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I met Das and Doris in Taipei, Taiwan in 1998 when they came and spoke in our
Church (Taipei International Church). I was impressed with the deep love in their
hearts for their own people and the desire to give them a hope and a future.
My husband went on our church's first mission trip to India and VEDA ministries
in 1999. He fell in love with the children at the Bindu Home and he has not been
the same since. I have witnessed big and small miracles in our congregation and
in VEDA Ministries since we stepped out and took the risk to get involved. God
has bound our church together in partnership with VEDA to accomplish His purposes
in the lives of the outcast of India.
I have had the honor of participating in both the 1999 and 2000 TIC Mission
trips to India. I have personally witnessed the result of the money
donated to the work of Veda Ministries. The first year we went, we stood
and prayed on the bare foundation of what was to be the Medical Clinic.
The following year, due to the financial support of God's faithful givers, we
were able to be part of the hundreds of local people who dedicated the clinic
to the Glory of God.
I have also witnessed and been blessed by the prayer support for the
ministry and the mission teams who have gone. God is indeed working in
that region of Anhdra Pradesh, meeting both the physical and spiritual needs
of those who have never heard of Jesus and His love for them. Most of
the pictures you see on this website were taken with me behind the camera.
Occasionally, I just had to put the camera down and give the little children
of the Bindu Home a big hug and say a prayer for them.
I first
got to know Das and Doris when Das attended Canadian Mennonite Bible College
(CMBC) here in Winnipeg in the latter half of the 1970s. They came to
North America from Vietnam after the conclusion of the Vietnam war.
They had served there with Mennonite Central Committee. I was pastor
of the Charleswood Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, at the time, and this was the
church they joined. During their time here my wife, Jessie, and I had
a lot of contact with them.
Following Das's graduation from CMBC, they went to the Overseas Mission
Study Center OMSC), which was located in New Jersey at the time. Even
though they would have been granted landed immigrant status in Canada if
they had stayed, they decided that God was calling them to return to India.
We were impressed with their commitment and courage. They worked with
the Mennonite Brethren Church in India. Das served as pastor of an
English church in Hyderabad.
In 1990 Das and Doris came to Winnipeg to attend the12th Mennonite World
Conference Assembly. He led one of the Bible study sessions at this
conference. We had a number of visits during their time here. He
talked about feeling called to move out of the pastoral ministry into a
ministry of evangelism and community development in his home community.
We talked frankly about such matters as the need for a board of directors
and careful auditing of the financial statements if potential donors were to
have confidence in such a venture.
When I was the Asia Secretary for the General Conference's Commission on
Overseas Mission (1992-98) I
visited them in Hyderabad and Devarkonda for several days. During this
visit I had the opportunity to see a number of their projects, such as the
schools, Bindu Home, evening classes in villages, etc. I also met with
some of the pastors who attended the seminars which Das had arranged.
Realizing the importance of quality leadership training which is
suited to the needs of the Deverakonda region, Das and Doris are
constantly seeking ways to resource all of the Christian leaders,
regardless of denomination, class or educational standard. This is
an admirable aspect of the VEDA Ministries. My wife, Anna Ruth, and
I have been involved in several of the leadership training events provided
by VEDA. We were impressed by their love for the Lord and for their
eagerness to discover how they can be more effective in leading the flock
of God.
Das and Doris do not only teach the principles of Christian
leadership, they are examples of what they believe and what they teach.
I am convinced that one of the most important aspects of VEDA
Ministries is leadership training. Let us join with Das and Doris as
they encourage, instruct and resource Christian leaders.
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