Dear Rev Ilie Tomuta,
Greetings from New Delhi in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
It is a time to be thankful to the Almighty that He has given us another year to witness His power and grace. The New Year brings with promises and hope and our editorial this month focuses on a unique interpretation of hope that comprises the obligations of every Christian towards God and his fellow beings. Though this year has begun on an ominous note with a terrorist attack in Punjab, we continue to envision the prospect of experiencing true happiness in the presence of our ever-loving and compassionate God.
An inspiring message is set in the biography of Pandita Ramabhai, a courageous leader who was born in the Hindu faith but served Christian values. Her courageous life, though interspersed with much sorrow and tragedy exemplifies a life of courage and love. The story of one of our students at MJC , Anita Lama is a modern day reflection of extending the same values to saving young girls from a life of penury, exploitation and violence.
We are eternally grateful to our community of supporters who generously donated gift packets to the children at MJC. The ceremony of distributing the gifts was followed by a Christmas program conducted by the students of the Centre. They are acutely aware that the message of love that Christ brought to us is what prompts their benefactors to help them lead a safe and secure life. Their prayers of thanks will always be a blessing to you.
Yours in His service,
Dr. Mary Job
JANUARY 2016
The joyous and magical spirit of Christmas was evident in the smile of every child of MJC, on 22nd December 2015 when a special program to celebrate the birth of Christ was held. The day long festivity was marked by distribution of Christmas gifts, generously contributed by our supporters all over the world. Carols and a play by the children in the evening with an inspiring Christmas message set the stage for a Christmas filled with love and hope.
HOPE 2016
by Dr. Mary Job
2016 has arrived. How did you ring it in? Some brought it in with joy; some with indulgence and some with apprehension. I brought it in with hope – the hope for harmony, the hope for increasing faith, the hope for greater strength and the hope for more opportunities to serve Him. Thinking about the word hope and what it means in different contexts and to different people, the Lord showed me a new interpretation for each syllable of the word.
H – Halleluiah! Give Praise! The Bible has a very strong reassurance for the committed Christian, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). What greater security can we receive than the one given by the Almighty – that there is no one who can touch us when God supports and loves us. We should praise the Lord for His infinite love in forgiving our sins and standing by our side as we fight the battles of this world. It is like having invisible armouraround us that will defend us from every peril. We need to be immensely thankful that He chose us as His flock to protect and uphold us against the sin of humanity.
O – Obedience. Why does a child obey his parents? Is it out of fear or love? More often than not, it is a mixture of both. Yet, if we look deeply enough, the child obeys because it does not want to offend or cast away the dear one who is looking after and nurturing it. Likewise, as children of God and as the recipients of His love, our first duty or obligation is to know and follow what He instructs us to do. Luke 11:28 explicitly reads, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” The world tempts us in many ways to get off the righteous path and walk on the worldly, evil, materialistic and spiritually unhealthy road. At many times, we succumb to the temptation too. It is important that we know the difference between the right and wrong and choose to stay with the right.
P – Prayer. God speaks to us through His written word, the Bible. We speak to him through prayer. Prayer is thus our communication channel, a medium that unites man with God. Daily prayer is so important that it is mentioned over 250 times in the Scripture. Life’s circumstances are always changing and we need constant guidance on how to deal with them. Prayer is the only way that we can discuss our problems with Him, and receive our answers from Him. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16 there is a short phrase that says, “Pray without ceasing“. The fellowship that we develop with God can answer all our problems and be a way to give praise and obey the Lord.
E – Evangelize. Mark 16:15 is our pointer, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” This is our way of sharing the love of Christ with those who do not know of it. Just as Jesus was primarily a teacher, so we should don the role of teachers, educating others about matters of the spirit. Being a witness is a privilege. It is an opportunity to recount the miracles God has worked out for you. It is a way of giving others a precious gift – a gift that will save them. It will be an act that will reserve you Eternal Life and the fulfilment of a promise that you have made with God.
My dearest fellow brothers and sisters: let us bring HOPE into this New Year and re-affirm our relationship with God. His fountain of love will surely shower us with the grace we need to live fulfilling lives that will be inspiring for others around us.
Your sacrificial contribution can be sent to us at:
Tortured For Christ, V-31, Green Park Main, New Delhi-110016, India.
Pandita Ramabai (1858-1922)
by Mrs. Emily Jacob
A life committed to Christ has nothing to fear, nothing to lose, nothing to regret – Pandita Ramabai
During the last two months we were looking into the life of Amy Carmichael who came from Northern Ireland in UK to our land. Amy lived here for fifty five years and helped hundreds of young girls to have security, freedom and love. She not only helped several, but played an important role to bring an end to the Devadasi system or temple prostitution that was prevalent in India during that time. Amy never returned to her homeland, preferring to be part of the soil of India.
In the beginning of the New Year let us look into the life of Ramabai an Indian social reformer and a pioneer in education who made a lasting impact in the lives of many young girls and widows. Ramabai was born on April 23rd 1858 in a village in Mangalore which is now in Karnataka, to Anand Shastri and Laxmi Bai. She was the youngest of five children, three of whom had died quite young. Anand Shastri, an intellectual Brahmin firmly believed in female education against the prevailing traditions not to educate them. He started teaching his young wife first and then his daughter Ramabai to read and write Sanskrit as well as to interpret Vedic slokas. Some were very unhappy at these ‘against the times’ initiatives; he had to move out and live in a hut in the forest, travelling from place to place. Such was the resistance to the efforts to enable and empower women!
Shastri used to recite Scripture in temples and for people in their homes, which in turn provided the means for the daily sustenance of his family. This religious atmosphere in the family no doubt influence Ramabai’s life and inspired her to search for spiritual enlightenment. Neither her parents nor anyone ever thought that this child would one day liberate women through education. By the time Ramabai was 12 years old, she had memorized 18,000 verses from the Puranas. During the famine of 1877 her father reminded Ramabai, “always go on in the path of God; always make it your aim to serve God. I have given you into God’s keeping”. Soon after, he died and the family travelled on; in few months time their mother also passed away. Life was never easy.
Ramabai and her brother continued their father’s work and travelled all over India. Her fame as a lecturer reached the scholars of Calcutta and they invited her to speak. When she reached Calcutta, scholars were amazed at her fluency and memory of Sanskrit language, its grammar and the scriptures during a time when many women could not even read. Calcutta University conferred on her the highest title of Saraswati (considered the goddess of learning in Hindu pantheon) and was honored as Panditameaning, the learned or scholar, recognizing her outstanding command and insights of the various Sanskrit works. She was the first woman to be awarded this title.
In 1880 when her brother died she had a civil marriage with one of his friends, a Bengali lawyer from a lower caste who was a great support to Ramabai in her vision to better the status of women in India. She read whatever she could as she continued her search, including a copy of Luke’s gospel in Bengali, which she found among her husband’s books. She read the whole book and felt a peace in her and she wanted to know more. She spoke against child marriage and the problems of child widows. Both husband and wife together wanted to start a school for child widows. But her husband passed away with cholera after eighteen months of married life; Ramabai became a young widow and their daughter, Manorama (Joy of the Heart) a fatherless child. To be left as a widow did not stop her from the search for spiritual truth; she moved out of Calcutta with her daughter. Here too her strength of character and convictions stood in good stead to overcome all hurdles including social structures that kept widows marginalized. She turned her sorrows into her strength to face up to the harsh realities of life.
She got a scholarship to study in UK and while she was in England her search for spiritual reality led her to accept Jesus and she became a Christian. She went to the US from UK and started educating the West about the conditions of women in India. American women offered to help her plan to start the home for widows and they formed Ramabai Association. Ramabai returned in excitement after spending six years in UK and USA to start the home of her vision. She started Sharada Home (Home of Learning) in 1889 in Mumbai and thus what later became Mukti Mission was launched as an asylum for the abused young widows and orphans. It was generally perceived that these widows were the cause of their husbands’ deaths.
Mukti means Salvation, Freedom or Liberation and Ramabai rescued hundreds of such girls and provided a home for them. Mukti’s purpose statement is as follows: “Christ-centered homes where destitute women and children-irrespective of their background-are accepted, cared for, transformed, and empowered to be salt and light in the society.” It was a tough call, there were opposition to her pioneering initiatives to empower widows. The establishments did not approve of such inroads against strongly held taboos regarding widows-they were destined not to be in the mainstream- only isolated corners of society. They hardly had any rights or dignity. They were decidedly a bad ‘omen’- never to be part of any auspicious occasion! To add insult to injury some widows were very young-shunned for life.
In 1891, she moved to Pune. Here she started with 26 widows and 13 non-widowed young women and children. As mentioned, these were days of child widows. As the work flourished she bought land in Kedgaon 35kms from Pune and shifted Sharada Home in 1895. Mukti represented essentially secure, Christian homes for destitute women and children where they found love, care and acceptance regardless of their backgrounds. For some, it was the first ever home they had in their lives. She rescued hundreds of children and women from famine affected areas in Eastern India, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. She cared for these women like a mother. In and through it all, Ramabai was also translating the Word of God into Marathi, which was her mother tongue from the original Hebrew and Greek. Just imagine the contrast from these days of Bible translation with all tools and amenities that make it all so different! In 1913, she completed the New Testament and printed it in her own press with the help of the residents whom she had trained. The Old Testament was finished few days before her death. She published in Hindi and Sanskrit and also in Marathi and English. Her last posthumous work was the translation of the whole Bible into Marathi half a century after her death.
She was a pioneer in many ways. She was the first to introduce kindergarten training and the use of illustrated books and pictures for Primary schools. Braille system was introduced for the blind and a blind school was started in Mukti. She integrated Christian ideas with Indian culture. For twenty years Ramabai took care and worked for her big family and her home call came on April 5th 1922. The Times of India described her as ‘one of the makers of modern India’; her legacy undoubtedly lives on; she believed in the immense possibilities among the disadvantaged. If only our country can be inspired by her convictions and example. A hundred and twenty five years have passed by since Ramabai started the humble beginnings of Mukti Mission. In 1989 a postal stamp was released by the Government of India to mark its hundred years. Today hundreds of women find new life at Mukti Mission.
Let us thank God for the life of Ramabai who found meaning to her difficult childhood through her Maker’s plan and lived to be a channel of blessing to thousands. New Year of 2016 is here. May our lives too become all the more purposeful as we all start the year with our Master; let us seek to make the best of each day and glorify His name in our day to day lives. Stay blessed to be a blessing.
Sources: Articles: Women’s History Network Blog, Testimonies of Indian Women Aug13, 2010. Links: https://youtu.be/PPSZKcr8d0U ,https://youtu.be/e9xdqVkjuPM , https://youtu.be/NX5kFa-31YY
Your donations for Love In Action Society can be sent as a crossed Cheque/Draft and MO/EMO
in favour of: ‘LOVE IN ACTION SOCIETY’
addressed to: V-31, Green Park Main, New Delhi – 110 016
JOHN JOB: A RICH LIFE IN CHRIST
17th January 2016 will be the 9th death anniversary of the elder son of Dr. Mary Job and Late Dr. P.P. Job. We observe this solemn occasion by remembering John as a devoted son, a committed father, a loyal friend and a courageous evangelist. Though his life was cut short by a fatal motorbike accident, John is remembered by those he influenced spiritually through his evangelist work in the Middle East. We pray that his work will be remembered and his sacrifices acknowledged so that he is at Eternal Peace with the knowledge that he fought the good fight and came out victorious.
P. P. JOB: BORN TO SERVE
On 19th January 1945, in a small village of Kerala, a child was born, who was to become one of the leading evangelists of the world. Fighting high odds as a child, such as poverty and illiteracy, he was clearly defined in his goal of being an ambassador for the world. God rewarded him greatly by giving him numerous opportunities to testify and spread the Word among the uninitiated. He appointed him to be a light to the persecuted and Dr. Job, with his unfailing courage and tireless effort broke several bastions where Christians lay subdued and powerless. We remember this visionary and our guide on his birth anniversary and thank God for giving us the privilege of being nurtured by him.
ATTENTION: Those who wish Tax Exemption for their donations for our daughters at Coimbatore can send it as a crossed Cheque/Draft and MO/EMO in favour of: ‘MICHAEL JOB ORPHANAGE’ addressed to: Near Sulur Boat Lake, Ravathur P.O., Coimbatore-641103, Tamil Nadu, India.
You can also transfer the money from bank to bank, as per the following details : Account Name: MICHAEL JOB ORPHANAGE, Account Number: 0294053000015670, Bank: The South Indian Bank Limited, Branch: Pallapalayam, Coimbatore-641016, Bank Address: 155 Trichy Road, Pallapalayam, Gandhi Nagar, Ondipudur PO, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu – 641016, IFSC Code: SIBL0000294. When you transfer the money from bank to bank, please write to us all details at jjob@pobox.com
MJC: A PLACE WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE
I am Anita Lama from West Bengal. I came to MJC in 2005, and in the last decade, this has become my home, with my family of sisters and mentors. I had a very troubled childhood. My mother died when I was very small. After this tragedy, my father looked after us, but he became very depressed. This had a very adverse effect on me and my siblings. I am the middle child, with one elder and one younger sister. The ‘burden’ of having three daughters added to the worry of my father. He was a poor farmer, and conditions became worse when he had to look after us as well as his farmland.
When my father was in one of his depressed moods, we would sometimes go without food. My elder sister tried her best to take care of us, and we helped by gathering food from nearby forests and doing small chores for people who would give us food in return. I remember feeling scared and unprotected. I felt that our family was cursed because of the sorrow and problems we had to face.
Then, the pastor of our small Christian group suggested a place where all three of us could live, study and be safe. My elder sister refused, saying that she would stay back with my father, but my sister and me were sent with the pastor. I was very apprehensive as I saw the massive gates and the tall white buildings of MJC. But, my fear vanished with one big embrace and warm smile of a person, who I was told, was the head of MJC. He was Dr. P.P. Job. Immediately, I felt secure. Later, as I made friends and fell into the routine of MJC, I thanked the Lord each day for making my dream of a loving family come true and also having given me the opportunity to study.
Today, whenever a new student comes to MJC, I give them a hug to make them feel welcome because I know its power. I have learnt a lot from Dr. Job, the most important lesson being to do unto others what you would want done unto you.
A NOVEL WAY TO CELEBRATE
BIRTHDAY! WEDDING! WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!
BIRTH OF A CHILD!
with 354 girls from underprivileged and challenging backgrounds
Breakfast US$ 200 Lunch US$ 400 Dinner US$ 300
This will provide one meal to 354 daughters plus 142 staff members. Send in your photograph (hard or soft copy) and cheque one 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 favour 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