Dear Friends,
Gnanammal, an elderly woman at Tutucorin, who has been staying with her daughter and supported by us for several years had recently been taken by her son in Chennai. She is in her late 80s. Please pray for her health and well being.
Agape Life Line
Plot 3- 241, Gnanammal Road, David Nagar
Loving greetings. We praise God for His blessings upon us in this New Year. Your prayer and partnership helped us grow and move on. It gives us immense joy that you have been standing with us in the ministry in several ways. As we at Agape are thankful for your involvement with us, we would like to update you about the work here. Please continue to pray for us and the people around us whom we are serving in very small ways. We hope, the following lines will add fuel for your prayer.
With much gratitude, Yours in the Lord
Beena & Sam Gilbert
Agape Home
Children at the home, with much joy celebrated the advent of the New Year. On the New Year Sunday, we all went to Church and also had a lot of games and fun time. Not every day was pleasant too. Several of them shared sick rooms. We had to rearrange the sickroom and extent it to a few more rooms as twelve of them- two sons and ten daughters- got chicken pox.
January also brought their half yearly academic reports; two of them did very good while seven of their mark sheets showed average and others on the border line. At School they participated at different cultural programmes, singing and speech competitions.
Ruth, who is in class XII, won the overall School championship at the sports with seven certificates, seven medals and the Cup.
Building Matters
Sixteen of the girls and Beena shifted to the new building. We are in the process of setting up a firewood kitchen at the backyard of the new building along with a few more work which need to be completed.
The recent requirement from the government- Child Welfare Board- oblige us to produce all the children before the Child Welfare Committee to procure the authorization for each of the child to be retained at the home till the age of eighteen.
Leprosy Affected
We continue to visit the leprosy hospital in the next town, meeting the inmates, spending time with them, listening to them and sharing some provisions and needs. The total number of inmates at the hospital varies from 60 to 92 while five of them are in the Chronic ward. One of the very old patient- Srivasan, passed away; we could attend the funeral and express our love and concern through a garland. They keep in touch with us through one of their mobile phone. Another patient at the Chronic ward, Ranganadhan, had a fall and gained fracture on his leg. He is admitted at the nearby general hospital. Pray for his speedy recovery. He is in his late 80s.
Irular
We have been visiting the Irular tribesmen at Sarpancheri village. There are 14 families who live here in very poor conditions. The recent rains had worsened their situation as they cook outside the huts. One of our volunteer goes there every week, provide them some nutrient food and give them counsel for coping with issues. Three of the children in the village occasionally go to the Panchayath School mostly for the midday meal provided at the school. Our proposed day-care centre and the transit school can benefit at least 15 children to prepare them for formal schooling. We need to extend the store room we have built here, with a hall and a room and need to get a couple to begin the centre. Please pray that we will be able to make progress in this regard.
Watch a brief video clipping on the Irular village (2 min 38 sec) at
http://bit.ly/zKCHSE (click the link)
http://bit.ly/zKCHSE (click the link)
Street Dwellers
There were about 100 families living near the Vandalloor gate. Construction of the flyover nearby had shifted many of them from there, leaving only 20 families. Most of them are affected by different kinds of serious sicknesses like T.B., and HIV/AIDS. Some of them whom we were helping with a regular support had passed away. As the doctor couple who had been helping us in the regular medical clinic here, are away on new assignment, we need a doctor to help us with the weekly visit. Kindly pray for this. One of our volunteer, John Wesley continues to visit the community every week, giving them counsel.
Helping Hands
Gnanammal, an elderly woman at Tutucorin, who has been staying with her daughter and supported by us for several years had recently been taken by her son in Chennai. She is in her late 80s. Please pray for her health and well being. The Tip Top Dry-cleaners in the city gave us another lot of unclaimed clothes. We were able to distribute these to several neediest in a village in Villupuram, among the Irula tribe, the street dwellers and the leprosy hospital. This must have been of some help to them during this unusually cold weather in the region.
Tuition Centre
Forty eight children are helped with a free tuition centre, run at Manivakkam. Please pray that they will do well in their school exams this year.
PRAISE & PRAYER
Praise God for
- His provisions for us during the month
- The progress made in the construction of the new building
- The success He gave to the children at school and the healing from sicknesses
- The ministry and services we could do to some of the communities we are helping
Pray for
- The completion of the firewood kitchen and other remaining works at the new building.
- The authorisation we need to get from the Child Welfare Department shortly.
- The forthcoming exams of children, especially those who are writing X and XII board examinations
- Finding a couple to begin the day-care centre at Sarpancheri Irular village.
- The building of a hall and a room for the day-care centre.
- Finding a medical doctor to help in the regular visit to the Street Dwellers.
- The healing of the sick among the Street Dwellers in Vandalloor.
- The speedy recovery of Ranganadhan (from the leprosy hospital), who had fractured his leg.
Agape Life Line
Plot 3- 241, Gnanammal Road, David Nagar
Padappai, Chennai 601 301 India
Phone +91- 44- 27174610, 27174107
Mob: +91-9444331019, 9677731019
Email: agape@agapelifeline.in www.agapelifeline.in
