Terri Horner writes to us from Northern India, where she and her daughter, Sandra, conduct a training school for Indian and Nepalese students to learn health outreach skills.

In north India Sandra (my daughter) and I, together with a team of Nepalese workers, operate a training school as one of the projects of Laymen Ministries. We train students in practical health education, simple treatments, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The last few months have been quite an experience for all!

A member of our local TV station attended our second community health program. He asked if we would like to present some health materials that could be shown over the new local TV channel!

In early December the TV crew arrived with lights and video camera to tape our presentations. Sandra first introduced the teachers and students, and then I had a short presentation on hypertension. (This was in English, as English is one of the national languages in India, especially among the educated, higher caste people.) The Nepalese workers and students presented various health topics and treatments, followed by Sandra, using a number of slides, explaining the effects of smoking. Last of all, the students sang the Scripture song entitled: “A Merry Heart!”

We were told that this taping would be divided into segments and aired over two weeks at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays—prime time! The very next Wednesday we all went to our landlord’s house to watch. The students and workers laughed when they saw themselves, but actually the program went very well. The next program aired the following Wednesday.

As a result of these two TV programs, the Lord allowed the spotlight to be put on Laymen Ministries’ school program. Overnight our two Nepali teachers became famous. Wherever they walked, people would comment about seeing them on TV. The morning after the first program, several people came to them for counseling on health problems. More patients with other problems followed. Between classes and health counseling, we were kept very busy.

One Friday night before our students were to leave for vacation, our landlord told some of our group about a news item that had just been on TV. The program showed a woman who lives on a neighboring mountain. Apparently she had heart trouble and was scheduled to go to Baylor for heart surgery. Her family had gathered to take her to the hospital. During the night she dreamed that Sai Baba (a living Indian guru, who has a huge Afro-like hairdo, and claims many miracles, especially of healing) had visited her. She dreamed he took her to a foreign country where she had the heart surgery, then she was returned to her home.

In the morning when the woman awoke, there was a row of stitches down the middle of her chest. There were also two attendants with her, whom only she could see, who gave her injections and IV’s when needed. News of this occurrence had gotten out and many people were flocking to her home.

Of course, our students were asking, “Can we go see her, too?” I told them I would pray about it. I felt that this “miracle” was not for God’s glory, but for the glory of Sai Baba, so I began studying what to share with the students. Matthew 24:24 seemed very appropriate for the situation. “There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” The students appreciated our study together. All desire to “go see” was gone. Praise the Lord for His Word! (There has been talk of an investigation into this incident, as some feel the husband, a health worker, may have planned the whole thing as a money-generating event, as hundreds of thousands of rupees have been given to the family from various people and religious organizations. Such things happen here in India!)

One Saturday night, after the close of the Sabbath, Sandra, our team, and I began preparations for an early morning departure for student homes in Nepal. I was busy with some computer data as others packed and cooked. Suddenly a car drove up, and men began calling for help. One of our workers ran outside. Returning in a panic she exclaimed, “There is a poisoning case outside! I need some charcoal right away!”

Sandra quickly got the sack of charcoal. When I arrived, someone was giving a teenage girl a glass of water with charcoal mixed in it. She had already vomited a first portion of it. I inquired what she had swallowed, as some poisons should not be vomited. Apparently she had drunk a bottle of brass polish! The workers quickly made more charcoal slurry and kept trying to get her to swallow it.

We asked why she was trying to take poison. One of the men said, “She is unmarried, and parents in our country are worried about our young people getting in trouble.” Then I understood that this young girl was pregnant. She had had a fight with her parents and had decided that killing herself was the best way to deal with the problem.

Four men had accompanied this girl from a nearby Christian church—two of these were from the local TV station. They had first taken the girl to the local clinic, which declined to help her. Then they took her to the hospital. Again she was refused treatment, as they said this was a police case. If the girl died, her baby’s father needed to be known, so they told the men to take the girl to the police station in the city before they would treat her! All of this while the girl was dying from the poison!

The men decided to bring her to our place after hearing the TV program previously. Sandra and I took all the students into one bedroom, knelt down and had earnest prayer for the young lady and the treatment that had been given. After half an hour the girl began to calm down and act more sensibly. A short time later she was able to return home. She was even able to offer a weak smile of appreciation. One of the men, a leader of the local church, had a prayer before they departed, and all expressed appreciation for the help. We were very happy for the opportunity to help, and that God allowed us to be a witness to these people, and to the young girl, especially. She is physically recovered now, and we have been visiting her.

Sandra traveled to Bangladesh in early December to assist in a health fair. One of the Laymen Ministries students accompanied her to Kolkatta and stayed with her until she got on the plane for Dhaka. Bangladesh is a predominantly Muslim country and many from Al Quaida have relocated there, setting up new terrorist training camps.

Tensions were high and security was tight, as 5 or 6 Americans were there to work in the health fair. Security would not allow people to come in with plastic bags or packages. At first attendance was small, perhaps 6,000!!! It increased each night, with the final evening having over 16,000 present!

Bill Dull, of Living Spring Overseas Missions, held lectures in the evening after most of the booths closed down. A number of people shared the results of the natural remedies used in their own lives in the year and a half since the last fair. That was thrilling for Sandra and the others. She also had another special gift—a former worker who had helped her in Nepal, Flora, was from Bangladesh, and was able to be with her as her translator during the entire fair. Sandra didn’t realize how tense things were in Bangladesh until she returned to the peace and freedom of our location in India.

Early February saw training classes begin in North India again. We were joined by some special guest teachers, including Bill and Lois Dull, with their student missionary, Jessica. They were able to spend about five days with us. Bill taught lessons on the brain, particularly the frontal lobe and its work. The students really appreciated this information.

Lois was also such a blessing! With midwifery as her specialty, she shared with our young ladies on birthing. She also tried to help the young men and women understand some of the basic differences in the way God made male and female, and how to work together with these differences. We see the male/female dissimilarity often when challenges arise, and each sex reacts differently to the problems.

We recently took all of our students for field work near the homes of two students. Their communities all work for the government operated tea farms. One student’s family has a nice village home with a separate kitchen. Their small clay stove was very good, but cooking for 13+ people was quite a challenge. Our students are used to cooking for this size of group, so they pitched in and helped.

Sandra and her team hiked to another village only two hours (by foot) from the country of Bhutan. On arrival, they found that most of the families live in small shelters out in the jungle this time of year so their animals can graze.

They visited several homes, doing blood pressures checks and giving a few treatments. With most of the villagers gone, they decided to come back a day early, but their ride did not come so they had to walk out more than six hours!

Early on, Sandra slipped off a rock into the stream, so she changed from wet sneakers into thin flip-flops, and hiked out with her heavy backpack. Her feet were bruised from all the stones. Everyone was hungry, tired and exhausted when they arrived back at our base.

My team went to a large village with our blood pressure cuffs to do some “door to door work.” We stopped at one home about two blocks down the street. Soon a crowd gathered. People were very anxious to have their BP taken. We also observed various types of illnesses.

We invited the people to come to the little village church where we showed them slides of the effects of smoking on the lungs and other organs. Smoking, betel nut, chewing tobacco, homemade alcohol and pork eating are all major problems in this area. Some thirty came!

Thanks again to all who have helped us with your prayers and support as we have ventured back to India and Nepal. It is wonderful to know that we have a team behind us to lift up our work here. To date, we have not had problems with Maoists or Muslims, and we know this is largely due to the prayers of our friends and supporters. May God continue to bless His work and give hope to these people.

“He asked if we would like to present some health materials that could be shown over the new local TV channel!”

“In the morning when the woman awoke, there was a row of stitches down the middle of her chest.”

“...some feel the husband, a health worker, may have planned the whole thing
as a money-generating event...”

“She is unmarried, & parents in our country are worried about our young people getting in trouble.”

“Bangladesh is predominantly Islamic & many from Al Quaida have relocated there, setting up new terrorist training camps.”