Monthly Archives: August 2013
Steering Through Chaos…
Greetings from India! Thank you so much for all your prayers for us on campus and our state! All of the children who live on campus are safe, as well as the faculty and staff. Our school has been open for only 6 days total since July 31st. We even opened the school on two Saturdays to make up for lost days this month. Today, August 28th, we are closed. We hope to be open tomorrow and the rest of the week. Each day we wait for news on the strike to see if the school buses can run and if the city is shut down for the day. The city’s public transportation is still shut down, so it is very hard for people to go to work, shop, etc. The teacher’s association has also joined in on the strike. Our teachers want to continue working with our kids on campus, but cannot due to the association. Our Junior College opened on August 19th for the first time since the state split. The very next day, a mob of people from outside the village came onto our school campus and demanded we close down the school immediately and send the kids out on the streets because it was a day of strike. This mob is led by a retired government employee and his group tells the schools and shops in the area when to shut down due to the strikes. We feared this mob could have done physical damage, so we complied and shut down the Junior College for the day. The seminary students are all doing well and continuing in classes on campus. Some of our evangelistic efforts by the students have been hindered though. Many of our students were going out to the public government school to teach moral science. Since these schools are now closed, we’ve lost that opportunity. The church plants in Hyderabad and others cities on both sides of the state are all safe. Please keep praying for all the children, students, pastors and the whole team at Christ for India. Also, continue to pray for our state and that the politicians will make wise decisions during this time. Blessings Jameson
Andhra Pradesh: A State Divided
Greetings from overseas! I want to update you on an urgent need for prayer regarding the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where our Christ For India campus is located. On Tuesday, July 30th, India’s Central Government approved the creation of a new state, essentially dividing our state in two. This division has been discussed for many decades, but didn’t become a reality until a few days ago. The following stages will consist of elections for new government positions and the development of a whole new infrastructure. As this new state is in the infancy stage, there is uncertainty among the people on both sides, causing many problems. Schools are shutting down, people are on hunger strikes, while others are calling for public strikes to shut down the infrastructure of the new state. Christ For India’s New Life School and Home has been closed for the past week. We are waiting for guidance from our local government as to when we can open up again. Our children who live on campus are with us and are safe. The children that we pick up from the local villages are not able to come to the campus and our buses are not running. As many of you know, our ministry headquarters is in the city of Visakhapatnam, located on the east coast of Andhra Predesh. So we are, as of now, part of the original state, while the west will become the new state. At the announcement of the Central Government’s news to approve the state split, they also announced that Hyderbad (the previous state capital) will become the state capital for both states for a period of 10 years. This announcement is only adding to the unrest and confusion of the people here. We really need your prayers. Pray for the government officials and our ministry team who are located on both sides of the state. Pray for safety on the campus and for the best possible outcome for the future of both states and the future of India! We know our God is a faithful God and He can do miracles in the midst of any adversity we face! I will keep you posted as this develops. Blessings, Jameson Titus, President
