Visitors from South America

This morning we had an unexpected visit from our friends Parrot and Deva S who are missionaries in South America. They are spreading the love of Christ among youth in a Marxist ruled country. Their work is difficult but they are receiving many blessings. Deva showed me a photo of a 10 year old boy who has become a Christian and wants to be a preacher.

Parrot akka taught in a Women 's Bible School before she married Bro. Deva. She was a Bible teacher and mentor in our University Youth Fellowship. No student camp was complete without Parrot akka 's 'Practical Sessions ' in which she taught us how to assimilate Biblical truths into everyday living. She also sailed the seven seas aboard OM 's ship Logos before getting married to Bro. Deva.

God has used them among young people and marriage counselling.

Their son is a medical missionary in North India and daughter is with YWAM on the Andaman islands.

They have been home in South India several times but visited us here in Allahabad (North India) after 23 years. I wanted them over for a meal but they did not have time for that. They were returning from a trip to a country sharing India 's border which is completely closed to the Gospel.

We praise God for the lives of those who are our leaders and encouragers. Before leaving Parrot akka gave me a tube of face wash which she had brought as a gift from South America.. I was so touched.

I took some photos of them, but accidentally I had my video turned on so instead of still photos I got a 4 second video.

Let me end with this beautiful story.


Jeremy

"'Do you hear what these children are saying?' they asked him. 'Yes,' replied Jesus,
'have you never read, "From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise"?'"

--Matthew 21:16

Miss Miller had taught many students at the Christian school, but none so exasperating
as Jeremy. He was twelve years old, slightly retarded, and had not progressed beyond
the second grade. Miss Miller had repeatedly tried to place Jeremy in a special
class, but the boy's parents wanted him to stay with his classmates. This frustrated
her, as she had eighteen other youngsters to supervise.

After teaching about the Resurrection one day, Miss Miller gave the class an assignment.
Each child was given a large plastic egg and told to bring it back the next day
with something inside that showed new life. All the kids were enthusiastic except
for Jeremy. Miss Miller wasn't certain the boy understood.

The next morning the children arrived in class with their eggs, laughing and discussing
their surprises inside. In one egg a child had placed a flower. In another, a plastic
butterfly. One concealed a rock with moss. When Miss Miller opened Jeremy's egg,
it was empty. She reasoned that he must not have understood the instructions. Because
she did not want to embarrass the disabled boy, she quietly set the egg aside.

"Miss Miller," Jeremy spoke up, "aren't you going to talk about my egg?" The teacher
replied that it was empty. "Yes, but the tomb of Jesus was empty, too."

While the other children ran out to the schoolyard, Miss Miller stayed behind, wiping
her tears. Here she had thought it was a waste of time trying to teach Jeremy, but
all the while, he had cultivated a wisdom far beyond that of his classmates. Three
months later, Jeremy died. And those who paid their respects at the funeral home
were surprised to see nineteen eggs on top of his casket. All of them, empty.*

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*This story originally appeared in Guideposts magazine.
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