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Waldron Mission Fund |
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Under the oversight of the elders of the Crossville church of Christ, PO Box 211, Crossville, TN 38557 |
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RETURN TO INDIA Pondycherry, S. India, February 8, 2005: Don Iverson and I returned to the States on January 13, which was after the Newsletter for that month had been written. My return was following the winter trip which had begun back on November 27. Don was returning after he had come over due to the Tsunami disaster which had occurred on December 25, 2004. During the first two weeks of January, as I reported before, Don concentrated on setting up a relief center at Kanniya Kumari and I worked with the bicycle (January 3-13) campaign in the mid-state of Tamil Nadu. In that campaign there were 664 baptized into Christ. In the effort to use the many brothers trained as gospel preachers we are planning four similar campaigns in May. After getting the day camp set up with fifteen of our Tamil brothers conducting interviews and giving aid to the flood victims, Don felt it necessary to return home due to some urgent work for his business in Banner Elk. However, no sooner had he landed than he came to the conclusion that there was a greater need for him to be in Tamil Nadu, than in North Carolina. Thus on the 18th he was on a plane out of Knoxville for his return trip to India. Upon arrival he returned to KK and worked to set up three more relief centers in temporary shelters along India's southern coast where villages had been devastated. Cathy Iverson stayed behind in Banner Elk to work in their art business and to field inquires coming about the plight of the work among the Tsunami victims. Usually she travels with him on his two annual trips to this country, and she has proven her great skills as a helper in the work. She is especially adapted to teaching women through an interpreter and to encouraging native Tamil sisters to reach out to their neighbors. Several of these sisters are active in KK demonstrating the love of Christ to the Hindu women who have in many cases lost everything dear to them. One little widow, for example, came up to Don one day, crying and speaking rapidly in Tamil. Suddenly she fell at his feet, doubled up in a fetal position wailing because of a broken heart. When someone made Don understand he learned that she had lost her husband and children. The vast majority of those being assisted are women. Don sent for Cathy on the 28th.
Generally after returning from the winter trip to Asia in January I wait until late March to return in time to teach in April and be present for the graduations, but the horror of the flood has changed the dynamics of soul-winning in Tamil Nadu. Thus after preaching at East Gadsden, Al on Sunday morning, January 30th, I boarded a flight at 5:30 for Amsterdam and was in Mumbai, India on the following day at 11:00 p.m. The next day I met Don and Cathy on the opposite side of the country in Chennai the capital of Tamil Nadu. After considerable time discussing the results and making plans we took a car the next day south to the former French colony of Pondycherry. Here we were met by nine Tam ii brothers including the two we are locating in this city to strengthen the work and hopefully begin a school of preaching by 2007. Also among those meeting us was a brother by the name of Singairyan, who preaches for three small congregations in Ponndycherry. He is doing a good work, yet the city is large and the Tsunami has quadrupled the need.
After a day here Don and Cathy continued the trip down Tamil Nadu’s eastern coast to the city of Nagapathinam, where he was met by a similar crew of gospel preachers including the two we are locating there to plant churches and to begin a preacher training school. While there Don helped them secure rental property for relief centers like those set up in temporary sheds along the southern coast. After this work was laid out he and Cathy, went back to Chennai and flew to Coimbatore where Banner Elk conducts a home for homeless children. Don wanted to confer with the brother in charge of that home. Speaking of orphans, the Indian government, like Sri Lanka and Indonesia, still will not allow children orphaned by the Tsunami to be adopted, but we are waiting for that opportunity, while helping the widows and their fatherless children. The Iversons left on Sunday afternoon (the 6th) to return to North Carolina.
Here in Pondycherry we have found a sight to set up a temporary shed to interview victims and help them as we are able. You can hardly imagine the bureaucratic dragging of feet to get just basic necessities to the people. As we are learning, it is not just widows that are suffering but thousands have been thrown out of work due to the devastation of the fishing industry. For example all those who depended on the work of cleaning the fish and selling them in road-side shops have no livelihood. Because of which whole families are just existing.
We have twelve Tamil brothers out today going hut to hut to ascertain their needs. They are also passing out tracts that tell them that God cares. Tomorrow I will go down the coast to Cuddalore to set up a similar program there. At one point I told Don that one needs the wisdom of Solomon to know how we ought to proceed in this effort. We surely need your prayers that we might win many to the fold of safety in the wake of this horror.
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Vol. 38 February 2005 No. 2 |
