Part 1. Why a Trip to India?

    Why all the expense of a trip to India?  Back in about 1998, I received a fax from the Associate Secretary of the Southern Asia Division, Dorothy Watts (and wife of the President of the Division).  Though now in India, Dorothy remembered that we conducted an annual Mini-Camp Meeting for Deaf people during the summer camp meeting of the B.C. Conference of SDA at Hope, BC.  Dorothy told us about a graduate of Spicer College who was too deaf to pastor.  Could we find a way to help with $817 US for an operation on his ear and a hearing aid.  With a little work, the money was found from friends, etc. and eventually the operation was successful.  However, the question was put to Dorothy Watts, what about the other 19 million Deaf people in India- what will you do for them?  

  This question led to some research on Dorothy’s part, and she found there were a dozen SDA deaf near Thanjavur, etc., Dorothy also found that Asian Aid, an Australian SDA organization sponsoring students in SDA schools, had taken over a small deaf school from the Lutherans near Kollegal, Karnataka in South India.  Dorothy visited the school and we began corresponding about deaf work in India.

    We asked what it would cost for a full time regular SDA pastor for one year for India.  We were told about $2000 US or $3,200 Canadian.  So, a challenge was made to Dorothy.  If she could find 50% of the money, we would personally guarantee the raising of the other 50% for an initial starting period of three years.

    The challenge was met, and Sathiyamoorthy, (the man who had the operation) was hired, and began a work for Deaf in South India.  

First Baptism of 18 from Thanjavur & Cochin- Sathiyamoorthy in white shirt near center 

There was a baptism of 18 deaf people in 2000.  There were about 10 from the Thanjavur area, and about 8 from Fort Cochin on the West Coast on the Arabian Sea.  A volunteer worker on a small stipend (by the name of Baby) was found to head the work in Cochin.  His Union level superviser, Elder V.K. Baby, also became very interested in the work, and gradually took the work in Cochin under his wing, going there whenever he could.

    As other Canadians heard about the work progressing, they also gave.  When we had two years of subsidy in hand, we challenged Mrs. Watts to hire another full time worker and another three years 50% subsidy would be guaranteed for a second worker.  This worker was hired, and his name is Prabhakar Rao, with his headquarters in the Central Union at Hyderabad.

    Some time ago, we raised the funds to send Thompson Kay to India and the Southern Asia Division agreed to fund the air fare for David Trexler.  At the time Elder Kay was the head of Adventist Deaf Ministries and David Trexler was his associate.  The two spent about two weeks in India taking services, providing counsel and encouragement for Deaf Ministry.  Their visit was much appreciated in India!

    A request for financial help came from India for a church for deaf people was needed in Thanjavur, where there had been some work for deaf for many years, and now new work was progressing.  The group there were meeting in a home or hall, and they needed their own church.  At first, it seemed impossible to meet this need.

    However, a family from British Columbia had decided to build a church for hearing in India.  When they heard of the need for a church for Deaf, they decided to meet this need and in November, 2001, gave the funds required.  However, at first nothing happened.  In South India the whole SDA church territory borders and structure changed around, and the money promised for land from the SDA church in India did not materialize.  Finally, Dorothy Watts found about 100,000 rupees ($3,700 Can.), but asked if we could help with the other - about $2,400.   When the need was announced in our Bentley, AB SDA church (a hearing church we pastor), a visiting family heard about the challenge, and decided to fill it. 

    Gradually, a strong impression began to come to me, that if we were to continue to do Deaf work in India, I must know for myself what was really going on, who was involved, and get some idea of where things might go in the future.  How involved should we be from Canada?

    Finally, it was decided that I would go with Pastor Jeff Jordan (deaf) from Acworth, Georgia, USA.  We wanted both a deaf and a hearing person to be able to work together in India.  The Southern Asia Division agreed to pay half of Pastor Jeff’s fare.  His conference helped with one quarter, and funds were found for the other quarter.  At almost the last minute, my Conference agreed to fund my air fare from my regular travel budget - what a blessing!  The Southern Asia Division kindly agreed to host our trip within India with the necessary travel, food and accommodation, and some wonderful people to travel with us the whole time. 

    So, we now begin the story of the trip!

Go To Part 2