Lingering Rains Delay India Relief Supplies

Even as Gospel for Asia Compassion Services workers in the western part of India have initiated relief efforts in the wake of this month's record flooding, lingering rains in some areas have blocked roads, delaying the transportation of needed relief supplies. As they are able to get through, GFA workers are continuing to reach out with food, cooking items, drinking water, tent materials, medicine—and most of all, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

GFA Compassion Services is operating out of five relief bases in some of the most devastated areas, where millions of homes have been submerged in the waters, hundreds of people have died and large areas of crops were destroyed. Some villages are virtually unreachable by surface transportation.

The floods have compounded the ongoing economic difficulties of the region's farmers. More than 600 farmers in Maharashtra have committed suicide since the beginning of the year due to poor harvests and debt. One farmer ended his life last week by consuming poison when he realized he could no longer repay his loans because of floodwater damage.

Even as they minister to those around them, GFA missionaries are also among the victims. One missionary in Maharashtra lost his home when it collapsed in the monsoon-related flooding. He and his family are grateful to be alive. Another in the same state is in danger of losing his mud-walled home, which has been battered by heavy rains and soaked by high drainage waters.

But even in his own hardship, this faithful missionary is actively reaching out to comfort the members of his church, a number of whom have already lost their homes to the floodwaters.

"Even before the flooding, five-year-old Roshan had an illness that not only was a big burden on his parents' hearts, it was costing them a week's worth of wages every month to treat," the missionary reported. "In this difficult time for them, we have been able to reach out with words of comfort, and that has helped a lot."

GFA leaders are asking for prayer that God will provide a way for relief supplies to reach the affected areas as soon as possible—and that as they are received, those who are suffering will be drawn to Christ through these tangible expressions of God's love.

Read more about GFA's response so far to India's reportedly worst monsoon in 200 years.

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