Dimapur — This preacher from the ‘Wild West’ is not your usual image of a conventional priest confined to his pastoral ground.
In a trail blazing tour to know more of the North East region and its people, founder and director of ‘Fire around the World’ Ministry, Rev. Daniel Hurt, traversed more than 3,000 miles on his Harley-Davidson from Kuala Lumpur and reached Dimapur after more than three weeks on the road.
Rev. Hurt who rode alone in his machine was accompanied by his wife Sandra Hurt and actor-producer, Kory Bassett, in another vehicle. At an informal interaction with media persons at the residence of Rev. Dr. Pughoto Aye, director NE India ‘Fire around the World’ Ministry, at Thahekhu village, Rev. Hurt said his trip this time was more of an education tour as he wanted to learn more about the North East.
Bassett said he will be doing a documentary on the journey and experiences of Rev. Hurt.
“I love motorcycles. In the US we do motorcycle shows. So this time I thought why not bring along what I love. This also an expression of God’s love for the NE,” the preacher from Iowa said. Hurt who is heading for Arunachal Pradesh Friday along with his two companions said he would be sharing his experiences and learning from the tour back home.
Rev. Hurt said his ministry has been reaching out to the “unreached” in the North East and Nagaland for more than 15 years besides other countries like Malaysia, Thailand and different parts of Africa. “Eighty percent of our energy and resources is spent in the North East Region,” he said.
Hurt who is also currently creating a Naga museum back in his native state Iowa said, over the year, he and his colleagues have become very familiar with the “suffering” of the Naga people and the circumstances in which they were placed.
He said he believed God has raised Nagas as Christians for a purpose. With the Naga people being surrounded by Hindus, Muslims and other faiths, Rev. Hurt believed this was God’s way of choosing Naga people to spread the Word of God to the unreached, reported Morung Express.
His steel companion has a lot to tell too including the Naga story. Painted on the sides of his bike are motifs of Naga shawls, spears and daos. Hurt said these motifs are another way of spreading the Naga story wherever he goes went including motorcycle shows back home.
The image of a wizened old woman from Arunachal Pradesh decorates the fuel tank. He said the old Buddhist woman was converted to Christianity during one of their outreach programmes. “She is now 102 years and still attends our programmes,” he added.
For those interested in giving a personal touch to their bikes, the preacher’s machine is a marvel of an innovation, assemblage of accessories dating back to the 1930s and 1940s – fenders dating back to 1940s, tail light of a parked car, main headlights of a pick-up truck, brake pedals of a Buick, radiator of a 1929 Model T car and footrest of a tractor. The list goes on…..