I have broken it down to 3 points.
1) The Call
2) The Course
3) The Challenge
– The Call
I received a call in May 2013 to think about applying to work at ELS, India. It never occurred to me to be a part of a bookshop, even though I love books. But following the call, I was enlightened to think of it in terms of a Literature Ministry, which I had a vision of, more than 4 years ago. And for many more years before then I loved to read and write, and by now I was also into translation work for many books. So I guess they were all a part of the bigger picture.
The Director – Mr. Christopher Robert from India, visited us here in Sri Lanka in June. It was a pleasure to have him with us for a few days, after discussions, my call was confirmed and I was ready to fly to India by August to follow the course.
– The Course
Upon reaching India, I must say that God was favourable in providing me with accommodation, where it is also easier to travel, and right in the shopping district. For 2 months I lived by myself, and on the 3rd month my wife and daughter joined me. In the 2 months, I enjoyed cooking for myself, and taking care of myself was a piece of cake. I should confess that I gained nearly 6Kg.
However, there was the purpose of my visit. To become a Shop Manager, I had to learn every department in as much detail as possible and it was a crash course. It was made clear to me that every part of the job – from dusting to directing had to be learnt. Which means that I did just that – dusting to directing.
I met some good friends who were a real support to me. They challenged me, I learnt from them, we had a few interesting debates in the lunch room. Some I believe will be friends for life. Then of course the time to depart. As soon as I reached, the very same day I started working on getting the company started, where I met my challenge.
– The Challenge
Before I started the work, I was introduced to the process of getting the company registered and getting my first shipment in, and what they said sounded as simple as ABC, but when I practically started on it, I realized that they forgot to mention D to Z. What was meant to be a 3 day’s work, become a month long process. Many trips to and fro – talking, learning, knowing, and applying. (Meanwhile, my dad was going through a bypass surgery) And then there was the wait for the shipment, which seemed forever. Following was unexpected TAX! It slapped me in my face and I was shocked.
God was good, we paid it all off, brought the stuff home and started pricing them for the market (My wife, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, niece and friend were my helpers to price the products and My mum provided the place to do the work). Now we are ready to have a sale!
PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR US!! We are not here to compete, but to be a blessing to all!
ELS Bookshop, Sri Lanka 