Dear Colleagues:
I want to thank you all for praying and keeping me in your thoughts during my trip to India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. I arrived home last night August 6,/07, safe and sound (I think sound). This has been a very tiring trip both physically and emotionally. Since I had time on the long flight back home (Hong Kong to Toronto 14:30 hours) , I roughly calculated my activity times for the 17 days. Roughly, I was in the air for total flight time of 45 hours, waiting 28 hours at various airports, and 56 hours in vehicles traveling somewhere. I visited 19 projects, and attended 35 meetings (consultation and partnership). No, it was no vacation!
Like all other trips in many countries, the South Asia trip has been both encouraging and heartbreaking. I was very encouraged with the active participation of partner churches reaching out in a very practical way to people with exceptional needs, opening their doors, becoming social agents for the marginalized. Churches like The Methodist Church of India and The Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, are pushing forward the disability ministry in ways that has challenged me, using their meager resources, their sanctuary building for day centers, opening their facilities to rescue children from death, and their bold vision to make a difference for Christ.
I visited CH initiated and supported projects that are at various stages in India and Sri Lanka. CH supported 93 children in India, new partnership projects with Community Outreach Project (CORP) of Methodist Church of India, child sponsorship, and September training for 85 church and agency leaders from 25 organizations and denominations across Sri Lanka, Meeting with Lanka Theological College, consultation for camp program for 500 children in Sri Lanka, and meeting with government directors of rehabilitation/residential institutes in Thailand were some of the highlights.
I come back with a huge burden as I witnessed the dimension and the volume of people with exceptional needs. It is beyond comprehension. As I traveled through the slumps of Mumbai (Bombay) with the extreme stench and abject poverty, listen staff tell stories of beautiful girls rescued from death, watched the tiny, mangled bodies of 100s of children waiting to die on the cement floors or shared cribs in Thailand institutions (housing some 2400 children), I felt ill prepared and inadequate. But I was also encouraged by the signs of hope, the human spirit and resilience to survive from watching children caring for each other within these “death factory” institutions, the determination of Christian leaders to be salt and light, and the encouragement a name such as Christian Horizons brings to many who are waiting for miracles. CH has such a huge responsibility to make a difference. We can do much better. The "call is great".
Thank you for allowing me to be your representative. I know your prayers and support mean a lot. If you want me to answer any question, or talk to you about a specific project, please feel free to call or email me. Your prayers for exceptional people in South Asia, is much appreciated.
God bless you.
Michael Alemu
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