Greetings to you all. Doris and I are doing fine and the Veda work is going on well. There have been some minor construction works at Mallepalli Matilda school and we are completing them in a week or two. We added three class rooms to accommodate section A, section A for LKG and Class1 and one room for class four. Now we have sufficient room for classes and a room for computers.

We are building a toilet room for Bindu Home children and another for the Grace children's clinic which has an entrance from the main road.

The gate for Devarkonda school was fixed but it gave a crack on both sides and the gate fell down. So we removed the wall and the gate and put new foundation and fixed the whole thing. Now it is safer for children even if they climb on the gate. The toilets are done, separately for lady teachers, and the students. The front yard ground has been leveled. We planted 6 red flame tree saplings. The school now has a new look.

Ten days ago we opened a sewing center in a tribal hamlet. Six girls joined. This is to take life skills to the more interior areas. We will open one more in another village. The idea is to open such centers where there is a Veda pastor and help his ministry with some socio economic development. Maybe Paul Tillich a German theologian is correct when he said to preach the gospel with Bible in one hand and the news paper in another. This could be a kind of social gospel in face of naked poverty. We are surrounded by poverty, ignorance and apathy. It is a day to day challenge for us.

But there are problems in going out into the villages. The Naxal problems are increasing. Recently they have targeted and killed seven local leaders indiscriminately in the Mallepalli and Devarkonda area. The police interrogated Clemens, a Bruderhof young man for 3 hours who came to help at Matilda, Mallepalli. No apparent reason except that they wanted to know why he is moving  in this part of the region. They opened his suite case threw open his belongings and asked many questions.  We had no choice but to let him go back to USA. Mallepalli and Deavrkonda are no more safe for anybody. We stay there because we are committed to the people and the institutions we established. So far no personal harm done to us or any of the staff.

Nathan has been coming to Mallepalli regularly on Fridays and goes back on Saturdays. He enjoys teaching computers to classes7-9. The other day several projects were displayed by 9th class which were quite good. People cant believe we teach computers in these remote parts of the state. They appreciate the efforts. Nathan will be completing his undergrad studies with computers at the end of April. He committed himself to one year teaching at Matilda.

We request prayers for our ministry, and for personal safety. Thank you all for being part of our work.