Serving in Vision and Faith
Today we just put in 35 tractor loads of gravel into a 7 foot deep ditch that is going to serve as the foundation of the Cancer Treatment Centre, the first of its kind in this part of a backward state in Chhattisgarh, India.
This is a project that will cost us about $500,000 and I have already got over 60% of it as equipment being funded by the Life Insurance Corporation and the Atomic Research Energy Board of India. We are now responsible to build the building with only vision and faith to keep us going. One day it is sand, the next is cement, each week we pay the workers and sure enough we should be done in a year.
In 2005, we were asked to run the school which had 80 kids and was about to close. It functioned in an old bungalow in the middle of an open field. Today we have 480 children from all the surrounding villages and this year we will be buying our fourth school bus and digging to begin the construction of a three storey school for a 1000 children. All this with only meagre fees and lots of FAITH to build on.
This is how the story of Christian Hospital and Rambo Memorial English Medium School continues to be a witness to God’s love.
Yes, the UCC and DOC clearly told us that we are a group of people who are a loving, caring and open to all. It is with this spirit that the work in Mungeli moves ahead and is blessed each day.
In all this, we had a Church who had faith in us, sent us out to a place where we had never been, told us they had no money to build and equip a hospital, but had the backing of large numbers of people who would be our support and strength.
In the last three months, we have had about 29 students and volunteers from USA, Britain, and Denmark, belonging to about 15 different churches. These friends and many more have not only been able to support our daily work but also have been able to share in the joy of serving the people of this region. This is truly an extension of Global Ministries.
It is our vision to start nursing training in the next year as we look at all the infrastructure that we have and start planning for a nursing hostel which will eventually house 120 student nurses and 30 staff.
We believe that it is only through experiencing the pain and suffering of others that we are moved to do great things. I know that God is working through us as we move forward in Mungeli and I know that I am not alone.