friends-of-mizoram.org

You or your group can be part of a team dedicated to ridding the world of this deadly disease. To request more information, click here.

The first weekend in Mizoram I stayed in Durtlang, above Aizawl at the World Mission Centre,  The founder has a tremendous testimony and has travelled much a been instrumental in many healing crusades,   I had several chances to share with disciples in training to become evangelists.  Mimi a Salvation Army Evangelist, who works with all denominations met me at the plane.  Mimi travelled around China with Gideon Chiu and his wife earlier this year.

Highlights from my stay in Aizawl.  I got to share in a Baptist church - I had met the Pastor in Maryland.  Had many great visits including Denknuna and VanLal Nghaka - heard VanLal preach several times at a conference, the theme, “Prepare to Met Your God”  very powerful and thought provoking.  Too often we all go through life not really considering eternity.

Spent almost a full day with VanLal and one of India’s top heart specialists.  Did a video with him and a 99 year old man who had  angioplasty at 94.  the oldest ever survivor of this in India and the 4th oldest in the world.  Also videoed a very interesting interview wit VanLal, his doctor son and this specialist on prevention of heart problems, especially in women.

That evening Somte and I had the opportunity to pray with the doctor and his wife for more than an hour.  I hope to meet the wife on the way through Kolkata, he will be out of town at the time.

Went to a healing crusade and witnessed four people, who had not walked for atleast three years, all get up and walk.  The woman leading the crusade has been at it continuously for several months and finally became ill of exhaustion and was hospitalized the next day.  However I have talked to her son, my good friend Zela and he tells me she was back at it four days later.

One woman, a nurse, gave a fantastic testimony.  She had been diagnosed of untreatable cancer of the uterus, with several secondary cancers, and was told she only had weeks to live.  She received prayer on Sep 1st and the healer announced she was healed.  The nurse knew the diagnosis and had no hope in her mind,   However the pain left and on Sept 28th she had a complete check-up and no cancer, or any damage could be found.  Dozens of people were prayed and many believe they were healed from a multitude of problems, including cancer.  It was quite an experience.

There were many more divine appointments in Aizawl but the most spectacular was with Dr. Sasa.  Dr Sasa is the first Myanmar Chin to become a medical doctor.  Through a casual conversation he had on an airplane Baroness Cox heard of him and she and Prince Charles decided to champion his cause, which is village health workers in the Chin area of Myanmar (Burma).  A 500 student training center was started in Mizoram, near the Myanmar borders on Sept 10th, it is to be completed by Nov 15 and Baroness Cox and several British MPs and doctors will come for the opening.

I had heard Dr. Sasa was in Aizawl but had no contact and then one day I set out to try to find him.  I was supposed to meet .my friend Vuli at 10:00 am but when I arrived at her office there was a note that she would be delayed until 11:00.  The bank was nearby so I went to change some money.  A Mizo lady was exchanging pounds next to me and to open a conversation I asked if she had been in Britain recently.  This lead to a great conversation and then she said something that made me think of Dr. Sasa’s project and I asked if she knew anything about it.  Indeed she did and Dr, Sasa had eaten at their house a couple of days before and she had his cell  phone number. .That lead to a several hour meeting with Dr.Sasa.  It was the only time on his visit to Aizawl that would have been possible.  He had had all the rest of his time in Aizawl booked and was leaving for London the next morning.

God is so good and what an organizer. We arranged to meet again on his return on Oct 24th, at Lawngtlai, which is on the way to his project.

Lunglei.  Donga’s brother Konga arranged for me to travel with him to Lunglei.  Except for 4 hours of terrible roads the trip was great.  Unseasonable rains have raised havoc on parts of the unfinished new highway from Aizawl to Lunglei.  They tell me that once it is finished it will cut the trip to only 4 hours - it took us almost 10.

Highlights to date in Lunglei..  It was a great thrill to speak in our sister church in Serkawn.  One of Mizoram’s top historians, Dr. Hminga interpreted for me.  I talked of the many, many God-incidences that have lead up to what is happening.  Donga’s relief and development department has what may be the world’s simplest, cheapest and most effective malaria project.  They have proven that no one has to die of malaria, provided ther is early detection and treatment.  They have now opened 43 ZoClinics and none of these clinics have lost a single malaria patient where the victim has come to the malaria shack at the first sign of a fever.  My reason for this trip is to try to convince people, world-wide, that no one has to die of malaria.

Every day 3000 people succumb to malaria world-wide.  A 9/11 everyday that doesn’t have to be.  Donga’s group has found a proven method that can be duplicated in any village in the world.  The cost is peanuts - $1000.00 Canadian can save a village forever.
Much more of this later when I finish the video.

The day before speaking in Serkawn we went ot a remote village where a ZoClinc has operated for several years.  I was dismayed when I found that over 50 people seeking treatment had died of malaria. However as they explained the circumstances it underline the absolute importance of  clinics in every village..  This village, Chawngte, has the first and only malaria clinic in the entire southern portion of the Chakma district  which has many, many small villages.  Most of the people who died are from these distant villages and by the time they reached the ZoClinic the disease had already done it’s damage.  The clinic has not lost any patients, who managed to come when they first got their fever, in the past 7  years.  It was the first ZoClinic established.in 2001.

Finally yesterday which was an almost perfect day.  Five of us left Lunglei shortly after 6:00am - drove for almost 4 hours and took a boat for another hour to the Chakma village of Samuksuri.  This is a very primitive village where life is extremely simple and basic.

The Chakma tribe is very distinct from the Mizos.  They are still basically hunters and gathers with some simple farming - moving their villages as the land is depleted.  There are about 350.000 Chakma living in South Western Mizoram, in eastern Bangladesh and in Myanmar immediately south of south-east Mizoram.  About 100,000 reside in Mizoram.  Their primary religion is Buddhist although a growing number are becoming Christian.

I was the four “white man” to visit the village.  The other three were also Canadians with Global Youth Network, who brought much needed food during the muatam, two years ago.

The ZoClinic in Samuksuri is only been operating for 3 weeks.  In the last weeks before it opened 7 people died of malaria.  Traditionally this village has lost about 2% of it’s population to malaria every year, one of the worst place for malaria in Mizoram.  Then when it first opened the first two malaria victims refused to come to the Christian clinic and went to the Buddhist monk who canted over them - they both died.  Since then everyone has come to the clinic and all have been healed.  While we were there two more young girls were diagnosed positive and received treatment.

I handed over a water filter (the second greatest killer is typhoid) and a snake and insect bite kit.  This was greatly appreciated as there are many very poisonous insects and snakes in the region.  Also because of then food brought by Global Youth Network and the food we shipped from Gleaners Canada is considered a great friend and I was the focus of much praise and a lovely shawl.  Most of the village came to see us and were generous in their thanks.  As we left the shoreline was lined with people waving.

The health worker, who is also a Mizo evangelist phone this morning that the entire village turned up to her place last night, all voiced their appreciation and confidence in what she was doing and gave her a vote thanks.  Several expressed the desire to become Christians and no one objected.  Truly a miracle amongst the Chakma people.

That brings me pretty much up to date - I talk to Donga’s staff later today.  Start to write the script for the malaria video tomorrow and then leave for Darzo and several other remote villages for the rest of the week.

Continued from Jerusalem  Nov 10, 2009-11-10

Sorry to get so far behind but I have been constantly on the go and every time I had set aside time either the power was out or the internet.

The rest of my time in Southern Mizoram was extremely productive.  Had a great meeting with Donga’s staff.  They are making a huge difference to village life in Mizoram, they are at the forefront of the malaria and general health clinics, have introduced and promoted sustainable farming and instituted much practical education.  All of these add up toward making Mizoram not only self-sufficient for food but with a tremendous potential in export.  Israel is a prime example of what is possible.  The motto,  “Mizo land, watered by Mizo sweat will bring Mizo prosperity” is taking hold.  Much of this can be attributed to Donga’s and his staff’s consistent work and encouragement.

This might be a great place to mention a couple of real  hopefully things I explored in Aizawl.  The first is the Cedar Project.  A lady named Mawmi who was with Operation Mobilization for many years felt that God was calling her to return to Mizoram to help the poor farmers.  She left a great job and has founded CEDAR a manufacturing and marketing company to turmeric and ginger. After several years of experimentation she has produced both powdered turmeric and ginger to ISO standards and is now in the process of having 6000 farms certified “organic” .   A large drying plant is almost completed and is to come on stream before the end of this month.  She also has the licence to market and is planning to display at an very large trade show for organic foods, to be held in Mumbai late this month.    The cost of display booths is high and she is seeking funding.  Please pray that this comes through as this is exactly what Mizoram needs.  Last year at a similar trade show, but only for India, she received more orders than she could fill.  However the new plant and the organization of farmers she has built should be able to handle the demand.  Mizoram’s turmeric is considered some of the best in the world and has a high enough Cumin content to be used in medicinal capsules with no further processing.  If you google to “health potentials of Turmeric” you will understand the significance for many diseases, including many types of cancer treatment.

The second bright spot was the Rubber industry and it’s potential in Mizoram.  I spend a day with the Rubber Growers Association and there seems to be a great potential in many parts of Mizoram.  The market is good and it seems the association has done it’s homework.  1000 farmers have signed up for seedlings.  A drawback is time - it takes 7 years for a seedling to mature to a producing tree.  Many thousands of seedling are being distributed this year but herveting will not start until 2026.  However unlike Teak the farmers can grow other crops between the developing trees so there is potential to earn a living while waiting for the rubber.

Back to Lunglei,  just after my meeting with Donga’s staff, all of the power in southern Mizoram was cut off for almost 48 hours.  It went off just as I was going to downtown Lunglei to do some shopping.  One this on my list was some English reading.  OM had a travelling book display but when I arrived there all was in darkness.  They loaned my a flashlight and the first thing I saw were come books by Watchman Nee,  I picked up a small  book called “Sit, Walk, Stand”.  What a find!!! Every serious Christian should read this book, it will change your life.

Left for Darzo the next morning - great day but there had been heavy rain the night before.  There is a river that is crossed by ferry and the approaches were flooded when we got there.  This would have meant an extra ten hours of driving but after a long period of negotiation they agreed if we would risk driving on, through the flooded approach, they would take us.  We did and we made it.  We had preliminary meetings at Darzo then pushed south to Sangau.  Passed much great farming country on the way and saw many Sloped Agricultural Land Technology farms and a fair bit of paddy rice on the way.  Had several good individual meetings in Sangau but I was disappointed not to see a great deal of interdenominational cooperation and the idea of a ZoClinic was postponed.

Next we stopped at Vanlalphai.  Here, for the first time ever, all five denominations came for an evening meeting.  What a meeting it turned out to be.  The Holy Spirit turned up and what a break through.  Many tears and hugging as complete cooperation was pledged by everyone.  They were hoping Donga and I could supply them with instant partners for a full-fledged ZoClinic, when we explained that this would take time they were disappointed.  Then the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask how many homes in the village and they said 304.  I showed them how they could open a bare-bones malaria clinic for $200.00 or less than  70 cents (less than 20 rupees) per household, they said we can do that tomorrow.  So by now I hope they have a malaria clinic saving precious lives.  They are still in malaria season and several had already died.

We were leaving Vanlalphai at 6:00am the next morning and were surprised when all of the people who came to the meeting and many from their families came to see us off.  It was a great experience engendering much hope for the future.  I will be looking for a North American partner for Vanlalphai as soon as I return.  The aim is for them to have a full scale ZoClinic where many things can be diagnosed and either treated locally or referred to the nearest hospital.  The government has announced they are planning to get internet into every village and also to purchase a helicopter.  This would be a great advantage to village health  If the health worker had access to a web-cam they could show city hospitals what they see on patients, receive instructions or, where needed, medi-vac.  Everyone in Mizoram could get to a hospital within an hour.

Back in Darzo we had a series of local meetings bringing greetings from Serkawn and St. Simon’s and laying the foundation for future cooperation.  Serkawn parishioners are beginning to visit Darzo and work with the villagers.  By late March early April a good number should come for two weeks, for planting the new crops and starting more SALT farms.

Met dozens of people from Darzo who have high hopes for the partnerships.  The committee was to let Donga know how they want the remaining 500.00 from St. Simon’s spent.  Will probably include a computer.

The river had risen again and now no chance to cross by ferry.  We drove to the crossing and three of us crossed on a very wobbly suspension  bridge - that was an adventure by itself - then rented a car for the rest of the journey back to Lunglei.  They others took the ten hour detour,

Back in Lunglei God kept me busy with divine appointments - many challenges and many opportunities.  Had a very encouraging call from the evangelist/health worker in
Samaksuri.  She had arrived there almost six months ago and had been almost completely shunned by the Buddhist community.  Then she received health training.  As I mentioned before, the first two people went to the Buddhist priests who advised against this woman with a foreign religion - the priests treated them and they both died.  Since then the health worker has diagnosed and treated over 50 people and saved them all.  Her small church is now over-flowing and the day she phone she was baptising 5.  God is using our small efforts wonderfully.  This village also has a centipede which has a painful and sometimes lethal bite.  The insect and snake bite kit I left has already treated over 30 bites.  God and the evangelist now have the respect and attention of the entire village.

Began to work closely with Pu Lianchinga a retired teacher working hard for major educational reform for all of Mizoram.  This is so badly needed as there is still little practical training to equip young Mizos for village life.  In fact a constant threat in the schools is, “study hard or you will be a farmer”.  Farmers are exactly what Mizoram needs if it is going to survive.  I always refer to them as MIPs - the most important people.

Also got local approval to have a choir of four, from Serkawn. Come to Vancouver for three months.  If visas can be obtained this will start in March 2010.  Much more on this later.

Travelled back to Aizawl with Europe’s top Baptist trouble shooter who travels the world to mediate any internal conflicts.  Great experience and had a couple of meals with him back in Aizawl.

I had decided not to go to Sasaland as there could be some major diplomatic tensions between Myanmar and India and was afraid my presence might be a distraction to some high level diplomacy.  However did  have another great meeting with Dr, Sasa via phone.  Please pray for this much needed project.  Opening date is still set for November 15th,

My last few days in Aizawl were a whirlwind of activity.  I seem to have completed most things on my agenda and many more.  Still have to write a series of articles for the Mizo press.  Hope to have these done in the next few weeks.

One night in Lunglei God woke me up at 2:30 am and showed me, very vividly, the short version of the malaria show in great detail  If Pat and I can produce anything near what I saw it will save hundreds of thousands.  Truly Mizoram has proven “No One Has to Die”.  Watch www.friends-of-mizoram.org for it’s release.

Due to a change in airline schedules, which no one made me aware of, I got stranded in Mumbai for an extra 24 hours.  There was a reason, it gave me time to read Lee Strobel’s latest book,  “A Case for the Real Jesus” .  I have enjoyed everything I have read by Strobel but this tops them all.  The answer to every one who questions the Jesus of the Gospels.  A brilliant work - the perfect evangelism tool for intellectuals.  After talking ot a large book store here in Jerusalem they are ordering multiple copies.

Had a great few hours between planes in London, with Grandson Kyle - we will see him again for a day on Nov 22/23.

Am now back in the Holyland with Marjorie - the pace is still hectic but wonderful  We have a room right at the north end of Jerusalem, almost an hour by bus to the Old City.  Have already met many old and new friends.  Made two trips picking up Arab kids for heart treatment in Jewish Hospitals.  This ministry will be key to the video I hope to produce on modern Israel.

God continues to lead, guide and protect - life is indeed good.

I arrived in Jamkhed late on the 17th of Sept and left again the afternoon of Sep 24th.  It has definitely been a life changing experience.

Jamkhed is village of about 65,000 and is the marketing town for another 200+ villages.
In 1970 Drs. Mabelle and Raj  Arole arrived in Jamkhed determined to better the lives of the poor villagers in the area,  The Aroles had received their medical training first at the Vellore Christian Hospital then at John Hopkins in Baltimore.

After trying a couple of other places they came to Jamkhed in 1970 and here they were offered land and closed veterinary hospital to start their work.  Little by little they won the confidence of the local people and the Comprehensive Rural Health Program(CRHP) was born.  Comprehensive is the key word, the Aroles believe health goes far beyond curative intervention, but begins with the basics, nutrition, clean water and sanitation.

What has been accomplished over the past 39 years is nothing sort of a complete transformation.  What they have done is empowered the communities – the complete communities.  .The caste system has been destroyed and each community has found ways to use the skills of their people and to constantly improve these skills.  Each village has farmer’s clubs and women’s clubs.  These are the guiding forces of the community.

Every village now has a village health worker, chosen by the village itself.  By and large these are illiterate women whose skills are constantly being upgraded be the CRHP staff.  They are the first line of health care – bi-weekly a travelling clinic  visits the village and trains not only the health worker but also the men’s and women’s club members.  Medicine has been demystified.  Each visit the traveling clinic will concentrate on a particular area of health, but also answer questions on any areas of concern.

How successful has this approach been?  The infant death rate has dropped from 176 per 1000 to 18 per thousand.  The three villages I visited have not had a case of malaria or typhoid in the past ten years.

The area in the Jamkhed block has two months of rain per year (July and August) and ten months of hot weather.  It was a semi desert area and especially the lower casts and untouchables suffered from chronic malnutrition and actual starvation.  The cast system was very strong and each caste lived unto itself, the untouchables were not allowed to live in the village itself.  Through the men’s and women’s groups the caste system has disappeared and the whole community is working for the good of the whole community.

Water was the key and each village has a major water project.  Streams are dammed making a chain of small lakes.  In the dry season these lakes would evaporate but they have dug a large well and the water percolates into this well not only eliminating evaporation but raising the entire ground water level.. Now all of the villages have abundant water for all household uses but for massive irrigation projects  - now there is no malnutrition!!

Prior to the formation of the people’s clubs wife abuse was rampant.  Men would get drunk and beat their wives for the slightest provocation.  The women had no perceived value and were expected to stay home and be a slave to the husband and his family.  Once the women’s clubs were active when a husband began to beat his wife she would scream and the housewives, often up to forty, would come running and put the husband out of the house and keep him there until he mended his ways.  The women had been empowered  and quickly became a real asset to the community.

Of the three villages I visited one had an illiterate low caste mayor and the other had women in the three top position in the village.

There are no church buildings in any of the villages in the Jamkhed block.  When I first heard this I was very disappointed but after observing the simple Christian live so  many of the villagers are leading I have had to re-evaluate my perception of what is a true Christian.  Each of the health workers I talked to professes to have turned from the Hindu god’s and are followers of the way.

Originally the Arole’s planned to build a church building but feel that God told them to build the church in the people’s hearts not with brick and mortar – as I look at the miraculous transformation of the villages in the Jamkhed block I must admit this was a wise decision – these people many of whom still profess to be Hindus are leaving a more pure  Christian life than any community I have ever visited.  There entire life is built around making the community a better place for all.

Every village has it’s health worker, the modern hospital cares for those who need further medical intervention.  There is a interesting blend of modern Western medicine and traditional herbal medications.  Many former false Hindu faith healers now use drama to show the villagers how they were duped in the past.  I witnessed one example of this.  The ex-faith healer drew the images of three spirits he claimed were attacking the woman.  He said he would take the spirits from her and put them on himself.  Then he burned the paper and rubbed the ashes on his arm and the same three images appeared on his arm.  Then he explained how he had fooled many people with this trick.  The images were painted on his arm first, with a liquid that was invisible but absorbed more of the carbon from the ashes than the surrounding area.  Thus the images appeared.  He had made much money from this trick but now repented and is working hard to correct the false thinking.

People are now coming from around the world for training a Jamkhed. Over it’s 39 year history CRHP has trained over 100,000 individuals.  Just recently the State of Andhra Pradesh has signed a contract to have all their health workers receive some of the training with CRHP.

God never ceases to amaze me how He can use a few dedicated people to transform an entire region and then use this example to make a profound difference world-wide.  We have much to learn from examples like this.

Submitted by Stuart Spani  Sep 26th 2009
www.jamkhed.org  www.friends-of-mizoram.org

Sept 11 2009
Caught 6:00 am flight from Vancouver to Chicago - Seat mate from Southern States who was on a course on mass digital storage in Vancouver – committed Christian.  Told me of a ne mass storage device of up to 10 terabytes which can be simultaneously accessed by 10 video editing stations.

Chicago airport was chaotic hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed.  We were told our 2:00 flight would be 5:00 which meant I would miss my train connection.  I left the gate to phone and change the train reservation.  I got back to the gate at 4:30 then was puzzled when the board said the next flight was to Boston, rather than New York.  When I checked I found that a plane came in at a different gate and while I was making the phone call, they had everyone quickly switch to another gate and the plane left at 4:45 without me.  An agent on the phone told me to get to another gat and he would make sure I got on the next flight – I did and I guess he pulled strings as the plane before was cancelled and they left over sixty at the airport.

This plane got me to New York almost too late to catch the last train to Maryland.  But after running for over a block – with three bags I through them on as the train started to move.

Next there was an error in the automatic announcing system and they announced Carrolton one station early.  I got off – almost 2 am and no one there – literally no one – only two other people got off and a car was waiting for them.  I phone my host, who were of course waiting at the Carrolton station and had a hard time finding the station I was at so we finally get in after 3:00.

Next day was full I spoke at two Seventh Day Adventist churches and attended I baby shower for a Mizo girl who was married to an Afro-America.  Real nice couple he is a drummer and we enjoyed some great music.

Visited two families Sunday morning the in the afternoon spoke at two different Methodist churches.  Evening was another baby shower and supper at Dika’s house.  His daughter, now a beautiful young lady asked if I remembered her - she was in grade four when I visited their house in 2000,

Monday morning a Pastor visiting from Aizawl took me to a couple more Mizo homes and a Mizo farm where we spent an hour harvesting leaves.  The owner was medical superintendent for Nepal and much of NE India and retired to a one acre farm, which he grows enough vegetables for his family plus a cash crop of these sour leaves enjoyed by Burmese – tasting them I believe they are the same leaves the Iranians use in a pickle we get from Par vine.

No problems catching the train and plane to London and when I arrived Marjorie was waiting.  We went to our hotel, near the airport and went to sleep until Kyle arrived a couple hours later.  It rained hard but now problem as we were warn and dry and had much to talk about with Kyle.  Next day we found that I was a tremendous rainfall which tied up traffic all over London and actually flooded one branch of the underground.

Sept 16th.
We went to downtown London on the tube.  Saw Kyle’s room – ate at the Mizo restaurant that refused to let us pay. Saw a bit of down town London from a double Decker and a very short time in the London Museum.  Back on the tube to the airport – we left from two different terminals and had no time to say goodbye because I had to take another train to mine.

Slept most of the time to Mumbai – then spent a tedious 6 hours there.  Made the error of looking for a restaurant which was outside the International terminal and then they would let me back in and I had to take a taxi to the domestic terminal.

When I arrived in Pune my ride was waiting.  The time in Jamkhed is covered in my report.

Sept 24 2009
Jamkhed people drove me back to the airport – put me up in a hotel and drove me to the airport at 4:30 am.  Three planes later I arrived in Aizawl shortly after noon.  The time between flights in Kolkata was very tight but a car met me as I got off the one plane and took me and my bags to another plane and off we went.

Had a rest in the afternoon – then Maaumi who I had heard of in Maryland came to see me. She is a wonderful person who worked with OM for a number of years and was offered the job of head of OM for all of India.  However she felt called to come back to Mizoram and work with the poor farmers.  She has done this and while it has been frustrating for her at times she is making a difference.  I hope to take some friends who are in the right position to help her to her operation near Aizawl next week.

Had a chance to talk to a large choir and listen to some great singing and then enjoy a whooper of a thunderstorm.

Sep 26.
Morning was beautiful and Mizoram is at its best at the end of the rainy season.  Enjoyed a lovely morning walk and then a large meeting where the Chief Minister spoke – echoing many of the same concerns I have for the Mizo people.  John Ralte was seated just in front of me getting a reward from the Salvation army.  After the meeting a group of Mimi’s team of evangelist got together I got to share some of my dreams of Mizoram.  Then I visited Chhawna and Sanni, stopped by Vanlal Naghka’s sister-in-laws place and his son was there on holidays from Delhi.  Vanlal will be here on Thursday.  Stopped at James Ralte’s pharmacy – he wasn’t in but visited his wife.  Then bought a tripod and back to Durtlang,

Again this evening watched a spectacular lightening display and am now more than  ready for bed.  Hope to have use of an internet terminal tomorrow.

By Sap Pu Tar  (Stuart Spani)

This is my eighth visit to Mizoram beginning in February 1996.  Paradoxically, this visit causes me more concern, but also gives me more hope than any of the first seven.

I arrived in Mizoram on March 8th with Rev. Gerhard Johnson, who is 84 years old and who had been a missionary in Western India for over 40 years, but who had never visited Mizoram.  As we came into Aizawl he was very impressed with the tall buildings clinging to the hillsides.  His remark was, “How do they know the foundations will carry the load they will put on it?”  That remark has come back to me time after time during the past several weeks.

Mizoram’s foundation is its farming villages and while its cities have developed at break-neck speed, since my first visit, the same is not true of the foundation – the farming villages.

I firmly believe that in the long term any society needs three pillars to survive and thrive.  It can be likened to a three-legged stool; if any leg is weak, the stool will tumble.  The same is true for a society.  I believe these three legs are:

1) Any society that is not self-sufficient for food will be controlled by whoever feeds it.
In 1996 I believe Mizoram was self-sufficient for food but now I am told that well over 50% of its basic food supply is imported. This leg is extremely weak.

2) To thrive, any society must have appropriate education for its children.  Mizoram claims to have almost the highest percentage of literacy in all India and indeed the world. A high percentage of its young people go on to post-secondary education.  However, appropriate education should prepare students to prosper and build their own community. To a great extent this is not the case in Mizoram, where the primary industry remains agriculture, yet there is very little education designed to make Mizos better farmers.  As a direct result, far too many of Mizoram’s brightest students leave Mizoram to find suitable employment.  This is good for the rest of India, but not for Mizoram.

3) The third leg is where Mizoram really shines.  For long term stability a society’s people must have a firm belief in eternal life that is based on reality.   Jesus Christ is indeed THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE –this is something virtually every Mizo believes.  This leg is very strong.

However the first two legs are weak and unless they can be strengthened, the stool, which is Mizo society, will fall.

The Mizo people claim that almost 100% are professing Christians; this is higher than any other society on earth.  I believe this is no accident, but a major part of God’s End Time Plan.  I believe God plans to use Mizoram as an example to the rest of the world, indeed a “Glimpse of Heaven”.  However, Satan is well aware of this plan and is doing everything in his power to spoil it.

In 1996 I produced a video titled, “Mizoram, God’s Chosen Jewel”.  I have been accused of painting too rosy a picture and that Mizoram was never as perfect as I portrayed it.  This may be so; however, that is how I experienced it in 1996.  It was and still is the only place on earth where homeless, starvation and beggars are almost non-existent.  Each time I return I see more problems and now I say, “Mizoram is still the best place on earth but it is not nearly as good as it was”.

On each visit I encounter evidence of corruption, immorality and addiction.  All are tools of Satan, designed to tarnish the Christian witness of Mizoram.

Many things lead me to believe that this world is rapidly approaching end times and the return of Jesus.  I also firmly believe that Israel, being God’s own land, and Mizoram, being the most Christian place on earth, will be the focus of the world’s attention, as the Book of Revelation unfolds.  The whole world has already moved into a time of great trials.  How will Mizoram stand up to the pressures about to come?

As I stated, at the beginning, this trip has caused me more concern, but also more hope, than any other. The tools needed to rebuild the foundation of Mizoram have already been tested and proven in a number of villages.  If there is the will, Mizoram can quickly become the example for the world, which God intends it to be.

In just the last ten days over 400 farmers have been trained to switch from slash and burn farming to sustainable farming using the SALT (Sloped Agricultural Land Technology) method.  This method was first introduced into the Lunglei area, from the Philippines, in the early 90s.  It has taken many years to prove this method in Mizoram and to gain acceptance.  This is now happening in a major way.  My prediction is if this momentum is carried through, within five years agricultural production will increase fourfold.  Mizoram will not only be able to feed itself but can become a major exporter of food.  I think it needs this.

Mizoram is in a unique position to implement a well thought out land reform program and I pray that the right people can be brought together to find the best method of both improving agriculture and also preserving much of the natural forest.

However, if these dreams are to become reality, village living must be made much more attractive to young people.  A major concern is health facilities in the villages.  A simple and inexpensive method of controlling the effects of malaria has already been put into effect in many villages and a plan to rapidly expand village health facilities is about to be tried.  If this proves effective, it could be implemented in every one of Mizoram’s 740 villages, very quickly.

In the year 2000 I was in Baulpui, near Saiha and God woke me up in the middle of the night with a vision of 10-10-10.  I couldn’t get it out of my mind and sleep was impossible.  I kept asking God what this meant and finally came to the following conclusion.  “If every Mizo would spend 10 minutes daily prayerfully considering what they could do to make Mizoram a better place, then did 10 hours of volunteer work monthly and did this for 10 years, Mizoram would become a paradise such as the world has never seen.”  This is the example God wants Mizoram to be!

For the past nine years this has been my waking prayer and God has revealed many possibilities to me.  If you follow the web-site www.friends-of-mizoram.org many of these ideas will be revealed.  My prayer is this web-site will prove to be a powerful communications tool full of practical ideas all aimed at making Mizoram the self-sufficient paradise God intends it to be.  However, now I want to concentrate on one significant step in rebuilding Mizoram’s foundation.

I propose that every city church in Mizoram forms a partnership with one village, through the village churches.  Then we find a North American church to become the third partner.  The Bible says, “ A three strand cord cannot be broken.”

Going back to 10-10-10, ten hours per month adds up to about 2 weeks per year.  I challenge every able-bodied city dweller to go to a village and work on a farm for two weeks every year.  Mizo land, watered by Mizo sweat will produce Mizo prosperity.  SALT farmers tell me that if they could get extra help, during seeding and harvest, they could farm twice as much land and produce much more food and become more prosperous.  My suggestion is the city folk be given board and room and paid for their labour in vegetables.  There would be another major benefit to the workers.  We would check their blood pressure and blood sugar levels before and after two weeks of labour.  My bet is that they will find their health greatly improves.  This old Sap is 77 – he still travels the world and puts in long hours.  The secret, good food and lots of exercise.   Sitting in front of the television is a quick and boring path to the graveyard!

There are many other ways for the Mizo church and village to interact and become family to each other; however, let’s look at the role of the North American Church.  I propose the North American Church invests 40,000 rupees ($1000.00 Canadian) into improving basic health care in the village.  The first thing needed is malaria detection and treatment, followed by first aid, blood pressure and sugar monitoring.  Once this is established and the technician has proven reliable, their skill level can be upgraded so more and more health procedures can be made available at the village level.  Communications equipment and skills will allow the technician to confer with city doctors.  A med-evac helicopter would make any treatment available to every Mizo within two hours.  This would greatly enhance the desire of young people to remain in villages and produce the food needed for Mizoram and beyond.

Baptist Relief and Development, working with Global Youth Network, have already established successful malaria clinics in almost 30 of Mizoram’s most malaria-prone villages. This past week I visited three of these villages and found that none of them have had a single malaria death since the clinics were established. The year previously to them being in place, a total of 21 people had died from malaria.  These clinics have been proven to save lives.

The partnership plan has now been embarked upon.  The Baptist Church in Serkawn is partnering with the village of Darzo.  A church in North Vancouver, BC, Canada, is being approached to become the third partner,  A malaria clinic has already been established in Darzo and discussions have been held on upgrading this clinic.  Blood pressure and blood monitoring equipment will be in place this week and the technician will be receiving upgrade training and equipment to diagnose and treat typhoid.  This experiment will be closely monitored, fine-tuned and hopefully multiplied until every Mizo village has a medical clinic.

The Bible says, “old men will dream dreams” and at 77, I qualify.  My wife tells people, “if Stuart is to achieve all his dreams he will have to live to be 180 years old.”  However I have an out, our grandson Kyle Jackson (Sap Sanga) is now studying for his master’s degree at the University of London.  He is majoring in Mizoram’s rich history – the torch is being passed on.

The past few years have seen an increase in Agricultural education in Mizoram and SALT farming is becoming wide spread.  The third leg, which is already strong, must not be neglected.  This is a firm belief in eternal life, based on reality.  The past two weeks have seen a series of miracles all of which are strengthening this leg.

For the past five years I have been trying to get the Reverend Gideon Chiu to come and experience the Christian State of Mizoram.  Gideon is one of the most influential Christians in the world today and is constantly traveling to meet with world leaders and never found time to come to Mizoram.  Then just a week before I left home he came to me and said, “God just told me I must go to Mizoram”.  With no more than that he obeyed God and came.

Gideon is a third generation pastor, born in mainland China, then moving to Vancouver some 35 years ago.  Three spiritual giants, Pastor Bob Birch, Dr. John White and Pastor James Watt laid hands on Gideon and an Egyptian Doctor David Demian (Watchmen for the Nations) and released them to visit the nations and to proclaim healing in the lands (2 Chronicles 7:14).  They have been doing that for 20 years now and books would be needed to list all of the results.  Gideon left for Hong Kong the day after God told him to join me in Mizoram.  While there he met with over 140 Chinese Church leaders from all major branches of the Chinese Christian church and who represented over 34,000,000 Chinese Christians.  From this meeting another huge gathering is planned for June 1 to 5th 2009; over 3000 Christian leaders, from 240 countries will join over 1000 Chinese leaders to seek God’s plan for completing the Great Commission.  Nothing even approaching this, in a Christian context, has ever taken place.  All major Christian movements are laying aside their own agendas for the sake of the Gospel.

With this gigantic movement underway Gideon honored God’s call and came to tiny, remote Mizoram.  He obeyed and arrived in Mizoram March 12th – on the last plane to get into Lengpui before smoke closed the airport for many days.  I had already been having one divine appointment after another, ever since leaving Canada, but this was about to intensify.  In error I thought the plane was to arrive at 11:00am, which is actually the time it left Kolkata; therefore I was very early.  While waiting a man came up to me and said, “I know you”.   He did seem familiar.  We met originally in 1997.  As we talked I found he was meeting with a sizable group of young people from different denominations, but all with the common goal of proclaiming Jesus.  When the plane arrived I introduced him to Gideon and the next almost two weeks seemed to be right out of the Book of Acts.

Gideon’s plan was to stay for three days – but God had bigger plans – he was here for almost 2 weeks and what a two weeks!  We still have no idea what God has in mind but know it is no small thing.  Mizoram is being prepared for the destiny God has planned.  Be ready to be challenged as never before.  God is on the move and Mizoram is an important element in what He is about to do.

As God reveals his plans I challenge every Mizo media outlet, every government department, every church and every individual Mizo to seek God’s face in every decision.

Look at every program, in place or planned, and ask if it is in God’s will.

1)    Will it enhance Mizoram’s Christian witness to the world?
2)    Will it move Mizoram closer to self-sufficiency?
3)    Will it add to the rebuilding of Mizoram’s foundation?

Mizoram’s very existence depends on these three things!!

Written in Lunglei and Aizawl  March 31st and April 5, 2009
Edited in North Vancouver April 20  2009

One more week and I will be on my way back to Mizoram - my 8th trip to this Christian State in NE India.

During my third trip in 2000, I was visiting the small town of Baulpui in southern Mizorom and God gave me a vision in the middle of the night,  The vision was 10-10-10 which was to challenge every Mizo to spend 10 minutes every day seeking God for what they could do for Mizoram, then spend 10 hours every month doing whatever God told them to do and to keep this up for ten years.  If they did they would create a pardise like the world has never seen.  I am not sure how many Mizos have taken up this challenge but I know a few have and it is something I try to do myself.

During my 5th trip in 2005 I had been asked to address a conference of economics being attended by economists from the 8 states of NE India,  Now I am not an economist and I asked the Holy Spirit to guide me.  What came to me were three criteria that needed to be met for any community to prosper on a long term basis.  These criteria were:

1) The community must be able to feed itself or they would be controlled by whoever they rely on for food. When I first visited Mizoram in 1996 almost all of their food was locally grown.  By 2005 much was being imported from the flat farmlands of Assam raher than the labor intensive hills of Mizoram. 

2) They must hve an apprpopriate educational system.  That is a system that prepares students to make a living and contibute to their community,  Mizoram boasts of a high standard of eduction but almost nothing which prepares students for farming, which is by far Mizoram’s leading industry.  Mizoram lacks the interstructure to employ most of it’s graduates therefore the brightest and the best have to leave the state and seek employment throughout India.

3) For long term stabilty it is necessary for it’s people to believe in eteranl life which is based on truth.  This is something that Mizoram certainly has.  Without people knowing that they are responsible to a higher power they will not plan beyond their own life time.

I likened these three points to a three legged stool, one leg was strong but the other two were weak, so the stool was not stable and if this is not corrected the future was bleak.

The 10-10-10 vision and these three points have had a major impact on my life ever since, especially in my thoughts and prayers concerning Mizoram.

During my last two visits in 2007 and 2008 I saw both progress and further problems in each of these areas.  There are small but significant moves to introduce more agriculture into the education system.  I was particularily excited by a new agricultural high school being opened near Lunglei shortly after my last visit.  I had a great discussion with the prinicpal and saw a gret potential.

Sloped Agricultural Land Technology farming (SALT) is gaining acceptance and a workshop in Champhai saw 37 farmers commit to changing from slash and burn farming to this sustainalbe method. 

A major problem over the past year and a half was Mautam - a rat plague that strikes the region every 49 years.  There is more on this elsewhere on the site.

When I first visited Mizoram in 1996 I experienced the most wonderful, innocent form of Christianity I could imagine.  Each visit since I see more of the problems of the world creep in.  Satan has been working overtime to spoil Mizoram’s Christian witness - He is using all of his diabolic tools especially corruption, addiction and immorality.  A the same time I see the church working ahrd to address these issues and with 80% of the population being in church every week

As I prepare for my upcoming trip I have been reminded of the importance of the village farms to the futrue well-being of Mizoram.  Like most of the world people are leaving farms and migrating to cities.  Very few young people see their future in farming but they all want three meals a day and without farmers the cities will starve.  The present world-wide financial crisis underlines this point, poverty and violence in the cities is on the increase and unless the cycle is broken starvation is bound to follow.

I have sought God for possible solutions to these trends.  At first I was thinking only of Mizoram but I came to realize that God wants to use Mizoram as an example to the whole world.  It is far more than a coincidence that Mizoram is the most Christian place on earth and that it is very much part of God’s plan as we move ever closer to the return of Christ.

During my prayer time I have seen 12 do-able things that could contribute to making farming a viable option for Mizo young people.  Unless many young people maintain this vital industry Mizoram will cease to exist in it’s present form.

1) SALT  Sloped agricultural land technology has been introduced as an excellent alternative to jhum, or shifting slash and burn farming, which is traditional in Mizoram.  This visit one of my aims is to produce a video on this farming method to be used to introduce it thorughout the state and to show to all Mizo schools.

2) FAITH  Food always in the house - a program to convince farmers to first grow all the food needed for their own families before a cash crop, then to preserve and protect it so that their food supply is maintained  throughout the year.

3) Partnerships between Mizo village churches and North American Churches.  Much more on this in later blogs.  This is a win-win-win opportunity waiting to be seized.

4) Water - assurance of clean drinking water is primary anywhere on earth.  Sand filters have been introduced to Mizoram and at Missions Fest I found a new filter that shows great promise. Google Sawyer Water Filter.

5) Sanitation - will be introducing do it yourself composting toilets.

6 Primary Health Clinics  Mizoram has already established highly successful, cost effective Malaria clinics which can form the basis of health centres in Mizoram villages. 

7) Communications - as Mizo villages are almost all built on hilltops it seems high speed internet and VOIP could be used effectively.

Mizoram has an old but dying tradition of village blacksmiths.  As the tools needed for SALT farming can all be produced by a blacksmith our pryaer is that this tradition will be born again.

9) Rodent proof food storage.  Too much food is destroyed by rodents especially when mautam strikes.

10) Technolgy is becoming available allowing the smallest village to pursue commerce via the internet.  This will prove to become a major reason for villages to fluorish.

11)  Reliable Power

12) marketing of village produce.  Farmers co-ops are improving the marketing of their products both locally and exports.  There is a major move to allow Mizo product to reach the world via a deep water port in Mynamar.

Watch this web-site for regular updates as I  discuss these points with the people of Mizoram over the next few weeks.

Please add your prayers to mine and watch how God will continue to use this Christian State as an example to the wolrd.

Originally published: April 11, 2008

I recently returned from a six week trip to the Christian state of Mizoram in North East India, it was my seventh visit to this unique community.

Just a bit of background – on January 14th 1894 two Welsh missionaries arrived in Mizoram and began what has proved to be the most successful missionary endeavour he world has ever seen. By 1976 every adult member of the Mizo was a baptized Christian. I have tried to analyze why this has happened and have come to the conclusion that God had prepared these people for many years before the missionaries arrived and desires to use Mizoram as a witness of Christian living for the world.

I believe there were four major factors that contributed to rapid growth of Christianity in this remote area:

1. The close knit clan village system where the conversion of the chief could lead to the conversion of a whole village.
2. The Mizo tribe were the largest tribe in all of North East Indian with a common language.
3. Mizo culture had a concept of a perfect man and Jesus Christ met all of the criteria attributed to this man.
4. The religion was animist and their entire life was dedicated to appeasing the demons, who they felt ruled every aspect of life. When the missionaries arrived and defied the demons and demon worship and were not destroyed by the demons, the practical Mizos realized that there was a strength in this new religion that was vastly superior to what they were practicing.

When I first visited Mizoram in 1996 I felt I had found paradise – they had a simple faith that was beautiful.  I produced a video on that first visit called, “Mizoram, God’s Chosen Jewel” and that indeed is what I had experienced. At that time almost all Mizos were eking out a living with subsistence farming and to a large extent equally poor. Since then much has changed and each time I go back I see more of the evil things of the world creeping in.

I believe Satan will do anything to spoil this Christian witness and he has used television and greed to taint the Christian heritage. Mizoram’s time zone is 13.5 hours ahead of Vancouver – this means that our middle of the night television is available live in the middle to the day. If you want to know just how bad that is turn on any of our stations a 2:00am any morning. What we export throughout the 10-40 window is downright disgusting. In 1996 I saw no corruption, greed or moral decline. It grieves me to see all of these in Mizo society today.

However Mizoram can still boast of no starvation, no homeless, no beggars and almost 100% literacy and the fact that almost 80% of the population attends church at least once a week. While I have come to the conclusion Mizoram is not as good as I found it 12 years ago it is still hands down the best community in the world!

Kyle Jackson and Stuart Spani with 7200 meals from Fraser Valley Gleaners as they leave for India

Approximately every fifty years this area experiences a unique famine and this is the year. This is caused when a certain bamboo, which covers most of Mizoram plus parts of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Manipur, Assam and Tripura, blooms and then dies. With this blooming comes a devastating plague of rats. Once these rats have consumed the bamboo seeds they move in mass and eat everything in sight. In many areas up to 97% of the crops have been destroyed. Knowing this was coming the Government thought the famine could be averted by harvesting the bamboo around the villages and farms and by offering a bounty on rat tails. This has proved to be fruitless – while hundred’s of thousands of rats were destroyed they reproduced in the millions and overwhelmed all efforts to control them.

This trip three small teams of Canadians have attempted to use media to bring this unique famine, which covers a defined area for a defined period of time, to the attention of the world and to explore both short term and long term solutions. Two teams traveled to remote villages by jeep, boat and foot to distribute much needed food and ascertain ongoing needs and to explore ways of meeting those needs.

Our conclusions were that in Mizoram alone almost 400 villages are suffering – while we found no actual starvation we did find signs of deteriorating health due to malnutrition. We also found that the entire day is taken up with finding food to eat today. They are foraging up to 5 km into the jungle to find wild yams and green vegetation to eat. The next few weeks are the season where next years crops need to be planted, there is an acute shortage of seeds and of the time and energy to plant. This planting is critical or the effect of Mautam will extend for another year.

We are working on several solutions to meet the immediate needs. We have challenged to city churches in Mizoram to each take responsibility for one village, to send someone to that village to find the needs and then to muster the resources to meet those needs. Global Youth Network (www.gyn.org) is collecting moneys in Canada to help these churches buy and distribute food that is available in other parts of Mizoram and surrounding areas.

Fraser Valley Gleaners in Abbotsford are teaming up with World Vision and with Mizo churches and organizations to deliver 1,000,000 meals of dehydrated vegetables to the needy villages. This is ideal food especially for the monsoon season that is about to begin. Transportation to remote villages is precarious during the dry season. During the wet season many, many villages are accessible only by foot. This light weight dehydrated food is ideal as one person can carry over 1000 meals on his or her back. When a package, weighing only 1.5 kg is combined with 25 litres of water it will feed 100 people a meal. A forty foot container will leave Abbotsford next week.

The third team worked with local farmers to help them switch from temporary slash and burn farming to sustainable farming. This sustainable farming goes under the acronym of SALT, which stands for Sloped Agricultural Land Technology to learn ore about this google “fertilizer tree”. Where this farming method has been used in southern Mizoram for several years agricultural production has increased three-fold. Our team combined with SALT farmers to train and help local farmers set up a demonstration farm. In one week 35 farmers committed to adopted this method of farming.

The long term answer to Mautam and other crop failures is more efficient farming methods and vermin proof food storage. We feel that much progress has been made toward this end.

He has produced a number of documentaries about Mizoram, and was instrumental in supplying food during the Mautam crisis of 2008.

Originally published: Friday, April 11th, 2008

While I was in Mizoram during the month of March I read a chapters of Proverbs every morning and marked one verse that stood out to me that day. Here is the list of verses I marked.

March 1 1:19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain
It takes away the life of it’s owners.

March 2 2:11 Discretion will preserve you
Understanding will keep you

March 3 3:11-12 My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord
Nor detest His correction
For whom the Lord loves He corrects
Just as the father the son in whom he delights

March 4 4:18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun
That shines ever brighter on the perfect day

March 5 5:21 For the ways of man are always before the eyes of the Lord
And He ponders all his paths

March 6 6:10-11 A little sleep, a little slumber
A little folding of the hands to sleep
So shall your poverty come on you as a prowler
And your need like an armed man

March 7 7:4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister”
And call understanding your nearest kin.

March 8 8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies
And all things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

March 9 9:10 The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding

March 10 10:3 The Lord will not allow the righteous to famish
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.

March 11 11:14 Where there is no counsel the people fall
But in the multiude of counselors there is safety

March 12 12:11 He who till the land will be satisfied with bread
But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding

March 13 13:11 Wealth gained by dishonesty will diminish
But he who gathers by labour will increase.

March 14 14:11 The house of the wicked will be overthrown
But the tent of the upright will flourish

March 15 15:22 Without counsel plans go awry
But in a multitude of counselors they are established.

March 16 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord
And your thoughts will be established.

March 17 17:10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows to a fool.

March 18 18:15 The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge
And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge

March 19 19:21 There are many plans in a man’s heart
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel will stand

March 20 20:17 Bread gained by deceit is sweet to man
But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.

March 21 21:6 Getting treasures by a lying tongue
Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.

March 22 22:17 Incline your ears and hear the words of the wise
And apply your heart to may knowledge.

March 23 23:17-18 Do not let your heart envy sinners
But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day
For surely there is a hereafter
And your hope will not be cut off.

March 24 24:27 Prepare your outside work
Make it fit for yourself in the field
And afterward build your house.

March 25 25:9 Debate your case with your neighbor
And do not disclose the secret to another.

March 26 26:20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out
And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.

March 27 27:21 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold
And a man is valued by what others say of him.

March 28 28:6 Better the poor who walks in integrity
Than one perverse in his ways, though he is rich.

March 29 29:7 The righteous consider the cause of the poor,
But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

March 30 30:8-9 Remove falsehood and lies from me
Give me neither poverty or riches
Feed me with the food allotted to me
Lest I be full and deny You
Or lest I be poor and steal
And profane the name of my God.

March 31 31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Oringally published: Monday, March 24th, 2008

Rev. 2:4-5 Each time I have revisited Mizoram I have thought of these verses and how they apply to Mizoram. However on this, my seventh trip, I am more optimistic than I have been since trip three.

I firmly believe that God has very special plans for Mizoram. Percentage-wise, it is the most Christian place on earth. When I made my first visit here in 1996 I experienced an innocent, pure type of Christianity that I described in the video Mizoram: a Glimpse of Heaven. However, on each subsequent visit, that image has become more tarnished. It seems Satan is working overtime to spoil God’s plans for Mizoram. He has been successful in many areas.

When I first came there was no television, and most people were living at a subsistence-level, but there was a joy that radiated from the people. I now find that too many in Mizoram have been corrupted by the love of money, and their lives have been jaded by overindulgence in television. How I long for Mizoram as I first found it.

My first exposure to Mizoram was through their choir in Canada. The first song I remember them singing was “I Would Rather Have Jesus Than Silver and Gold.” I challenge each Mizo to think deeply about this song, and to honestly consider the implications in their own lives.

I was asked at my first press conference if I was against development. I have pondered that question throughout my visit and have come to the conclusion that most development in Mizoram is from the top down, rather than from the bottom up. Aizawl has become a city of traffic jams and luxurious homes while remote villages have been left unchanged over the last hundred years. In fact, in one way, most villages are actually worse off, as traditionally each village at least had a blacksmith. This vital trade is dying out.

Approximately every 50 years Mizoram and the surrounding states experience a plague of rats. This plague, called Mautam, takes place when a certain bamboo blooms and produces seeds. The rats feed on these seeds and then attack the crops. In some areas 98% of the crops have been destroyed. As I visited remote villages, I found that people were not actually starving since they were finding food in the jungle. However, they now have to travel by foot up to 5 km to find that food, and their entire day is used finding enough food for a day. Two things are urgently needed: 1) seed for this year’s crops, and 2) food to eat during the planting season so that they have the time and the energy to plant.

I had the opportunity to speak to the General Assembly of the Baptist Church, and challenged them to assign every city church a village—to have their church send someone to visit their village, ascertain the needs, and then to come back to the church to garner the resources to meet those needs. I would also like to challenge the other churches to do the same thing. If this is done diligently the effects of mautam will be short-lived. To get this started, simply list the churches and villages in order of size, then match churches and villages somewhat by size, taking into account the proximity of the churches to the villages.

I met with a small group to explore the possibilities of a society to be called “Friends of Mizoram”. This society would be Internet-based and would have three objectives:

1. To help Mizoram become completely self-sufficient for food and, further, to see agriculture become a major source of income for the state.
2. To encourage appropriate education for Mizoram—that is, education that prepares students for life in Mizoram. At present, my observation is that education prepares students for exams, not life—especially not life in Mizoram at the present time.
3. To build on the fact that most Mizos believe in eternal life, and that one day they will stand before their Maker and will be forced to review their lives.

Watch www.friends-of-mizoram.org as ideas to support these ideals are developed by others and myself. During the past month I have done much praying and thinking about these three points and believe the Holy Spirit can provide every answer.

During March I have been reading a chapter of Proverbs every day and have underlined a verse that has stood out to me in each chapter. Shortly after the end of the month I will publish this list on the above website.

Here are a few immediate things Mizos could do as individuals to work with God to make Mizoram the blessing He intends it to be:

1. 10-10-10. Spend 10 minutes every day asking God what you can do for Mizoram, rather than what Mizoram can do for you. Then spend 10 hours every month following His instructions and volunteering time to make Mizoram a better place. Do this for 10 years, and I believe Mizoram will be the paradise God intends it to be.

2. Read Luke 19:1-10 and truthfully consider its implications in your life, thinking especially of the day you will stand before Jesus with your eternal life in the balance.

3. Read a chapter of Proverbs every day—pick a verse and try to apply it that day.

4. Become a watcher and contribute your wisdom to www.friends-of-mizoram.org

5. Seek God’s wisdom as to how you as an individual can help alleviate the suffering caused by mautam, then act on God’s leadings.

God has blessed Mizoram, but with that blessing comes responsibility. In every action, first consider what Jesus would do. Act accordingly and you will find true joy.

Mizo soil plus Mizo toil will bring true prosperity.

May God bless each of you!
Your brother in Christ, Stuart Spani

January 26th, 2009

First, just a little background on Mizoram.  My work as a Christian video producer has taken me to this isolated area seven times since 1996.  This state about the size of Vancouver Island is nestled between Islam Bangladesh, Buddhist Myanmar and Hindu Assam yet  90% of it’s million people are Christian.  The Mizo tribe, which makes up 80% of the population, claims to be virtually 100% Christian.

Try to imagine a state in India where there are no homeless, no beggars, no starvation and have close to 100% literacy.  Couple this with a divorce rate of ¼ of 1% and you begin to understand how God meant us to live.

However it is a region where malaria is epidemic.  These faithful, commonsense people have come up with a straightforward solution.

Worldwide malaria kills 3000 people per day – imagine a 9/11 every day!!

Mizoram has employed a relatively inexpensive solution which can easily be duplicated anywhere in the world.

Malaria is the most common cause of death in Mizoram’s 874 villages. About 250 of these villages are considered critical, where the annual malaria death rate exceeds 1%, over the past five years 30 of these villages have set up malaria clinics and the death rate has plummeted often to zero.

Here is how it works.  A young person is trained to use a microscope to diagnose malaria and is given a course in first aid.  They are supplied with a microscope, a bamboo hut, malaria medication and a clinic is in operation.  The one time cost is less than 1000.00.  As soon as a villager gets the slightest fever they go to the clinic – a simple finger prick and within ten minutes they know if it is malaria and purchase the medication.  The technician is supported through the sales of medicines.

If malaria is not rampant in the village the patient is quarantined, under a mosquito net, so others will not become infected.

Malaria is only spread from person to person via mosquitoes, which have a short life span and do not travel great distances.  The Mizos are proving this dreaded disease can be defeated village by village.

I will spend March in Mizoram. I will be documenting and encouraging this program as well as the establishment of an innovative agricultural method.  You can follow the blog on www.friends-of-mizoram.org. Or if you are adventuresome and want to be part of a major achievement while enjoying beautiful scenery, fantastic weather and an almost 100% Christian Community, join me. To learn more visit www.friends-of.mizoram.org

Sunday mornings find me at St. Simon’s Church, to understand why – come and see!!