Chennai, INDIA; December '96 to May '97

Dear Co-workers,
You may tliink we have moved from Madras when you see this letter's heading. That isnot the
case. We still live at the same place, but in July the new Chief Minister ofTamil Nadu made it official that
thecity should becalled by the name it bore before theEast India Co. changed it when they lookover India.
Many people will continue to call it Madras for a long time, but officially the name has changed.
AH India Convention. Theannual gathering was in Kerala, nearCochin. Thisis the second time
the India Bible College has provided a beautiful settingand facilities for it. Peoplefrom as far awayas
northeastern India attended. Dr. Mark Searby, a professor at Lincoln ChristianCollege, was the main
speaker. He brought veryhelpful messages as he developed variousaspectsrelatedto howwe should
conduct ourselves in the Church.
Residential permits and visas. One of the first items of business after returning from our
November '96 visit to the States was renewing these. We expected it to be a long drawn out process like it
was for the first five-year permits. So we applied for renewal well before the expiry date of February 4, '97.
But we were pleasantly surprised by getting the renewal in a matter of four days! Our 1974 passports were
sufficient proof of being in India for 20 years. Now we liave pennission to go and come and stay until the
year 2002!! We don't expect to continue our India service that long, but it is wonderful to be able to work
without being anxious about possibly having to leave hurriedly. As per present plans we 'viil stay in India for
the rest of 1997, Then we expect to "retire" again and return to the States. This is another big decision for
which we covet your prayers.
Serving via phone and Van. We are so thankful to have a telephone in our house. All our years
in India we did not have a telephone, but since coming to Madras we were able to get one. Even though the
serviceis often quite poor, there have beentimes when we would not have been able to helpothers without
the phone. Like wiien Peter & Cathy Ignatius hadtheir accident a coupleof years ago. And last December
27th when the phone wakened us about midnight. It was a call from Mohandas, the accr-untant of the
Leprosy Hospital. He lives herein Madras and works for World Vision through the week. On his days off
from that work he does the Hospital accounts. He was very upset, saying hisdaughter(r-bout 5 yearsof
age) was dying of Dengue fever and needed B+ blood platelet concentrate to save her lift;. He had not been
able toget blood at any of thehospitals, so wanted us to try to find donors, William wen immediately by
Van to inform the Reeses (ihey did not havea phone in their newapartment). Ushaknows morepeopleand
places and went at once to do what she could to help out in the critical situation. Donors were found and
the necessary platelet concentrates were administered to little Eugenia Price. Laterwe learned that both
parents and another child were ill with malaria. Over the course of two weeks or so we were able to take
them from their home to different hospitals for treatment. We thank and praise God for providing facilities
for times of need.
Email. Wewere able logo "on-line" inJanuary. Our address is; <wjroland@gia.sindOLvsnI.net.in>.
What a wonderful communjcation tool! We have been able to correspond quickly with' oiir forwarding agent,
family, donors and various companies. Oursons Charles and Paul, and grandson Jonathan, have email;
David isable to use a friends' email. Sowe have been able to keep in touch much easier. They are all well,
and making plans to visit India inOctober. Weare really looking forward to that.
News from Belgium. Mary Esther has been trying toget ajobtoearn much needed money. Their
mission support has fallen offso much that it needs tobe supplemented. But she has not been able toget
college transcripts from the States. And a May 11'^ letter tells about severe health problems that will make it
impossible for her to manage the job she had hoped toget. Afallout from the thyroid operation has been
causing headaches, dizziness and weakness. When shewas waiting for Henki to take herto the doctor fora
checkup she got a phone call saying that Henki had been in acar accident. He was hospitalized three days
with a slight brain concussion and whiplash. When Mary Esther finally got to the doctor hertrouble was
diagnosed as "a blockage ofthe joint between the skull and first neck vertebra". Manual therapy has
provided some relief, but shestill needs treatment. Please bein pray for them and their needs.
MadrasCollege of Evaiigelisiii. The 1996-97 year closed April 21''' with the graduation program.
Three young men earned the BTh degree. Plans are undenvay for the new session that will start about July
15. We are expecting about a dozen new students. We will be using some ofourmission money to
"sponsor" 10 students this school year, that is, provide for their room, board, etc.
Progress onthenew campus isslow. We had hoped to move into it this Fall, but now it looks
doubtful we will be able to use it at ail. The government wants that area, plus many more surrounding acres,
for acar manufacturing plant. Efforts are being made toretain the property, but the outccme is still in doubt.
We need tobe in prayer concerning it that all will work out according toGod's will.
Churchactivitic-.". 1he local congrcgatson, wlierc we .vorship most of the time, !scailcd-Christian
Fellowship. Several committees were set uprecently to facilitate different activities. Jean s in theCare
Giving and Pastoral Care groups. William is in the Finance group. We both are in the Helps group, which is
meant to give help wherever needed. They wanted William in that group sothe Van coulc be used for
various activities. We have been given five families to work with in acaring and sharing ministry. One thing
we doistake each family out for a meal occasionally. One family isvery poor, sowetake food stuffs to
themfrom the "crisis cupboard".
Thanks again for your faithful support. The 1996 financial report is ready. Ifyou want acopy
please request onefrom Mrs. Oelkers; Post Box503; LaCrosse, KS67548.
This service thai you perform ismi only supplying Ihe needs ofGod'speople but isalso
overflowing in many expressions ofthanks toGod, 2 Cor. 9:12.
In Christian Love,
William and Jean Roland
NDA
--.^Wlliam and Jean Rolaji^iJ^ave
completed 5o years ot s^ice with
the work of the church in India.
In 1947 they, with their two-year-
old daughter, Mary Esther, sailed
from San Francisco on the Marine
Adder, a converted troop ship -
one of the first to sail following the
war. After making short stops in
Honolulu. Manila, Singapore and
Madras, they landed at Bombay on
June 28. Thus began what has
become 50 years of service in five
different areas of the land of Jean's
birth.
The first term was spent in lan
guage study and working with
Jean's mother, Dr. Zoena Roth-
ermel, in north central India. This
was followed by six years of lead
ing the Bible college and other work
at Bilaspur in central India. Next
they served on the staff of
Woodstock School in the Hima
layan foothills, where Jean had
graduated from high school. Their
four children - Mary Esther,
Charles, David and Paul attended
Woodstock, where Mary Esther
graduated in 1964.
The David Rees family had
started a leprosy detection and
treatment program in southem In
dia, near Madras. After William
and Jean completed advanced
studies in the States, they returned
to India to help with the leprosy
program. For five years they
helped with that work and taught
in the Madras School of Evange
lism. When they were invited to
retum to Bilaspur to help with that
Bible college again, they did so and
served for another ten years.
They were making plans to re
tire from Bilaspur when they were
invited to work again with the lep
rosy program. From 1991 to the
present they have been working in
the Madras area.
The main emphasis of their
50-year service has been the
training of church workers. This
began with the starting of a Bible
college during their first term,
continued through 16 years with
the Bible college in Bilaspur, and
continues as they work with the
Madras College of Evangelism.
Their five-year residential
permit and multiple-entry visas
expired last February. Praise
God they were renewed for an
other five years. Now the
Rolands have permission to stay
in India untilthe year 2002. They
don't plan to continue their ser
vice that long, but it is reassur
ing to know they can stay, and
come and go as long as pos
sible. If all goes as presently
planned, they will retum to the
States sometime in 1998. <*
HORIZONS August 1997