Indian Mennonite Brethren help fire victims

It came too quickly. The fire raced from hut to hut, consuming the thatched roofs and any personal belongings left inside. Many in the small Indian village of Chitlamkunta had just enough time to get out of their small huts. But for Ramu, his wife and his young daughter, who were taking refuge from the hot, Indian afternoon, there wasn’t enough warning. They suffered 3rd degree burns before being helped to safety.

Within minutes on that afternoon of May 19, close to 200 houses were destroyed, 50 cattle were killed, many people were burned, and over 600 people were left without food or clothing. The government and the Red Cross provided initial provisions, but those only met about 15 percent of the need. That’s where Christians stepped in.

P.B. and Sharada Arnold (far right) give clothing, rice and cooking utensils to people displaced by the fire in Chitlamkunta. Photo by Darren Duerksen

After hearing of the tragedy, the Mennonite Brethren Development Organization (MBDO), a development wing of the Mennonite Brethren Conference of India, decided to respond. With provisions from the Church Assistance Service Agency (CASA) and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), the MBDO provided needed cooking utensils, bedding, clothing and food to hundreds of families. MB Conference president Dr. P.B. Arnold, together with his wife Sharada Arnold, helped to arrange the distribution and to provide needed medical care for the burn victims.

As they came alongside the Hindu leaders of the area, Dr. Arnold and MBDO director J.L. David made it clear that the gifts were being given as an expression of the love of Christ and as gifts through the MB Conference of India.

MBDO was first begun in the 1980s in partnership with MBMS International (the global mission agency of Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada and the United States) and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to help bring relief and development to the poverty-stricken villages of the Andhra Pradesh region of India. After a period of inactivity, the ministry was revived in 2002 under the direction of J.L. David and the support of the General Council of the MB Church of India.

Though still suffering from burns and infections, Ramu expressed his gratefulness. “We are very happy for your help and cooperation. Please continue to come until we recover.”

—Darren Duerksen, MBMS International’s liaison with the India MB Conference, recently returned from an 8-week trip to India.