I was viewing a program this
evening as a woman gave a testimony on how Jesus changed her life and delivered
her from a cycle of poverty which had kept her in bondage. The enemy often
chains people in that type of chronic bondage. Jesus came, indeed, to set the
captives free, and He still does set the captives free.
I praise the Lord for the
faithful witness of fellow servant and colleague, Kenneth Simpson, who entered
the Church Triumphant and the Eternal City. He served the Lord with great
devotion and humility. He was a blessing in my life. I praise the Lord for the
memories we have of Ken Simpson, and the hope is ours because of Christ, that we
all shall gather together and lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus.
Praise the Lord for the sweet and stunning
summer season. We were able to do some traveling over the last few days, before
the summer comes to a sudden conclusion. We were able to see places that we
have only heard or read about, and we got to see many new people. We saw the
great and majestic handiwork of our Lord all around us, in places that we had
never before gone. We were away for 10 days, having taken the train from
Syracuse, NY, going west by trains called the Lakeshore Limited and the
California Zephyr. The Lord blessed us,
allowing us to see the some of the majestic and stunning places of America.
In the course of our travels we were awed by
majestic mountains as we made our way into and through the stunning Rockies. We
passed through 37 tunnels as we made our way through beautiful topographies that
changed from place to place and from state to state. On our journey we followed
the Colorado River, where scores of people were canoeing, kayaking,
fishing, white water rafting, and camping. Many passengers were enroute to
Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where there were very famous hot springs and
stunning scenery.
After almost 3 days of travel we arrived in
Emeryville, California where we had views of the San Francisco Bay Bridge and,
after a little walk, the famous Golden Gate Bridge. After spending the
overnight there, we traveled by train and bus to the wonder-filled Yosemite
National Park. We stayed in the park's lodge overnight and we were overwhelmed
by the fragrant cedar scented air. We walked through cedars, sequoias, and
Ponderosa pines, all towering above us. We took a sight-seeing tour through the
park, gazing at the breath-taking scenes and sights all around, from El Capitan
to Glacier Point, from the famous Bridal Veil Falls to the majestic Yosemite
Falls. El Capitan has a huge rock face which is one of the favorite climbs for
adventurous rock climbers from all over the country, and it is one of the most
frequently photographed sites as well.
On Tuesday we took the connecting bus, which
followed the Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Barbara, where met our train to LA,
and as we went we were treated to endless views of the Pacific Ocean, where
many people were at play on the waves and in the water. Along the way we saw
great stretches of RVs camped along the highway, not 50 yards from the Pacific.
We traveled on the Southwest Chief from LA to Flagstaff, Arizona, arriving in
Flagstaff long before sunrise. Along the way we saw almost endless vineyards,
vegetable gardens, and orchards. It was harvest season in many of the
fields.
We took a day trip to the glorious Grand
Canyon, where we spent the day hiking/walking, in order to have a glimpse of the
amazing scenes that unfolded all around us. We walked 3-4 miles (out of the 225
or so that it would take to circumnavigate the gorge. Along the way we were
enraptured by the views of our Lord's amazing Creation.
On the way home we rode through the world
famous Rocky mountains and back trough the some of the iconic plains,
ranches, farm lands, and dynamic deserts. The Lord blessed us with His favor
throughout our journey. He allowed us to see and visit some of the wonderful
places of His Creation. We saw the hills singing, the mountains proclaiming His
majesty. The deserts and the valleys were blossoming, offering to the Lord
unending praise and honor. We also saw the miles and miles vineyards,
cornfields , and fruit trees of all kinds producing their kind in their due
season. We saw thousands and thousands of acres of ranches and prairie land and
were reminded of the people who lived there and the pioneers and moved west with
faith in the Lord and with the love for their families, exploring and
establishing homes, hearths, and altars. They were brave, courageous, and
faithful. The Lord blessed us to see some amazing places of His creation in
America, the Beautiful. Best of all, He gave us favor with His People from the
beginning to the end, as we traveled over 7000 miles by train and bus. We met
some wonderful people. The cabin crew and hospitality staff on the trains were
more than kind and gracious to us. Everywhere we went we heard the stories and
of the people whom we met. They shared about their lives and families, and many
testified to the Lord's wondrous grace and love.
We visited two of the most amazing US
National Parks Yosemite and Grand Canyon. We met people from all over the globe
including Great Britain, France, Italy, Sweden, New Zealand, Austria, China,
Japan, and most of the 50 States. Notably, there were many Amish families on the
train from Chicago to California, and many times more on the return trip from
Flagstaff to Chicago. There were many Amish families, apparently from multiple
Amish communities in various locations.
Mealtime was a special time to meet and
greet men and women from various parts of the country. We always sat across
from one or two persons, with whom we shared not only a meal, but glimpses of
our life stories. During one lunch seating we shared the table with two
sisters. One sister shared that she and her husband were blessed with four
children. They adopted 11 more children. The other sister never got married.
She was a college professor. She supports and comes alongside her children.
One morning we shared breakfast with a
couple from California. The husband retired from working in one of the State
hospitals as a supervisor, and now he works in a Church run retirement community
part time as a chaplain. He shared about a young girl who was born severely
handicapped. Her parents are from India, and coming from Hindu background.
They had a very difficult time dealing with the handicap of their daughter.
They thought their daughter was cursed by God. The daughter wanted to go
to church, and she insisted on going. The chaplain told us that the church
members saw to it that this young woman did get to come to church. The church
family loved this beautiful young woman and they confirmed in her heart that she
was not cursed. Jesus loved her. This young lady believed in the Lord and her
life changed. Slowly her family began to come to church. Recently the young
woman died. Her funeral service was held in the church. Her family and all the
extended family attended the service of celebration of her life. Now the family
have put their faith in the Lord Jesus and have become part of the worship
community.
One morning we were seated for breakfast in
Arizona as the train was moving east. A couple came into the dining car where
they were seated at our table. With the initial exchange of formal greetings I
asked them where they were from. The husband said they were from Binghamton,
NY, but indicated that we wouldn't know where that was. After a brief pause he
said. "I know you. You are pastor Naik Brown".
We met some of the beautiful people of all
ages of all back grounds from all over the globe. We met some native Americans
in Arizona. I shared with them that I was born In India. They extended a great
sense of love and grace. One native American was nearly eighty, we think, and
was Hopi. She told us that her mother taught her to always be friendly, but
said that it made here cry when people were rude to her in return. She spent
several minutes sharing with us about her life at Grand Canyon
Park.
We rode across thousands of miles of prairie
land, farms, ranches, high desert, and mountains. We saw some cathedrals and
churches as we were going along, and as we passed through some of the Indian
Reservations saw some one room churches. We came home blessed and soul full.
Thank you for praying for us. We live in a wonderful country .. . and we are so
blessed. It is all so bountiful, so beautiful. The Lord blessed us with some
spectacular sunrises and stunning sunsets.
In Christ,
Brown.
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