This Sunday morning we prepared to go to church and worship, take a nap and enjoy our Sabbath day of rest. As we worshipped Anu came in the church and sat down. We were surprised to see her since her family had moved a good hour away to start a church plant. We are always excited to see our graduates drop by and she and her husband Vilesh are both from our school.
Each Sunday service we have a time of testimony. This is my favourite part of the service. People stand up one after another and share ways God has taken care of them that week. Aniustood up and begin to share about their tragedy that happened 36 hours before.
On Friday night, after midnight, they were sleeping in their new home. They built the home just this year and moved in in May. They woke up wet and their bed was floating in muddy water. The power had already gone out and the room was dark. They reached for their cell phone on a nearby table but everything was under water. There was over 4 feet of water in their house already. They jumped into the water, grabbing their 3 year old daughter off the bed. She slipped into the water and was still fully asleep. They pulled her up and tried to get through the front door. The water was moving fast and the rain was pouring outside. They were unable to push open the door. They went to the back door and finally got it open. Anu was struggling since she is 8-months pregnant. None of them knew how to swim and were panicked in that much water. They got out the back door and attempted to walk around to the front of the house. As soon as they got to the front gate and the barrier wall ended, they saw the water was rushing way too fast and was getting deeper. They went back and climbed the outdoor staircase to the roof. From the flat rooftop they could tell that as far as they could see it was covered in muddy water. Cattle were drowning tied to their stakes. Goats were running to rooftops and some houses had already been swept away. They called for help, but no one was near. The water kept rising. Soon, all the tin roof thatch houses were underwater and their rooftop (made of cement) was one of the only ones still visible. They thought they were going to die. The whole house was shaking. They had no phone, could see no one, and could not swim. They were helpless. They cried out to God to save them. And He did. The water rose to a total of nearly 10 feet. Their rooftop was 12 feet.
They were unable to sleep, were wet and terrified, but they remained on the rooftop till sunup the next morning. By then the water had mostly receded leaving behind dead animals, little possessions and mud everywhere. They saw a flashlight coming through the disaster area and a neighbor, who was unable to rescue them the night before, came to help them.
Vilesh and Anu’s house was not damaged but they are in a very difficult season. They lost all their appliances, some cash that was in their house, cell phones and all their belongings to the mud damage. They also had months’ worth of rice, flour and other staples. All lost.
I know how they feel. Our family lost our home when I was 13. We lost everything. I didn’t even have shoes on my feet. It is a hopeless feeling. It is an incredible opportunity for God to care for us. I can understand how Paul felt when he wrote, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:12,13)
In times of tragedy our first response is to give. Collect something or do something. Many times what people need is comfort and reassurance. All the money in the world would not help them right now. They need encouragement and friends to help them put their lives back together. This is where the body of Christ comes in.
The church in India is in many ways like the New Testament church. We often share home cooked meals, farmers bring in bags of grain from the first of their crops as tithe. People don’t have much, but what they have they share. They are so poor, yet so generous. It is a beautiful thing. A thing we don’t want to see changed.
If as the American church we wanted to respond to this tragedy it would take a minimum of 4 weeks for us to gather funds, wire , disburse and account for them. They cannot wait that long. This is why Crosspoint of India is on the ground in India. We are living with our people and are available if they should need us. We model, through our personal lives, generosity and assisting others. We also are not quick to hand out money at all times, because it is not always the answer to every situation.
As the American church we have a wonderful opportunity to give and help but we need to wait and give the Indian church an opportunity to take care of their own. They will. Vilesh and Anu will not go out and replace everything. They would not do it even if they were given a lot of money. They will slowly put their lives back together, with the help of their community and church. As the church body we can pray from any corner of the world. Let us do that.
We do want to appeal for prayer on their behalf. Some of you may remember she was badly electrocuted just a month ago. She showed me those scars on Sunday. Today she called and told me she went to the Dr. yesterday and has malaria. They are in a difficult season and God is teaching them trust and to holding on. Your prayers will help take them through. This is the greatest thing we can do.
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:17)
Your regular support of Crosspoint of India all year long allows to be available to respond to situations like this when they come up. We appreciate our monthly partners who allow us to care for so many. We are changing lives together. Thank you.