Gifts and Getting to Know Each Other

Lahore, Pakistan (June 6, 2013)

I went to bed at 5:00 a.m. And got two hours sleep before breakfast at 8. As I was free for the rest of the morning, I was able to get more sleep later. There is an electrical crisis in Pakistan. The power goes on and off all day and night. This caused a problem when using my CPAP machine so I wasn't able to get the sleep I needed. I skipped lunch so that I could get rested up for the seminar the next day. 

I have noticed that Pakistani people are very hospitable. They don't seem to be able to do enough for you. Emmanuel came at 4:00 and we had a good time of fellowship getting to know each other better. This was very helpful and enabled me to get a better sense of his ministry. When he came to my hotel, Emmanuel brought three traditional Pakistani garments. This includes a long shirt known as a "kameez" and a pair of loose fitting pants known as the "shalwar". The shalwar has a cloth belt with it and the kameez is warn with an undershirt. I felt overwhelmed by this generosity. 

Emmanuel and I went out for supper that evening and he insisted on buying me a pair of sandals and shoes to go with the Pakistani clothes he had purchased. 

Emmanuel is not a rich man. He does not have his own home or a vehicle. In doing this for me, however, he was expressing his appreciation for the work I had been doing in providing books for Pakistani believers. By paying him for translating, the money is also providing a source of income for this man of God who lives by faith.