India (MNN) — The tsunami is allowing Christians to do something in India they haven’t been able to do before. Gospel for Asia is now working in an area that was known to persecute believers. It’s happening through home reconstruction, medical care and other activities.
GFA’s Head Overseer, Brother Ebenezer says they’re hoping to build 1,000 homes throughout the tsunami zone. This project grew out of their initial response. “These were the people our missionaries were initially talking to, picking up the bodies of loved ones, giving them food, and taking them to the nearby hospitals. So, I would think they are emotionally involved with these people and they love them in the Lord and they want to see them blessed.”
He says each modest home costs nearly $5,000 to build and they can do it in about six weeks.
In another area not far from this village, GFA is holding free medical clinics. These clinics are being held in a seaside church that was flooded by the tsunami, but managed to escape destruction. Ebenezer says since many of the people have lost their livelihoods and can’t pay for medical care, this type of assistance is needed. He says there are two reasons for it. “They need physical help as well as spiritual help. As for spiritual help, we distribute tracts. When people come to us with their problems, we do give them counseling from the Bible, which helps them to know that Jesus cares for them.”
Ebenezer says God has used this to do something even more miraculous. “The attitude of the people toward the church has very much changed during the past six or seven months after the tsunami.”
Christians are praying that they’ll be able to do even more work in the region because of that change.
