Remembering my USA visit

By:- Pastor Kungsong Wanbe *

In the year 1990 the Northeast India Union, Shillong selected me as an official delegate from Manipur state to attend the 55th (fifty-fifth) General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist at Indianapolis, the state capital of Indiana, USA.

As the Northeast India Union informed me a little bit late, I was struggling to prepare my passport and confirm my US visa. With regard to the passport, the passport office in Guwahati and C.I.D. office in Manipur greatly helped me as they knew my time was very short.

I thank both the offices. In the year 1990, due to some issue, it was very difficult to get US visa. Many people from all over India could not get their visas confirmed.

But for me, somehow, after prolonged argument with the consulate in Calcutta, the consulate finally accepted my explanation and issued me my visa. I along with my group left New Delhi for Washington via Frankfurt, Germany on the night of the 23rd June, 1990.

From Delhi to Washington it took 14/15 (fourteen/fifteen) hours. It took nearly 3 (three) hours to cross the Atlantic Ocean. We spent a week at Washington.

We visited

• Whitehouse,
• Capitol house,
• the grave of John. F. Kennedy at Arlington cemetery;
• Washington monument;
• Abraham Lincoln memorial;
• Vietnam War memorial;
• Scientific museum;
• Rip Van Winkle memorial;
• US national airfield etc.

The above-mentioned memorials have long stories behind them and I will not describe them all. But, let us have look at few of them.

First of all, Rip Van Winkle, whose legend says he slept for 20 (twenty) years in the Catskill Mountains, 'which actually did not happen literally. The inscription on the monument states that it was to symbolize that the United States of America was for 20 (twenty) years under the British government.

Secondly, in the same valley on the western side of Rip Van Winkle monument is the US national airfield, one of the busiest airfields in the world. Every 2/3 (two/three) minutes, there are 10/20 (ten/twenty) landings and take-offs.

Thirdly, the scientific museum, where all kinds of weapons and armaments made or used since the First World War to the present days are displayed.

Fourthly, Vietnam War memorial: At this memorial there is a monument with an inscription of the names of 55,000 (fifty-five thousand) American soldiers who died in the Vietnam War.

Lastly, at the grave of John F. Kennedy there is a flame which has been incessantly burning since his burial till today. The flame is called the spirit of John. F. Kennedy. The flame must have been refuelled regularly.

On Saturday, the 30th of June, 1990, I got the privilege to speak at the Mizo Fellowship at Davidson Street College Park, Maryland- 20740.

At that time the Mizo Fellowship had a membership of about 150 (one hundred and fifty), and by now it must have increased. On Sunday night, the 1st of July, 1990, our group left Washington for Indianapolis. The General Conference office of Seventh-day Adventist, Washington provided us a special bus which had in-built toilet.

The same bus was used by our group for Washington tour too. Our group was put in a big hotel (the Holiday Inn). We attended the conference meeting for 15 (fifteen) days at Hoosier Dome in Indianapofis.

After the conference meeting was over, our group visited many places in USA including the Niagara Water Fall on the border between USA and Canada. Through special visa arrangement we were able to enter into Canada.

The other places we visited included the

• world's tallest building (Sears Tower) at Chicago;
• World Trade Centre, New York;
• the office building of the United Nation Organisation (UNO), New York;
• Michigan Lake/Salt Lake.

We also visited institutions belonging to Seventh-day Adventist which included the

• General Conference Office, Washington DC;
• Andrews University, Michigan;
• Lorna Linda Medical University, California;
• Review and Herald Publishing House, Maryland;
• Kellog Food Industry, Michigan;
• Battle Creek Seventh-day Adventist church, Michigan;
• the dwelling house and grave of Ellen. G. White at Michigan;
• Adventist World Radio, Maryland, etc.

Lastly but not the least, the official delegates from all over the world were 22 (twenty two) thousand. Altogether, with non-official delegates, the general conference was attended by nearly 60 (sixty) thousand. There were many pigmies too among the delegates.

I also very much enjoyed talking to Mongoloid people from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Burma, Cambodia etc.

The Seventh-day Adventist is a worldwide Christian denomination. In fact, there is no country where there is no Seventh-day Adventist church or institution, today.

---

* Pastor Kungsong Wanbe wrote this article for The Sangai Express . This article was webcasted on July 30th, 2009.

---