Dear Rev Ilie Tomuta,
Greetings from New Delhi in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
TFC August is a special on the Michael Job Educational Institutions and its founder Dr. P.P. Job. The short report on the celebration of its 9th Graduation Day reaffirms our commitment to give equal opportunities of growth and excellence to girl children from underprivileged and privileged backgrounds. The achievements that students from our Orphanage have notched up are no average feat, and give us the encouragement to carry on creating a difference in the lives of such children. The biography of Kalyani Singh, a member of MJC, reaffirms the belief that God is using us in unknown ways to benefit lives crushed by religious violence and economic deprivation.
This month, we particularly remember our Founding President Dr. P.P. Job and our Spiritual Mother Sabina Wurmbrand on the respective days of their passing into Eternal Glory. Their lives are our inspiration to take this mission forward while taking guidance from the Almighty to nurture it. The editorial piece seeks to draw parallels between God`s way of doing things and man`s path of progress, and questions our perspective of right and wrong. The theological section brings to light the necessity of being connected with God`s teachings rather than being swept away in the superficiality of religious norms.
I am sure this issue will touch your heart in many ways and will give you the opportunity to feel enriched about your involvement with our mission.
Yours in His service,
Dr. Mary Job
AUGUST 2015
Gold Medalist recipient of Michael Job College of Arts and Science for Women being honoured by Dr. Lali Thomas – Principal of the College, Dr. (Mrs.) Mary Job – Chairperson of the Institutions and Mr. Mathew Samuel IAS – Sports Secretary, Goa, Chief Guest for the event. (L to R)
The chief dignitaries who attended the 9th Graduation Ceremony of the Michael and John Job Educational Institutions.
FOLLOWING GOD’S MEASURE
Dr. (Mrs.) Mary Job
Have you noticed that everything that God has created grows or reproduces slowly? It takes years for a seed to grow into a plant and then bear fruits and flowers. It takes nine months for a human embryo to grow into a baby. Patience, stillness and time are three essential things required for creation.
Are these the laws that we follow when we wish to build something? Do we have stillness in our hearts when we sit down to think of ideas? Can we afford to spend leisurely time over our creations? The age that we live in is called the jet age. Speed is everything. The faster a company produces its goods, the more items it will have to sell, and therefore, higher will be its profits. The quicker a person finishes one task he can move onto another, and thus, he becomes more efficient. But, does this speed indicate development, evolution and growth? Is anyone bothered about the quality of the finished products?
These days there are daily reports about scams being discovered, adulteration of food items and materials, examination papers being leaked, corruption at decision making levels and irresponsible behaviour causing deaths through accidents. I recently watched a video on the making of synthetic rice with plastic. This rice is then mixed with real rice and distributed to unsuspecting consumers. The truth about Maggi and Amul milk were equally alarming. What is the point of all this? Is man really progressing or is he becoming so selfish as to be uncaring about the consequences of his actions?
Psalm 37:7 reads, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” You, as Christians, are not to follow the ways of the world. Instead, you are to carve out your own path that is designed on the tenets that the Almighty has given you. You are not to be a party of the vices that are prevalent around you. Instead, you are to stick staunchly to the values that God has written out in the Holy Word. Remember that God’s measure of what is good, right and true is different from the world’s measure. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, we need to have the patience to understand God’s measure. In every way, he has shown us that things done and produced with love and patience will have lasting value.
GRADUATION DAY AND RALLY AT
MICHAEL AND JOHN JOB EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
The 9th Graduation Day of the Michael and John Job Educational Institutions was held on Saturday, July 04, 2015 in the John Job Auditorium with a galaxy of dignitaries gracing the dais. Mr. Mathew Samuel IAS, Secretary in charge of Sports, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development of the Government of Goa was the Chief Guest. He was accompanied by Ms. Deepika Mittal, IRS Mr. S.V. Paramasivam, Director, Rural Health Services, Coimbatore, Rotarian (Rtn) Sanjay Shah and Rtn Shafiq President and Secretary of Rotary Spectrum, Coimbatore, Rtn Krishnakumar Payel, Mr. Balamurugan reputed Industrialist, Ms. Sonali Geed from Indian Public School, Mr. Markus Zuercher, from Switzerland, Dr. Hans Braun from Germany and Rev. Jan Bor from the Netherlands and Mr. Babu P. Varu, Trustee of MJC in addition to the family members of the students.
The event began with the Tamil Thai Vazhlthu. Then Mr. T. Koshy, one of the trustees introduced and welcomed the august gathering. In her presidential Address, Dr. Mary Job, the Chairperson of the Institutions appealed to the students to help the people, especially the women in need and give back to the society after their studies. The Chief Guest encouraged the graduates to develop their communication skills and aspire to become great leaders. Mr. Balamurugan and Mr. Sanjay Shah felicitated the graduates.
The chief guest and the chairperson along with Dr. Lali Thomas, Principal of Michael Job College of Arts and Science for Women honoured the gold medalist – Ms. Backiyam S, university rank holders and its post graduate students. Ms. S. Krishnapriya who heads the Michael Job Matriculation Higher Secondary School honoured the school toppers by distributing cash prizes to them.
At this event degrees were distributed to the graduates of Michael Job College of Arts and Science for Women and Michael Job College of Education. Successful students of Michael Job Matriculation Higher Secondary School were also felicitated. Ms. Jeevitha, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Michael Job College of Arts and Science for Women performed the role of the Master of Ceremony for the occasion.
As part of the event, a ‘SAVE THE GIRL CHILD’ awareness rally was also organized on July 6, Monday, which was flagged off by Dr. Mary Job, the chairperson of the institutions and Ms. Elizabeth Koshy. This year, the staff and students of The Indian Public School, Coimbatore joined hands with us to support this initiative that covered issues such as female infanticide, education of girl children and prevention of crimes and abuse against them. Enthusiasm of the local community could be seen by their presence and served as a boost for the cause as the rally wove its wave through the roads of the Race Course area. The three day event was a celebration of the efforts of the students and dedication of the faculties of our school and two colleges.
STAYING ONLINE OR IN TOUCH
Mrs. Emily Jacob
To be online or in touch refers to an action in the present continuous tense suggesting an ongoing activity. We live in an age when most people we meet have some device they use to keep in touch and many are attached to these for a good part of their day and/or night.
The reality, however, is that even though many people are online, when we actually try to get in touch with them individually, some are available and others are not. Why is this? There may be several reasons but one of them obvious: they only seem to be online but can be away or busy.
What are the reasons for us needing to be online or in touch? And who should we be in contact with? Again, let us look at some of the obvious reasons:
- a) To pass on some information and to help build up relationships.
- b) On the other hand, wrong/false information passed on to adults or children can have undesirable results. It can break up not only the ones who are involved but those around as well.
Let me try and explain further.
Over the past couple of months, we have been considering the Resurrection Hope and the Resurrection Power. Our theme for reflection here is not the Technology, but our Theology– our understanding of God and our relationship with Him on a daily basis.
How can we keep in touch with our Creator? Let us look into our User Manual – the Word of God; the Holy Bible. Our Lord came to this earth and as promised by the prophets was crucified, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven. We affirm this week in and week out in our Sunday worship services.
During Jesus’ earthly ministry we read about a woman in Luke’s Gospel (Ch 8: v43) who longed to get well and dared to touch the hem of His robe. She had been sick, most likely with a menstrual disorder, for twelve long years. This had affected her not only physically, but also made her ceremonially unclean and excluded her from participation in any community worship. (Lev15:25-30) She had knocked on the doors of several doctors, and yet achieved little apart from a drain of her financial resources.
Remember that in those days women were not regarded with respect and Pharisees regularly thanked God that they were not born as women, dogs or Gentiles! What a thing to thank God for! Moreover, while it was awkward enough to ask for help relating to this problem of a very private nature, the prospect of discussing what in this case had clearly turned into a prolonged illness, was unthinkable.
And so we find this needy, unwell and unnamed woman coming to Jesus with neither an appointment nor any of the disciples introducing her to the Master. And yet, something in her forced her to make one last attempt with this healer or ‘godly man’ who was the talk of the town. She was in desperate need of healing and genuinely longed for it. She strictly wanted it to be ‘private’, and so instead of going in when Jesus was teaching in a home or in the temple, she reasoned that the most appropriate place was in fact was the public road where Jesus was surrounded by the crowds. Jesus himself was on his way in answer to an emergency call from Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, beckoned him to the latter’s home where his twelve-year-old daughter was dying.
It is at this juncture that the woman approaches Jesus, wanting only to touch the fringe of his robes-most likely the tassels that pious Jews had on their edges of their robes.
But did the whole attempt just pass by unnoticed? Not at all. We read in the scripture that there were two immediate outcomes:
- a) Jesus recognisedthe touch of faith by a needy person and the healing power went out from him
- b) thewoman was healed immediately, something which was only known to her
We see that the throng around her had no clue as to what happened. So, what are some of the possible lessons from this incident in the Gospel? To be online or in touch with our Maker is something to be experienced very personally. There can be no substitute for that. What next? Again, here is a two-way effect-
- a) Jesus revealing what had happened
- b) The woman realizing she could not stay hidden which in turn brought out a testimony from her.
The whole crowd heard her explain why she touched him and that she had been immediately healed. The most striking aspect of this is the response of Jesus. He calls this nameless woman, ‘Daughter’ and commended her faith saying those beautiful words, “Your faith has made you well.” (v 48).
How are we to apply this to our own context? Now that Jesus is not physically present with us, what do we do? Can we still keep in touch or stay online? What did Jesus tell his disciples about this? In John’s Gospel Chapter 8:31a, we read how Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples, if you remain faithful to my teachings.”
In John’s Gospel, Chapter 15, one of Jesus’ favorite words is often translated into English as “remain”, “stay” or “abide”. It describes a profound, intimate and enduring relationship. So it is possible and, in fact, an imperative in the twists and turns of our daily lives to have an intimate relationship that can keep us going every day- to keep in touch or be online.
We will delve further into this theme next month. God bless you.
Note: Verses and notes in this article are from the New Living Translation Study Bible (Tyndale).
REMEMBERING DR. P.P. JOB
Dr. P.P. Job
On August 19, 2012, a voice that had inspired millions of Christians worldwide fell silent. Dr. P.P. Job, Founder-President passed on from his earthly body to eternal rest following a massive heart attack while on a preaching tour in Hungary. This year, we shall commemorate his third death anniversary. It was our darkest day when we lost Dr. Job – a man devoted to God, a man with exemplary vision, a man whose heart beat for the persecuted ministry. The only solace was that he died while doing what he loved the most – inspiring people through his story of faith, struggle, sorrow and triumph.
From childhood to his last breath, Dr. Job was a preacher. Each sermon of his glorified God – even when he spoke during the funerals of both his sons, his voice resounded with unconditional faith. His sermons were simple and straightforward with real life experiences as the backdrop. This was his unique quality and it was with this that he was able to connect with people all over the world – even with those whose languages he did not know. He spoke from the heart and he spoke with a conviction that is rare.
Though he was a pioneer on many fronts and had many titles and awards to his name, Dr. Job will always be remembered as a simple person – a person who took little pride in his material possessions but was always proud of the fact that he had been chosen by God to be an advocator for His mission. We remember this great man with immense love and a prayer that He finds a special place in Heaven.
EVERY SITUATION IS AN OPPORTUNITY
I am Kalyani Singh from the state of Odisha. I am studying in class 10th. I became part of Michael Job Centre in 2008. I was 9 years old at the time and was studying in a school located in my village. That year, inter-religious violence erupted across the state after the killing of a Hindu religious priest. Christians are a minority in my village, but we had never felt threatened before. This time it was different. One day, my father was told by a teacher that Christian students would not be welcome in the school. He was worried because he did not have the means to send me to a school that was away from our village as this would cost more.
On one Sunday, our pastor announced that he had received a letter from an institution called the Michael Job Centre that would provide free education, food and shelter for girl children who were victims of religious persecution. That is how I came to Michael Job Centre along with 40 other girls from Odisha. When I came here, I was welcomed by the head of the institution Dr. P.P. Job. His warmth, love and assurance that we were all his daughters put my weary mind at rest. The feeling of security in the premises was something I had not experienced for a long time. In the last seven years, there has been a tremendous change in me. I was a quiet child, now I am a confident talker who makes friends easily. I discovered my natural skills like drawing and music due to the encouragement I received from my teachers and the facilities available here. I have become competent in many ways and want to share my story with many others so that they never feel hopeless about life.
SABINA WURMBRAND
15TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY
On 11th August, we commemorate the 15th death anniversary of our mentor and spiritual mother, Sabina Wurmbrand. An iron lady who stood for the Lord, along with her husband, Richard Wurmbrand, she was an example of strength and sacrifice. We salute her life of suffering.
A NOVEL WAY TO CELEBRATE
BIRTHDAY! WEDDING! WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!
BIRTH OF A CHILD!
With 376 daughters of Martyred and Persecuted Christians
Breakfast US$ 200 Lunch US$ 400 Dinner US$ 300
This will provide one meal to 376 daughters plus 142 staff members. Send in your photograph (hard or soft copy) and chequeone week before the occasion. The photograph will be shown on the large screen in the Dining Hall where all the daughters gather. The daughters will sing “Happy Birthday” or “Count your Blessings” with your name and pray for you. You can witness this through a DVD of the day’s celebrations which will be sent to you later.
Your donations for our daughters at Coimbatore can be sent by
crossed Cheque/Draft in favor of:
DR JOB’S MISSION INC.
1772 Willis Ave, Merrick, NY 11566, U.S.A
Founder: Dr. P.P. Job
Patron: Bishop Florin T. Cimpean
President: Mr. Thomas Koshy
Vice President: Rev. Ilie U. Tomuta
Secretary: Mr. Saji George
Treasurer: Mrs. Anitha George
Please visit our websites: www.mjc.ac.in
Head Quarters: Love In Action Society,
V-31 Green Park Main, New Delhi – 110 016, INDIA
E-mail: jjob@pobox.com
Tel: 011-91-11-26517265