Friday, October 21, 2011

Update from Jim Noland in India

Things are going very well here. I have been visiting in the homes of both members and friends every evening. It has been a very busy schedule.

Brother Elder Ashley is married (Rita) and has two sons. One is 6 the other 18 months.

Ashley works in a metal shop that produces trophies and other prize gifts.

Ashley is also helping to support one of his brothers who has a wife and three children.

The brother David and wife Julie and children ages from 11 to 14 are all planning to be baptised next week. They have become very interested in the church and are learning very well. None of them have ever been under water and the baptism seem a little scary to them.

Brother Ashley and I went to the hospital Monday evening to administer to a Catholic friend of his and ended up also administering to a Muslim man and a young Hindu man. This was all done clearly in the name of Jesus Christ to the amazement to the many family members that were in the room. All received a great blessing and all have been released from the hospital.

The Hindu asked for a copy of the prayers that were said. We of course told him that we do not have written prayers and that we pray as led my the spirit of God. He wanted brother Ashley's phone number and said he would be in contact with him.

Brother Ashley lives in a one bedroom flat that is so small that I am staying in a nearby hotel. He used to be in an apartment that was large enough to have church services in but he had lost his job and they had to move into this small flat. He now has a good job and needs to find a large place to rent.

We found him a place, but the problem is that he cannot raise enough funds to pay the first and last months rent and the security deposit. He was going to need about $6000 us dollars, however we found a place this morning that is a beautiful place, two bedroom, full kitchen, bath and plenty of room to hold church and only needs $2000 to move in. We also had to find a place where the landlord would allow church services. Where he is staying now the owner is Hindu and will not allow services.

If we could find him $2000 us dollars, (by this coming Monday) he could move in and have the place for at least a year. He has the funds to cover the rest of the rent and utilities, etc.

I have tried to contact George Gross, Val and others with no response. If you could help me contact these or others and help me raise the fund this would be of a great benefit.

Ashley is not a "rise" christian and he does not know that I am trying to raise thee money. He had just gong out looking to see if he could find a place that he could afford. The place he is in now is just to small. He has been looking for a place for about a year and he has these real estate people calling him every day.

The other good news is that after the baptisms, I have rented a conference room here at the hotel for Sunday, November 6th. We are going to organize the mission into a branch and brother Ashley has agreed with his wife to file their first tithing statements and begin paying the tithes that are due.

I also believe that David Bell and his family are also going to file tithing statements and being paying there tithes. These people are very poor, but they understand that everyone must support the church even if in very small amounts.

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