Which rock do you stand on?

I ask myself constantly "Why God did you choose for me to be here, an American, blessed above and beyond, and these women, to live in a rock quarry?"  He and His word tells me.....

 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:26-27

   My first learning of the Rock Quarry ministry and how it came to be is certainly a true God story with a semi-happy ending.  Several years back our President, Dr. Pieratt was traveling from one project to another in Rajamundry and he happen to have a photo journalist with him at the time who could see from the roadside a group of women and children breaking rocks.  Because of this photographers love for unusual shots and an interesting story he wanted to stop and take some pictures.  The rest becomes a story of love and compassion for those who have been blessed to be able to be part of a micro-loan ministry in India.  Today we have 85 recipients of microloans at the rock quarry and this small loan is helping these families better support their families.

  
 For $40 workers of the quarry can buy a load of rocks that will then be broken into smaller rocks and then sold back to the rock quarry for less than $1 dollar a day.  The sun is hot, the air is damp and the shade they use is a self made cover from foilage of an indegenious plant that grows in the area.
                                                 


            

When we drove up in the air conditioned van and jumped out, the ladies all knew that they had visitors.  And those, were special visitors from America.  You see no one would ever come to visit them if they drove a car or a van or a truck because they are part of the "untouchables."  This group of people are from a people group who is considered to be of a lower caste and they are destined to live a life of breaking rocks.

Everyone who works in the rock quarry is at a constant risk of injury, of something going into their eyes, accidents and health issues from inhaling the dust from stones. There are no opportunities for doctors or health care not to mention there is no time for school.  Each day begins with menial chores at home, then to the quarry for a long day of breaking rocks and then back home to end the day.  This is the endless cycle of meaningless work of an untouchable.  How could a person ever have hope with a life such as this?  How could you possibly keep going?  We must tell them about Jesus.  We must tell them that there is a man who came to save us, the save them, to save all from life on earth, and we will one day spend eternity in heaven where streets are made of gold and the first will be last and the last shall be first.  There will come a day when their sorrows, the untouchables sorrows will be gone and the celebration will begin.  But they must believe in Jesus first.  We have to tell them.  We have to tell them about Jesus. 

All four of us ladies came prepared ahead of time to pray for the women, children and men of the quarry to encourage them and pray that they too would be bound to the heart of the God above all gods.  The only one God who could give them hope.  The goal is to raise more funds to be able to give more micro-loans to more women to buy rocks. To bring more women into the circle of ministry.

Children's Relief International has been chosen by God to walk along side of a few of the 400 workers from this area.  We have supported a Pastor to come into this culture to minister to the hearts of this group of people.  A pastor who can pray with them, walk along side of them during their times of discouragement, to pray with them for male children, to pray with them when they are sick and there is no doctor, to speak and teach the name of Jesus so they too will have the assurance of the one day when they will see the face of Jesus too.

There are so many stories to tell, so many lives and voices that need to be heard.  Pray about how God can use you to help the "untouchables" of the rock quarry.

Contact childrensrelief.org today to donate.


Obedience,

kathy