India Team USA

Dear Praying friends,

It is with great joy that I share with you the way the Lord has been leading us in regard to starting a new church. Last Sunday at 9.00 a.m. in the morning there was so much excitement outside CMCT as 250 girls from upstairs plus so many outsiders met outside the gates of CMCT waiting to be transported by our buses to Padappai. The temperature was 40 degrees, and our staff said: “We are going on a holy picnic”.

When we arrived at Padappai we all met in the Chapel and had a time of worship and then those who were going to be baptized were introduced to everybody. The baptistery was filled with water. We all gathered around and it was such a joy for me to see this baptism taking place at our Camp site. We had beautiful singing, glorifying the Lord and 20 were baptized, 8 of our own girls and the rest were outsiders who had come to the Lord through the ministry. In the old days they were staunch Hindus and it was such a joy to see their joy as they obeyed the Lord in baptism. The baptisms were carried out by Mr David Lingam and then Mr Anburaj.

We then met in the Chapel for our morning worship service, all participating in the Communion and a guest speaker Mr George,(vistor) whom the Lord is using much, gave a very challenging message. For some of you who are sponsoring these are our girls who were baptized: Sylvia, U Monica, Blessy, Sheba, Kavita, J Joyce, Revathy, Shrimathy. If any of you know these girls you will rejoice with us. We all enjoyed lunch together, a very sumptious Indian meal – Vegetable Biryani (spiced rice with bits of vegetable), Fried Chicken, Chicken Kurma (Chicken pieces in a thick gravy of coconut cream) and a Chutney with Onion in curd. I hope this makes your mouth water!!!

After a time of relaxing all leisurely returned home. We need much prayer as next Sunday we will be meeting in the Madras Christian College Auditorium and we look forward to the Lord doing great things amongst us and many more joining. Pray especially for the leadership.

I had mentioned previously that we were starting twice a month on a Saturday afternoon, Girls and Boys (separately) Cadet Leaders Bible Study. I am taking the girls and Philip is taking the boys. I had 20 in my class and Philip approximately 14, and it is going very well. It is a thrill for me to see teenage girls hungry to study the word of God, writing notes and learning verses off by heart. I am taking the study, ”Life with a Purpose”, and already the girls are telling me how it is blessing their lives.

We have had a bit of a shock recently when the government announced that they are employing 5,000 teachers and giving them government jobs and 5 teachers from our Primary School and one from the Higher Secondary School have received letters that they are being employed to teach in government schools. They are being offered thrice the salary they have already been drawing. Sadly this involves the Primary School Headmistress, Assistant Headmistress and 3 Teachers. There is nothing we can do about this. Devakanni, the Headmistress has been with us since the time the School started, but for these Teachers to get a government job means everything. It is very hard for us as we watch, and we are conducting fresh interviews this week.

I would value special prayer for Moni, one of our children who has just passed into the 8th standard and is being ostracized very badly in School because she lisps and walks with a limp. She is one of the girls who came from Bihar. She sobbed for 10 minutes in my office last morning and declared over and over again how much she loves me. She was terrified that we would put her somewhere else, but now we have been able to talk to her and we are taking her out of school and admitting her into our Tutorial. We want to enroll her into an easier course. When we asked her what she would like to do when she leaves school, she said, “I want to help people who are like myself”, so we will take her and train her for that. Moni is a very slow learner. For one year I sent her for speech training classes and she has been having physiotherapy and she is a most loving child. Our hearts go out to such children. We have just got a special school for Nissy run by the Wesley church here and she started attending from last Saturday.

We need much prayer for our financial needs. Expenses run high and we have been drained in regard to School expenses and repairs to the toilets to the Hostel floor. After spending a great deal of money it is still leaking. We are very sad about this.

Four children from Bihar have not returned from CMCT after the holidays, which is sad and it means that they will not have any more education in their lives. Please pray for God’s provision every day. Pray for us to continue to trust the Lord completely.

It is still extremely hot here – 40 to 41 degrees every day. It is unbearably hot outside in the day time, and many people are falling ill.

I look forward to hearing from you and I want to thank you for praying.

With warmest greetings,

Colleen