India Children's Choir

On Friday, June 9th, our church, Westfair Baptist Church, hosted the India Children's Choir. Their background is as follows: "The people of the Hmar tribe of northeast India were fierce headhunters. In 1910, a missionary, Watkin Roberts, sent the Gospel of John to a Hmar chief. The chief invited Roberts to come and explain the Scriptures. He went, despite a travel ban by the British Colonial rulers, and five young tribesmen chose to follow the Lord Jesus. The converts grew in faith and became leaders of a new and growing church. Within two generations, the entire tribe was evangelized. Headhunting stopped and "hearthunting" began. They now carry the Gospel to their neighboring tribes and the regions beyond. The members of the India Children's Choir are the heirs of those who first believed."

We've hosted the ICC two previous years, 2001 and 2002. When you host the choir, you get to take a couple of the children home to spend the night and then return them to their bus the next morning. You really fall in love with these kids. They are the most well-mannered kids you would ever meet.

In 2001, we kept a couple girls from the ICC named Joslyn and Jubilee. Shortly after having them in our home, we decided to sponsor a child from India. Sponsoring a child is an important ministry of Bibles For The World, the organization that brings the ICC to the USA. They are based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
We were given a little girl named Lalnunthieng Kholring, also known as Daisy, from Sielmat in Manipur, India. To our surprise and joy, Daisy was chosen to sing in the ICC in one of the 22 positions tried out by 400 children. We wanted to make sure our church hosted the choir again so we could have the privilege of keeping her in our home one night. It was such a pleasure to visit with her and meet the little girl we sponsor from the other side of the planet.
Another girl named Deborah also stayed that year. Mark got to see Daisy one last time when they choir performed in Warrenton, MO where Scott, Marcy (Mark's sister) and boys got to meet her, as well.

To our surprise once again, we found out that Daisy's younger brother Kevin had been picked for the 2005 choir. There was actually going to be two 2005 choirs touring, but they decided later to move the 2nd choir that Kevin was apart of to the 2006 tour. Therefore, Kevin had to wait until this year to come. Mark arranged to have the choir come to Westfair so we could enjoy keeping a second member of Daisy's family in our home.

This year, we were short 2 host families, so two other families in the church had to double up on kids. We kept Kevin as well as 3 other boys: Paul, Joseph K. (there were 3 Josephs in the choir this year), and Timothy. Before they were due back at the church on Saturday morning, Mark took the boys to where he works in Bluffs and let them see some of the heavy equipment. They had never been that close to any before and really enjoyed it.








When they were ready to depart from the church, Mark found out that the smallest girl, Thelma, was actually Daisy and Kevin's cousin! What a treat to be able to meet 3 from Daisy's family! Hopefully, in a couple years, Daisy's little sister Esther will be in a choir where we might be able to host her as well. Erin and Justin also housed two boys, Hickson and Edwin. They also had a great time with them.

After the choir performed that Friday night, Grandma and Grandpa Bentley decided to sponsor a little 3 1/2 year old boy named Robert. Sam also has decided to sponsor a little boy, but we're not sure of his name yet. Sponsorship is great and we've enjoyed many letters and pictures from Daisy's family. We pray for them always and they do us as well. Maybe we'll meet their entire family some day. Daisy's like our fourth daughter and we love her dearly.