FIRST GRADUATIONS

Above: Jim Waldron speaks as Aruldass translates at the graduation for the single girl’s and single boy’s Bible school in Coimbatore. Both of these schools are supported through the Waldron Mission Fund. The graduation ceremony was held in Ebenezer Hall on the campus of Deva Anbu Illam.

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The photo above was taken on April 16 at the first graduation for the Nagapattinam School of Evangelism. All graduates were strangers to the Lord’s church prior to the tsunami of 2004. Of all areas of India, Nagapattinam was the most devastated by the tsunami, and there are few places where our brethren have endured more persecution.

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The picture above was taken on April 15 at the Cuddalore graduation, another school started as a result of tsunami relief work. Seven men received certificates showing they had satisfactorily completed one year of Bible training. The director for this school, Thangaraj is second from the left. Kandasami, his assistant, is standing to the far left.

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Many attended the first graduation at Kovilpati, pictured above. Our brethren have found this area to be extremely fertile, and many of our graduates have already started new congregations. This school is also one year old and was started as a result of the tsunami. Ten evangelists graduated from this one-year program on April 17.

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Brother Santhanaraj, pictured above, made introductory remarks at the first Tirunelveli grad-uation. His situation was unique in that he has been the director for the school while still completing his own Bible education. The Tirunelveli School of Evangelism is a three-year school. These men are working diligently to plant new congregations.

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The photo above is the graduation at Trichendur. During the ceremony I choked back tears, remembering some of these graduates, men who were thrown out of their village for obeying the gospel. Along with the preacher training program we have been conducting a literacy program at this school. Many of the fishermen, who want to be evangelists, cannot read or write.

Graduations were conducted at many other of our schools of evangelism, as Jim Waldron and I crisscrossed paths back and forth across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. We are thankful that God has provided us with these schools, tools to build his kingdom. We are also thankful for generous brethren who help to support these mighty works.

Contact Information:
India Missions
Banner Elk church of Christ
PO Box 1413
Banner Elk, NC 28604

ARAKONAM - 120 Congregations in Nine Years

The Arakonam School of Evangelism was the first school which Banner Elk supported from its beginning in 1999. Brother Stevenson, the director for the school, is a mighty evangelist. When I spoke for the graduation at Arakonam (April 14) I inquired as to the number of congregations within a fifty mInile radius. The brothers agreed that there are approximately 160 congregations of the churches of Christ. Of these, 120 have been started by graduates from the Arakonam school. The Arakonam school is now a three-year program. The lot on which the school exists is only about 50’ X 100’. The building is crowded and in need of serious repairs. We will be looking at plans to improve the facilities in coming months.

BICYCLE CAMPAIGN

Imagine the excitement in knowing you were going to get to ride a bicycle for eight days, approximately fifteen miles per day, in temperatures that often reach 100 degrees. There are intermittent periods of relief from peddling as you sit cross-legged on dirt floors in people’s homes teaching the Bible. But the work is not without monetary reward. You get paid approximately $3.16 per day, from which you furnish your own food. This will be the life of more than 1,500 of our evangelists from May 17-25.

At Tirunelveli I attended an organizational meeting for the campaign. I was supposedly a motivational speaker. Following me, Santhanaraj took the podium. He preached about winning souls and the evangelists shouted, in unison, the references he used. They are “chomping at the bits” to get God’s word to the lost souls of India.

Campaigns of this nature seem expensive at first glance. Cathy transferred $33,000 from the mission account here to cover the expenses. Generally, more than a thousand souls are won during these cycle campaigns. Considering the cost-per-soul will be in the neighborhood of $33, and taking into account that each soul is worth more than the value of the entire world, it is quite a bargain. Pray that God will receive all the glory for the “increase” which he will provide (I Cor. 3:6).

Deva Anbu Illam News

The population of the children’s home continues to grow. Six more children are on their way, making the total 102. Funds for this work are furnished through the Banner Elk church of Christ and all money for the care of these children is kept completely separate from schools of preaching, campaigns and other works. Because Cathy and I are supported through our own business, no administrative salaries are taken. Money given for these children goes strictly for their care.

During this last trip to India, I spent a lot of time in planning meetings with our staff. We are currently seeking another couple to assist our cooks. Devanessan, our main cook, begins work at 4:00 each day. He works until 9:30 every night, only getting time, sometimes, for a nap in the afternoon. He also works seven days per week. His salary is $66 per month. His wife makes $33. Pray that we will make a good choice in our addition to the cooking staff.

Vacation Bible School will be held for our children at the Dindigul Bible Institute. The children will travel four hours on private buses and will live on the campus for three days. On their return, they will visit a mountain resort for a day. Every summer, when the children are out of school, we try to plan some type of outing. They are very excited about this little vacation.
The location for two new cottages was planned. We anticipate the arrival of fifteen children during May/June. Additionally, a dormitory is being planned for all boys fourteen years old and older. Boys are moved from gender-mixed cottages as they mature.

A new motorcycle is being purchased for the children’s home. The old one is completely worn out. Our staff uses this vehicle to purchase, carry children to the doctor and all other necessary errand running. The cost of the new motorcycle will be around $1,000.

WIDOWED BY A COBRA

It was a day of celebration, the first graduation ever held in the Tirunelveli School of Evangelism. In the middle of elation I met a thirty-five year old lady and her three daughters, aged 13, 11 and 9. The sister’s name is Indira, and the stress on her thin face and her uncontrolled wiry hair were evidence that she has been through much more than any of us could begin to imagine.

I asked about her husband and the Indian brothers explained. Madasami, a hard worker, a wood cutter by trade, was asleep with his family on the dirt floor of their mud house on August 18, 2005. He awoke his wife in the middle of the night to say he felt a burning sensation in his chest and was having a lot of pain. They sought relief in some available household medications and finally found transportation to the local government hospital. Immediately, the doctor discovered two small marks inside of his thigh, the sign of a cobra bite. Within ten minutes, this husband/father was dead. With no way to close windows or seal cracks around the tile roofs, cobras often come inside of Indian homes during the night.

Indira now struggles to feed her three daughters, as well as herself, on daily farm wages that average $1.35. The family’s food costs per day average $1.20. Their diet is mostly just rice, and they have meat or gravy on special but rare occasions. She has limited electricity in her house and her electricity bill comes every two months (usually $1.10). This brave woman is pressed down by others in her village. The community will not allow her to seek work outside where she might find a better job. Until her baptism in January 2008, she was a Hindu. Now the idolaters fight to prevent her from attending worship services with the saints and accuse her of seeking material possessions from the church. The relationship between an Indian widow and her community is difficult for Americans to comprehend. These people are her family and she feels very insecure to go against them.

Parenthetically, some may recall during the early days of the tsunami how one Bible student, Inbaraj, wanted to be a preacher but was not allowed because he had not been baptized for more than two years. This zealous brother was not hindered by my denial but went to Kovil Pati and started teaching and baptizing souls, establishing congregations there. Inbaraj, now a third year Bible student in our school in Tirunelveli, taught the gospel to this widow, Indirani. He is a mighty evangelist.

I am thankful to God for his loving kindness for these widows. Our Father knows her heartache. He knows her fears and hard labor. Now, through his loving church, eight goats are being purchased for Indira. She will receive $15 per month with which to feed her goats until they are reproducing and making a living for her and her three daughters. Before leaving, I sent $35 to Indira from the mission funds just to give her a little breathing room.

As for Indira’s attitude, she had a fresh smile on her face as she explained that she now says to the Hindus that her soul is finally satisfied now that she is a Christian. Welcome Indira! Welcome to God’s glorious and eternal kingdom. Welcome to our hope and thanksgiving for a loving Father who would give the life of his Son for you.

TODAY I MET PAPAI

Don’s Diary, January 9, 2008

It was another day on the campaign trail in India. I boarded the hired van along with ten preacher training students from the Nagapattinam School of Preaching. This city was the most devastated of all tsunami areas in India. In their soul-winning work, the students are now venturing out into even more remote areas. We traveled about twenty miles, first by two-lane, pot-hole-filled highways, then by one-lane dirt roads. The vibrant green rice fields lined both sides of the road and stretched as far as the eye could see. Workers carried bundles of grain on their heads, making their way to crudely fabricated thrashing machines parked in the middle of the road. Often, we had to wait patiently as the thrasher was halted, coupled it to a tractor, and cleared from our pathway. The twenty-mile journey took about 1 hour and the van eventually reached a point where it became necessary for us to get out and walk.

Soon we all separated, two-by-two (or more) and headed in different directions towards different villages. We gave out tracts to those who could read, walking carefully, chasing chickens and baby goats from beneath our feet. Our eyes were on constant alert for numerous piles of cow dung. These people are very poor by my standards. They live in mud huts with a roof crudely crafted from palm tree leaves. Every house is fenced by a hedge of carefully woven thorns. Even the gates are made of thorn bushes. Standing by the door of one house was a frail older lady who would soon be my sister in Christ. Her name was Papai.

One of the brothers had passed this way earlier. He explained that this woman wanted to be baptized. We were surprised that she would even know of such a need. Who was teaching her, I asked? The brothers did not know. As we opened her gate, Papai motioned for us to come into her house. As is customary, I removed my boots and me and Santhanaraj entered the dark room. We sat on the only piece of furniture, a bed made of wood; no mattress of course. Papai sat cross-legged in front of us on a mat on the floor.

After exchanging the usual greetings and small talk and I quickly turned our conversation to spiritual things. “Why do you want to be baptized?” I asked. I misunderstood Papai’s reply as she explained that she had been sick. Observing her little fifty-pound body I had no doubt about her physical condition. I inquired to know her age but she did not know. “I am between fifty and sixty,” she said. I explained to Papai that physical sickness was not the purpose for baptism but that such removed our sins, bringing us into contact with Jesus’ blood. Preparing to exit I told her that our brothers would continue to study with her. “Where are you going?” she asked. “I know that baptism is for the remission of sins. I have been waiting.” Pointing, she explained that there was one pond on this side and another on that side. “Where do you want to baptize me? My clothing is ready and I have been waiting.”

Santhanaraj questioned her for some time and then turned to explain to me that she already knew very well what the scriptures taught. We looked at one another, puzzled and amazed. Papai was ready to obey the Lord and I asked the brothers to take care of baptizing her. As I knelt on her floor to lead prayer she stopped me. “What are you doing?” she asked. “I said I want to be baptized. We can pray afterwards!” We prayed anyway, and the last I saw of Papai she was on her way to the pond with my brothers. I couldn’t help but think of Lydia (Acts 16) and the beginning of the church in Philippi. This sweet soul reminded me of the persistence of Bartimaeus in Mark 10. This is the beginning of a new work among these villages.

We studied house to house and preached publicly when given the opportunity. The sun was setting as we gathered in the second to the last village where we worked on this day. About fifty souls sat on the dirt road waiting to hear the gospel. I walked away with my camera to get a more permanent image of the moment. I stopped to soak it all in. Standing before the crowd were ten evangelists, leading singing, praying and reading scriptures. I remembered back, three years earlier. Jim Waldron and I came here in the chaos of the tsunami aftermath. I wondered where each of these men was on that exact day, three years ago. Nagapattinam was filled with darkness and we had no brethren in this place. Hope was so distant for these coastal people. Just a little more than one week ago more than three hundred saints gathered on the night of New Year’s Eve to celebrate. There is light. There is joy. There is hope. A smile crossed my face and my heart swelled with emotion as I whispered in my mind, “God is so great!”

New Schools in Tsunami Areas (muna)

Dear Fellow Worker,

The 4th of June, 2007 may have been the most exciting day, to date, in the India tsunami work. After more than two years of preparation, classes started in four new schools of preaching in the tsunami areas. Almost all of these men were baptized during the relief work and they have been working zealously. God has blessed their efforts and we now have 71 new congregations of the churches of Christ, approximately 2,500 baptized, in these previously devastated areas. These new preacher trainees have proven their faith through difficult persecutions. Because of their decision to follow Christ some have been put out of their houses. Others have lost jobs and material goods. However, they have persisted in teaching the gospel to their friends and family members, with great results. We can only imagine what these evangelists will be like after receiving more formal Bible training. With God’s blessing, we anticipate an explosion of souls saved in the coming year.

The financial responsibility for these seventy tsunami Bible students is costing $3,500 monthly ($50 per student). These new obligations are in addition to the other seven schools already funded through Banner Elk. We are thrilled at this opportunity that God has afforded all of us. Now we are requesting continued help for that which we have started together.

Would you, or your congregation, be willing to take on the support for two of these preacher training students for one year ($100)? Our men are trained in a profession in order that they can be self-supported in their ministry after graduation. Our teachers love the truth and these men are taught strictly according to the “oracles” of God (I Peter 4:11). If you have any questions about this mission work in Tamil Nadu, India, our soundness, what we teach or our dedication, please call me (828-963-5172).

Your Brother,

Don Iverson

P.S. If helpful, my e-mail address is doniverson@juno.com

CHILDREN’S HOME NEWS

The two boys pictured to the left are brothers, Anil and Sanil. Anil is eight and Sanil is nine. These fine young men were two of five who came while Cathy and I were there in April. Anil is physically handicapped and he loves being at Deva Anbu Illam. Though he may have been treated badly in the world, at DAI he is loved by all. I asked him his favorite part of the program and he pointed to the playground. I asked him if he had a favorite friend at DAI yet and he answered, “Yes, the white boy.” I was surprised by his answer, since there are no white children at DAI, and asked him to point out his good friend. One of our boys whose skin is a little lighter than most came and stood beside of Anil. Anil did not know his name. He just called him “white boy.”

Another funny incident happened one night as I walked to Ebenezer Hall to observe the children watching their Saturday night movie. We had purchased six new movies and carried them in our luggage. They were watching “Casper” but it had no sound, only subscripts. I didn’t understand but did not interrupt the movie to question. The next day I asked Stan why the children were watching the movie without sound. “Oh,” he explained, “the children told me that brother Don brought us a deaf movie!” Further investigation revealed that someone had accidentally pressed the “closed caption” button on the remote.”

SEWING CLASSES are part of the training our older children receive. These girls are being taught in our new vocational building. Joy Vasuchi, one of our house mothers, is one of the teachers. The boys are also trained in tailoring and on this particular day they were in the other room learning how to cut patterns. BELOW: The construction of the new library is coming along well. This will be a place to also train our children in computer skills.

Four new cottages are currently under construction. Hopefully, they will be completed in June. We expect many more children during the month of May and we are currently seeking additional house mothers. Of everything at DAI, the work with which we are the most pleased is the Bible program. Our children will be some of the greatest evangelists in all of India. Please continue to pray for our kids.

GRADUATION DAY

From Don's Diary, April 14, 2007

Today we attended the graduation at Erode. Twenty-five men have been training here for the past year. Jeganathan, the principal/teacher first stood to greet the crowd of 700 people. He then proceeded to introduce his students one by one. Many of their accomplishments for the Lord were remarkable and Jeganathan was obviously very proud of this batch of newly trained evangelists. I spoke about the precious feet of the evangelist (Rom. 10:15). We train these men to be self supported soul-winners, not just preachers. I spoke about Isaiah and his willingness to serve, “…here am I, send me” (Is. 6:8). The nods of the student’s heads showed they were stirred by the words of the prophet.

The graduation programs are for Tamil speaking people and with the exception of Cathy and me, everyone comprehends. Therefore I was a little disappointed when one student came to the microphone and started speaking in English. My disappointment soon turned to appreciation. Jayapal was the student’s name and the fire in his bones was obvious. He referred to a comment I had made about the jovial nature of Jeganathan, the principal, and then went on to say I should never mistake his comical nature for insincerity. “As students we expected yesterday in our class to be an easy day. After all, graduation was today. But Jeganathan was just as disciplined and strict as ever.” Then, to my amazement, Jayapal turned and looked directly at me. The brothers tried to get him to turn forward and speak into the microphone, but he continued to look at me. “We have been told by our teacher that it requires 30,000 rupees ($660) to train each of us. We want to assure you,” he said with strong emphasis, “that the Lord’s money will not be wasted.” I thought about our American brethren, many of which are sacrificing to support this work. I thought of all of the widows and about great men like Bobby Hiland (along with his Carolyn) and their love for this work. Bobby lost his life last month to cancer. There are so many faithful American brethren who love these students and I wished they could have also been there for that moment.

Jayapal explained that in the beginning he did not want to come to the school but finally yielded to the very persistent evangelist who preaches in his congregation. After the service I sought out Jayapal. I shook his hand and thanked him. “By the way,” he said, “here is my preacher.” Standing before me was Babu, a former student in my personal evangelism classes at Dindigul. Babu had been a drunkard prior to his conversion. Now he is a beacon for Christ (Matt. 5:14). He preaches the gospel and works as a truck driver to support his family and his ministry. I am thankful to God for the privilege of working alongside mighty men like Jeganathan, Jayapal and Babu.

EVANGELIST GRADUATIONS

Cathy and I just returned to our North Carolina home last night. Over the past month we attended and I spoke for graduations at eleven of our Bible training schools. It is exciting to send men into the fields “white unto harvest” (John 4:35). Often, as I sat waiting for my time to speak, I would look at the graduating men thinking about all of the new congregations of the Lord’s church that will be established. I explained to the students that we have not trained them to simply be “preachers” but evangelists. As such we expect for their pants to stay wet with the waters of ponds and tanks, baptizing many souls into Christ. God loves the precious souls of men much more than we can comprehend. He is surely pleased with seeing these trained men as they go forth to re-unite India with their Father (Lk. 15:20).

Our first stop was one of the latest schools, started in 2006, the School of Evangelism at Trivandrum. Cathy and I conducted two-day seminars at the school. I taught the men about evangelism. Cathy taught the ladies, mostly wives of preacher students. This is the school where we dismissed the principal in January for dishonesty. The seminars were an encouragement to the Trivandrum brothers, who had baptized sixteen new souls into Christ just two weeks before we arrived, and added seven more souls while we were there. The Trivandrum evangelists give glory to God for the new growth, remarking that God is blessing the Trivandrum work because we strive to do everything honestly and according to God’s will. After finishing that program on Tuesday, April 10, we moved south to Kanniyakumari to start the first of the graduations on Wednesday, April 11. The graduation circuit finished with the last program at the Polarai school on April 27.

TSUNAMI, PHASE II – DISASTER TO VICTORY

Routinely, I shake my head in disbelief at the great things God has accomplished in the tsunami areas. The last poll revealed that 71 new congregations have been established in or around the devastated region since that catastrophic day, December 26, 2004. We have helped more than twenty-five thousand families with relief items, but from the beginning our main goal was the saving of men’s souls. Part of the plan, to teach every soul in every seacoast village, was the establishment of schools of evangelism. Part of the funds for training evangelists in these areas were set aside even while relief work was continuing.

Many victims who were baptized in the beginning of the tsunami work have now matured to the point of qualifying to enter one of the new schools. These brethren are strong because they have been studying their Bibles, but also, they have been spiritually tempered by their suffering and persecution. While I was there in April they began appearing for their interviews and entrance examinations. I was thrilled to receive news that most scored in the top ten percent. We have been praying and working for two years to get to this moment and by the grace of God, 126 men in these coastal areas will begin their training as evangelists on June 4. The monthly support needed for each man while he is training will be $60.

Lord willing, seven schools of evangelism will be operating to serve these coastal people (450 miles of coastline) beginning next month. One of these, the Kanniyakumari school, has been in existence for seven years. Two schools, Tirunelveli and Trivandrum were added last year. Four new schools will open in June: Trichendur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Kovilpati. Of students who have passed their written and oral interviews to sit for the selection classes in one-year schools, 21 have been chosen at Kovilpati, 12 at Cuddalore, 12 at Nagapattinam, 32 at Trichendur, 16 at Trivandrum and 33 at Kanniyakumari. That makes a total of 126 new evangelists! Additionally, 35 men will be continuing in the second-year program at Tirunelveli and 28 continuing at Trivandrum.

God is great! Only he could turn such a catastropic disaster into such a mighty victory.

Don Iverson (E-mail: doniverson at juno.com)

Update on Jeba

Below is a letter I received today from Santhanaraj with the latest on
Jeba's situation.

Thank you for so many letters of encouragement that have been sent to
brother Jeba. This man and his wife are mighty workers in God's kingdom.
They have been Christians for less than two years. I have just arranged
for funds from the church to be used for his bail and to pay his
attorney. Lord willing, I will see him in two weeks. He remains faithful
in the midst of beatings and threats against his life. Please continue to
pray for him.

Don Iverson

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Dear Brother (Don),

It was good to talk to you this evening. I didn't have any clear information about Bro. Jeba when you called in the morning. Because, when Bro. Jeba talked to me first, he was panicked and couldn't give clear information regarding the incident. But, this morning he could talk to me in detail. According to his statement the whole thing started when the village committee (all of them Roman Catholics) ordered all of the villagers to give Rs 10000 ($220) for the renovation work of the Roman Catholic Church building.

Even though Jeba doesn't live in the village, they have asked him also to give the money as he belong to that village and his Taxi is getting offers from that village only. But, Jeba didn't give any money. Then they threatened him that he won't be allowed to enter into the village. In the mean time the local priest came to Jeba and told him that if he remove the thatched hut (where the church has been gathering) and leave his faith, he will be given a new house built for the tsunami affected people and many more favors. Even after that our brother didn't agree with them.

At this time, the village committee has asked the fishermen to do fishing within a certain distance from the shore. Bro. Jeba's younger brothers, who are living in that village, have gone beyond that distance with some other fishermen. So, the village committee called all of them and imposed a fine on them all. They have imposed a fine of Rs 200 ($4.50) for others, while for Jeba's family they've imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 ($450.00). Jeba's family opposed this saying that the village committee is taking revenge on them because of Jeba's faith.

During this discussion, Bro. Jeba went there accidentally without knowing what is happening. On seeing him some one in the village committee shouted, "Here comes the trouble maker who breaks the village rule and causing others to do the same, let us hack him down to death". With the shouting this man started running toward Jeba with a sword in his hands. On seeing this Jeba's younger brother got panicked and in an attempt to save his brother picked up a stone and threw it at the furious man. The stone hit the man in the head. Suddenly, whole village committee was furious and got hold of Jeba and his brothers and has beaten them up and lodged a complaint against Jeba, saying that he was trying to kill the man intentionally, while the man with the head injury got back home after a small first aid.

Because of this complaint Jeba had to flee away with his family so that he has time enough to prove himself innocent before the law. The men in the village committee are constantly calling Jeba on his mobile to tell him that they will hack him down to death even if he gets a bail bond order.

This afternoon I've requested Bro. Michael to go and meet Jeba to give him some money and then asked Bro. Stephen and Eswaran to visit Jeba's place and stay with Sis.Jeba till evening. Jeba was somewhat relieved of his fear now and trying to get an advocate to take him on bail. The local church members have come forward to sign for the bail papers. So, Jeba is now confident that the church is beside him. This is really a good opportunity for our brothers to bear one another's burden.

We have been praying for Jeba and his family, here at DBI along with Bro. Jim and hope that the saints all over the world also will be praying for him after knowing all these things.


With love
Raj

Trading Up

From Don Iverson’s Diary, January 24, 2007

Crossing an overpass in Nagapattinam, I stared through the window remembering what things were like only two years ago. This city was one of the most devastated by the tsunami of December 26, 2004. The area where I now traveled had been strewn with fishing boats. Just ahead was the location of one partially destroyed house where a baby crib teetered, ready to fall from the second floor. I remembered how an infant’s body had been recovered from that house.

This area was one visited by me and Jim Waldron just days after the December catastrophe. Burned into my memory are the faces of two widows who stood hopelessly staring into space. They had come back to their homes to gather whatever belongings might be found. Their houses were completely gone, and so were their families. The poor widows agreed to let me take a photo and as I snapped the picture someone explained that I was standing on the cemetery, a large gully that had been scooped out where dead bodies were placed. What had been a busy neighborhood was now an open field strewn with litter and debris.

The field looks much different now. Many have returned and built grass huts in which to live. In the early days of tsunami relief we tried to assist this village but were warned by the radical Hindus to stay away. Some of the residents came to us secretly, seeking buckets, soap, clothing, and necessary household items. There were plenty of other places to work and because of the threat, the brothers agreed to return to this area only after some time.

Against the orders of the Hindus, our brothers eventually began having Bible studies in this Oceanside village. Prior to the tsunami it would have been almost impossible to reach these people with the gospel. Now they were open, searching and receptive. Even in the face of Hindu threats, the Indian evangelists baptized forty souls into Christ from this community. These who had suffered for so long were now set free from the ruler of the darkness (Eph. 6:12). We rejoiced at the power of the gospel and for a brief time the churches had rest (Acts 9:31).

The liar (John 8:44) was angry (Rev. 12:12) and paced about (I Pet. 5:8) seeking how he might destroy our new brothers and sisters. Satan cannot fight with truth. He has only corruption and evil in his arsenal. The local officials, unable to stop the spread of the gospel, placed a 10,000 rupee fine ($220) on any of their people caught worshiping with the church of Christ. Even though these are babes in Christ, they have been forced to grow up quickly. Some had not matured beyond the point of hay and stubble, while others, within a matter of a few months, had become gold (I Cor. 3:12). The fire of persecution is the discerner of men’s faith and fear of the Hindus caused fifteen to go back. Though they would not have the money to pay the fine, many would have been kicked from their homes and out-casted from their families and the village.

Oh yes! As far as the other twenty-five, they refused the mark of the beast (Rev. 13:16), and they refuse to miss a worship service with the Nagai church of Christ. “They can take everything,” my new brothers explained, “but I am not giving up Jesus Christ.” In the middle of the afternoon I stood to preach in the Nagai church building which was originally built for tsunami relief. The Nagapattinam School of Preaching will begin in this same facility in June. More than two-hundred souls (ladies on the right and men on the left) sat cross-legged listening to my message. Through tears I preached about the city, a light set on a hill (Matt. 5:14) in this place that two years earlier had seemed the darkest place I had ever known.

Our new brothers are not unhappy. They are some of the most thankful people I have ever seen. I think of their sacrifices and the worldly possessions that Satan has snatched. I think of the friends they have lost and the family members who will no longer speak to them. What are they thinking? They are thinking about that grass hut that they traded for a mansion.