Today, we went to see Suramangalam. We will 
help start three small businesses here and do a health camp. It was really sobering to walk the streets with Anand and pastor DhanaPaul and hear the story of this village. It’s people are such a low caste that others don’t even want to enter this village. There is such poverty here that they sell their children for a period of five years to a master that abuses them. Approximately 70% of the men are alcoholics or drug addicts. The suicide rate is very high.
help start three small businesses here and do a health camp. It was really sobering to walk the streets with Anand and pastor DhanaPaul and hear the story of this village. It’s people are such a low caste that others don’t even want to enter this village. There is such poverty here that they sell their children for a period of five years to a master that abuses them. Approximately 70% of the men are alcoholics or drug addicts. The suicide rate is very high.And then we met DhanaPaul and Suresh. They had smiles on their faces, hope in their eyes, and joy to have us meet their friends and family. DhanaPaul’s father was a Hindu priest. There was a plague in their village and DhanaPaul was dying. His father prayed to their Hindu god and nothing happened and then he prayed to God and said, “If you are really the true God, heal my son and I will serve you.” And his son was healed and their whole family is serving God. A Hindu priest is at the top of the social circle, he lost everything to serve God. As we met various members of their church, they would greet us with “praise the Lord” and we would smile at each other and know we were connected in Jesus even though that was all we could understand to say to each other. 
DhanaPaul is now the pastor of a church and Suresh is his assistant. DhanaPaul is the man standing next to the vegetable stand.
One of the Christian families greeted us when we walked into their home and honored us by giving us this red scarf. It is a custom of honor. It is so humbling to see how they give from the little they have.
Suresh (seated in the center) is going to be starting a tea shop. His father was an alcoholic, so from a young age he supported his other 10 brothers and sisters and mother. He wants to get the business up and running then hire a couple people to work there so he can work as a pastor in this village full time.
DhanaPaul is now the pastor of a church and Suresh is his assistant. DhanaPaul is the man standing next to the vegetable stand.
One of the Christian families greeted us when we walked into their home and honored us by giving us this red scarf. It is a custom of honor. It is so humbling to see how they give from the little they have.Suresh (seated in the center) is going to be starting a tea shop. His father was an alcoholic, so from a young age he supported his other 10 brothers and sisters and mother. He wants to get the business up and running then hire a couple people to work there so he can work as a pastor in this village full time.
This picture shows three women making rope from coconut husks. If they work very hard all 
day, they will make $2 a day. The lady turning the machine is Lydia. Her husband committed suicide and she has a 6 yr old son and 15 yr old daughter. To be a widow is to be alone with no one to take care of you. Right now she is working for someone else making rope. We are going to help her and her mother-in-law start their own rope business.
When it was time to go, we hopped into an auto rikshaw (a small, yellow, three-wheeled cab with open sides). As soon as we sat down a thunderstorm popped up. It had been a warm afternoon and we were happy to be getting splashed as we were driven home.
Anand then joined Prema in the bus that will drive 6 hours to pick up the rest of our team in Bangalore and then turn around and drive back. We will see the team tomorrow around noon. Pray for Anand and Prema as they work so hard to take care of all of us and plan for the next thing.
We were left to fend for ourselves for dinner so Jim went downstairs and pointed to something on the menu (they speak very little English here) and it was delicious.
That is our story for today. God is a faithful God. One of the older widows that we met told us, “I am alive only because God has taken care of me. My sons have abandoned me, but God is taking care of me. I have no illness.” She will be helping Lydia in the rope business.
Blessings, Barbara
day, they will make $2 a day. The lady turning the machine is Lydia. Her husband committed suicide and she has a 6 yr old son and 15 yr old daughter. To be a widow is to be alone with no one to take care of you. Right now she is working for someone else making rope. We are going to help her and her mother-in-law start their own rope business.When it was time to go, we hopped into an auto rikshaw (a small, yellow, three-wheeled cab with open sides). As soon as we sat down a thunderstorm popped up. It had been a warm afternoon and we were happy to be getting splashed as we were driven home.
Anand then joined Prema in the bus that will drive 6 hours to pick up the rest of our team in Bangalore and then turn around and drive back. We will see the team tomorrow around noon. Pray for Anand and Prema as they work so hard to take care of all of us and plan for the next thing.
We were left to fend for ourselves for dinner so Jim went downstairs and pointed to something on the menu (they speak very little English here) and it was delicious.
That is our story for today. God is a faithful God. One of the older widows that we met told us, “I am alive only because God has taken care of me. My sons have abandoned me, but God is taking care of me. I have no illness.” She will be helping Lydia in the rope business.
Blessings, Barbara
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