Sarjoa, are heroes of mine. Certainly, they would be among those in a modern day chapter of God's heroes of faith, comparable to Hebrews 11.

P.R. Swamy is a coworker in the Gospel like no other with whom I am familiar. A former Hindu, over the past few decades since his conversion, he has been directly or indirectly responsible for over 53,000 baptisms in his native country of India. In my eyes, he is the apostle to India, though I realize that the apostolic office did not extend beyond the appointment of the apostle Paul. I know of no one on any continent who more industriously seeks each waking moment to reach some soul with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or to prepare others to more effectively teach precious souls the Good News of Salvation. I know of no one who travels more extensively, under often less than ideal circumstances, to prorogate and grow the kingdom of our Lord. See for yourself in his humble reports, but be careful, because reading about his energetic pursuits for the cause of Christ will make you tired through involuntary empathy.

https://www.gospelgazette.com/Swamy/index.htm

Bonnie and I also drove to Rebecca's home in Collierville, TN so that Bonnie could fit some skirts to Rebecca; our daughter will sport these new ankle-length skirts in our mission trip to Myanmar next week and the week after.

A personal perk for me (and Bonnie, too) as we came these two hours north from Winona was to eat at two of my favorite restaurants: Texas Roadhouse and Chick-fil-a. My new favorite at Texas Roadhouse is the "Road Kill" on the menu (a glorified ground steak with a baked potato and tossed salad. Ymm!) At Chick-fil-a I deviated from my self-imposed restriction for dietary intake to complement my scrumptious chicken sandwich and waffle fries with a chocolate milk shake. No one serves the consumer better than Chick-fil-a and operates a more Christian compatible business.

June 11, 2010

All week, Bonnie and I diligently worked on Volume 65 of The Voice of Truth International magazine. Bonnie place articles into the InDesign program and formatted the paragraphs. I proofed the same, making corrections as I went along, and added filler material, as well as tweaked the formatting. Finally, I ensured that the fonts being used would embed in the PDF files and printed the articles off for Paula and Jerry Bates to proof, too. Though not complete, we will pass off what we have done so far to Betty Choate before leaving late next week for overseas.

Both morning and afternoon, I worked in the print shop, printing a personalized tract, The One True Church of the Bible, for the Booneville, MS church of Christ; this is the second time that they have ordered this tract. It makes a great handout to the community.

I printed both tracts mentioned in yesterday's post, though I will have to make the final pass of ink on both of them on Monday. I want to take 50 of each with me a week from Saturday when we leave for Myanmar.

Bonnie and I rounded out the day at the office finishing the printing of 5,000 return envelopes for Betty Choate's newsletters. One of the printing presses jams especially on envelopes, and one of the print drums was arguing with me about whether it would pump ink; I suppose an expensive overall of the blue drum looms in the future.

A late afternoon visitor, a missionary from India, stopped by the office. Of course, we are glad to have visitors, despite the temporary interruption to whatever else may have been planned or on which we may have been working. Today, such a visit delayed the completion of printing, putting us well past the time we had intended to head for the house.

I am working on our belated blog updates, while Bonnie is sewing some skirts for Rebecca to wear in Myanmar. With that, we wish you a good night.

June 10, 2010

The highlight of my day was the repair of our air conditioning unit at the house. We have been without air conditioning for about two weeks. The temperatures of been in the upper 80's or into the 90's. I have been less than pleased. Sleeping at night has been tolerable, but not ideal. Tuesday and Wednesday nights, we slept in a bedroom off of the kitchen that has a small window air conditioner; it struggled, but eased the discomfort some.

We did not have air conditioning when we grew up. However, we did not live in Mississippi either, where the temperatures are higher for longer with high humidity. Pennsylvania is a little more agreeable in summer weather, though quite a bit less agreeable in winter weather. Of course, India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar are very hot and humid; we usually resign ourselves to being uncomfortable by day and hope to resort to an air conditioned room for our night's rest. When in these countries, we are so busy by day that we half forget how hot and humid it is — how wet our clothes are. Putting the cause of Christ first and trying to be all we can be everywhere possible within the window of opportunity afforded in a mission trip also mitigates any temporary discomfort.

June 9, 2010

Wednesday morning, we received telephone conversation that our visas for Myanmar were approved and would arrive, along with our passports, back in Winona shortly.

Our visas were disapproved three weeks or so before because of the availability of new forms on the Internet that we had not found, and we had resubmitted our applications. The clerk at the Embassy of Myanmar in Washington, D.C. didn't like our photographs either time, but was persuaded to accept them. He wanted Wal-Mart pictures! The U.S. Post Office had rejected Wal-Mart pictures when years earlier we applied for new passports. It is certainly true that no one can please all of the people all of the time, and we are fortunate when we can please anybody some of the time.

Promptly, we ordered four sets of roundtrip airline tickets to Myanmar. That set the Rushmore Evangelism Fund back $8,744.80, plus nearly $20 to overnight the check to the travel agent on the West Coast. Our daughter, Rebecca, and Randy Gaddy round out the number traveling together with Bonnie and me to four. Rebecca and Randy have experienced difficulty convincing congregations and individual Christians to participate with them financially in this mission trip; they are both going to Guyana, South America also upon their return from Myanmar, which requires financial participation as well. Hopefully, they will be able to help us recoup some of the cost of their tickets and other trip expenses, so that we can continue without hardship our ongoing missionary labors, including making our fall trip, too.

June 7-8, 2010

Among other things, I crafted two new tracts based on previous articles I had written. One of the tracts is entitled: Which Covenant: Old Testament or New Testament? I received a special request for this subject for use by brother James Lee in his extensive prison ministry. Of course, the same theme is useful for teaching denominational people where in the Bible we are to turn for Bible authority today, as well as edify brethren about the same. I expect that this will be an important piece of literature overseas as well in our labors in India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. This tract includes a contrast with accompanying Scripture references between the testaments.

The second tract is entitled: From Creation Until Now. It is designed with non-Christians in mind, especially souls who may be unfamiliar with Christianity (e.g., Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims). I will be taking both of these tracts with us on our upcoming mission trip, and they will be the basis of the biblical material that I relate over a two-week period to about 30 youths.

June 6, 2010

Sunday morning found us in Bear Creek, AL, whereupon I spoke for the Bible class (Because of the Center Cross) and the worship (What Is the Mission of the Church?). Sunday afternoon, we were the guests of Royce and Helen Mann, who were the lunch guests (we got to go, too) of Wayne and Jane Phillips of the Mt. Home congregation. Sunday evening, I addressed the Double Springs, AL church of Christ during the worship hour (Bible Archaeology). We left copies of my book, Beverage Alcohol, at both churches, and I may return to Double Springs for a public presentation on Beverage Alcohol, since local communities are falling like dominos to the wet/dry vote to legalize sales of alcohol. Before heading for Winona, MS, we were treated to a barbecue pork meal in the fellowship hall for one of the zones; we'll be adopted by anyone, in this case one of the zone groups — at the offer of food! Both the fellowship and the food were great! We made some new friends from among our brethren today. Bonnie and I arrived back in Winona about midnight (stopping briefly for gasoline, a bathroom break and a cold drink —but chiefly because I was too tired to keep the car on the road any longer; the proprietor stayed turning the lights off and locking up as we pulled into the lot).

June 3-4, 2010

Thursday, various projects wound to a conclusion — and none too soon, as all parties were about worn out —the 25 teens and adults from the Central Church of Christ and World Evangelism team members in Winona, MS. The fence at the residence in which I live, part of the property belonging to World Evangelism, was completed.

Shelving in the warehouse was completed, too. There remains more to be done in the future, and the materials are on hand, but a tremendous improvement in storage of literature was utilized immediately.

ABOVE: Little Ole On-Site Shelf Factory

ABOVE: Louis, Putting All of Himself into It!

BELOW: Putting It Altogether

BELOW: Finished
Product Already in Use

Randy Gaddy, good friend and brother in Christ, drove down to help put the finishing touches on the Archive Room, where Rebecca Rushmore and a host of young helpers buried themselves for several days. Randy ran the sweeper, and Betty Choate remarked that their really is a floor in the Archive Room, and the carpet appears new! Nearly 8,000 books were handled in the Archive Room — cataloged, shrink wrapped and organized on shelves. Another couple of hundred books were deemed extras and returned to the warehouse. Rebecca and her loyal helpers are certain of one thing; they have no interest in working in a library. It's a little like having an abundance of rice over several weeks abroad and determining not to have rice for awhile upon returning home.

Our young helpers put strapping tape on 669 boxes of The Voice of Truth International magazine for future shipment around the world. Thousands of envelopes were rubber stamped, articles were typed for future use in The Voice of Truth International, supply closets were straightened and cleaned, and the apartment at the warehouse was cleaned; the young Christians performed general cleaning throughout again, since all the work accomplished resulted in much sawdust and dirt everywhere in the warehouse area, as well as general disarray from activities throughout the office areas, too.

Calculating the contents of the shipment, boxes unloaded from the tractor trailer on Wednesday totaled 13,000+ books on six pallets. The human chain of box movers cleared the pallets and had the boxes in their designated places within 30 minutes. This has to be a record, one not soon to be duplicated or surpassed!

Wednesday evening, Betty Choate presented autographed books to the Central Crew. Rebecca Rushmore also gave an autographed copy of her book, What Makes Us Tick? A Look at Personality and the Bible. Bonnie thoughtfully and creatively designed Certificates of Appreciation, which we presented that night, too.

Youth and adults were encouraged to select a free book in which they were interested and that they would read.

In addition, each individual was given a copy of my book, Beverage Alcohol, and tracts, including million dollar bills with the plan of salvation on them. Brother Tom Harrison took two cases of Beverage Alcohol back with him for use in a prison ministry in which he is involved. Brother Victor and sister Durrington of Abilene, TX have made it possible over the years to give away around 14,000 copies of this title, and in conjunction with that, I travel and make PowerPoint presentations about the same subject.

Finally, hugs and pictures to cement and augment our memories of good times these past several days were all that remained to accomplish before our dear brethren needed to return home.

Life, though, often has some hurtful moments and detours. Fortunately, injuries were generally minor: a scraped toe (when the young ladies pulled weeds with Theola Burton and Betty Choate), a nicked toe (same girl, who tripped over a chain saw), a slight burn to the hand from a string trimmer (a boy this time) and one of the men made a minor cut with a hand saw on another man while fence building ("Can I hold that for you?"). Another youngster sustained a minor injury for which Bonnie and I and others drove him an hour and a half to a distant hospital (as a precautionary measure); we all arrived back in Winona at around 3:30 a.m. Friday morning. About 8:30 a.m., the group from Central Church of Christ boarded their bus and van to begin their return trip. We thank God for such a dedicated group, and we are encouraged greatly by these young Christians who took time from their summer break from school to visit the grassroots of mission work, helping us immensely.

June 1-2, 2010

The days run together, and the aches and pains or exhaustion seem normal after awhile. Truly, though we thoroughly appreciate our eager young workers from the Central Church of Christ in Cleveland, TN, they are going to have to go home (eventually) if we're to get any rest. They're working us harder (physically) than to which I'm accustomed lately!

Simultaneous projects proceeded well, such as the erection of a fence in the backyard of the missionary's residence in which Bonnie and I live (when we're not on the road, which is sometimes about three days a week, or overseas). Young men learned new skills (and I learned new skills, too) and experienced team work.

ABOVE: Screw Juggling Act

ABOVE: Expertly, Handcrafted Post Hole

ABOVE: A Little Misdirection

ABOVE: The Crew

ABOVE: Maybe Just a Little Too Excited!

ABOVE: Team Work

ABOVE: New Skill Sets for the Resumes!

Work in the Archive Room continued and continues, with amazing progress. There really is a floor under all of what had accumulated!

ABOVE: That's What Those Shelves are for!

ABOVE: Shrink Wrapping

Tuesday evening we had an authentic Indian supper, prepared all day by Betty Choate and her mother, Theola Burton.

Tuesday was also sister Theola's 89th birthday.

Everyone on both sites (the residence and the warehouse) immediately dropped everything to attend to the tractor trailer, delivering six pallets of books (174 boxes or 13,000 books).

ABOVE: A People Chain of Box Movers

ABOVE: Box Shuffling Continues

Typing of database information for labels to be affixed to shrink wrapped materials in the Archive Room was very helpful and needed. In particular, the immediate entries were for the archived World Evangelism magazine on newsprint (now out of print).

Discovered in the abundance of materials in the Archive Room were two plates of movable type, from which in prior generations printing occurred. In this case, the plates of movable type are for Christian literature in one of the many languages of India.

Among the many jobs undertaken was the installation of door sweeps on two sets of double doors, hopefully helping to keep the hard rains from running down the exterior of the doors and flowing underneath them into the warehouse. Water was also coming under one of the thresholds, which was caulked to alleviate that problem.

Pictures will be forthcoming of the dozens of feet of two-foot-wide shelving that has been or is being installed to increase storage space for boxes of books. Book titles that are nearly depleted are being placed on these shelves to free up floor space for new arrivals.

A special encounter that especially young women present (respecting the young ladies' class that Betty taught) and all of the young people gathered about this charter member of the World Evangelism Team will certainly bring back fond memories decades from now.

It's late and another busy day looms just past the darkness of night. So, Bonnie and I must close for now and head for slumber. In the days that follow, we will write about and present pictures respecting the awards given to each participant this week and the book gifts presented them, too. However, for now, goodnight and may God bless you!

P.R. Swamy
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