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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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.