Over the last three months our work in India has been very much business as usual, and as a consequence there isn’t much unusual to report. So instead of my usual update I have provided instead a profile showing the people with whom we work, and the work that we help them to do. I have also included a letter from Pastor Bovas in which he reports on a distribution of school uniforms and equipment to some of the poorest villagers in the area, and a note from Tom in which he outlines the work that your contributions allow him to do with the most needy people in the area.

Every month we send out about £2,000 to Mathew, Pastor Bovas, and Tom; Tom then passes on some of the money that he receives to Pastor Anthony, Vijayam, Pastor Sam, and Rani and Johnny. He also buys the medicines that Dr Kusama asks for, and also anti-rejection drugs for the kidney transplant patients that we support. Although this is a slightly clumsy arrangement, it does save a lot of money on bank charges. He uses the rest of the money at his own discretion to pay for small medical bills for the vast number of people who come to see him every day.

Inevitably the money we send cannot cover everything that arises, and so most months we send out some extra money to pay for various larger bills that Tom tells us about. Your contributions have enabled us to fund a wide variety of vital things over the last few months, including:

•          A new roof on the hostel for the destitute that Rani and Johnny run in Tnvan­drum. This was provided by a supporter who asked for contributions to HHI in­stead of birthday presents.
•          A medical camp. Local pharmacies contribute medicines, and a local Christian doctor gives up one of his free days to run a surgery in an area which has none. The doctor also gives a very impressive testimony.
•          A number of toilets at Kollenkavu, a Christian colony (settlement) which has fallen into disrepair and is under huge pressure.
•          Drugs to treat Chivaprisar’s multi-drug resistant TB.
•          An expensive course of cancer treatment.
•          Injections to cure Haleela’s hepatitis
•          An operation for Lali, injured in a motor accident and has needed a number of operations, which have used up all the family’s money.
•          A wheelchair
•          Scans
•          A hearing aid for Roshan, a deaf but bright boy from a poor family
•          A pacemaker for Nalini
•          Support for Santosh, another motor accident victim. Santosh was dumped outside the hospital, and stayed outside until we were able to provide him with a “bystander”.

We are intending to go out to India again in January, so there should be lots more to report in the next issue.