Chennai - Day 1

From Don and Mary,

Our first day at CMCT was such a great day! God went before us in such wonderful ways. We began the day at Chapel with the staff and the handicraft girls, plus many girls that were there to participate in the “welcome program.” A staff member who had worked with the founder, Colleen, for 33 years died last week, so a board member pastor gave a great message on Genesis 48 where Jacob is dying. It was so perfect for everyone.

Next on our agenda, to our great delight and surprise, was a wheelchair distribution. 50 wheelchairs were given away. In CMCT’s way, there was a program ahead of time including singing, a puppet show, and a gospel message based on Mephobosheth (Saul’s crippled son). Karen and I had a lot of opportunity to interact and get pictures of some of the people that were waiting for their wheelchairs. There was one mother and father with their 2 little girls who seemed very poor. I started playing with the girls and the older one, probably 2 years old, loved it when I tickled her. She was so sweet. I never understood why they were there because they didn’t need a chair. Anyway, it was so very moving to see the many receive their chairs. Many were crippled and others had cerebral palsy, were blind, or deformed in some way. I especially will remember this one mother carrying her son with cerebral palsy, who was easily five feet tall. I don’t know how she lifted him. What joy was seen in all of them as they received these wheelchairs. CMCT is now having a distribution of 50 chairs each month. All of the board members were fascinated and wanted to know all about them. This was so very special for Karen who was with Don Schoendorfer when they brought FWM’s first four chairs here. We (Don and I) had always wanted to be able to help distribute the chairs so this was such a gift to us. This ministry is such a vehicle (pardon the pun) for CMCT and so many others to reach out to their communities. Who could not be receptive to people who give such gifts to their families and friends?

Then we all visited Bethany School, the school for the slum children, which was completed about a year ago, and is now up and running with over 1,000 children. The primary grades haven’t moved in yet. Karen and I had a big agenda in our preparations for VBS and it couldn’t have gone better. Everything we had hoped to accomplish was – and more!

Don begins the 2 day board meeting today, so please pray for them. Karen and I are off to the slums this morning and the primary school for some more VBS filming.

Love to all and thank you for your prayers.

The Hendricks