The Refuge
Update from Vimal and Louise — August 2011
Our Summer outreach with a Team from Carlsbad, San Diego went very well. We had six members of CCCC church. They did a marvellous job of telling the good news about Jesus to the refugees with Gospel of the risen Lord. We were encouraged by the Team and their commitment to the Lord.
Vimal is in contact with a young man who was in an accident few months ago. The young man is going through severe financial struggles because of the accident in which he nearly died. He has been unable to work for four months. His heating system has been sealed by bailiffs and he must pay all his balance before they will restore his heating system. It has been good to have opportunities to pray and read the Bible with him, pointing him to the Lord in his need. Please pray that the Lord may open His heart to know the Saviour.
He has also been visiting a young (26 years) man from Syria who has cancer and is in hospital. He is being treated but it is a miracle that he is still alive. Pay for him. Vimal has been able to point him to the Saviour who is able to heal him and give him eternal life.
A Tamil man whose family have not been allowed to join him, even after 10 years, needs the Lord and Vimal prayed with him and ask Him to seek the Lord for his soul. He too is going through a financial struggle.
A New Home
Yes, we are on the move. After 6 weeks of talking, writing and praying, we have finally found a place near Karlsruhe and close to one of the largest refugee registration camps. The move will mean less travelling. Karlsruhe is a more central place for our ministry.
Martin Luther's right hand man, Melanchthon, was born not far away from Karlsruhe (Bretten). Speyer, where Protestants were first called 'Protestants', is about 44 km away. Worms, where Martin Luther said, "Here I stand, I can do no other", is about 1 hour's drive and Heidelberg is only about 40 minutes drive. We will be surrounded by the Reformation History.
We will have a house with a garden, finally enough place for an office for Vimal and of course for his old books (which were sitting in the attic for years). We will also have good transportation connections.
Pray for us over the time of the move. We need to organise a kitchen as soon as possible — kitchen units do not come with the house in Germany. We also need to clean and give back our present house. Pray too that the girls will settle in quickly.
We have needed to paint the inside of the new house. One of Vimal's former refugee contacts offered to help us and organised two more who came with him. One of them had already been working from 4.00am till 11.00am. We also had two young people from the Tamil church and their father who came down from Frankfurt to help us. Within a day, we completed all the painting.
I am so thankful for my migrant friends, who sacrificed their time and energy to help us. Three of the former refugees willing to take time for us were not Christians. As Christians many of us need to learn that friendship ofetn means sacrificing our own needs for others.
The Tamil Church In Frankfurt
Vimal, Louise and the family continue to give input into the ministry in the Tamil church in Frankfurt. Vimal preaches there regularly, as well as helping with pastoral work. Louise has put together a Sunday school curriculum to teach the children who are now attending the church with their parents.
