Landon Saunders

In Asheville, NC, a special weekend is planned in appreciation of Landon Saunders, founder of Heartbeat Ministires. You can check out the details at the above address on the web. Landon had a significant impact on my early (and late!) ministry. Here is some of that history:

I am sure I must have some Kodachrome slides (pictures) of Landon. However, I am not home (in Canada) to search through those boxes. I also am not definite of the year or month when Landon dropped in on us in Shillong, India, as he circled the globe. However, his coming was a god-send for us.

I believe it might have been in the spring of 1966 (maybe 1965). Ellen and I were living in a small apartment in Laitumkhrah, Shillong in NE India. We had been drawn into what today might be called “Campus Evangelism”, but, at the time, we didn’t have any fancy title for it! We had planned a weekend “gospel meeting” and were expecting Don Green from Malaysia to come and do the speaking. However, mid-week we received a telegram from Don saying he was not going to be able to make it. We had advertised extensively, so we were left scrambling to find an alternative.

Thursday morning (I believe it was) a knock at the door introduced us to a slender American traveler whom we had never heard of before. However, in those days, anyone from the English speaking world was a very welcome guest. Landon had noticed the banner over the gate so we had to tell him our distressing predicament. His response was, Well, if you would like, I would be happy to fill in.” “… would like, go for it, brother!” We had no idea of the magnitutde of the treat we were in for. Of course, he related marvelously with the college students who attend.

At that time I remember serious discussions among evangelists as to the requirement of an invitation at the end of the message. I have never been comfortable with the lengthy “invitations” that I was exposed to as a boy. Landon asked if he should give an “invitation” and I gave him freedom do as he might choose. Then, he humbly told me, “I have learned how to push the buttons that bring people down the isles but I refuse to push them.” I remember thinking, “Lord, give me access to some of those buttons!”

However, Landon’s greatest contribution to my life and ministry was not his serendipitous visit but, rather, his impact on my transitioning mind-set. Uponn my arrival in India in 1963, I had been thrust into a legalistic environment. As I worked my way through (out of) that, Landon’s messages, videos, and life-style have been contributing factors. Thanks, London, for the freshness that you have brought to our lives, our message, and our ministries.


Ray & Ellen McMillan, Silver Oak School, Durtlang Veng Thar, Mizoram, India

Watching the Blogs

If you are an addicted blogger, you may have a hard time understanding how some of us get weary of the constant borage of instant information.

However, this week I have been very grateful for the constant updates that have come via Stephen Bell’s blog and Wendell Bailey’s emails regarding Stephen’s dad, Stan, who is in the Regina hospital battling “flesh-eating disease.” www.healthatoz.com describes the seriousness of the situation:

Flesh-eating disease is more properly called necrotizing fasciitis, a rare condition in which bacteria destroy tissues underlying the skin. This tissue death, called necrosis or gangrene, spreads rapidly. This disease can be fatal in as little as 12 to 24 hours.

I, among thousands, have been in prayer for Stan (and Maxine and family) and pondering anew the value of friends such as Stan Bell and families such as the Bells.

The journey of life is often rough, but those friends and families make the journey not only doable but also often very delightful.

CRISSCROSSING PATHS

In the “good old” days, one of the delightful things about going and coming from India was the privilege to become acquainted with fellow-workers in various points along the way. On the way back to Canada in 1966, we connected with the Hendersons in Bangkok, the Reeves in Hong Kong, and the Betts and Smiths in Japan. Some pretty choice kingdom folk.

In June of 1968, Ellen and I returned to NE India, taking with us our close friends, Bob and Sharon Parker. We interrupted our flight from Vancouver to Calcutta by stopping in Taipei, Taiwan, for a couple days. Ellen and I stayed with the Mullinaxs while Bob and Sharon stayed with another young couple—Ed and Sharon Short. They were new to the field but were already immersed in learning the Mandarin language.

While in Nashville, three weeks ago, I contacted Kok Hai Tan (Western Christian College’s new college dean). On the phone he said, “I will be staying at Ed and Sharon’s, let’s meet there.” Well, I tried to help them remember me but to no avail! However, the reconnection was special. They are both fluent in Mandarin and working with a Christian radio station which beams the good news out of place like Alaska and Madagascar. Their faithfulness and focus is an definite encouragement for my journey.

The Nasty and the Nice

There are lots of things about traveling that are delightful, but some things that are depressing. I just concluded a two-week sojourn which started in Regina and touched down in (other) major centers: Calgary, Dallas-Fort Worth, Midland, Louisville, Nashville, Gonce (if you find that on your map – NE corner of Alabama, you have been reading the fine print!), and Yellowknife.

Each time the steward(ess) forces me to bucket down I ponder the fact that I am flying in style—at least 32,000 feet above my actual status in life. I grew up on horseback in an out-of-the way corner of SE Saskatchewan. What am I doing flying around in high class?

None-the-less, flying is an amazing way to sit down in Dallas and, in less than 4 hours, stand up in Calgary; enjoy a coke and be transported from Calgary to Yellowknife – to say nothing of waving goodbye to Kolkata and, in less than a day, step into our “home” in Regina! I wonder what William Carey would have accomplish if he had the likes of this!

It’s (often) very exhilarating. But it can also be tiring and discouraging. One way to limit depression is not to accept the newspaper offered to you while boarding. There are too many nasty people (and evens) in our world … and how do they deserve he front page of every newspaper.

On the other hand there a so many nice people. You can encounter some of them are in the air, but most of them are on the ground. In Midland, Texas (the antithesis of Allan McCrea’s “poverty canyon”), I was treated to the generous lifestyle and hospitality of Gary and Connie Tate. What a pair. In their 80’s; 60+ years of marriage. During the closing months of War II, Gary served as a soldier in NE India. His dreams of making a difference in that forgotten corner of the earth go on and on. Connie arises daily at 6 AM to go swimming with the girls. Her evening walks take her speeding around a course which encircles the neighbourhood. Life, Service, Hospitality. Vision.

Thank you, God, for the nice people who have dropped into my pathway.