Daily Topic for September 03, 2009
The reality of our being made in the image of God is so significant that the entirety of Scripture would be meaningless without it. We are His children, and He created us to represent all that He is. That we have this capacity to represent the character, power and authority of God is what makes the Great Commission an assignment of the highest order. All over the world, the devil has sought to diminish the glory of God by destroying in every nation that which was designed to reflect His majesty. As we take this message to all peoples, may we be constantly reminded that every human being has eternal significance and infinite value as an instrument of praise and worship!
Pray that all peoples might experience the joy of glorifying God through their own redeemed cultural expressions.
“If I could get a competent girl like her for my wife, she would be a great help to my work,” mused RAC Paul, as he watched Iris Walter leave a church service on her motor scooter. This strong-willed woman convinced her parents that RAC was her man. They married in 1972, and began their ministry in Orissa.
The couple labored among the Koya people. Eventually, they both felt the call to go to the Bondo tribe, but IMS had no work among them. So they began work with the India Evangelical Mission (IEM) in 1973. RAC’s health deteriorated, and he spent his final years doing Bible translation work for the Bondos.
After her husband died, Iris decided to buck the cultural norms of India that limited widows. She now inspires widows to make the most of their lives. She came to the realization that it is even better to prevent disease than to merely treat it. The people needed clean water projects and vaccinations. In order to protect themselves from being cheated in the marketplace, they needed to learn math and reading skills. To this day, Dr. Iris is directing the Reaching Hand Society (http://www.indiapartners.org/partners/rhs.php) to help tribal people to help themselves in these areas.
Pray for more laborers for the Reaching Hand Society as they continue their work in Orissa. Pray for Iris to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Pray for Bondos and Koyas to join the work.-KC
Learn more at joshuaproject.net(Taken from Pioneering on the Pinda, by Beulah Wood and Lalitha Chellappa, 1998).