Update from Lud, October, ‘23
In my last update I asked for prayer while I traveled on September 28th flying to Chicago to spend a few days with Greg and Jeff’s families. We had a great time together watching grandson Benjamine play in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament, as well as enjoying good food and fellowship. From there Greg and I flew to Vancouver, Canada, to visit with my family and friends for the first time in six years. We had wonderful times, in many different settings, getting updated on what has been happening in their lives and sharing what’s been happening in my life. The food was spectacular. As scheduled, I spoke at a Sr’s luncheon in the church where I grew up. I shared how I left from there 69 years ago, and some of what God has done in my life and through my life over the years since then. I based my thoughts on Paul’s prayer recorded in 2nd Thessalonians 1:11-12.
I went there to thank that church for being the seedbed for God to start His work in my life, and for their prayers over the years. I explained how I’ve learned to let God know daily that I’m available, that I know I’m on assignment 24/7 and that I’m His ambassador, confident that He has my back in all I attempt to do for Him. I encouraged them to make that their daily mindset prayer. From there I flew back to my new home in NC. We had the first Vesper Service here in my Sr community on September 24. It went well, with 15 in attendance. Please pray for the second service planned for October 29. Some who couldn’t come to the first service are planning to come to the second. Pray for God’s guidance and blessing as I continue this trial of doing a service each month for the rest of this year. What to do after that is in God’s hands.

In my last Update I promised to share the rest of the Serendipitous Encounter with MM Mathew on the flight in India some years ago. Remember we prayed together as he received Jesus as his Savior, just before the plane landed. When I got home from the trip, I wrote to him, and some months later got a response. (If for some reason you didn’t get to read that account, I’ve included it at the end, below. You might want to read that first)*
Shortly after getting back in Africa to teach, MM started looking for other Christians so they might pray together. That led to a small Bible study group. Gradually he began growing and wanting to get a better understanding of the Bible so he could share his faith with others. He wrote, “My fellowship with other believers is both satisfying and enriching the mind. I am very much delighted to tell you that whenever I get a chance to lead the Bible study, I prepare the lesson using your cassettes or your book, A Daily Guide to Knowing God. Without these tools I would not have been able to do anything. I am very much indebted to you for my Christian growth.” He also distributed to others, books and cassettes I sent him.
When he later moved to Nigeria, he found a strong Evangelical church with services a couple of times a week. He wrote, “I attend regularly and participate actively in both. I am happy to say that I am maturing steadily in my faith, and it gives me much pleasure to share my faith with those around me.”
Over a decade after we first met, he was able to finally get a teaching/principal job back in India, in Darjeeling, in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. From there he finally ended up becoming the principal of a large Christian school in Trivandrum, with a student body of over 2500 students. “It is a matter of great joy to be in a Christian institution, with a beautiful chapel where we have daily evening services,” he wrote.
Over 25 years after we met, he wrote, “My school work is going on well. Our school was the winner of the National Computer Literacy Excellence Award which was instituted for the first time by the Government of India. I had the privilege of receiving this award from the President of India. Our school is a member of an Association which has over 700 member schools all over India. I was unanimously elected the vice-president of this Association for a year and then the President for the next year. Please join me in thanking God for all these blessings.”
What a privilege was mine, to mentor him by correspondence over those years. A few years after that update from him, we met in person for only the second time in over 25 years, this time with our wives. They hosted us for a few days of reminiscing and touring where they then lived. Now you know “The rest of my story!” Or, I believe it would be best to say, “THE REST OF GOD’S STORY!!!”