Sparks, Knocks, and Slamming Doors

FAITH AT HOME: BEFORE THE CRISIS ARRIVES

Philipose Vaidyar

In an earlier write-up, “When Students (Children) Fail, Whom Do We Blame?” we noted that even in nurturing homes, children make their own choices. Click Here to View #1  Later, in “The Vanishing Youth from Our Congregations,” the focus shifted to the church—how weak programs, self-serving leadership, and misplaced priorities often push young people away. Click Here to View #2

Now, we turn to the home. Before crises arise, how can we nurture a faith that lasts? Not through formulas or fear, but through presence, patience, and intentional parenting.

Take one story: a young woman from a Christian family moved to the city, met a man of another faith at her workplace, and wanted to marry him. Instead of eloping, she consulted her parents, who agreed if the wedding took place in church. The couple joined a local congregation; the man underwent counseling, classes, baptism preparation, and was approved for membership. They married quietly—then disappeared from church life, later citing distance and work. Many such stories end in similar confusion, with parents left praying for true faith to take root.

Today, many church-raised young people marry outside the faith, divorce, or hide secret relationships. Global culture—instantly accessible online—shapes their values. In this consumerist world, even marriage is treated like an online purchase: try, discard, replace. Some avoid it altogether.

The deeper question is this: are our young people basing their choices on Christ, or simply on earning, spending, and consuming? Our children are not only listening but also watching—imitating not just their parents, but also their peers and the surrounding culture. In such a world, how do we ensure that what they absorb at home points them toward faith, character, and maturity?

1. Parenting with Purpose, Not Panic

Faith cannot be outsourced. It is not the job of the Sunday school teacher alone. Nor is it the church’s responsibility to raise our children spiritually. Scripture places that responsibility primarily on parents:

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road...” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).

Children are often taught to memorize Bible verses and praised when they recite them in church or during family prayers. While this has value, what matters even more is helping them discuss, interpret, and apply the meaning of those verses in everyday life. From a young age, children should be guided to see how Scripture speaks to their challenges and choices.

This should not be about rewards or punishments but about creating space at home for genuine interaction—learning together to hear God’s voice. Don’t wait until Sunday school or youth camps, which in reality offer little scope for such conversations. Some ministries may run programs on quiet time, personal Bible study, or inductive study methods. These can be helpful, but children may miss them because of school or other schedules. Parents cannot depend on those occasional opportunities; they need to take the lead.

Remember, parents are the best teachers of values, behavior, and character—even if not of academic subjects. Let spirituality begin naturally at home, as early as children learn anything else. When family prayer becomes a time of dialogue and discovery, children grow not just in knowledge of Scripture, but in the habit of listening to God.

Sadly, many parents start intentional spiritual conversations only when a crisis arises—when their child walks away from faith, gets into a bad relationship, or begins making poor choices. But by then, we are reacting, not shaping. The time to start is not when they’re in trouble, but when they are still learning to speak and observe.

2. The Atmosphere at Home Speaks Louder than Rules

Children can sense pretence. If we pray in church but fight at home, if we speak about love and grace but live with bitterness and complaints, they notice. Home must be a safe space where grace is practiced, truth is taught, and love is consistent. Not perfect parenting—but honest, humble, and consistent.

Let’s not confuse rigid rule-keeping with righteousness. Children thrive not in controlling environments but in homes that model Christ.

3. Modeling, Not Just Teaching

Paul boldly said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

That’s a strong claim—and a needed one today. Parents don’t need to be perfect, but they do need to be intentional. Children model what they see: how you pray, how you treat your spouse, how you spend money, how you respond to failure. Everything preaches. 

 4. Spending Time Individually with Children

Each child is unique, and parents must take time to connect with them personally. From an early age, explaining matters and truths individually—whether during a walk, a routine task, or shared activities—helps build trust and openness. Encouragement is best given in public, while correction is most effective in private, especially in matters of personal growth or sensitive advice. Parents should agree on this and decide who addresses which matters. Such intentional one-on-one moments shape both confidence and character.

5. Guarding What Shapes Them

In today’s hyper-connected world, children are shaped not just by what happens at home, but by what they consume online, what they hear from peers, and the subtle ideologies pushed through media. Parents must help their children develop discernment, not just discipline. That includes talking about values, warning about deception, and helping them think biblically.

We must be present—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Presence builds trust. And trust creates the bridge over which truth can be shared.

6. Faith Is Caught Before It Is Taught

Let’s remember: faith is not downloaded through lectures. It’s absorbed through life—through conversations at the dinner table, through bedtime prayers, through how we treat the poor, speak to elders, and respond when things go wrong.

It’s not about doing more programs. It’s about being more present.

A Closing Thought

We began by asking: whom do we blame when children walk away—the church or parents? The truth is, blame never builds faith. What is needed is ownership. Church and home must partner, but the first classroom of faith is always the home.

A crisis can take many forms. It may begin as a spark, come knocking, or linger at the door. The hardest is when it enters the home—when children slip away unnoticed or storm out in anger, slamming the door behind them.
That is why parents cannot afford to wait for such moments. Faith formation cannot be outsourced to Sunday Schools, youth camps, or occasional trainings. These may support, but parents must lead—shaping character and guiding children early toward wise, Christ-centered decisions.
So let us not wait for sparks to flare, knocks to sound, doors to slam, or children to slip away. In a world of shifting values and consumer-style relationships, our children need what is real. They need to see lives lived with authenticity, a daily walk with Christ, and a readiness to listen together for His voice. What must be passed on is not rituals or memory verses, but the joy of knowing a living Savior at the center of every decision.

Previous Post # 1 https://pvarticles.blogspot.com/2025/01/who-fails-parents-or-children.html 

Previous Post #2 https://pvarticles.blogspot.com/2025/08/missing-from-pew.html 

https://sites.google.com/view/philipose-create 

See the New Release, Trekking the Tribal Trail Click Here 

My Focus on People Groups 

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MISSING FROM THE PEW

The Vanishing Youth from Our Congregations

Philipose Vaidyar 

🎙

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." – Hosea 4:6

Why do Some Christian Youth Leave the Faith and Enter Interfaith Relationships?  What are the Root Causes and a Redemptive Response? (My previous post: Why do Children Fail ... : https://pvarticles.blogspot.com/2025/01/who-fails-parents-or-children.html )

The Concern

Across denominations—whether evangelical, Pentecostal, or episcopal—families are increasingly facing a painful and confusing reality: young people who were raised in Christian homes are walking away from the faith. Often, this takes the form of entering romantic or marital relationships with non-Christian partners—not just Muslims, but individuals from various other religions or belief systems.

One hears of a boy from an aristocratic Christian family who maintained a school friendship with a girl from a non-Christian background, eventually leading to a relationship despite clear incompatibility in faith and values. In another case, a young Christian man marries a non-believing partner from another religion, leaving his parents to face difficulties in maintaining fellowship with the church and navigating family tensions.

But more than boys, many girls from strong churchgoing and faith-filled families have run away from their hostels or homes, forming surprising relationships with boys from other religious backgrounds. Parents are left shocked, their hopes shattered, and their lives emotionally broken, struggling to understand where things went wrong.

These situations may look like personal or emotional choices, but they reflect deeper cracks in spiritual formation, relational mentoring, and leadership engagement within the church community. Whether driven by emotional vulnerability, social pressure, or a lack of grounding in biblical truth, the issue demands a thoughtful, pastoral, and community-wide response.

Understanding the Roots

·       Shallow faith foundations: Many children grow up with Christian rituals but without a deep relationship with Christ.

·       Poor mentoring: No safe, trusted young mentors to walk with them through doubts, relationships, or personal struggles.

·       Over-controlling environments: Fear-based parenting and church cultures often suppress honest conversations.

·       Neglect of inner formation: Churches emphasize behavior over belief, and performance over transformation.

·       Clericalism in leadership: Many clergy—be they presbyters, pastors, or bishops—assume they are the sole experts and solution-givers in the congregation, leaving no room for lay voices, professionals, or lived experience.

Solutions That Go Beyond the Pulpit

1. Train a Generation of Lay Mentors

We must identify spiritually mature young adults and model families to serve as relational mentors.

·       These people—not just pastors—should be equipped as friendly counselors, walking with youth and children in everyday life.

·       Start a Training of Trainers (TOT) model in the church, where laypeople are empowered to counsel, guide, and mentor based on Scripture, empathy, and lived experience.

·       These could include Christian counselors, youth workers, godly couples, or even professionals like teachers and social workers with a heart for mentoring.

2. Subtly Orient Children Early in Life

Start early, but not with fear-based messaging. Help children understand who they are in Christ and how to respond to life’s challenges with discernment.”.

·       Teach Christ-centered identity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.

·       Introduce conversations on boundaries, media influence, interfaith interactions, and personal value gently but firmly.

·       Use storytelling, testimony, and role models—not just sermons.

3. Addressing the Leadership Myth in Clergy-Driven Churches

In many episcopal or clergy-centered churches, there’s a silent assumption: “The bishop, presbyter, or pastor must have the answer to every issue.” This assumption is not just false—it’s dangerous.

Problems with this mindset:

·       It isolates the clergy, placing unrealistic pressure and often preventing them from acknowledging their own vulnerabilities.

·       It sidelines gifted laypeople who may have more real-life experience in counseling, family life, leadership, or youth mentoring.

·       It blocks the diversity of wisdom God has placed in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).

What needs to change:

·       Presbyters and pastors need to unlearn the myth that spiritual authority equals universal expertise.

·       Churches must intentionally invite mature lay voices to lead workshops, sessions, and mentoring programs.

·       Let model families, faithful couples, professionals, and trained youth take the stage alongside the clergy in retreats, seminars, and discipleship forums.

The cassock doesn’t make one immune to blind spots. God’s wisdom is not limited to the pulpit.

A Call to Rebuild the Church Family

Let’s stop treating the Church as a performance stage and rebuild it as a discipling family. We need:

·       Intentional mentoring models rooted in trust, Scripture, and accountability.

·       Clergy who are humble enough to share the stage and wise enough to empower others.

·       Parents and leaders who disciple, not just control.

·       Children who grow in identity, purpose, and discernment, knowing their value is rooted in Christ.

Takeaway

This isn’t about shifting blame. It’s about shifting focus—from controlling outcomes to cultivating hearts.  The goal is not to protect children from the world through fear, but to prepare them to face the world with faith, wisdom, and support.  

STOP PRESS!

Is the whole issue rooted in the church, or does it begin much earlier at home? While this article primarily focused on the church environment—its flawed theology, misplaced priorities, and misguided leadership—the intention was never to place all the blame solely there. In fact, we began this larger conversation by addressing the struggles between parents and children in a previous post: Who Fails—Parents or Children?. The heart of the issue lies in a dangerous assumption—that Sunday School, youth camps, and weekly sermons will take care of everything. However, faith isn't formed solely by programs. It is cultivated daily in the home, at the dining table, in quiet conversations, and through lived example.

When children take unexpected turns, we’re often surprised. But maybe the warning signs were there—just unseen, or worse, ignored. 

Let’s now turn the lens back to where faith is first meant to be formed: in the home. (in the next post)

My next post #3 : https://pvarticles.blogspot.com/2025/09/sparks-knocks-and-slamming-doors.html

https://sites.google.com/view/philipose-create 

See the New Release, Trekking the Tribal Trail Click Here 

My Focus on People Groups 

https://sites.google.com/view/focusonpeople 

A Journey Off Course

The Illusion of Direction

Philipose Vaidyar

If Bombay can alternatively be called Mumbai, why can't Bangalore be Mangalore? My journey from Nilambur to Bangalore in the summer of 1997 brought this question to life with unexpected depth.

I was traveling for a ten-day program in Whitefield, representing my college at Madurai. The 8-9 hour bus ride would take me through Gudalur, Mysore, and Bangalore. It was a typical summer day as I stood at the Nilambur bus stand, waiting for the Thrissur – Bangalore bus to arrive. Suddenly, I spotted Sam, a familiar friend who worked and lived in the Malappuram district and shifted to Calicut a couple of years ago. He approached me with a broad beaming smile, and we discovered we were headed to Bangalore.

Sam and I took adjacent seats on the left side of the bus. As we settled into the journey, the road began winding ascent through the scenic Nadugani Ghat. Our conversations flowed, and Sam shared his remarkable life story. Once a restless soul who had fled home, he wandered in search of peace but found none. It was in Nilambur, years ago, that he encountered the gospel, which gave his life a newfound purpose.

Sam became a devoted evangelist, working for a church mission. But when the mission faltered due to crucial leadership failures, he faced immense struggles. With two young children to support, Sam was now traveling to Bangalore for an interview for a job in Dubai. His bag held a newspaper clipping with the interview details.

As the bus climbed the Nilgiris, the landscape unfolded its breathtaking charm. The air grew cooler, eucalyptus trees lined the road, and pines and silver oaks rose majestically, their shadows dancing on the valley below. It felt as though the trees were silent witnesses to our journey, their stillness a sharp contrast to the whirlwind of emotions in Sam’s story.

At Gudalur, the bus stopped for lunch. We followed the driver and conductor to a small eatery, a simple but reliable choice. The food was plain yet satisfying, a much-needed break before the road to Mysore stretched ahead.

Passing Mysore Palace was a fleeting moment of grandeur—its glittering domes and sprawling gardens a brief yet unforgettable sight. Sam and I spoke less now, each absorbed in our thoughts as the bus headed toward Bangalore.

As evening descended, we arrived at the bustling Majestic Bus Stand. From there, we caught a city bus to Austin Town, where my friend Philip welcomed us into his small but hospitable home. Despite having guests already, Philip made space for us in his cramped drawing room. After a modest dinner outside, we lay down on a makeshift bedding  and drifted into sleep, weary from the day’s travel.

The next morning, as I reminded him to locate the interview address, Sam retrieved the newspaper clipping from his bag. I wanted to have a look at it before handing it over to Philip, who was to examine the address. To my amazement, I noticed that the address was in Mangalore! Philip said Mangalore is another 9 hours journey away from Bangalore.

Sam's eyes opened wide in astonishment. He said he had verified with more than one person about the address. A college student had assured him that Mangalore and Bangalore were the same. Locally, in Malayalam, Bangalore was referred to as Banglore, and Mangalore as Mangalapuram, but the two cities were 350 kilometers apart!

Sam consoled himself with the fact that there was one more day for the interview. He could still make it to Mangalore; it’s another 8-9 hour journey from here. At least he didn’t miss the interview entirely. Sam, though shaken, remained resolute. He decided to press on, unwilling to abandon his goal.

Reflections on the Road
We both had to leave Philip’s place sooner: I to Whitefield and Sam to Mangalore.  As I watched Sam depart, I was struck by the sadness of his mistake. He was sincere and determined, yet a single misunderstanding had sent him miles in the wrong direction.

It made me reflect: How often do we embark on life’s journey with the best intentions, only to find ourselves off course? Are we certain of our destination, or do we, like Sam, rely on flawed information, risking precious time and effort?

But how did the interview turn out? Almost 28 years later, as I wrote this, I checked with Sam and discovered that the interview was a complete sham. They collected passports and some money but have not returned either yet.

“Do all roads lead to Rome?” Perhaps they do. But not all paths lead to the ultimate truth. The Bible reminds us:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)

In life's journey, sincerity is crucial, but it must be paired with clarity of direction. We must ask ourselves: Are we on the right path, or will we one day regret realizing we’ve been heading the wrong way? When it comes to life’s ultimate destiny, there are no second chances to correct our course once we’ve arrived. Proverbs 14:12 reminds us of this sobering truth: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Let this verse urge us to seek God’s guidance and ensure that our steps align with His will, leading us to the right destination.

Walking by Sight and Living by Faith

Carnal Christians Vs. Kernel Christians

Philipose Vaidyar

We use words like grace, faith, and trust almost every day. Everyone has some belief and faith in something. Anyone at a religious gathering or sect can be called a believer. All the members of a Church are Bible believers too and all have some faith as well. But all of them are unable to practice the belief, and not all can live by faith. We don’t need to judge anyone about their faith but we need to discern people by what they believe and practice to draw implications for ourselves and be able to make the right associations. 

That’s what Jesus taught through several parables and as reiterated by the apostles. We have two kinds of people everywhere- the righteous and the wicked- the wheat and the weed; the seed and the chaff; the sheep and the goats; the ordinary and the spiritual; and the Kernal Christians and the Carnal Christians. Like in a home there can be obedient and disobedient children, so it is in any human organization including the Church. 

Wheat and Weeds

In Church, we have two kinds of believers even while all of them recite the same liturgy, read the same Bible, participate in the same sacraments, or observe the same practices. The parables of the sower, seeds, and the weeds explain this. Not all seeds grow and give yields. Not all plants are wheat; some are weeds. Both grow together but the harvest, on the final day, will only separate them. Jesus said this parable about the two kinds of people in Christendom and about the judgment that will eventually separate them. Jesus said, “the sons of the evil one will perish and the sons of righteousness will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father”. The parable talks about the righteous and the unrighteous, how they live together for a time. 

Seed and Chaff

In Psalm 1, the righteous are compared to the seed that will grow to a tree that is planted by streams of water, which will not wither but give its fruits in season, and their way will succeed and be watched over by the Lord. The chaff is called to be wicked; like the chaff, they will be driven by wind; shall not stand in the judgment, and in the assembly of the righteous, but their way will perish. 

Sheep and Goats

Jesus compared his followers to sheep and goats. Some Christians are sheep while others are goats. Both these Christians co-exist but at the time of judgment, the sheep, who know the voice of Jesus (John 10:25-30), will be separated from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

Ordinary Children and Spiritual Children

Children naturally born can only live by sight; children born by the flesh can only think of the flesh. Many attend churches for physical blessings. Healing, success, admissions, promotions, sustenance, assets, and artifacts are their goals. They are happy with God if their prayers for all these are answered the way they want. Many even teach this gospel. “When you worship, your bondages will fall apart, your sickness will be healed”. They preach that ‘chains fell off the apostles when they sang and worshipped in the jail’. Peter was delivered twice by an Angel but the Bible does not say that he was delivered because he was singing and praising in prison, even if he did. Some worship God to get blessings and get deliverance from debt; while others worship God because they are delivered people and blessed by the saving experience of God.  

Paul talks about these two kinds of believers in Galatians 4:21ff. - The ordinary Christians and the Promise Christians. “For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by a free woman. One was born ordinarily and the other was born as the result of a promise. “Now you brothers, like Isaac are children of promise. The slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son. Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but the free woman”. 

This is not to judge anybody else in the Church, but for us to judge ourselves. The slave-son could not become a promise-son. But because of Christ’s saving work, a slave can become free and become a promise-child. The external difference can be too little to recognize. In Churches, we have Kernel Christians and Carnal Christians. Both of them may go to church, pray, read the Bible, and give charity. But there is an invisible difference in both of them. 

Carnal Christians and Kernel Christians

Carnal Christians live by natural principles and by the trends and standards of the world. They want to be achievers; they love God, church, and religious gatherings and their prayers often will be for success, health, and wealth. They would like to gain more to possess the best. They would work and live as per the standards of a consumerist society. Their ultimate goal may be to climb up the social ladder and live with at most comforts and facilities. They will be more concerned about status symbols and go by brands of assets rather than its usefulness. They would be willing to bribe for getting things done and may buy any admission for a profession of their choice even if they are not eligible. Believers, Evangelists, Pastors, Social or Christian workers too can be carnal Christians. They will be more concerned about the transformation of their lifestyle. They may pursue theology or the Christian profession, but their ultimate goal will be to settle down in an affluent country someday. They would make preaching tours to the Arabian countries but not to any of the African countries. 

Carnal means ‘fleshly’. Bible has references to living in the flesh or by the lust of the flesh: 

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings?”1 Corinthians 3:1-8 

A carnal Christian is still a believer in Jesus, may have accepted the gift of salvation, but not the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit and transformation of the inner man. Carnal living satisfies the flesh rather than honoring and pleasing God.

The spirit of a carnal Christian has not the capacity to respond to the work of the Holy Spirit but seek blessings of God; may know Bible but may not know God in a personal relationship. He can be a legalistic Christian like the Pharisees, and not know God intimately (Titus 1:16). God looks at the heart, searching for His love working in and through His children (1 Peter 1:1-8).  

Kernel Christians live by faith and by the Word of God. The kernel is a seed and they have the potential to sprout and grow. They may not be great achievers; they may live in poverty and may struggle to live. All their prayers and wishes may not be answered or provided with. They may go through discouragements and challenges of different kinds. But they will press on in faith with hope; they will endure hardships. Sicknesses or failures will not sweep them away as their spiritual life is hidden in Christ. Their joy is not just in financial gains, wealth, possessions of property, luxurious lifestyles, or societal success. They will work and live in the world in the light of eternal principles. For them, food, clothing, housing, education, and infrastructure facilities are ‘means’, not the ‘end’. They are concerned about the transformation of people and their prayers are not limited just for health, wealth, and success but also for the spiritual transformation of people across their borders. 

Carnal Christian vs. Kernel Christian

A Carnal Christian can become a Kernel Christian.  All Christians can have some area of their lives where they live carnally. As a Carnal Christian, we are potential of being perfect, but not yet perfected. (2 Corinthians 12:1). Kernel Christians are Spirit-led beings. As a Kernal Christian, we will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). A tree can be known by its fruits. If Spirit-led we cannot remain carnal; we will grow and mature because of God’s work in our lives (Hebrew 12:5-11, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 2:8-10, James 2). Jesus said he has chosen us to bear fruit that will last eternally (John 15:16).

Committed Christian by growing spiritually, gains the power to forsake earthly pleasures, and live a fruitful life that God has planned. The carnal Christians live in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life that is from the world (1 John 2:15-17). The Word of God says that not everyone who seems to be a Christian is a Christian (1 John 2:18-19). If the Carnal Christians become truly saved, they are assured that they will not perish (1 Corinthians 3:10-15, John 3:16). 

The choice is ours, to stay carnal or be a kernel of wheat to grow towards spiritual maturity to bear fruit in multiple folds; to walk by the sight of the world, or to live by faith through the Word of God and in complete dependence on the Spirit of God. And this is possible by intimacy with Christ through meditation and practice of the Word of God. Which group do you belong to, Carnel or Kernal; Living by sight or by faith? 

 (This article was first published in the Light of Life Magazine, November 2019)

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The Lily on Kolli Hills

 

Lilies are in the field and also seen on hills. These lilies on the Kolli Hills had caught my attention for some reason. That afternoon when I reached Kolli Hills, the sun was shining above our heads. When I captured these lilies on my Lumia Mobile, I never knew a woman who lived on this hill 100 years ago uttered a prayer out of the dryness of her heart, at the sight of these flowers that bloomed brilliantly in that dry season! 

She said, 

"Let me be like that, Lord, flowering best when life seems most dry and dead."

Evelyn Brand, fondly called later as Mother Brand had come over to these hills from England 100 years ago to live and die here, only lead at least some from death to life!  

As I stood in awe before the God who created the mountains and called people to go to the ends of the earth I was perplexed at the paradox of mission-immigration today for better prospects of life in the west! 

I have found the following beautiful piece about Mother Brand and sharing it here in continuation to my earlier post (https://pvarticles.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-mann-on-mountains-of-death.html) for those who did not have a chance to hear about her. (The source is acknowledged)

- Philipose Vaidyar

The Lily on Kolli Hills: Mother Brand 

“Evie Brand burst into tears. She pleaded with the mission board, but its leaders would not yield. Rules were rules, they said. She was too old to go back to India. She must retire.

The decision was hard for the board. Evie had long sacrificed comforts and family to the mission. Year after year, she had lived entirely on a small inheritance and set aside her official salary to buy land for the mission. But ever since her husband Jesse died of fever, pioneering with her in the Mountains of Death, the mission had not been sure what to do with her. The one task she wanted--to open new work in the mountains--was denied her because she was elderly, single...and opinionated.

From the board's point of view, it was senseless to appoint a 68-year-old woman to another five-year term. But years before, Jesse and Evie had vowed to reach five mountain ranges with the Gospel. Four still had to be reached. Evie felt God was calling her to fulfill that vow.

Evie grasped at one last straw. "Please just send me back for one year," she pleaded. "I promise not to make any more trouble. At the end of one year, I will retire." Reluctantly, the board agreed. Had they known the secret plan that Evie had confided to her daughter, they surely would have refused permission.

Then Came the Shocker
Evie said goodbye to friends and relatives in England and was back in India by January 1947. The mission appointed her to the plains. Evie did not mind much. It was only for a year!

Camping in the Kalrayan range on every holiday, she plotted her next move. Her son designed a little house for her, and she scrounged building materials and organized it into loads light enough for helpers to tote uphill.

Her year with the mission ended. Fellow missionaries gathered to wish her a tearful goodbye and presented her with a parting present: a lovely lamp.

Evie informed them gleefully that she was retiring from the mission--retiring to take up independent work in the mountains, to fulfill the commission that she and Jesse had undertaken years before. Her colleagues' protests and warnings fell on deaf ears. As far as Evie was concerned, life begins at 70.

Frilly Dresses
Strictly speaking, life begins a little sooner. Evelyn was born in England in 1879. Her father was a well-to-do merchant; as a young woman, Evie cut a fine figure in plumed hats and frilly dresses. Her family was involved in missions, street work, and charities. Her father protected his daughters, even trying to dissuade them from marriages that would take them away from him, but one by one they started families.

Evie learned to paint. Her idol was John Joseph Turner, who seemed able to capture light on canvas. To the end of her days, she sketched and painted with gusto. But when she entered her 20s, she found that art did not feed her soul.

Evie was 30 when she spent a few weeks in Australia, helping a sister. Sailing home, she sensed a divine calling to be a missionary. Yet how was she to break the news to Father? The arrival of a young missionary from India helped. Evie found Jesse Brand too intense for her taste. But at a missionary meeting, he seemed to look directly at her as he described the filth and squalor on the mission field. She heard an unspoken question in his words: could she, a fashionable girl, handle such things? Resolve rose within her. Yes, with God's help, she could! And she was riled up enough to tell her father so.

He took her announcement hard. A missionary? Aren't there enough lost souls in London? Evie insisted that she had to obey God's call. Finally, her father yielded. She could go, but she must allow him to provide her entire support. At her farewell party, she wore her usual finery. "She looks more like an actress than a missionary," said someone.

Wedding Bells in Madras
Assigned to Madras in the plains of India, Evie discovered that Jesse Brand had been transferred there too. She fell in love with him and with his vision for the people of the Mountains of Death. Then she found out that Jesse was engaged. Hot and shaking, she fled to her bathroom and poured cold water over herself. She had made a fool of herself!

Her heart grew dry. Looking at India's flowers, blooming brilliantly in the dry season, she prayed, "Let me be like that, Lord, flowering best when life seems most dry and dead."

Language study took her to the hills. Jesse contacted her. His engagement was off. Would Evie marry him? They would work the mountains together.

Evie's honeymoon was a "perfect" introduction to life in the hills. Dressed in wedding white, she joined Jesse in the canvas dholi (carrier). Her bearers had gone off to hunt a wild pig. New men were found, but thunder rumbled in the sky. Heat wilted her dress. She tried not to give way to terror as the men lurched along steep precipices. Thorns caught her clothes. Rain drenched the carrier. When she dismounted to walk, she sank deep into mud holes. They lost their way in the dark.

Mountains of Death
That was the beginning of their work in the mountains. It was not glamorous. At the start, a dying man gave his heart to Christ. It was seven years before they saw another convert on the Kolli range. Because Hindu priests feared losing their influence and revenue, they opposed the Gospel. People wanted to follow Jesus because God enabled Jesse to heal many of their diseases, but the priests frightened the people away from the new faith.

Jesse taught them better farming methods, treated their sickness, built houses, and fought their tax battles. He showed Evie the five ranges of hills he hoped to win for Christ: their own Kolli, and beyond it Pachais, Kalrayan, Peria Malai, and Chitteris.

The two went from village to village preaching the Gospel and tending the sick. Yet the people always pulled back from Christianity for fear of their Hindu priests. A breakthrough came when a priest caught the fever. Jesse hurried to his aid. As he died, the priest entrusted his children to the Brands. The Jesus God must be the true one, he said, because the Brands alone had helped him in his hour of death.

The people marveled at a God who made Jesse care for an enemy's orphaned children. Evie eventually became a mother to many abandoned Indian children. Through her motherly love, a small Christian community was born.

Still, the progress of the Gospel remained painfully slow. Painful also was the need for Jesse and Evie to leave their two children, Paul and Connie, in England for schooling. Evie said that something "just died in me" the day she had to say goodbye to them. It was the hardest test of loyalty God asked of her.

Widowed by Blackwater Fever
In England, Paul and Connie learned that their father was dead. He had contracted blackwater fever. Although Evie felt hollow, she prayed that the Lord would allow Jesse's death to win more souls than his life had. Hindu and Christian alike mourned the man who had poured out love to them, and they vied with each other for the usually contemptible job of digging a grave and lowering a dead body into it. Evie struggled on in the work alone until a replacement was found. Jesse had promised to show her a shortcut to one village. "Now he'll not be able to," she lamented. She was wrong. Riding his horse one day, it remembered the new path and carried her along it.

After a visit with her children in England, Evie was determined to return to the Kolli hills. Mission leaders were uneasy. Would it work?

They were right to ask. Evie expected co-workers to do as Jesse would have. When they didn't, she spoke up and tension resulted. She pleaded to be allowed to start new work on one of the other ranges. Mission leaders refused. Mountain work did not show good returns. They transferred Evie to the plains. At times she considered leaving the mission to strike out on her own, but circumstances always held her back...until she retired.

Fulfilling Jesse's Dream
At 70, she began to fulfill Jesse's dream. Everyone called her "Granny," but she felt young. Just as in the old times, she traveled from village to village riding a hill pony, camping, teaching, and dispensing medicine. She rescued abandoned children. The work was harder now and she was thin. Carriers whacked her head on a rock. She never got her balance back after that and walked with bamboo canes. Yet she was full of joy and laughter. "Praise God!" she exclaimed continually.

Despite broken bones, fevers, and infirmities, she labored on. In fifteen years, she almost eradicated the Guinea worm from the Kalrayan range. Through her efforts, the five ranges were evangelized, and a mission work was planted on each. She added two more ranges to her plans. Granny insisted this extraordinary accomplishment was God's doing, not hers.

Wherever she was, she proclaimed Christ. In the hospital with a broken hip, she wheeled herself from room to room (or scooted on a carpet!) and talked to the other patients. She painted landscapes for them. Her bones knit in record time, and back she went to the mountains to fight marijuana growers.

When her son, Paul, visited her in the mountains, he found her looking younger. Her smile, brighter than ever, made the difference. "This is how to grow old," he wrote. "Allow everything else to fall away, until those around you see just love."

Granny tore some ligaments and had to go to the plains for treatment. Before she could return to her beloved mountains, her speech became jumbled and her memory failed. Seven days later, on December 18, 1974, she died. The next day her body was taken back to the hills and laid beside Jesse's as a multitude wept. The woman who had been declared too old for India had carried on for 24 more years, working almost to her day of death.

About Paul Brand
Evie's son, Paul Brand, became a famous surgeon. He also developed new ways of treating leprosy. With Philip Yancey, he wrote Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image, two books that compare the body of Christ with the human body. He also wrote The Gift of Pain and God's Forever Feast.

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Courtesy: https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/evelyn-granny-brand-11630789.html   

Read more on the Brands with more visuals at The Mann on the Mountains of Death