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I thank God for giving me an opportunity to be a part of OFUESI-USA since its inception. I never felt like it was a new entity, but always felt like it was an extension of UESI– ‘the school of discipleship,’ which has discipled me as a ‘follower of Jesus’ from my student days.
With all excitement, I attended the first Committee Meeting at the Mondithokas in La Mirada, California on May 29, 1999. Four graduates met with not just meager beginnings, but absolutely nothing – zero down. Along with the other activities that were planned, one of the main objectives was to raise financial support for UESI-India. We congregated for the First Regional Fellowship Meeting in San Jose under the banner of “Overseas Friends of Union of Evangelical Students of India – California Region.” Later, God brought along other graduates, and a National Council was formed with eight members across the United States. The Council met for the first time on July 29, 2000, and we renamed the organization as Overseas Friends of UESI-USA.
I was assigned the responsibility of the treasurer both on the Regional Committee and on the National Council, because of my background as a bank employee.
One of our objectives was to support UESI-India. Since we did not have a tax-deductible status, when we started, we routed all donations through DM Stearns. The very first year (for 11 months) our support was about $ 9,650, which increased marginally to $ 11,000 (for next 10 months), and then to $ 18,815 (next 17 months). A positive line graph reflected God’s faithfulness to our graduates. By beginning of 2003, we were registered as a Non-Profit Organization and had our own bank account was opened on January 15, 2003 with an initial deposit of $ 100. In the year 2003, we had received donations of $ 50,707; in 2004 it increased to $ 55,490 and in 2005 we are at $ 40,000 (by November first week).
Though the numbers are not everything, it does prove God’s faithfulness to His children. Just to share my testimony, in 2003 in the month of December I was depositing the checks received till then. I realized that the total was about $48,000; a passing thought on my mind at that time was, ‘I wish we had reached $50,000.’ Within couple of days two more checks arrived, crossing that intriguing figure.
In December 2004, as I was posting the checks, I saw the number of donors to be about 46 (which was only 36 in 2003), and I wished we would cross 50, and now we did this year. Time and again God has reminded me that His faithfulness will never fail. Furthermore, these instances encouraged me a lot because of the motivation that I received from our graduates who enclosed little notes, and sometimes long letters, sharing what UESI meant to them, how they always want to be a part of this ministry, and how they appreciated my continued involvement.
Also one great desire and concern shared by many of us was to see that our staff workers in India get their full pay checks on time (which was not true till 2003). We expressed this need to the UESI-India several times and for the past two years they have implemented this policy. This has been a milestone, in the UESI history. Many sacrifices have been made by those whom God has called to be a part of this great movement. We who have been blessed by their sacrifices and now we have an opportunity to be a part of this great movement.
I sincerely thank God and every graduate who has been a part of God’s great plan in this ministry. As I step down from the post of the treasurer, I pray that God’s direction would be with Bro. Daniel Gera as he serves as OFUESI-USA’s treasurer from January, 2006.
Snehalatha Jesudass
November 10, 2005
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