Midyetts Report

April 25, 2006

Greetings from Bunbury, West Australia, two hours south of Perth.

Anita, our daughter, took two weeks off work. Our grandson Michael is also on school holidays. We expect to see our other grandchildren next week. Eaton Baptist Church, just across the river from my daughter’s home, gave us a pleasant welcome.

Through the Pastor, who was a missionary to New Guinea for twelve years, we got a lead, should we return to Australia to live. We are looking for a small efficiency type of accommodation. My daughter here is on the lookout for possibilities. This point is much nearer for these ministry trips for as long as we feel the Lord would have us minister in India. As dual citizens of Australia, we are looking into health coverage here. My only hospitalizations were here, during World War II and again 15 years ago.

Today was Australia-New Zealand Army Corps Day. Michael and I went with local veterans on a two-hour parade/march, which the veterans do here each year. It was my first, however, in the 64 years since my first year in the military. And for them, it has been every year. Part of the two hours was alternating with standing at attention and at ease, listening to reminiscences of wars. The American forces were deeply involved in defending Australia, and our part with the First Marine Division was in New Guinea and the islands of Guadalcanal, Goodenough, New Britain, and the Russell Islands.

As a missionary now, this past 4.5 months in India was also war—a spiritual war—perhaps like I’ve never seen before. We have seen open doors to thousands of orphans, hundreds of Bible schools, and many hundreds of private schools closed at least temporarily by a Hindu uprising in Kota, Rajasthan. That uprising could affect virtually all of India. The president of Hopegivers based in Kota is locked in jail through that uprising, so far as we know; and as of now, our efforts to provide brand new inductive Bible study courses approved by the two Thomases, Dr. M. A. and Dr. Samuel, are on hold. India calls these courses Moral Science or Moral Education, and such courses are approved nationwide. We are maintaining contact by e-mail, and will continue to do so until their requirements are met.

While in Hyderabad, we saw the potential of a second curriculum depot open up. This new center began to take form only last month. We marvel at how obstacle after obstacle has or is being erased, so the Gospel can have free course as the Lord would have it in our day.

Will we pass the test this summer physically for coming back to Australia under their Medicare program again? We were on it when we were forced home to care for Sarah’s mother. Our arrival date in Columbia again is June 5. From then until mid-August, we will be doing two things: (1) working toward readying ourselves to enroll again in Medicare here, and (2) further readying our Bible curriculum for meeting requirements for India.

Sarah’s immediate medical need is in her digestive system and her cataracts. Do you know of any alternative to cataract surgery? If so, would you please email us? A pharmacist here has her on a digestive that shows promise, and we have a couple of suggestions from our friend, Dr. Gordon Van Rooy, which we have yet to investigate. Her latest catastrophe was a slip in the bathroom about a month ago, which gave her a bump on the back of her head. The bump went down mostly within an hour, but some fluid remains as a result of the bump. Please pray with us for a complete healing.

Our seven hosts in the past 4.5 months have fed us well. In fact, we each have gained 5 pounds. We are beginning to remedy that with less rice and other starchy foods.

The Hindu uprising in Kota is still of grave concern. Let us pray for our brothers there, and for the progress of the Gospel again in and through Dr. M. A. and Dr. Samuel Thomas. Pray also, please, for the lawyer for Christian minorities, who is working on this case.

India is a great country. It is up and coming in the world. Your part today is to stand behind M.A. and Samuel through the mighty power of prayer, and expect great things through our victorious Lord.

Yours faithfully,
J. T. and Sarah
somidyett@watchdogisp.com

SPONSORING, SENDING CHURCH: Edmond Road Baptist Church
1207 W. Edmond Road, Edmond, OK 73003-4195, Phone 1-405-348-9410, Pastor Joe Mandrino, 1-405-613-3735