Brindavanam is the name of the little group of huts right under the railroad tracks. My first impression was strange. We rode the auto rickshaw up into a cemetery and got out. Cow pies were platted symmetrically on tomb stones drying in the sun. A lizard peered from his “king of the mountain” on one cow pie.  I wondered how we were to preach to the dead. It was more of a prophecy than I knew.

  We proceeded to walk through the cemetery, past garbage and places where many had put their human waste and up over the busy rail road tracks. Down on the other side were huts. We walked through the huts to a small Seventh Day Adventist church.

  Right during our morning and noon meetings the train roared past. There was nothing to do but sit there and smile with a silly grin as we waited for the train to pass on.

We did 5 days meetings in the SDA church at Brindavanam in morning and during the heat of the day. Only children and women came. I thought it was because the men were working but pastor told me it was because they sleep at that time. They have no work. They are right next to the tracks so during every song and sermon, the trains roared past. Once the song was exactly on the same note as the train whistle. Quiz time was strange. Most of the time no one answered questions. Maybe they were shy like I always was in school and never answered anything fearing to hear my own voice. They seemed bright enough for those easy questions. I have the same translator and said the same simple gospel truths as told in other villages.

 The cast system was explained to me. Understanding the thinking is not easy. The cast system is rooted deeply. Many changes are happening yet the old roots are difficult to overcome.

  They believe their forefathers to be of Abraham.  Many Indians think of Jesus as God of lower casts. They feel it is the privilege of Christ to have them as His disciples. Even though Christians they have this pride. The pride is not now of a cast but Christians. In the Adventist church they tend to welcome the group they belong to in the cast system. By the denomination they can detect the cast. There are exceptions but these are in the minority. We saw many painted up trees with a stone at the base. These are assigned as a “god”.  They take off their sandles and close their eyes and worship a few minutes there.

Now back to the story.

  Only children came and they were so noisy. I was so tempted to shorten the messages and get back home. God’s gentle chiding urged me to keep on even at the loud noises of the children for the microphone was taking my voice to all the surrounding huts where people lay on their cots “napping”.  Eternity alone will know the real destination of those seeds we scattered by the railroad tracks.

  At quiz time no one could answer one question except for one person. The questions were very simple yet there were all these blank stares. The little girls ages four through 12 were busy turning about lifting their skirts in front of the boys tickling each other and chattering. It seemed totally hopeless.  There was no respect or order. They did not respond to the usual requests for quiet.

  When I took pictures of them and showed them on the screen they all were excited and attentive but when it came to gospel topics it seemed we were wasting our time. We used the methods God suggests to interest them by starting with nature but when the nature was over so was their attention.

  Jenny lost her place in her stories and wept. She did not want to ever speak again. I told her I felt the same temptation but we had to keep on for Jesus.

  I was so tempted to quit but God urged me on.

  Later in Hong Kong, I was told of a missionary on a street corner showing his picture role and preaching his heart out. He felt so discouraged for no one stopped to listen. As he packed up to walk away a woman rushed up to him and thanked him for his fabulous stories. She was watching from the window above him. In the mirror of the dentist office where her teeth were being worked on, she was his captive audience though he did not know it. She saw the pictures in the mirror. He also had been tempted to give up but finished his story as if he had a nice audience. God asks us to sow beside all waters and let Him worry about the results.

  It was impressed on me at this time the dream of Ellen White where she felt she had not influenced many to change and prepare for heaven God instructed her to cut out white garments and give them to people. She argued that some were so dirty and would soil the garments and they did not appreciate them. God told her to keep preparing the cut out garments for sewing. It was His responsibility what these people did with their garments. The loss was His. He gave more than I had for their salvation. He gave His life.  ChS 63. Since I cut out and sew clothes, this vision of Ellen had great meaning to me. Even though it was a lot of work and sacrifice, I must allow the Captain to worry about the results.

  We must sow beside all waters, though we know not which will prosper, this or that. This kind of work pays; for its results are as lasting as eternity. It is represented as bringing to the foundation, gold, silver, and precious stones--materials which are not consumable and perishable, but as enduring as eternity. The first work for us individually is a personal consecration to God.--RH, Nov. 6, 1888.{DG 117.2} Daughters of God.

…you need not fail nor be discouraged. Sow beside all waters. .. The oil of grace revealed in your conscious and unconscious influence will make known that you have the light of life. This will shine forth to others in your direct, positive testimony upon subjects on which you can all agree, and this will have a telling influence.--LLM 234 (from letter 96, 1899; written June 21, 1899).{DG 128.3}

   Scatter the seeds of truth with no sparing hand. Sow beside all waters. Have no prescribed limits which you will not pass, but [work] with all the powers that God has given you. .. Let not your faith fail. Bring your mind to the point of decision or shake yourself free from all slothfulness and inaction. . . . Hold fast. Leave no means untried. Work, and watch, and pray, and walk humbly with God.--Letter 6 1/2, Jan. 4, 1900, to a college Bible teacher and his wife.  {UL 18.6}