When I first started going to India, over 10 years ago, I developed an interest in learning Hindi. I wanted to better understand how the peoples thought process worked, and to be able to communicate with them in some simple way. I didn’t have anyone to teach me so I taught myself the basics through various books and web sites. Unfortunately very few in the part of India I visit speak Hindi, although it is the national language. More speak English than Hindi! It is taught in school, but that is often like the French you learned in school many years ago. Can you carry on a conversation in it now?
There are many Hindi words that have found their way into the language of the area I visit. Many are used in signs and even in English. So learning Hindi has helped. It’s hard to keep up with it for I lose my motivation with no one to speak to.
Several times I’ve tried learning the local dialect where I minister. All I say and write is translated into it. But it is the fastest-spoken language on earth (more syllables per second than any other) and very hard to pick up from books. The letters and their combination is very enormous. I need a native speaker to communicate with, to help me learn the language. Until I find someone her with interest and ability I’ll just stumble along making very little progress.
The same is true in learning to live as a Christian. A lot can be learned from books, sermons and web sites, but they can only take you a small way. What is needed is a real live Christian to mentor you and help you learn and grow. Yet often today we are too busy, shy, fearful of rejection or just not motivated to take the step to ask someone to help us grow, or even to offer our help to someone younger in the faith. We need each other, but it takes courage to reach out to another Christian to ask for help or offer help. Who can you ask to help you? To whom can you offer your help? (October 17, 2016 Doylestown, PA)
2 Timothy 2:2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Who in your life is helping you grow as a Christian by encouraging you, praying with you, pointing out truths in God’s Word to you and giving you sound, Biblical advice and wisdom about situations you face in life? To grow to be the Christian God wants you to be you need someone in this role in your life.
Who have you taken under your wing to mentor and help grow? Is there someone younger in the faith that you have reached out to for the purpose of encouraging them, praying with them, pointing out truths in God’s Word to them and give them sound, Biblical advice and wisdom? To grow and to help another to grow to be the Christian God wants them to be, you need a person whose life you are building into.
INDIA UPDATE: We are doing what we can to offer help to the pastors and Christians in India. So much needs to be done, and we can do very little, but we faithfully do what we can. Thanks for your prayers and gifts which make this ministry possible!
PRAY FOR Pastor Moses and the other pastors in India who are making plans and arrangements for our upcoming conferences. Pray for wisdom as they plan, safety for them and the meetings, costs to be kept to a minimum, and pastors to come and learn what God wants to teach them.
Jerry Schmoyer
Christian Training Organization
india.christiantrainingonline.org/