Suffering

It has been quite a while since I’ve posted and some of you would think “Well, the trip is over.  No wonder.”  But I really can’t say that the trip is over.  I think that this trip will be with me until the day I die.  I can honestly say that there hasn’t been one day in the month since my return that I haven’t thought of India , it’s people, their suffering, and their beauty.  I would add that there are some days when I believe not an hour goes by without my mind drifting to India

Perhaps the toughest thing to wrap my head around has been the suffering that I witnessed.  On the suggestion of one of my team mates, Doc, I picked up a great book called The City Of Joy.  The book follows a monk whose order’s call is to live among the poor.  He takes up residence in the poorest slum in India’s poorest city, Calcutta.  It’s a great read and if you want some true insight into the mindset and culture of India, I highly recommend it.  I won’t spoil it for you too much, but the main character (or perhaps I should say the character’s creator) has the most amazing way of seeing the beauty of Christ through the poorest of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians that he encounters.  He sees Christ through their suffering and it’s a bit hard for me to explain so I won’t try.

What I will tell you is that today I received further word about Munna and his family.  Munna is the young man I wrote about who’s leg was so severely swollen that we worried he would lose it.  We arranged for him to be taken to a hospital and we were able to arrange payment for the first portion of his treatment.  Initially we had assumed (and hoped) that it was an infection from a broken bone.  We’ve recently received word that the swelling is actually a fast growing cancerous tumor.   Munna will start chemotherapy and treatment soon, but the chances are he will most likely lose his leg after all.  This is a terrible blow to a family living in a largely agrarian remote area where mobility is key to a productive life.

Charles Gulla (standing) and Munna at the Baptist Hospital in Tezpur.

Towards the tail end of the email with this news, the following was reported by Charles Golla, our partner in India.  Keep in mind that English is Charles second language so some of the wording may be stilted to our ears.

Munna's parents have asked Uttam to do water baptism. They believe that God has visited their house and from nowhere Munna is getting help for his treatment. Munna's father was testifying that it is useless to serve his gods and goddesses and they were of no help and from now on I want to follow JESUS. Uttam has been going continuously doing bible studies at their house. Munna's sister-in-law has put her trust in JESUS.

The immediate thought that came to my mind was the first few verses of John, the third chapter: As he (Jesus) passed by he saw a man blind from birth.  And his disciples asked him “Rabbi, who has sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

I hate the fact that Munna will have to go through difficult treatment and, more than likely, lose his leg.  But after reading Charles’ email I’m not sure whether the tears in my eyes are because of Munna’s pain, seeing the beauty of the scriptures coming alive, or a combination of both.

As a final note, the cost of Munna’s treatment will be in the neighborhood of $2,000 US dollars.  If you are interested in helping support this cause, please contact me for information on how to donate.  Your donation will be handled by e3 Ministries and will be tax deductible.