Spring 2020
Dear Little Flock friends,
Greetings to you from the Little Flock family.
Winter at Little Flock was a very special time. We had 15 people from all over Northern California over a period of three weeks and it was one of the best team experiences for all of us. Ed and Lynette Laquay led the San Jose team of eight and were joined by three of us from Oakland and two from Tracy and two from Dixon. The arrivals and departures of various team members were seamless and each group merged beautifully with the others. We had wonderful times of worship with the children and as a team. The Bible studies were meaningful; the sharing was deep and rich. We had a grand New Year's Eve celebration with fireworks for the whole village to enjoy.
The San Jose team always plans some of the most enjoyable VBS times with skits, snacks, crafts and games. They modified our dining hall to serve as a field hockey arena and to toss around a big red ball. They played archery and water balloon toss outside. Our children enjoyed every moment they could spend with the team members.
We met with students who are away at College and were pleased to hear about their success in studies. Some of them are eager do graduate studies. Thank you for your prayers for them; each one is walking with the Lord and connected to local churches.
We faced some challenges this year. Some of us fell with mine resulting in an infection, which required three weeks of antibiotics. A team member’s mother was hospitalized while she was away. My high school friend in Chennai died unexpectedly.
Trials have a way of unifying and making us compassionate. Indians are sheltering in place amidst very stringent rules. We are concerned for our village community more where most of the people are day laborers and depend on weekly wages. The poor families will suffer the most. Government can be selective in its outreach and corrupt officials can exploit such situations. During the 2004 Tsunami in Tamil Nadu, the State received millions of dollars from all over the world but offered little help to the people who lost their livelihoods. Little Flock is thinking of ways to help the village community once our staff receives access to the banks to withdraw funds.
The Little Flock School is closed during the Coronavirus period. The teachers and workers will receive their salaries through the summer even though student fees, collected monthly, ended with the school closure. Private schools will not receive funding from the government and Little Flock is no exception. Our middle school building plans are on hold until the government eases restrictions.
Life at Little Flock is going well. The children and staff are enjoying the 8-acre campus with chickens, ducks and lots of space to walk around and play. They are engaged in taking care of our vegetable garden, which is producing beautifully. Children are growing spiritually through the staff led daily morning and evening prayers and devotions.
While Little Flock is in an interior village and unaffected by the Coronavirus, it is close to a high-tech city about 20 minutes by car where people have been infected. The Government of India sent Little Flock a letter looking to house infected people in our facility. We are not sure how this will unfold.
Our children are praying every day for the world during these very trying and challenging times. Thank you for your continued partnership and prayers for the children, staff, and the village community.
The Apostle Paul in Philippians 4: 6-7, instructs us: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
May you know and experience the Lord’s peace and protection during these days.
Gratefully,
Viji
*Little Flock is now enrolled with Amazon Smile—click here
**Save the date for Little Flock Banquet on Oct 17th, 2020.
