Dear Praying Friends

Dear Praying friends,

I want to thank you for your prayers and I want to ask you to pray much for us as the monsoon season has started here and although we need the rain so much, it is so tragic to see the roads deeply flooded and the people in the slums suffering in low lying areas inundated with water. Today is our ration distribution day and it is so pitiful to see the poor people (over 450) who have received rations from us today. All schools in the city are closed today because the play grounds are under water. Some of our children and staff are falling ill.

Last evening one of our school buses met with an accident. It was our driver’s fault. Unfortunately the car involved in the accident was a very expensive one and belongs to a High Court Judge who is a relative of the Health Minister in Parliament. Our staff had to negotiate in the Police station till 10.00 p.m. last night and finally they agreed to accept Rs.30,000 from us. Initially they wanted Rs.60,000. Otherwise they were going to impound our school bus, and we would not have got it back for a long time. Some of our staff have gone to pay the money today and nearly 5 hours have passed, and they have still not come back.

We are very concerned as we have no proper security. We had to send out the main security man as he was up to a lot of deceitful activities, even taking rations from the poor people and helping our children take out things which they should not have taken.

I am very sad that Vimala had a fall and has a hairline facture in her big toe. This happened two weeks ago, but the pain is still intense with bad swelling. She has been resting her foot but it is an impossibility with no servant and four small children and all the end of the year gifts to prepare for all the programs. Today she saw an orthopedic surgeon who was very harsh in his words and he has told her that she has to rest her foot and be in bed for two more weeks. Some of the words he used were not very nice. I honestly don’t know how we as a family are going to manage with all the pressure of all the end of the year activities and our meals.

Our main Christmas program is on the 21st of this month in the Museum Theatre. A lot of intense practicing is going on as we are presenting this year a very different program, which is a one-hour musical drama by our children in the Orphanage. We need much prayer that this program will go on very well for the glory of God.

Because of the rain very little work can be done at the Tsunami site at present. The Panchayat came to see me this week, telling me how pleased the 34 families were who were occupying the 34 houses and how the other families were suffering because of the rain and because no fishing could be done on account of the rough seas. These are the burdens pressing on me at the moment, for earnest prayer please.

With warm greetings and a special THANK YOU to those who reply and encourage.

Colleen