From the Editor's Desk

This is the first issue of our tenure and it has been one frantic run. From trying to get to know each other………… understanding how each one's mind ticks……. Then harder still, understanding how this bulletin ticks……….. meetings…… scratching our heads and thinking of new ideas…….. and still not getting any………. Pestering the ex-editors and exasperating them with our questions and our inefficiency…….. more meetings……. and the last minute details……… running out of time and getting goose bumps…….. sweating to make it just right…….. whew!!!! Ain't we glad to get this one out!!!!!
Amidst all the chaos and the rush…… God has been wonderful to us…… and I'm humbled by His all encompassing grace.
This Easter, may the pain that Jesus had to endure for our sins touch us anew and may His love fill us with hunger to serve Him more. May the good Lord inspire us all to do good.
Have a Blessed Easter!

Love and greetings to all the readers in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Looking back over the years, we see a tremendous impact through TRAIL, the means by which we have interacted with one another and shared the wonderful blessings we have in Christ. It is not just a pattern but a means to an end, to encourage and guide the young people to a closer walk with God. It is also a reflection of our ministry.

This is the first issue of Trail bulletin for 2005. I take this moment to thank the former editorial committee who gave their best to sustain it through these last years.

This year in the new editorial team, we have Donna (Convener), Noswedeno, Zhovi and Keduolhoukho. As you serve the Lord in this gesture, we assure you of our support in every way possible. May God strengthen you to carry the task successfully.

We have started off this year with the theme – " Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me". It speaks about reflected beauty. Moses' face was radiant, reflecting the glory of God, when he came down from the mountain. He spent time with God and as a result, he began to reflect the Lord's glory and didn't even realize it. Time spent in prayer, reading the Bible and meditating will have such an effect in our life that people will know we have been with God. By gazing at the nature of God, we can be transformed into His image and can be more like Him, and it is possible for us ordinary humans to have an extraordinary impact on someone's life. We witness Christ unconsciously by our code of conduct expressed in daily actions. This speaks far more eloquently to a non-Christian friend than most of our words.

To become like Christ is to have a progressive revelation of Christ (word of God). It requires us to be with Jesus daily and have a closer walk with God.

Life is full of challenges. In our daily life, we not only face challenging situations but also meet people with challenging attitudes. Knowing and applying the truth into our life will not only protect us from worldly contamination but also make a way to display the beauty of Christ.

May we live to spread the fragrance of Christ. Have a blessed and a fruitful year!!

INTERVIEW WITH MR. VILODI SAKHRIE
(Mr. Vilodi Sakhrie has done his Master of Divinity from Southern Asia Bible College, Bangalore and is presently serving as the Associate Pastor of UBC)

Trail: You are one of the youngest pastors serving in our society. How do you feel serving in this position?
Mr. Vilodi Sakhrie: It is a great privilege as well as a great responsibility. Sometimes it can be quite overwhelming when I think about all the people who look up to us. You feel at times that you will not be able to live up to people's expectations. But overall, I believe that pastoral job is one of the greatest jobs in the world. You are in the business of transforming people's lives through the power of God. What better thing can you ask for?

Trail: What are the challenges that you face as a young minister of God?
Mr. Vilodi Sakhrie: The challenges are many. Lack of experience in many areas of life. The need for equipping yourself regularly to meet the needs of the changing times. These are just some examples.

Trail: What do you suggest to bridge the generation gap between the elders and the free thinking youngsters?
Mr. Vilodi Sakhrie: We all live in the same period of time, whether it is the older or younger ones. And so, realizing this will help us to understand each other better. We do not live in the past and so, we need to let go of things that do not make sense anymore. Nor do we live in the future and so, a dreamy existence does not work either. Some years back, I read something that Stephen Covey wrote, that really helps me in relating to other people. He wrote, "Seek first to understand than to be understood". If we apply this, we will solve a lot of problems.

Trail: Does the secular music that the youths are so fond of listening to affect our Christian life? Please comment.
Mr. Vilodi Sakhrie: This is a rather sensitive question. What I share is my personal opinion and so you may feel free to disagree with me. I listen to all kinds of music – that includes 'secular' as well as gospel. I do not think that there is a Christian music or a secular music for that matter. Supposing you hear an instrumental music, will you be able to tell whether it is Christian music or secular music? What we need to look at, are the lyrics. There are many secular songs that have good positive message/lyrics. At the same time, there are many that have lyrics that are filled with corrupt the mind of people and we need to avoid listening to such kinds of negative messages. We are Christians called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). We need a lot of wisdom in this matter. Instead of labeling a certain kind of music and taking a sectarian stand, we need to see what is best and accordingly choose. A test from the Scripture that I try to apply when faced with this kind of issue is Philippians 4:8 where Paul writes : "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things". So, my advice will be whatever kind of music you listen to, just apply this verse and see whether it conforms to that standard. If not, just forget it.

Trail: Your message for MHBC youth.
Mr. Vilodi Sakhrie: Its simple. Just hold on to Christ. Make Him the Number1 in your life. At the end of the day, nothing else really matters except that. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share. God bless you all.

My God is always faithful to me. Whatever He says, He does. From nowhere He has called me to be in His service. I responded to His call with obedience and went for theological studies. Amidst all the discouragement, difficulties and the problems that came my way, my ever faithful God has always pulled me through. Even though I was the least in every area, whenever I stepped out with obedience, He has met all my needs and enabled me to stand firm. He has lifted me from the lowest position of my life. He made me what I am today.

1Cor 1:27 reads, "God chooses the foolish to shame the wise; and the weak things to shame the strong". This is the verse which always encourages me and helps me to go on. Dear believers, whatever may come your way – problems, difficulties and discouragement, respond to His call with obedience and never give up your trust in God. He will take care of you and will meet all your needs.

The fire place is one of the best things man has ever invented. Yet little do we know today, how the hearth played its role to our ancestors back in the past. People of all races share one thing in common and that is the fireplace. The location of the fire place differs; the sizes and shapes differ too, depending on the country and culture they belong. But one thing everyone shares in common is that a home is never a home without a fire place. For the Cherokees the fire is the centre of life and that is why fire has become the word for home for the Cherokees.

People in the past started using fire to cook, to smoke and preserve their supplies and even to sharpen and harden their tools. The fire also serves as light in the dark of the night, to heat the room and keep people warm from the cold of winter. Thus the fire place depicts the settlement of humanity and paved the way to civilization. It also depicts that human needs community bond with each other. They could not survive without being connected and fire place was the centre where all communications and ties took place. One can imagine how people in the past spend their evenings together by the side of the fire. An evening filled with laughter, songs, stories and heart talks. The aroma of the burning fire was truly a symbol of interconnection. It may sound superficial but it is true that the fire not only escorted humanity to civilization but fireplace served as the axis for communal development.

Today the electronic gadgets have taken the place of a typical fire place where people can sit around and pull themselves closer. Those beautiful hearths which people in the west have invented and used, are now only a thing of the past, an object to behold only in museums or simply a beautiful decorative piece placed in the parlors or common rooms of a few people who can afford to keep one. That small yet warm, sacred place in a home which brought so many families together, made relationships grow stronger and enemies to shake hands, has being taken over by electronic gadgets. And it will not be wrong to say that the disappearance of the fire place in many homes and kitchens also signifies the disappearance of family values and community life. Individualism has taken the centre stage in many cultures and lives and to talk in terms of community is but history for many.

In spite of the disappearance of the fire place in the homes of people today, the hearth still holds a very special place in many homes particularly among the Nagas. For the Nagas, the purpose of the hearth is not just to cook food, boil water for tea, burn potatoes and dry fish, chillies and fermented Soya beans for pickle, or simply to heat and light the room. But the fire place also gives people a sense of belonging, a feeling of connection and also helps them to taste the flame of community life to its fullest. It provides a feeling of warmness not just on the outside but on the inside as well and invite hearts and minds to open up to one another.

Since the fire place gives so much pleasure and comforts, meal time is never special, a heart to heart talk never satisfying, a get together or a festival never fascinating and a home never a home unless the fire is being burnt in the hearth. The fire place makes the difference. Family welfare and discussion, marriage proposal and even courtship begin near the fire place. The fire place not only keeps the family ties intact but also makes the guests feel special and at ease. It is not an unusual thing to hear a Naga saying to his or her neighbor, 'please come inside and sit by the fireside for a while' or 'come and share the fire with us'. Thus fire draws neighbors and people together. Fire blazing on the hearth ties the bonds and keeps relationships alive. Fire place indeed is the centre of attraction in every festival, celebration, and ceremony. It bridges many people together. It is the fire that kindles the celebration and keeps the spirit of festivity glowing even if the food and drinks run out. People continue to stay till the fire burns out. The first thing the Nagas have in their mind when they get up from their bed in the morning and when they come home in the evening after their long day's work is the fire place. It is only when the fire is set and blazing, do they continue with the rest of the household activities. The blazing fire place thus, makes us feel right and at home.

Application

Just as people long for a blazing fire, we should also long for Christ in our lives and allow the fire of Christ to kindle our hearts, give meaning in our lives and make us feel right and warm on the inside. Fire also pulls people together and makes the atmosphere friendly and comfortable. Likewise Christ connects us to our Father and to one another. Christ is our mediator and only through Him we can know the Father. Christ is our peace and the one who brings people of different races together. In Christ our enemies become our friends. A stranger does not look strange anymore because in Christ we now share our common traits. Christ reminds us of our roots, and takes us back to where we belong. In Him we find ourselves again. Just as Fire stirs up hearts to open, Christ stimulates our hearts to open up to one another. In Christ we are no longer strangers but friends. In Christ we learn to embrace others into our circle without reservation. We are enabled to move beyond the boundaries of differences and make us conscious that our differences are but 'alternate beats of the same heart'.

Today in a context where hearts are getting cold and hard, lives becoming meaningless, where the other is always despised and individualism has taken the place of communal feeling, we need to let the fire of Christ rekindle our hearts, minds and souls. We should open our hearts to allow Christ to connect us to the Father (Jn.14:6f), His love unites and binds us together in one accord (Col.3:14) and His peace rules our hearts (Col.3:15).

Rev. Dr. Senior Pastor Neiliezhü Üsou



Rev. Dr. Neiliezhü Üsou, son of Late Putsolie, GB hails from Nerhema Village. He was baptized on 13th March 1953 by Late Rev. Kevizelie. He studied theology during 1960-1964 at Eastern Theological College, Jorhat, Assam and studied Church music during 1964-65 at Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur, MP. He was installed as full time Pastor, Ministers' Hill Baptist Church, Kohima by Late Rev. Kevizelie on 1st October 1978 and was later ordained on 20th December 1981 by Rev. L. Bizo. He is the Officiating Chaplain of the Royal British Legion Memorial Service held once in every 3 years at Kohima War Cemetary. He was conferred Doctor of Divinity at the Convocation in Gurukul Theological College in Chennai on August 24th 2002. He married Rüülhouü, the youngest daughter of Rev. Zhapuzhülie and is blessed with three sons and four daughters.

Mr. Tepusaho Tase, Assistant Pastor, MHBC.

Mr. Tepusaho Tase was born on 16th May 1944 at Jakhama Village. He was baptized on 3rd August 1958. He served as Deacon in MHBC from 1973 to 1984. In 1985, he became the Assistant Pastor of MHBC. He received ABCC License in 2003 and is presently holding the post of KBCC President. He married Sedevinuo Sahu on 29th march 1969 and is blessed with three sons and five daughters.

Phekhwe Tetso who was just hale and hearty, fit as a fiddle slipped into a comma one fine evening. That was the sad day of 13th January and on 19th he passed away. The stroke came while he was in his bed and was painless and quick in its effect. At the time of his untimely death, he was just 61 years old. His death was an irreparable loss for the Ministers Hill Baptist Church Kohima.

My association with him was of more than three decades, and being members of the same church,he was less of a co-worker but more of a blood brother. He came to know the Lord in his teens. He was one of those persons who spoke the truth and lived out the truth in his own life. There was no duality and no contradiction in his life and living. It was one seamless whole.

Though he had no formal education to boast of, yet he had sterling qualities of integrity and honesty. He got a job in the Department of Agriculture and gradually rose to a high position of a Visiting Accountant. His professional work did not come into the way of his church activities. He was a deacon for twenty long years. For his honesty, he was asked to be treasurer of a couple of organizations. His standing in the church was high because of his rock-like integrity. Whenever he appealed to the congregation for funds, there was no let up in the people's giving generously. One could humbly say of him that God used him mightily for his kingdom and its glory.

When he died, people of all walks of life came to bid him a tearful goodbye by attending the moving funeral service. The Executive Secretary of the Angami Baptist Council of Churches Rev. Ketsozeho Sale and the Principal of the Church-sponsored Higher Secondary School Ms Aleü Usou too paid their eulogies with utmost sincerity. Many others who attended the memorial service agreed with the Pastor's profound statement that God in His mysterious ways had taken our brother from our midst 'because his work and mission on this earth was over. I believe that God called him back to the House where there will be no more strokes; no more deaths; and music will never end. He will then say to him, "You've laboured long in my vineyard; well done my son!; take your rest" Other rites befitting the occasion were performed with all solemnity.

Phekhwe had another spiritual attribute. He was a doughty prayer warrior. One miracle happened in his own family because of the power of his prayer to God. His wife was ailing for sometime and her condition grew from bad to worse and she could not open her mouth for full five days, and five nights. His fervent prayer, offered one evening in loud voice to Jesus Christ at such a perilous time was amply rewarded by the maker of Heaven and the Earth. His wife recovered fully to the joy of one and all. I had the privilege of interviewing his wife Kezevinu just after one week after her husband's death, and she disclosed the information that her husband always used to say that God in His mercy had performed a miracle on you.

He left behind a God-fearing wife, five sons and a daughter. All love the Lord zealously and that is a legacy of his for those who are left on earth. He was a loyal soldier of Christ and a strong pillar of the church. He was like a star which shed its light bright and luminous, and vanished into the blue sky all abruptly without giving notice and bidding proper goodbye. Yet we all know and acknowledge the fact, that God's ways are mysterious and no man or woman can fathom His inscrutable acts with our worldly knowledge and intelligence. However, we have the encouraging words of St. Paul to give us strength "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 1 Corinthian. 15:55