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Dear Christian Friends;

janmry, 1953
Needless to say,

Our first Christiaas in India has been filled with joy and delight.
it was sotoewhat different than any previously spent.

On Christmas Eve^ the chapel was filled with folk to see a production of the story of the coming and birth of Christ that the church produced. The wife of the pastor of
the Hindustani church had written it. those taking part in the program.
ceived a little gift.

It was well given and well received.

Following the program a Christmas party was held at the mission bungalow for all
Indian sweets and tea were served and each one re

known here in India as Shepherd Mght. We went to different Christian homes and sang
that the wife and mother waits until Christmas Eve to prepare the Christmas sweets.

About 10:30 Christmas Eve, several of the men of the church went caroling, better

Christian hymns, some Christmas carols and some other songs. A goodly number of the folk invited us into their little one-room homes. It is the custom in the Indian home
Over in one corner of the room she was seated on the floor in front of a small fire preparing her Christmas sweets Tdiile the children were sleeping on the other side of the

small smoke filled room. Of particular interest, in one of the home^ was also a milk

goat lying on the floor at the foot of a little rope bed.

Christmas Pay was the great day with the church more than filled for worship and
communion service at 10 o*clock in the morning,

New Year's Day, On the Sunday following ChnstiHas Day our usual church services were

Christinas activities run for a week, beginning Christmas Eve and lasting through

was held on the mission grounds.

held. The Monday following Christmas Day was what is commonly called Sport's Day which
There were approximately 125 people there that after '

noon to take part in the different games, race% and contests, such as bicycle races
foot races, badminton, relays, etc.
On New Year's Eve there was a watch and prayer serv^.ce in the church and on New

Year's Day at 10 o'clock in the morning was another worship service in the chapel.

The few days before Christmas and on Christmas Day, we were often greeted with these words, "Earda Din Mubarak Ho," which literally means, "Blessed Great Day." On New
Year's Day the greeting was "Kaya Sal Mubarak Ho," meaning "Blessed New Year." indeed be a blessed one to you, our friends at home, and to o\jjc brethren in Christ and
the prospects for His kingdom here in the great land of India.

And so it is with great anticipation that we look forward that the year of 1953 might

Yours in hope and Christian love,

P cuAjut^
The Parkers, Chester, Martha, and Yvonne

k6P'OZARK. jopUn,Wo

February, I953 Dear Friends,

your good wishes "but they are so many that time does not permit.

Plough Ghristms is well over a month past, we are still receiving Christmas Greetings from you. We wish that to could send each an indivD.dual "thank you" for
Since the area of our work has grown, we are .moving to another section of

^ansi. The Bateses will remain in the present bungalow in which both of us have
bean living. We had opportunity to rent a house which i^as just recentlv built
will be the first to reside in it.

We

We have had two or three good opportunities to buy property but due to the financial status at present, it has not seemed wise or even possible.

fastest growing bazaar in the city of Jhansi. Several of the refugees who came out of Pakistan have settled in this bazaar. There are strong possibilities of another church being established in the area. The city of Jhansi is quite spread out. so it
IS SOQB times difficult for an Indian Christian to go from one side to the other in
O^.u' new address is:

Our new home in India is within a two or three minute walk of the newest and

order to be in church.
Mr. 85 Mrs. Chester C, Parker
S, Jacob's Haven

Sipri Road

Jhansi, U.P., India

In Him,

Chester, Martha, & Yvonne

P.S. We ask your prayers in this new venture, ward the spread of the Kingdom in India.

Your prayers have done so much toC.C.P.

Property ot

LIBRARlf

ogsAKK BIBLE COLLEG^t

Joplin, Mo M&pch, 1953 Dear Christian friends.

In India this is the time of year when grain is harvested.

For the last four

days we have seen harvesters traveling through Jhansi on their way to the fields which are turning yellow. These harvesters travel in groups of ten to thirty. Each
group includes all the way from a small halay lying in a haslcet on its mother *s head

to old grandfather and grandmother clipping along at a steady pace. They cairy their
meager possessions which are wrapped in a cloth and formed into a bundle perched t^on their heads. To say the least, they make a picturesque scene as they go from one field

to another. For their pay they will receive some grain and a few annas a day in money.
These harvesters cut the grain with small sickles, bind it into small sheaves which are carried to the threshing floor called a kuljhan. Oxen are driven back and

forth over this grain until the grain falls from the chaff. The chaff is lightly tos
sed to one side and the grains are caught by the hard gi'ound which makes up the
threshing floor.

This -whearb is usually washed and put into the sion to dry after which it is taken to the mill or the mother in the home may grind it on her litt.le hand mill which con sists of two flat stones. The upper stone is rotated on a central pivot over the

lower stone with the wheat being poijred through a hole in the center of the i5)per
stone. As the mother turns the top stone the ground flour (ata) comes out around the
It is

edges. This is a daily household task of mojt of the Indian women. The ground grain
is then mixed with a little v?ater and rolled out into thin pancake affairs. then baked over hot coals. This is the stable food of many in India,

Tame and time again, it is scenes such as these that we have tried to describe to you that takes us back to scenes related in the Bible, We are sure that these people are in as much need of the Imowledge of the love of Christ as those to whom he spoke in person while here on earch. Yours through Christ,

Martha Parker

Property og

Zoar Cottage

OZARK BIBLE COLLTOR

Pear CbrlstXcn Friends:

LIBRAHT

Mussoorle, U.P., Ind^a June, 1953

Landour Cantomeiit

The Prayer-News letter this month is intended to he wholly a call to prayer. Your prayers are of extremely vital importance to the work here in India. When we realize that we are linked together with you in prayer, impossibilities seem to become pos*
sibilitles.

Pray that more workers might come to work with us. We need another couple to work in Christian Institute, another couple to do nothing but work with the Anglo-Indians and, also, the hands of India reach up feebly begging for the healing ministry of
consecrated Christian doctors and nurses.

Pray that the doors of India might remain open to the Christ.

Along this line Mr.

Nehnx and the Indian Congress needs your prayers.

Pray that o\xr Christian ISatlve Workers might be strong enouglh to fac^ inevitable per secution in the face of extreme nationalistic uprisings.

Praj' that our conpHssion for the souls of India might also continue to grow, that \7e mighc look beyond unpleaoantries directed at us as foreigners. Pray that we might become more mollow and J.ove as He has taught us to love.

VJe can get along without eq^uipm'^nt in the formis of typewiters, trucks, etc.

(however, these are very useful and appreciated)'but we can not get along without
your prayers.

Yours in Christ,

The Parkers.

P.S. We have kept up with our corresroudence. We say this to explain that if you have not hearcd from us it is likely that yours or our letter has been lost or delayed. We know dsfir^.tely of a few instances where this has happened but of course there
could be others.

THE CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP

3735 VIRGim STREET

KANSAS CITY 9* MISSOURI