OFUESI – Update: November 2006

 

November 14, 2006

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

 

In April 2006 we adopted a resolution to continue the ministry of OFUESI with an interim committee and over the past six months, we were able to witness God’s provision and presence in and through our ministry.  Thus far the year 2006 has been a great blessing.  This letter is intended to provide some updates and seek your prayers for the next leadership and immediate needs of UESI ministry.

 

Only because of God’s grace, OFUESI was able to continue the support for UESI without much interruption even during the year 2006. The following chart illustrates God’s faithfulness through OFUESI during the past 4 years.

 

Figure-1: We all have been part of this contribution from 2001 till to date through the faithful support of many and sincere work of our treasurers: Sis. Latha Jesudass (2001-2005); Bro. Daniel Gera (2005-2006); and Bro. Sushil Yesupriya (2006-Present). For the Year-2006, contributions received and the money sent to UESI through October are shown.

 

 

 

 

1.      Registration of OFUESI in Maryland

 

For more than six years, OFUESI operated from California as a non-profit organization with the primary commitment to support UESI financially and expand the vision of UESI in the US. In this context, for the past four years, we were able to operate our bank account for OFUESI based in California.  During the year 2006, it was evident to continue this primary vision and expand our mission with much more emphasis on the OFUESI mission in the US.

 

In April 2006, both the outgoing committee and the appointed interim committee felt the calling for the OFUESI ministry to stay on course and continue fulfilling the commitment while seeking the Lord’s guidance for further expansion of the ministry.  As per the outgoing committee’s request, the office of OFUESI has been relocated to Maryland with the following updates:

 

  • OFUESI is now registered as a not-for-profit organization in Maryland, operating out of 1921 Narrows Lane, Silver Spring, MD-20906
  • All the IRS records also have been updated showing OFUESI as a tax-deductible organization with 501(c)(3) status from Maryland
  • All your contributions are also being processed through a new bank account in Maryland with Bro. Sushil Yesupriya as the treasurer who was unanimously appointed by the outgoing committee in the April meeting
  • The former bank account in California is now being consolidated with the new bank account in Maryland

 

Please continue to use 1921 Narrows Lane, Silver Spring, MD-20906 as the address for all your financial contributions to OFUESI and also for all formal correspondence with OFUESI.

 

2.      Regional Conferences – 2006

 

This year, God allowed us to have a series of four regional conferences with Bro. P. C. Verghese as the primary speaker at all four regions of OFUESI.

 

The first regional conference was conducted in San Jose, CA (Western Region) during the 3rd week of August (18-20). Bros. Suman Nirmal and Emmanuel Emmady ventured to coordinate this conference and God blessed their commitment in the midst of uncertain times.  Approximately 50 people attended the conference and several were blessed immensely with renowned vision for the OFUESI ministry.

 

The second regional conference was held in Houston, TX (Southern Region) during the 4th week of August (25-27). Sisters Vijaylakshmi and Amy toiled in all the efforts. Nearly 60 people were blessed by Bro. PC’s ministry.  Many families and several international students were ministered during those three days and some of them expressed the needed commitment and vision for the ministry.

 

The third regional conference was conducted in Indianapolis, IN (Midwestern region) during the 1st week of September (2-4).  Bros. Vinod Malachi and Subha Kumpaty invested a lot of time to achieve this, aided by the commitment of many others in their region.  In the campsite more than 100 people were present during the Labor Day week-end and the presence of oneness as well as renewed commitment resulted from this gathering.

 

The fourth regional conference was held near Baltimore, MD (Eastern Region) during the 2nd week of September (8-10).  Bros. Sushil Yesupriya and Suresh Chandran coordinated all the efforts and witnessed the presence of committed people for the OFUESI ministry in the Northern Region. Nearly 120 people attended and participated at this conference beyond the anticipated capacity of the limited accommodation at the retreat center. 

 

In all, more than 300 people were touched and blessed through the ministry of Bro. P. C. Verghese. Please continue to pray that the bonds of oneness may grow much stronger for the glory of our Lord as we continue to proceed with our vision in the ministry.  Also, all the financial expenses have been met and paid for in addition to more than $3000 that was received towards the UESI ministry in India.  Also, all the expenses of travel for Bro. PC in the US were met by the generous support of our OFUESI members. 

 

Please see Appendix-A for a glimpse of Bro. PC’s sermon outlines and notes.

 

3.      Report on OFUESI Financial Distribution

 

During the past six months we were able to receive from many of you generously even when we had our address change for the treasurer and banking systems.  During this year, we were able to send to UESI nearly $ 50,000 until to date as listed below.  All these amounts were received and acknowledged by UESI and were also distributed in India per the donor specified requests.

 

 

Table-1: During the Year-2006, we have received generously from many of you and were able to send the money to UESI as listed in the above table on the left. On the right, the distribution of these amounts per donor requests is shown through October 2006.

 

4.      Request for UESI Financial Support

 

Recently we have received an updated version of the current financial needs of UESI (please see Appendix-B for the letter from Bro. Bala).  For the past several months UESI has been in the negative operating budget.  We are urged to pray and provide the needed support per the leading of the Spirit.  May God help you consider this request and lead you according to His Plan!

 

 

Table-2: As of October 2006, UESI anticipates the need for monthly operating budget is around Rs. 15 lakhs with the above mentioned estimations in rupees. Also for our immediate reference approximate US $ equivalents are provided.  Our contribution to UESI from OFUESI has been between 10 and 15%.

 

5.      Restructuring and Identifying the Next Leadership

 

During the past four years, our leadership has been primarily a National Council (NC) typically 12 people selected from four different regions to represent OFUESI and to serve on an annual commitment per the prescribed bylaws of our organization. From the NC, a group of five people were elected to execute these responsibilities as Executive Committee (EC) members to lead the organization.  In the Year-2006, the interim committee along with the founding leadership felt the need to expand the NC to emphasize the accountability of the EC and NC. Thus we have also added some of the senior members as part of the NC to incorporate a great wealth of expertise and experiences of our well trained UESI leaders amongst us in the OFUESI at this time. 

 

In the process of identifying the next leadership to lead OFUESI, the interim committee sought nearly 50 people across the nation for the past three months and identified about 25 people that can consider this responsibility in the coming years. After nearly two months of discussions and prayers, 20 people gave their consent and expressed their commitment for the next two years to serve in the OFUESI ministry. 

 

Please continue to pray as these 20 people who represent all the four regions gather during December 2nd and 3rd in Houston.  Pray that as we gather that we would be reminded of the fact that we are “Called to Serve”. 

 

With prayers,

OFUESI Interim Committee - 2006

Appendix-A:  Bro. P C Verghese’s Messages at OFUESI Regional Conferences (August-September 2006)

 

A word on Uncle PC who calls himself an errand boy for God:  He refers to himself as a donkey on whom Jesus rides. He prayed for us that overseas friends of UESI will become united, wholesome, cohesive and blameless.  Based on the general theme, Integrating our Life (Faith and Family) and our Work or Excellence in Family and Workplace, he addressed various gatherings sharing these messages from his heart.  The Lord anointed His servant mightily and used him for His glory as participants were challenged to live a life consecrated to the Lord.  Please meditate on these messages for further edification and blessing.  Share with family and friends.

 

 

Message 1: Is Christ preeminent in your life?

 

Uncle PC gave the key note address, the opening message entitled “Christ and You: Is He preeminent in your life?”.  The exposition centered around Col 1:18 and its neighboring verses with the thought that Jesus is the Head of the body so that in all things He might be preeminent.  He touched on who Jesus is from John 1:1,14,18: the Eternal Word and the Incarnate Word; truly divine, truly human.  The emphasis on Col 1:14ff that in Him all things hold together was quite clear: our lives, our families hold together only in Him.  With Him in our lives, there is cohesion and harmony; without Him, collision and disharmony.  Any work done without reference to Him and reverence to Him is a work of iniquity. There was a carpenter who was asked by the master to build one last home before retirement.  The carpenter thought he had a terrible master and built a home with cheap materials.  When he was finally done, the master told him the home was his retirement benefit. What a terrible loss!  How are our lives being built?  The Lord is going to say, here is the home you built for yourself. Sadly there are those who work out their salvation without letting God work in.  They forget that not only are they saved by grace but they are also kept by His grace. 

 

In everything Christ must have the first place.  Giving Christ the first place in all things was superbly brought out by five practical essentials: 1) Give Christ the first place in your love. Lessons from the scene at the home of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50) and from the rebuke of the Lord to the church at Ephesus (Rev 2) (evangelical, evangelistic but left the first love) were gleaned. Repent, not reform, otherwise your candle stick will be removed.  Obedience is the proof of love.  Some die for denominations, not Jesus.  Such are un-regenerated, religious nuts.  Remember, if He is not the Lord of all, He is not the Lord at all. 2) Give the Lord the first part in each and every day of your life.  The Lord should be the first person we should talk to when we come to consciousness.  That He is not the Heaven’s bell boy but that we should develop intimacy with Him through a daily quiet time was discussed.  Ps 5:3 and Isa 50:4-11. 3) Give Him the first day of the week.  John 20:1 and I Cor. 16:2.  We should not turn the Holy day into holiday.  We should not abuse God.  Heb 10:24-25.  We ought to provoke unto love and good works.  Gal 5:15,26.  See the contrast.  The problem in today’s church is biblical illiteracy (no deep rooted study of the Word), emotional constipation (wallow in self-pity) and spiritual bankruptcy (loss of direction due to lack of the Word).  I Peter 3:15. 4) Give the Lord Jesus the first place in consultation before making any decision and also in execution.  Your work is not successful, why?  You have not consulted God.  Get God’s counsel.  Prov 3:5-7 and Prov 16:3.  We find rest when we learn of Him (Mt 11:28).  5) Give Him the first part of all your income.  This act frees you from the love of money which is the root of all evil.  Prov 3:9,10 and Mal 3:8-12. 

 

Jesus asked us to lay up treasures in heaven.  Do we want to be rich, successful fools or significant persons by being involved in His work with our money?  No one can out-give God, out-love God and outdo God.  He is no man’s debtor.  We will do well to take heed to these five practical ways through which Christ can be made preeminent in our lives.

 

 

Message 2: Christian Home and Church

 

Uncle PC’s second message of the series was Excellence in Christian Home (and Church).  He began with John 14:23 to define a Christian Home. Where the triune God is at home, that home is a Christian Home.  In the Laodecian church, Christ was outside the door.  In many homes, spouses shout at, ignore and bleed each other with cutting words.  A Christian home is one in which the love of God, grace of the Lord Jesus and communion of the Holy Spirit are released naturally, not seasonally.  Also, it is not a place like the home of Simon the Pharisee where Jesus was invited for a dinner but not loved.   Sadly, many of us respect human beings more than the Lord. What a pity!  Also, it is not me trying to live like Jesus (which is impossible) but letting Him live His life in and through me.  Gal 2:20.  Not trying but trusting.  Without Him we can do nothing.  But we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.  Practical admonition in terms of whether we are doing something about the known will of God in stead of worrying about the unknown led to the thought: why should He reveal to you more when you have no intention of obeying? 

 

Some of us live in our homes by moods (sight, not faith).  We should live by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ps 101:1-2 Prayer of David- blameless way (not sinless way, let us not be deceived, I Jn 1)- blameless means not having more than one sin at a time to confess.  He who covers the sin shall not prosper.  Isa 57:15 The high and lofty lives in the meek and lowly.  We should walk within our home and church with integrity of heart (not disintegration).  Isa 26:3.  My spirit is the sanctuary of God.  Dead cell phone needs to be charged.  Plug into the Holy Spirit.  Jesus must sit on the throne of our intellectual outlook, emotional outlook and volitional outlook.  Integrity is thinking aright, feeling aright, doing aright (Phi 4).  Ps 101:1-2- Make a covenant with God, you will become agents of revival in this country.  Four secrets for excellence in family life and church life are these. 1) Loving each other.  God’s love is not ‘if’ love but ‘in spite of’ love.  Get an artesian well planted.  Not bucket to be filled again but a spring gushing out.  John 4.  John 7:37- rivers of living water.  Love your spouse as the triune God loves you.  Give your highest best to the spouse.  Graduate from John 3:16 to I Jn 3:16.  Susan Wesley with 17 kids- when impatient, praying: Your patience, Lord.

 

So the first secret is: Love one another.  2) Forgive one another.   Eph 4:30-32. Kindness, not rudeness.  Can you forgive some one you love?  Oh Yes.  Forgive as Christ also has forgiven you.  While we were sinners, He forgave us.  Mk 11:25. We are imperfect people.  Release people by forgiving them.  One sister Usha was instantly healed of cancer when she forgave her mother-in-law.  God vindicates.  He compensates.  Forgive! 3) Rom 15:7 Accept one another even as God in Christ has accepted us.  Accept your spouse not only before marriage but also after marriage.  White angel became a black demon?  Accept the black demon and the person will become a white angel.  How did the Father accept the prodigal son?  One step in the right direction, Father accepted him.  Just as I am, I am welcomed with open arms. 4) Rom 15:1-3 Serve one another as Christ serves the church.  If married for a wrong reason (desiring to find love, security, companionship, identity in the other person), you will be divorced for the right reason (not finding love, security, companionship, identity in the mate). If both marry for the right reason (finding love in God, security in God, companionship in God, fulfillment in God, identity in God), the marriage will be a honeymoon everyday. 

 

A Christian home is where the triune God is at home.

 

 

Message 3: Integrating Your Faith and Family with Work (Excellence in Workplace)

 

Uncle PC began with Col 3:17 for excellence in workplace message.  The preceding verse showed the importance of the word of Christ dwelling richly in us.  It was brought out that whatever such person (who meditates on the Word) does shall prosper (Ps 1 and Ps 119:105).  Ps 119:9  Thy Word- the best treasure; hid in my heart- the best place; that I might not sin against You- the best purpose.  If there is no time for the Word, that means we are cutting the supply root.  If our work is poor, it is because we are not receiving creative ideas from the Creator.  There were three challenges given under this message. 

 

1) Don’t feel guilty for spending more time at work.  Work is not a curse.  Gen 3:17-19.  This is a cultural command of God.  Studies are not a curse.  God has hidden a lot of truth in all areas of creation.  He wants us to master it.  After the fall, work accompanied sweating (painful).  God divinely ordained work and expects us to work.  You must feel guilty when you are not working.  II Thess 3:10- busybodies.  They are those who go around trying to solve others problems but in turn become problem for others.  Work becomes a headache not because of it but because of your wrong attitude.  Are you enduring the work or enjoying the work?  Jesus said, I always do what is pleasing to the Father, Jn 8:29.   I delight to do Thy will, O God.  PC tells many when they complain of work: thank God, you are not unemployed.  The stress stuff is made up by the devil!  Spouses, don’t complain when spouses are coming late from work.  Work for the glory of God.  Remember your work is for the King.  You are a steward of His talents, time and treasures.  God’s character is excellence not mediocrity. He never sleeps nor slumbers. Commitment to Christ must make a difference in your studies/work.  If He gave you His best, you should not give anything less to Him.  Your work is an offering to the Lord.  What did Jesus say about His work on the cross- It is finished. He counted the cost in heaven and paid the price on earth.  Never leave work half-finished.  Always finish the day’s work (not chaltha hai).  Most products in India do not have a proper finish because the maker/producer is cheating the customer and working for the devil.  Our God is a God of perfection, thoroughness, skillfulness, wisdom.  Our quality of work must be excellent.  The world is full of problem makers.  Let us be problem shooters and problem solvers. We are servants of God at market place. Work is worship to God.  The mentality of doing a dirty job is not new to Jesus. Phil 2:5 Let the values of Christ be in us- washing the dirty feet of disciples.  The great modeling of Dr. Norton Sterrete- cleaning the blockage of toilets at Highfield, Kotagiri, never asking PC and others to do but doing it himself- moved us.  No task is menial in God’s sight.  In the past, there were a lot of discoveries by Christians and not many now.  That should tell us something about our mediocrity. Remember work is an offering to God.

 

2) Don’t feel guilty for spending less time with the family but spend quality time.  PC shared his own example of being away in God’s work for several days, perfectly accepted by his wife, which was agreed upon before marriage.  Family should be partnering with you and not accusing you. Whenever he returns, they both will go to Woodlands to eat and go to the Marina beach and share with each other quality time. And PC will finish whatever needs to be done at home before he goes on next trip.  He will make sure the days in his absence comfortable to his wife.  If your family is not at rest, you will never be successful.  Relationship, not activity causes productivity.  Authority is not superiority and submission is not inferiority was illustrated through the functioning of the three persons of the Holy Trinity.  We are equal in status and different in function.  The CEO and the janitor are equal in status and different in function as they both are serving for the common good of the company.  Which wife will not submit to a husband who is willing to die for her? 

 

3) If you don’t make Jesus the Lord of your family and work, don’t expect a smooth riding.  It will be a rough ride if He is not the Lord of your family and work.  Whose orders are you obeying?  Don’t gossip about the boss.  Submit and serve.  Mk 10:45. Get solutions for problems from heaven. You are mistreated?  God will vindicate.  God will compensate.  Daniel was the PM for four kings, not just one.  He could not be done away with.  Read the book by the Intel chief, Belsinger.  There are five secrets of being eminent in workplace. i) Punctuality. God always works in fullness of time, never late, never before.  Worker should not rob the time and should not protract the work.  ii) Integrity.  Being truthful, dependable.  No deception. iii) Productivity iv) Creativity and v) Accountability.  Respect the authority.  Work as a team.  The message was quite an eye opener for those of us who felt guilty about working long hours. The thought that we should complete the work on time and not keep it for the first day of the week (robbing the time with God) was quite touching as well.

 

 

Message 4: Conclusion

 

The secret of excellence is to experience the essence of consecration.  PC took Rom 12:1-2 as the text for this message.  Bringing thoughts from the previous three messages, PC was anointed of the Lord to bring a powerful closure by challenging us to dedicate our lives as living sacrifices on His altar.  He presented that not angles, but we, only the sinners redeemed by the blood of Christ are qualified to take the gospel.  People such as Peter, cowards who left Him are qualified.  Angles who haven’t sinned are disqualified.  The sobering thought is you and I may fail Him in taking the good news to others but God will have others who will not fail in the responsibility and He will fulfill His purposes through them.  God will not use ‘natural’ people (meaning the un-regenerated) nor will He use ‘carnal’ people (the regenerated who walk in the flesh) but He will use ‘consecrated’ people.  The Yes commitment to Jesus must be renewed daily with several yes commitments on the daily altar.  Paul says, I urge you.  This beseeching, requesting, constraining has a basis in 11:33-36.  Whenever there is ‘therefore’ ask ‘wherefore’.  The book of Romans has three sections with ‘therefore’ dividing them at 5:1 and 8:1 and 12:1.  Oh, the depth of the riches of His grace!  Our Lord, the God of wisdom, knowledge, judgment.. will never be unreasonable.  We are not programmed robots.  We are created in the likeness and image of God.  We are from Him (He is our source of life), we are through Him (He is the channel of our life) and we are unto Him (He is the goal of our life). 

 

Three important evidences of a consecrated life- i) strong foundation, The Lord knoweth them that are His.  ii) seal of the Holy Spirit Eph 1:13, 4:30 iii) set apart life for Jesus. Rom 8:15-16 The Holy Spirit gave us the boldness to call Him, Abba.  ‘My daddy in heaven’ means conversation now.  By the mercies of God.  Initially we were the children of the devil.  Sin is wrong being.  Papoham papa karnaharn, papaathma papa sambhavaaha.  I am sin and therefore I commit sin.  I am sinful in nature and therefore I live in sin.  We must repent- make a mental and volitional change of direction.  Are we religious or regenerated?  The goodness of God leads to repentance.  In the story of the prodigal son, we read that he came to himself.  Insanity is thinking wrongly of God and self, feeling wrongly and choosing wrongly. Sanity is recognizing the Father is good and I am a fool.  You need to begin the journey at the cross, not in the middle, otherwise you are a thief who steps over the fence and comes in to kill and destroy.  If you are not thoroughly converted, you can not be truly consecrated.  Rev 3:20 Why is Jesus at the door?  Because the door is shut.  How can He come in?  You need to open the door.  How do you do it?  You need to remove the bolt of your heart- will.  There must be genuine repentance for the saving faith.  Does your wife love you?  You say yes.  How do you know?  The answer is by the act of the will.  You did not come to the conference by driving.  You came to the conference by the act of your will.  You chose to come.  Saving faith is putting your whole weight on the object of your faith.  Who runs your home/ work?  If you do, you will ruin it.  You must surrender it to Him.  God is not a bully who will twist your hand.  He urges you, He appeals to you.  He won’t violate your free will. 

 

If someone who buys Maruti 800, puts kerosene (in place of petrol) and crude oil (in place of lubricant) because he is a philosopher who believes all oils are the same, will it run?  If he complains to the manufacturer, what will happen?  The manufacturer will say the car was to run as per his instructions and the buyer must have followed the instruction manual for happy monitoring.  Similarly, we will have harmonious relationships based on God’s design of truth (petrol) and love (lubricant).  The devil has led us to replace them with lying (kerosene) and lusting (crude oil).  The heart of the problem is the problem of the human heart.  Paul was a blasphemer and obtained mercy on the road of Damascus.  Have you come to your road of Damascus?  The Lord says, Come, let us reason together.  Even though your sin is like scarlet, I will wash it white as snow. Many people claim they have conversion but there is no proof of it- the lives are not consecrated.  You can never glide into consecration.  You can’t skip/ duck consecration.  Let us discuss desecration versus consecration.  A pig enjoys filth.  A sheep on the other hand, when it falls into filth, it is uncomfortable and it does not enjoy the filth.  If you are enjoying sin, you are an un-regenerated pig!  I Jn 3:9 If you don’t have hatred for sin, you are not implanted with divine nature.  Will I go to my friend’s place and put all excretion on my face and come for breakfast saying I have all kinds of soap to wash it afterwards?  No, we are repulsive of dirt.  True, we are sinners.  But we are sinners saved by grace.  Conversion leads to consecration.  Conversion is you getting Jesus (like a twin daughter saying all of daddy is mine); consecration is Jesus getting you (like the other twin daughter saying all of me is for daddy). 

 

Present your bodies.  Presenting involves choice, decision, purposing.  Your body is the temple of God, your soul is the throne of God and your spirit is the sanctuary of God.  Let Jesus sit on the throne of your intellectual, emotional, volitional outlook.  Surrender your body, soul and spirit.  When you go to a super market and make a purchase, if the gate keeper says, you can go home with the receipt only, will you accept?  You will say: give me the purchased possession, give me the delivery.  Why don’t you give Jesus what is His- you are His by the right of creation, you are His by the right of redemption.  Where to sacrifice?  On the altar. What type of sacrifice? 

 

Living sacrifice.  Many Christians make dead sacrifices.  For sacrifice to be living, there must be life.  I Jn 5:11-12  He who has the Son has life; He who does not have the Son does not have life.  Only after the life (Jesus) comes in, then you can present a living sacrifice.  You will become His showpiece, mouthpiece, masterpiece only then.  Your hands become His, you will be fit for His whole use. You are separated from sin, dedicated to Him; He consecrates you for His service.  King George was speaking and a fellow tripped a cord and the message was interrupted for a split second.  That person took both ends of the cord and literally let the message go through his body by allowing the electrons to flow through. Are you available for God to use you?

 

I (PC) came to Christ at 21 years of age.  I took a blank sheet of paper and signed my name, if you will, and asked Jesus to fill the blanks.  He is a good master, He doesn’t take advantage of you.  He doesn’t say I got PC.  He will use you.  If you are not available He has others He will employ.  You can’t have two masters.  One master, what is your choice?  Josh 24:15.  As far me and my house we will serve the Lord.  The excellence in your personal life, family life and work depends on your consecration.  You present yourself as a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to Him.  If your answer is yes, tell him, Have Thine own way, Lord. Surrender your body, soul (intellect, emotion, will) and spirit.  Have Thine own way Lord.

 

The above notes was prepared by Bro. Subha Kumapty based on Bro. PC’s sermons during September 2-4, 2006, at the Midwestern Regional Conference in Indianapolis, IN.

 

Appendix-B: A Letter from Bro. B C P (on UESI Financial Needs and Urgency)

 

 

From: UESI ETH <uesi54@eth.net

Date: Oct 10, 2006 1:36 AM

Subject: STATUS OF UESI FINANCES AND YOUR PRAYERFUL INVOLVEMENT:

To: undisclosed-recipients

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

  Warm greetings in His gracious name! This is to inform you the

present status of UESI finances for your prayers and proactive

participation as the Lord leads. I am sure that you will understand

that this mail comes to you since at one time or other you have evinced

interest to be kept informed of the UESI financial status so that you

can pray and also involve. We are glad to have such a cloud of

witnesses around the world who have been blessed and benefited by the

UESI ministry during their student days.

 

  The UESI needs keep growing not only due to the fact that no. of news

staff workers are added to the field as the  field realities warranted

but also due to the activities and developmental plans are growing .Our

present monthly need has gone up to Rs.10 lakhs and we are getting on

an average Rs. 8 lakhs as income. There seems to be a constant deficit

of Rs. 2 lakhs per month and that gets mostly cleared around December

when our friends' generosity is kindled to the maximum around the

Christmas season.

 

  Besides this we need about Rs. 2 lakhs per annum towards staff

Theological Scholarship. 6 of our staff workers are right now doing

theological studies and we need to support their tuition fee as well as

family allowance.

 

  Further we pay to our staff children Rs. 3000/ per annum towards

education assistance. This works out to be Rs. 3 lakhs per annum.

 

  We need on an average Rs. 5 lakhs towards various   camps and

conferences during the year. This year this amount is more than double

due to the Missions Conference that just got over ( Rs. 4 lakhs - that

ended up with a surplus of Rs.25000/) and at the year end we have the

Triennial Staff Conference at Thiruvella, Kerala at a budget of Rs.

4.5 lakhs where about 120 staff families both National as well as 

Decentralised states' staff meet once in three years.

 

  We are working out a Staff retirement benefit plan at a total budget

of Rs. 52.5 lakhs payable over a period of 5 years and Rs.10 lakhs per

annum as annual premium. We need Rs.15.5 lakhs per annum for the first

year and Rs.10 lakhs from the following years.

 

  We are in the process of developing our Camp Centre at Kotagiri into

a well furnished camp centre to accommodate about 400 delegates at the

same time and also to accommodate more than two camp/conference

simultaneously. As you know most of our activities take place during

the Summer holidays when the camp centre at Hill stations is on great

demand. If we can make provision for such accommodation then we can

make use of our High Field Conference Centre to the maximum to the

benefit our constituency. I am sure that you will agree that coming

apart into a camp situation have been of special blessing which you

would have experienced one time or other during your EU/EGF days. The

budget for this mega project is Rs.2 crores.  Of course we have broken

them into smaller "bite-size" phases of Rs.30 to Rs.40/ lakhs each and

we have started the Phase Ia already at a cost of Rs.30 lakhs and we

need another Rs. 8 lakhs to complete this phase. ( For more details

pl. ask for the same)

 

  I would give you a final summing up so that you are clear about the

details given above:

 

  Monthly needs Rs.10 lakhs

      Rs. 1,20 lakhs ( Per annum)

  Theological scholarship needs

      Rs. 2 lakhs  ( Per annum)

  Staff Children Education assistance

      Rs.    3 lakhs ( Per annum)

  Camps and conferences

      Rs. 9 lakhs  ( per annum)

  High Field Development Project

      Rs.   38 lakhs  ( For the next phase & completion of the present phase)

  Staff retirement Benefit fund Premia

     Rs.  15.5 lakhs ( per annum)

 

  Hence our annual requirement  is Rs. 187.5 lakhs and that works out

to Rs. 15.6 lakhs per month against which our average receipt is Rs.8

lakhs . The gap is Rs.7.6 lakhs. Are you willing to step in to fill in the gap?

 

  We can send you more details in case you are interested . This mail

is just by way of reminder for you to touch base. From some of you we

here regularly, yet from some others we hear occasionally. And from yet

others we seldom hear. Hence I felt that it would be appropriate to

send this mail coveting your prayers as well as prayerful involvement.

 

  Remember, UESI has meant a lot to you in your student days. ( It

meant a lot to me and that is why I am here typing out this mail to

you) I firmly believe that UESI only can impact the nation with the

Gospel light. If our students when they graduate can impact the society

as salt and light in their areas of influence ( place of work and

stay) then I am sure our nation will come under the Lordship of Jesus

Christ. Do you want to sustain such a glorious ministry ? Do you want

to be a part of this great nation-building effort of UESI?

Remember the Lord blessed you through UESI to be a blessing. May the

Lord bless you.

 

  Bye for now.

 

  BALA

 

 

The above letter is reproduced as received via e-mail in October from Bro. Bala.