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.