Dear Friends,
Greetings from Krupa and boiling Chennai (Madras). It is just the end of March and we are having daytime temperatures of 38o C (102o F) and this is supposed to be the beginning of summer. We wonder what will happen if we do not get some rains pretty soon. Even now the city is just limping by with very limited water and as we have not had any rains for nearly 18 months, it will be quite difficult for the people to cope with the intense heat without water.
Grace returned from Australia on the 6th of March to a very warm welcome from the weather and the family. Our little daughter Priya is inseparable from her. Perhaps she is concerned that "Mum" might leave on another long trip without her. We had visitors from the US from the 7th, who have been a great support to us in our ministry. They have a really amazing ministry of intercession going at Portland and it was our privilege to have been their guests at Portland. After that we had a lot of catching up to do in terms of the work apart from cousins from the UK and also a trip to Salem for a family get-together to praise and thank God at her mother's 75th birth day.
Back at Madras, she was able to meet two friends from Australia, Rev Dev Ananda Raj and Mrs Malar Buell from Melbourne who were here on a visit. We have also had the ground breaking at Bethel Nagar Colony for two houses, the women's weaving unit as well as a community hall for the people. The construction work has just begun. The weaving unit should be fully operational by June. Summer is high season for Krupa, because it is the time we have Children's Bible Clubs (Vacation Bible Schools). This year we will be reaching out to more than 3000 children through such clubs at 35 centers. Most of these children are non - Christians and some may be hearing the gospel for the first time in their lives. We are therefore in the preparation mode, for recruiting and training volunteers for these 35 centers and in the arrangements at the venues for these clubs etc. We have, in the past, been able to reach many a non-Christian family through the children who attended these clubs. . We very specially ask for your prayers for the Children's Bible Club. The logistics of getting the volunteers and supplies to the right place on time is tiresome. We have had difficult situations in the past when we were prevented from conducting the clubs. Even in the southern part of India, which is comparatively better, Hindu fundamentalism is gaining support day by day. And we are also having our state elections on the 10th of May, which could create tense situations. Please pray that all the clubs will be conducted without any difficulties and that His name will be glorified.
On the fifth of April, we plan to have an AIDS awareness seminar for the gypsy community. About 150 are expected from the 10 colonies in and around Madras. This will be an AIDS seminar with a Christian perspective and is sponsored by a Christian organization. A youth retreat was held at Padappai on the 30th March for about 50 young people from various communities. The young people left with the challenge to set goals for the future as they chose to serve Jesus, in the light of the theme of the retreat from Joshua 24:15. We have also been involved in the lenten services in various churches. This month we are preparing another batch of 15 people for baptism. We would greatly appreciate your praying for the AIDS seminar and for the young people at the retreat as well as for the 15 people who are getting ready to commit their lives to God.
Praise God with us for enabling us through the support of friends and churches to make a substantial payment towards the cost of the land for our project site ,"Canaan" in January and March. We are due to settle the rest (Rs 250,000) by end of May 2001 and get the title deeds registered in Krupa's name. Please pray. Well what it all adds upto is that we have not replied to many of your communications from January. Please accept our apologies for this long silence.
Grace returned from Australia greatly encouraged and strengthened in spirit. She ministered in churches and women's groups, especially among Tamil and Sri Lankan congregations. She felt a special outpouring of His spirit through out her ministry, which strengthened her mightily. She also represented the family at the ordination of our cousin as a minister in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. Manoj gave up a secular job to study for the ministry and his entire family was supportive of his decision to obey God's calling. It was indeed a day of great rejoicing in the family. We are grateful to Bishop Sundar Clarke and Mrs. Clara Clarke and Manoj and Ramabai Chacko at Sydney and Amal and Renuka Clarke at Melbourne for spending so much time and effort in planning Grace's schedule in Australia. To our good friends in Sydney and Melbourne, who have supported and encouraged us in this ministry, we can only say a big
