M E R R Y      C H R I S T  M A S

It’s amazing how time flies. Another year is drawing to a close. Standing on the threshold, I recollect the passing year with its moments of gladness and grief, sorrow and joy, laughter and tears, silence and song; and reminiscence over the pages of memory with nostalgia. Looking back across the year, which is passing from us now- some perhaps, with a sense of fulfillment, some with regrets- there is so much for which we ought to give thanks. For health and for strength; for new experiences; for upholding in times of sorrow; for daily light and daily leading. We remember friends and loved ones in whose company joys are doubled and in whose presence pain is soothed. At the same time, we remind ourselves of our mistakes, failures and opportunities which we failed to seize. More importantly, we think of the times when we wavered in faith and failed in witness.
As December set in, it’s time once again for celebration, chill is in the air. Bells are ringing. Christmas carols echo in every church and home. And almost everyone you meet seems to be busy either lying up loose ends, finishing undone tasks, or making hectic preparations for Christmas. The festive spirit of Christmas lends a beautiful chance to wish those who mean the most to us joy and happiness, precious moments and pleasant memories. But Christmas is more than the sharing of gifts and cards; it is a season of goodwill and happiness. The true spirit of Christmas is God’s wonderful love manifested in Jesus Christ, who gave his life as a ransom, the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world and our sin. This Christmas, when He comes to us, let Him not find that there is no room in our hearts for Him, but let Him enter into our hearts and abide there forever. Let this Christmas be a harbinger of every joy and happiness, the beginning of a wonderful year radiant with fast blessings and glory that fulfils the dreams in over heart. “.....glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”.

"TRAIL" interviews Mr.Ketholezo Ha
Youth Evangelist, ABCC. He has been inducted recently. Not only is he a serious man of God, he is also a State Class I Referee under the Amateur Kabbadi Federation of India. We are happy to have somebody who will also play Kabbadi for Jesus and win more souls into the Kingdom.
Trail : Please tell us about your Church and academic background.
Ketholezo Ha : Baptist church Chümukedima Village (Estab. 1954). Youth strength : 150 (Approx.) Theological student : 9 (4 are still studying) Early education : Christian Mission School, CMD Town. Bachelor of Art (B.A) : Salt Christian College, Dimapur Master of Divinity (M.Div.) : Oriental Theological Seminary Bade, Dimapur.
Trail : As the first-ever Youth Evangelist in the ABKK you have no precedent to fall back on. How do you plan to get started?
KH : Perhaps the first priority is to visit the Churches, to look into the needs and work-out with them. As a matter of fact, I have to make myself available. It is going to be a very challenging one. And I am looking forward to it.
Trail : Ninety-six Churches and a couple of fellowships to boot that is a vast field.
KH : It is true. Practically it sound difficult and challenging as well. As a matter of fact, together let us seek God, listen to God, and respond to what He has done and what He continues to do in our lives. Let God burn the inner fire that changes things.
Trail : What will be your nature of work as the Youth Evangelist?
KH : a) To assist the Youth Secretary b) To make myself available to the churches. c) To study the functioning of the youth department and of course, visiting the churches. Trail : What is your greatest concern for the BKK?
KH : I want the BKK to be result oriented rather than activities. “Being transform to transformed”.
Trail : Give the MHBC Youth a message?
KH : Be a trouble maker for Jesus Christ. No turning back, no compromise. Develop and maintain integrity between what you say and do. Remember Jesus entrusts us, authorizes us and empowers us. And he won’t ever abandon us in the middle of a mission.
Trail : Thank you very much.
KH : Thank you guys for the opportunity to be a part of you in His ministry. Looking forward to meeting you all.

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings”. Ps. 40: 2.
I share this testimony not because I have achieved perfection in my relationship with God, but rather it is an open acknowledgement and acceptance of Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. When I reflect back my life, the first thing that comes to my mind is God’s ‘Amazing Grace’. Not knowing life’s purpose got myself into all sorts of bad habits. Even got hooked into drugs and alcohol. Those were the days when I fell in the pit. At this point while I was drowning into utter hopelessness and desperation, God’s amazing grace awaits me at the end of my useless life. Could I refuse and continue in my hardened ways or would I meet my Savior and submit to Him? My mind was full of confusion, not knowing my destination and who holds my future. Then a man came to me and said, “I am the way, the truth and the Life, no man cometh to my Father but by me”. His voice cleared all my doubts and I came to know who holds my future. From that day, he became my best friend. I decided to follow Him and He keeps on leading me. I n all my perplexities and distresses He has never failed to give me strength and light.
Dear friends, if you are confused or perplexed, here is a man called Jesus Christ. He holds your future. He has a purpose for you; He gave his life for you. Why not make Him your friend.
Looking back, I can see the significant blessings that the Lord has blessed me with: the fellowship, support, encouragement and prayers from churches and friends which have given me: a new life and a ministry to serve, for which I am grateful to Christ my Lord and Saviour.

But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son ....
December is the time when we celebrate the ‘fullness of time’- God’s time to be born into human history. It did not happen all of a sudden but after a long preparation. How many generations have waited for this perfect time?
When we hear of the word ‘Christmas’ the only thought that strikes our mind is decorating our house, giving gifts to our dear ones, partying around with friends and so forth. But if God has sent His son only for these purpose then it would be very meaningless.
We encounter mountains of challenges and problems in our lives. Sometimes we get griped with all sorts of anxieties and seem to find no solution to our worries. But in the midst of chaos and pandemonium there is one who cares-that is Jesus Christ. How wonderful to know that we have a friend who cares and loves us unconditionally. This is the greatest miracle and the greatest gift from God.
Edward Grinnan, a member of ‘Daily Guideposts’ share about his experience of Christmas in New York. According to him it was a memory that lingers in his mind very often. He was on his way to a market place in the Ecuadorian Andes; at the far edge of Northern Hemisphere suddenly something caught his attention. Beneath a tree at the edge of the market he saw what looked like an old doll resting in a pile of straw and cloth. When he looked closer, he noticed a crude wooden cross stuck in the dirt and a plain box. Edward came to know from his companion that it was donations for the needy.
Everyone may have a myriad opinion about Christmas but it is evident that Christmas is a time to muse the unfailing love of God, to spend time in prayer to give thanks for His precious gift-the gift of Jesus Christ to be our greatest friend, to have a heart to help the needy people and to give the best gift to God, that is our availability to serve, to worship and to praise Him.
May the Lord who came among us in humbleness, humble us to worship and praise Him. “In the celebration of Jesus’ birth may I not forget that God cares”. Let this be our prayer.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant.......
Philippians 2:5-7
Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and a fruitful New Year - Üsou’s

You may call a personal mission statement a personal constitution. It is fundamentally changeless. It focuses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based. Having a personal mission statement helps you live a very effective life.
Here is the PMS of Rofle Kerr:
Succeed at home first.
Seek and merit divine help
Never compromise with honesty.
Remember the people involved.
Hear both sides before judging.
Obtain counsel of others.
Defend those who are absent.
Be sincere yet decisive.
Develop one new proficiency a year.
Plan tomorrow’s work today.
Hustle while you wait
Maintain a positive attitude.
Keep a sense of humour.
Do not fear mistakes.-
fear only the absence of creative, constructive, & corrective responses of those mistakes.
Facilitate the success of subordinates.
Listen twice as much as your speak.
Concentrate all abilities and efforts on the task at hand, not worrying about the next job or promotion.
This PMS really helped us. And so we thought it too good to keep it and only for us. Hope it will help you too, and encourage you to make your own PMS if you don’t have one.

Isaac Watts, better known as ‘Father of English hymnody’ was born on July 17, 1674 in Southampton, England. He was frail in health and is said to have become more or less invalid during the last 30 years of his life. Although frail in health and grotesque in appearance, he was scholarly genius in many fields and has a number of literary works to his credit. Watts wrote more than 600 songs often taking the Old Testament Psalms and turning them into Christian songs. The text for ‘Joy to the world’ is a paraphrase of Psalms 98. This wonderful Christmas Carol is 20 years older than ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ – Which makes it over 280 years old. The beautiful melody for ‘Joy to the World was arranged from a work by master composer George F.Handel who is best known for his Oratorio, ‘The Messiah’ and the arrangement usually sung to say was done by Kowell Mason, the very first music teacher in America’s Public School. The work of all these three persons gave birth to this wonderful carol which is still sung the world over by many music groups every Christmas time.

Last year a Hollywood movie ‘A Walk to Remember’ became popular, and the reason was because it was not an ordinary Hollywood, movie. This movie features a Christian teenager who impacts her peers through a commitment to faith, moral courage, and love. The reason I like this movie is because it contains a portrayal of tremendous Christian faith in action, and we just did that during the Youth Comp 2002. It started on day 1 when I entered the Camp and was surprised to see lots of new faces. God knows everything, ‘there is nothing that can happen in the world without He knowing it’ (Ps. 139:1-6). This is it: God has planned this. A can see that everyone in the Camp came with an expectation and wanting to go for it. During our four-day stay in the Camp we really has a great time of learning and fun. One important thing I learned from the Camp is the message by Me Asabu, “Be original, to be great about yourself, and love yourself”. Everything about the Camp, right down to the food, was superb. But the best thing was that we kept encouraging each other in everything that we did. And the competitive spirit added ---- to the camp. I also realized how creative God is. It was a privilege to lead the Praise and Worship team. I really felt the strong presence of God. It was a new kind of taste I experience. I felt so good. “Let us reason together”, (Isa. 1:18) was the theme of the Camp, and we did just that. We reasoned together to follow His footsteps and to move forward for Him. I thank God Almighty for His awesome grace upon us throughout the camp. I thank the organizers for this program. During the camp my personal theme was ‘Rav-up your faith’, and I want everyone to do that. It’s great. “Indeed God has turned our mourning into dancing”.

The most important event for the Christians is the birth of Jesus in whom God actually manifested Himself in the flesh; becoming man to meet men’s deepest needs. Everybody since the time of Adam needed a Saviour. And we see it’s fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus was born as man but there was nothing natural about his conception in the womb of Mary. The first prophecy found in the scripture is mentioned in gen.3:15 where it talks about the “woman’s seed” and which means the Son, Jesus Christ would not have been from the race of Adam and inherit Adam’s sin and would have been under the power of the devil. But the redeemer of man had to be one whom satan had no legal claim. Because He did not have a natural father, He did not have the sinful nature. But He was completely human that made him have every right to be born on this earth. He was like Adam the day God created him perfect. In the Old Testament, the lamb that was offered as sacrifice unto the Lord had to be spotless. That is why virgin birth is required. In Hebrews 10:5, Jesus said, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me”. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Gen.3:15. God prepared the body of the Lord Jesus Christ through the seed of the woman. Other then the conception, Jesus indeed was born in a very natural way like any other natural baby. He shared in the humanity of mankind. It is necessary that Jesus was made like us in every way in order to be able to die for us for God cannot die. If Jesus did not incarnate to be man, He cannot be our high priest. Jesus was God-man but he set aside his divinity and lived as perfect human being. Jesus did not empty Himself as God but He emptied His credentials to be God. He gave up His rights and privilege of God. Jesus had to be man in every way in order for us to have authority over Satan today. What Jesus did on earth, He did as man. So, that, you and I can enjoy every benefit of what Jesus has done. The birth of Jesus was a mystery yet that makes Him no less human.

“So this is Christmas and what have you done? Another year is over and you won’t just begin….” Yes, Christmas is here once again just as the many years we have lived. This year also, we will no doubt celebrate this festive season with gifts, cookies, cakes, decorations..etc. But is that all? Is it only about giving and receiving? Or is it about eating, drinking and merry making? Isn’t there something more….? These days we are all aware of the importance of banning these drinks and alcohol. Our religious leaders have been urging us to pray for the drunkards as well as those who are in the business. But is it enough that we just pray for them? Isn’t it time they realize what they are doing? Isn’t it time fathers that you stop? Isn’t it time you stop being a drunkard and start being an ideal father figure or do you want your children to follow the same footsteps as you are now? Isn’t it time my brother to wipe the tears of your mother? Isn’t it time my friends that we stop fooling around and start being responsible? Isn’t it time that we stop hating each other and start loving? Start saying; “I’m sorry” instead of “it’s your fault”, “I understand” instead of “how could you” and ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. The word of God says “do not be conform to the ways of the world…” but many times we tend to give in to temptations especially we young people and that too during these festive seasons. We may say, “it’s okay, it’s Christmas. Lets enjoy ourselves”. But this may be the start of a ruined life. I have seen loved ones failing in their lives because of this. Some of them even lost their lives. And I care for you too much to just let you fall. Sometimes we feel insignificant when we are among talented persons and we begin to wonder if God had been lying when He said He had a purpose for each one of us. We try to figure it out but end up in frustration. But that does not mean that we have to get ourselves involved with immoral things. Nobody is perfect and God knows that. You don’t have to act like someone you are not. Once a person said to his friend, “friend, you are not okay, I am not okay but its okay”. God loves you as you are. All you have to do is reach out for Him. Yes, living a good Christian life is not easy but let me tell you, there is no greater joy than being in His loving care. Let’s not make this Christmas just another Christmas. Lets keep our focus on the cross. And let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas amidst our festive celebrations. Christ came for you and me- to redeem the ‘lost ones’. Let us all make a commitment to keep the fire of Christmas burning in our hearts wherever we go so that we may be a living proof of His love. Have a blessed Christmas. “Let’s hope it’s a good one without any fear…”

Resolutions made so suddenly in the spur of the moment usually do not last long. Thinking and planning is very important. It takes courage and patience to change.
1. Plan ahead and not on the spur of the moment. Meditate on it, so that when the time comes you are even eager to implement it.
2. Set realistic goals. The more changes you propose the less likely any change is to succeed.
3. Be specific. Instead of saying, “ I resolve to be more friendly”, say, “I will say Good Morning to everyone in my class/office”.
4. Go public. The more people know your resolution the less likely will you break your promise.
5. Try substitution. A resolution to start a good habit is easier to implement than a pledge to break a good one.
6. Never say never. Instead of resolving never to shop it’s good to adopt a budget that leaves room for an occasional shopping trip.
7. Use reminders. And even if you break your promise start again. You don’t have to wait for 31st December!

HI trailblletin crew,
Thanks for alwys keeping in touch, You don't know how much it brightens us up here.GOD BLESS YOU ALL HEAPS….
Atu Khatso (Ahmednagar)
Hi Khrieketoulie,
Here is a special reminder for a lovely treat of the day.
Frans: Lucy, Rokovono, Asabo, Viseno.
Zhovi,
Just call us. The CE are ready for the social work in your room.
Core Team
Dear Editors,
Its nice that u r making out a Christmas issue of trail and even though I don’t have any articles and such I wish everyone there a happy x mas and a great new year. It’s good to see you guys keep up the tradition and do great jobs, all year round keep it up, bye and take care,
Luv Aleho (Bangalore)