On March 15th Aaron Snider, Peter Ray Cole, and
I made the long trip to India. We remained in India until March
31st and arrived back home on April 1st. I was not really sure
what we would be able to accomplish because I had never made a
trip that was for the main purpose of doing benevolent work. As
it turned out, this trip was not a whole lot different from most
trips I have made in the past.
Before explaining what we were able to do, let
me thank everyone who sent money for Tsunami relief. I was overwhelmed
by the generosity of good brethren, and, because of your caring
and generous spirit, we were able to take into India a substantial
amount of money.
I had hoped that we would get to visit the areas
where the Tsunami struck, but upon arriving in India we were advised
that this would not be a very productive trip. The Indian brethren
explained that most of the devastation had been cleaned up and
that not much rebuilding was taking place because the government
was discouraging individuals from rebuilding in these areas. Also,
many had been forced to go to other areas and live with friends
or relatives because they had lost everything they owned. Because
of this, our relief efforts took place from the city of Hyderabad.
Individuals seeking assistance were asked to fill
out a form that described what they had lost and how much, if
any, help they had received from the government. These forms were
collected by church leaders in the areas affected and were then
brought to Hyderabad. It is my understanding that almost 4,000
requests for help were submitted. We spent our time during the
day going over these forms. We were looking for any duplication
as well as trying to determine how much loss they had suffered.
A code was assigned to each form indicating the extent of their
loss, and, then, we began distributing funds.
Upon our arrival in India, we took the funds you
entrusted to us and deposited them in an account that has been
established to do charitable work in India. Due to government
regulations we were only allowed to deposit so much at one time,
so we had to make several deposits while we were there. One of
the questions on the form that had to be filled out was whether
or not they had a checking account. For those who did we then
began writing checks, and these were delivered by church leaders
in the areas to the families needing the help.
I cannot begin to describe what a monumental task
it has been for those there to gather this information, go through
it, determine how much help was needed, and then get them separated
into areas so the funds could be delivered. Literally hundreds
of hours of work has gone into this effort.
While we were there we helped 476 families by
distributing close to $65,000. The rest of the funds are still
in the charitable account and will continue to be distributed
as long as the funds hold out. For those without checking accounts,
arrangements will have to be made to meet them in person to be
sure the right people get the help requested. I cannot stress
enough how much work went into trying to be sure that the money
was handled properly and that only those requesting help were
receiving funds.
Because we did not travel to the actual site of
the disaster, we were able to conduct gospel meetings at night.
During our two week stay there, hundreds heard and responded to
the saving message of Jesus Christ. It was a quick trip, but a
very productive one, both physically and spiritually. If all goes
as planned, I hope to return again in the fall and work once again
with the good brethren there.
Let me close this report by making a special request.
The outpouring of help for those physical losses these people
suffered was truly amazing. Please keep in mind that the people
of India have something even more important than their physical
possessions they have souls that need to be saved. Our relief
efforts focused exclusively on Christians, and it is truly admirable
how much people wanted to help their brethren abroad in a time
of physical need. You are to be greatly commended for that concern.
Let me ask you, though, to please consider being
as generous as you can when people make plans to go and preach
the gospel to the lost and request your help. We are truly a blessed
people in this great country, and, as I often tell people, the
only thing that limits the good that will be accomplished in India
is the amount of funds we are able to raise to do the work.
Thank you again for your help, and, if you have
any questions at all, please feel free to contact me. PO Box 753,
Barrackville, WV 26559.