The One on the Throne will pitch his tent there for them: no more hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat.The Lamb on the Throne will shepherd them, will lead them to spring waters of Life.And God will wipe every last tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:17

Dave had the privilege of returning to India for two weeks at the beginning of December.Tsunami relief projects in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh continue and it was important for someone to go to encourage our Baptist partners who were persisting in this effort and to consult on how to proceed with the next big steps.As Dave planned for his trip there was car, plane, train, taxi, and rickshaw transport to arrange.And what to wear?Going from the zero-degree weather in Chicago to the balmy, wet weather of Chennai (waist high water in some places due to recent monsoon rains), up to Kodaikanal for a couple chilly nights and wet days in the mountains, and then to Andhra Pradesh for the hot, humid coastal weather.(Did I mention it was wet everywhere?)The umbrella and rain jacket were the most important items in his duffle bag.

Water is essential for life.Sometimes it's right where we need it and sometimes it can make life miserable.(Do you know what I mean?)The wall of water which inundated Asian coastlines on December 26, 2004 cut life short for hundreds of thousands and changed life for millions.Heavy monsoon rains can make Indian cities miserable for living and getting around.Yet, that same water is considered one of the greatest blessings of life.It was out of these waters of the Indian Ocean that fisherman provided for their families.It is the monsoon that fills reservoirs and rivers to sustain life through the dry months.Rain on a wedding in India is not occasion for dismay but evidence of special blessings upon the couple and guests.

It has been a privilege to work with our Baptist partners in India to help tsunami victims in coastal fishing and tribal villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh.Working with the Telegu Baptist Fellowship and Abundant Life Ministerial Associates (ALMA), American Baptists have been able to be a part of supplying food, water, fishing supplies and hope for a better future.The first phase of relief efforts was to help victims through the initial shock and strain of the destruction.

Through the work of Dr. Prasad, of the Telegu Baptist Fellowship, and with funds from One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS), 1655 families were provided enough rice to sustain them one to two months; a total of 81,620 pounds of rice.ALMA, led by Mr. Rufus Kamalakar, used grants from OGHS to provide over 300 families with food provisions and replace lost fishing nets.This work has not been easy.Some villages, especially the Yanadi tribal villages, are only accessible by a long car ride, followed by riding in boats or on ox carts through the back waters near the sea.It makes for very long, tiring days.(More on the first phase can be found in our February 2005 journal entry).

A year after the Asian Tsunami, there is still much to be done. Dr. Wilson, of the Banjara Development Trust, another ABC partner organization, has been appointed as the International Ministries Relief Officer for India.He has been involved in surveys, planning and supervision as implementation of the next phase of work progresses; talking with the villagers and listening to their needs.Fortunately, the outpouring of love from the American Baptist Churches, through OGHS, has made it possible to continue to work to provide the villagers with basic needs and walk with them as they seek a better future.

The tremendous needs that persists, particularly the most vital need of fresh water supply, is overwhelming.The people in villages along the coast of the Bay of Bengal have been trying to pick up the pieces of their simple lives since December 26, 2004, yet daily water continues to be the main concern.Wells used previously were contaminated by the ocean waters and are unusable for 2-3 years or longer.So what other sources of water are there?India is promoting rain water harvesting.However, in these villages the people are not able to collect the monsoon rains because the thatch on their makeshift homes does not allow it.The government funded a program to dig new wells.However, corruption and the lack of accountability has left these villages with shiny pipes and faucets that come out of the sand, but from which no drop of water has ever flowed.Another source can be water trucks that deliver to communities without wells.Yet these villagers can't afford to buy this water because they lost their tools to earn a living in the tsunami.So women walk many miles and wait in lines to beg small jugs of water from those who have it.Water is a priority for the villages that are being assisted by our Baptist partners – where possible, proper wells have been put in, where that is impossible, weekly truck loads of water may be provided till well water is fresh again.

One of the common stories we heard was that since the tsunami, the fishing has been very poor and the income generated is inadequate to provide even simple food for a family.Fishermen have lost the boats and nets which allowed them to fish the deeper waters.The small boats without engines and the small nets they have gotten since the tsunami have only allowed them to bring in small catches of small fish.An additional strain on their income from fishing is that they are being exploited by businessmen in the towns.Only 1% of the population of these fishing villages is literate.The middlemen take advantage of their lack of education, giving them poor compensation for the catch and creating unfair debt and dependency.

The villagers have some ideas to help their situation.They have proposed that an entire village be given one larger boat with an engine, plus a large village-sized net, to enable the fishermen to go further out to sea for a more profitable catch that will be divided among the whole village.The women requested basic education so that they can take over the sales of the catch, avoiding the need of going through a middleman.They suggested the provision of a few goats which can be the start of creating an alternate source of nutrition and income.

Inadequate water and income have also caused increasing health concerns.Medical care and preventative health care education are needed.ALMA has started health clinics, with the inclusion of counseling and mental health care, taking teams to the isolated villages once a month.They have also opened a permanent clinic in the larger town of Nellore, for referrals and ongoing care.Retired ABC medical missionaries, Ed and Miggie Tegenfeldt, were able to join Dave on his visit to participate in the medical clinics and share their insights into future plans.

The spiritual aspect of life in these villages is also important.We learned that for some of the villages that have not had their basic needs addressed in the year since the tsunami, it is precisely because of their spiritual beliefs.When some families accepted Jesus and became Christians, some years ago, they were expelled from their villages and forced to create their own community outside the main village.These small Christian communities have been excluded from government relief programs.It is the plan to use American Baptist funds to bring assistance to these brothers and sisters – to be part of God's provision for these faithful believers.Many more people live in bondage of evil and of superstition, Dr. Wilson and Mr. Rufus shared.They visited one village when a woman possessed by the village goddess was accusing and threatening the people.The villagers could not understand the causality of illness from poor water, nutrition and sanitation, but rather only as a curse from the goddess.They were beating themselves and making pledges to treat her with special food and gifts.In that village, and others like it, ALMA's network of evangelists seek to share the freedom of life in Christ.And while they work to bring drinking water they tell about the hope of Living Water.

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!"Let those who are thirsty come; and let all who wish take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17

Thank you for the resources available to meet some of these tremendous needs because of your generosity in giving to Tsunami Relief in 2005.

• Please pray for our Baptist partners, for Dr. Wilson, Mr. Rufus and Dr. Prasad, as they persist in this relief work.
• Please pray for discernment for the projects that God is directing, for ways to ensure integrity and accountability, and for patience with the slow, cumbersome government regulations that have to be handled.
• Pray for a young Christian couple whose child was examined by Dr Tegenfeldt.The boy recently had heart surgery.The family was able to find money to pay for the surgery, but now have the burden of monthly medicine costs of 300-400 Rupees (about $7) and are seeking God's provision as it is well beyond their own means.