Meeting Jacob George Paul in Abu Dhabi

By Jim Franks

Upon arriving in Abu Dhabi, we noticed a dramatic contrast to where we had been previously. Abu Dhabi is nothing like India or Sri Lanka. The first difference you notice is the traffic (or the lack of traffic) and the tree-lined streets. Cars actually drive in their lanes, and drivers pay attention to traffic signals and are not constantly blowing their horns. It was more like driving back home than what we had experienced for the previous two weeks.

I was especially impressed by the cleanliness of the city. The buildings are tall and interesting in design, with many new ones currently under construction. It is clearly an area where there is wealth and considerable economic development. It is interesting to see what oil and the money received from that oil can produce for a city!

Dave Baker and I arrived in Abu Dhabi around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Our schedule called for only one day together in this Arab city prior to my departure for Dallas early Thursday morning (a 2:45 a.m. flight). From here, Dave is scheduled to travel on to Kuwait and visit another member family working in that area. He won’t be back in North Carolina until Tuesday, Jan. 28. This trip will be a full three weeks for him and 2½ for me.

We covered a lot of territory, almost 25,000 miles (equivalent to around the world) by air and another 1,000 miles by car. It has been an amazing trip, and I learned a lot about the brethren, different cultures and the rigors of traveling. I am very happy I was with Dave, who is a seasoned traveler of this part of the world. He definitely knows the ropes and made the travel portion of each leg of our trip uneventful.

Meeting Jacob George Paul

Our purpose in stopping off in Abu Dhabi is to visit our lone member in the area. His name is Jacob George Paul. He is of Indian descent and from the city of Cochin, which is located in the extreme southern region of India. Dave Baker first met him in 2004 and then baptized him in Cochin in 2010. He has a wife and two children. Paul is a computer programmer, currently working for a large company in Abu Dhabi that, among other things, manages Nissan dealerships.

It was a bit confusing for me at first when Paul told us his name—Jacob George Paul. It sounded as though he had three first names. He explained to us that in India passing along a surname from father to son is optional. Most Indians name their children without regard for a surname. Paul’s father was named Jacob George, and his grandfather was also named Jacob George. So Paul’s father named him Jacob George Paul, but he goes by the name Paul.

I asked Paul what I would call him in the U.S. if I wanted to introduce him in a formal way. Which name would I use if I were to say, “This is Mr. …”? He responded that I could call him “Mr. Paul,” but that he preferred to just be called Paul. I am not sure how we would have handled this in the old Spokesman Club days when we used the formal “Mr.” in introducing everyone. I chose not to worry about it and called him Paul for the duration of our visit.

Paul’s background

Paul has an interesting background with the Church. His father began getting literature from the Worldwide Church of God in 1968. Currently, as an adult of 45 years of age, Paul feels as though he grew up in the Church. His father and mother were Roman Catholics until one day his father renounced Catholicism and began keeping the Sabbath. This would have been around the time Paul was born.

There was considerable antagonism toward Paul’s father from his wife and family, so he never had personal contact with the Church; but he kept the Sabbath, did not observe Easter or Christmas, and believed in the holy days. He also refused to eat unclean meats. Paul and his two siblings grew up listening to their father and following in his footsteps instead of following their Catholic mother.

When Paul became an adult, his mother and her family insisted that he marry a Roman Catholic. Paul did just that and today finds himself in a situation similar to that of his father, with a wife who is in a different church. Even though his father never made personal contact with a minister from the Church, Paul wanted to take that next step. He contacted the Church in 2001, and Dave Baker made the first visit with him in the city of Bangalore in 2004.

After a bit of a struggle in India with his job situation, Paul finally landed a good job in Abu Dhabi. He and his family enjoy living in this city, but it does have its challenges. Even though his wife is not interested in the Church, Paul is teaching his two daughters about the Sabbath and the truth he learned growing up. In a recent visit Dave Baker provided Paul with a CD of all the literature from the Radio Church of God and the Worldwide Church of God. Paul expressed to us his joy to have this information to read and study on the Sabbath.

What it’s like in Abu Dhabi

Being the only member of the Church in a Muslim country has many challenges; but fortunately the U.A.E. (United Arab Emirates), and especially the city of Abu Dhabi, is more liberal than other Arab countries. Because of its vast oil wealth, this small country welcomes foreigners who come to work.

Abu Dhabi is so wealthy from the oil that there are no taxes—no income taxes, no property taxes, no sales taxes and no duty on imported goods. It is referred to as a tax-free zone. In spite of the liberal approach toward taxes (no taxes), they are a very conservative country when it comes to religious values. There is very little crime, and it is still a jailable offense if one is found guilty of committing adultery.

Another thing that Dave Baker and I noticed about Abu Dhabi is the number of luxury cars on the streets. I saw more Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Lamborghinis in one day than any time I can ever recall. I saw at least five Rolls in parking lots and on the streets. BMWs and Mercedes are as common as Fords or Chevrolets are in our country.

We also visited the most luxurious hotel I have ever seen. It is fairly new in Abu Dhabi and is called the Emirates Palace Hotel. It reportedly cost $3 billion to build. If you do a Google search on the name “Emirates Palace Hotel Abu Dhabi,” you will see what I am talking about. No expense was spared in its construction.

All of this wealth and opulence in one city can be a bit overwhelming, but Paul takes it all in stride. He told us that he is focused on obeying God and setting the best example for his children. His No. 1 desire would be for his wife to come into the Church, but at this point she has shown no interest. We explained to Paul that there is no way to predict whom God may choose to call or when He may choose to call an individual. It is beyond our understanding and ability to figure out.

Back at our hotel on Wednesday evening we recorded a brief interview with Paul. I hope to show it in the near future on an edition of In Accord. After the recording, the three of us had an enjoyable dinner at a local Thai restaurant. Afterwards Paul left for home, and I left for the airport. My visits are now complete with only my travel home ahead of me.

Thoroughly impressed

I left Dallas on Jan. 5 and arrived in New Delhi, India, on Jan. 7. For 10 days Dave Baker and I traveled throughout the country of India, visiting the brethren. We made stops in all the major cities—New Delhi, Calcutta (Kolkata), Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Moradabad and Agra. We were never in the same hotel for more than two nights in a row.

From India, we traveled to Sri Lanka, where we spent four days doing the same. And from Sri Lanka, we traveled to Abu Dhabi to visit Jacob George Paul. To say that it has been an interesting trip would be an extreme understatement.

I am thoroughly impressed by the brethren who live in these remote areas of the world. I was also impressed by Dave Baker’s dedication to serving these members, visiting them once or twice a year, year in and year out. Even in the days of the Worldwide Church of God when we had congregations and pastors scattered throughout India, the members rarely had a personal visit in their homes. Dave has been in their homes, had many meals with them, knows their history, their families and can call all their children by name. It takes the heart of a pastor and a shepherd to do what he does.

Of course, he is not alone. There are several men and women in the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, who regularly make the sacrifices necessary to serve the people of God in remote areas of the world. I am thankful for them all!

When I left on this trip, I had three goals: (1) to visit as many of the brethren as possible; (2) to learn from Dave Baker what it is like working as a regional director in this region of the world; and (3) to develop a strategy to better serve the scattered brethren.

I can truthfully say that all three goals have been accomplished. We visited virtually all the members in India, Sri Lanka and Abu Dhabi. We may have missed one or two prospective members, but for the most part we succeeded in seeing everyone. I learned a lot from Dave Baker about traveling in such a different culture. And we are working on a strategy to preach the gospel more efficiently in this part of the world while improving our ability to serve the scattered brethren.

One thing we are doing immediately is securing high-speed Internet for the members in this region. It is extremely cheap to do so in India (about $10 per month in some areas), so we are planning to get all of the brethren connected as soon as possible. Dave Baker will then be able to hold services and conduct visits and Bible studies on a regular basis with all the members.

This will be the final report from my trip. I hope you have enjoyed reading about our travels. I am returning home inspired and excited about our future. God works in mysterious ways, and who is to say what He will yet do if we continue to yield to Him, seek to serve the brethren and preach the gospel with a humble spirit.

From Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,

Jim Franks