Why Reno? From New York!

Why Reno? From New York - a frequently asked question during first encounters with the people in this city. Every time I answered that question – a sigh preceded my equivocal explanation of the scenario which led us to Reno.

Psalm 121 Verse 1& 2 says “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.” A verse which we embraced during our travel and a verse we still hold close to our hearts.

Reno is famous for the popular slogan “The Biggest Little City in the World”. However, a lot of people in NY hardly ever heard of this city in Nevada, a few have read about Reno or has vague acquaintances about the city.

The day after we got to Reno, while shopping at Best Buy, we noticed customers and even few employees rushing to the door. Curious about what was happening we followed them. As we gazed outside the glass entrance we witnessed a great downpour. I heard someone next to me say –"It hasn’t rained in Reno for 3 months" - and this was in mid-July. Perhaps, even in NY, a huge downpour is infrequent or perhaps rain is taken for granted and no one notices them anymore. I stared at the huge torrent of water and shared the joy with Reno residents that day. The heavy rain lasted 20-30 minutes and when we left the store, the sun was back out again.

I still sit and wonder what the huge downpour meant to “us”. It was our 1^st day in a strange city, uncertain about our future, with fear of the unknown. My heart was blazing and perhaps the downpour that day calmed our hearts and gave us hope and life. That is exactly what rain brings, hope for the desert and life for the dry.

Matthew 5:43 says “for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

The population of Reno is about the same as the suburban Yonkers we used to reside in. Reno is less diverse, quiet, and slow-paced compared to Yonkers. With mountains on all four sides, Reno looks really beautiful year around. People in Reno enjoy the weather though we find it unpredictable most days. Where is the fun in life if everything was predictable?

Finding spirituality and religion in one of the most unchurched cities in the US seemed a challenge in the beginning. Perhaps it was our culture we grew up in and our associations with home churches in NY, we were confronted with fear about religion and spirituality. We were most certain that Reno did not have enough malayalees or Indians to form a church. Honestly, we doubted the existence of even one malayalee family. Once again, we were wrong about our assumptions. We were thrilled to be wrong. It was like an answered prayer when we were able to join a local malayalee prayer fellowship in Reno.

It was July 22, 2008, one of my happiest days in Reno. Singing songs, reading the Bible and praying with a small community of believers who we met for the first time was truly an experience. Perhaps, that is how the initial church started and Gospel reached to others. I started appreciating our small blessings in life like being able to pray at a prayer meeting. What a blessing! and most often we take them for granted or even let an opportunity slide saying these popular words “next time”. I am guilty myself for the missed opportunities but this was different. My shyness or sitting next to someone who I met minutes ago did not stop me from praying aloud. The spirit led me and I was able to do it.

We church shopped like every other Christian to find a place we felt right. During those weeks, we heard repeatedly about “Grace” from our local churches and radio preachers. Grace! What a powerful word! We all have experienced it and continue to experience it day by day. Yet many times we forget what the word really means. Our search of a church somewhat ended when we found “Grace” Church.

Reno has taught us a lot in a relatively short time. I recollect a statement by one of my patients at my hospital about Reno, “Reno is a small city – You will either love it or hate it – There is no in-between.”After over a year in this place, I am thrilled to share that I am truly loving it.

Why Reno? From New York! still continues to be conversation starters during first encounters with the people in this city. Now, my answer has changed to simply this - “It was God’s doing.”