CHRISTY'S HOME CALL

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,

He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and
he shall be My son. (Rev 21:7)

We want to assure you, your letter has strengthened our whole family
and also brought back many of our good old memories. But I feel really
sorry I could not write personal replies to you all on time as you
know the last one month was filled with tears of joy and of our
glorious hope, need for several emergencies, planning, movements,
decision making etc. starting from the mountain top, about 1400 kms
away from home. Christy’s home call was at a most unexpected time even
though she has been sick for a long time. But praise God she is now
happy with the Lord whom she served all these years and whom she
longed to see. I am giving below a summary of the happenings for
those who are concerned about us.

Christy has gone ahead of me to be with the Lord on 16 June at about 9
PM during our visit to Udhampur, Jammu& Kashmir in connection with
annual conference and my 80th birthday. We are sure soon we also will
gather around the throne to join the song of the Lamb. Doctors
confirmed it was a heart attack. Johnson my son in law who was in
Madras flew in from there, Chris my grand son flew in from Bengal,
Christy’s youngest brother George Koshy flew in from Bangalore and a
team came by road from Gorakhpur. So we had the funeral service on the
18th afternoon in our Christian cemetery. I understand many of you
tried to call me; but unfortunately due to security reasons mobile
phones from other parts of India would not work in Kashmir and so I
could not use my mobile phone.

Santhosh had arranged the entire program at the beautiful mountain
resort of Sanasar at an altitude of 7000 ft. But to reach there, first
we have to cross 9000 ft altitude. A little over 250 pastors,
evangelists and some of our local Church members had gathered at
Sanasar. Christy walked down with us from the bus stand to the ground
below where the birthday program was arranged. She looked tired but
almost normal till the end of the birthday program. She gave me a
birthday gift, a suit in golden color. Seldom did any of us know that
I will be wearing the same suit of golden color two days later for her
funeral, when she will be walking the golden streets up in glory.

On 16th evening she showed symptoms of a stroke. Suddenly we took her
back by car to Udhampur because there was no medical help available at
Sanasar. The doctor on duty at Udhampur, after examining her,
confirmed it was a heart attack. Even though she has been sick for
more than thirty years and was on medication for heart problem, BP,
bronchitis, diabetes etc all these years, nobody could think the end
could be so soon. But one thing surprised many people. When people
asked Christy to wake up and get ready to go from Sanasar to Udhampur,
she did not answer. But when Christina our grand daughter called
Christy, she opened her mouth for a few seconds and said, “it is not
yet time; let the door be open” and then she closed her mouth and eyes
and in a short time breathed her last. She must have been anxiously
waiting to see the heavenly door open.

Soon a large number of our believers gathered in our Udhampur campus
at night, they informed as many people as possible in the midst of
those weeping and tears. Then from Udhampur and from the nearby areas
and a few from other parts of India also arrived, our conference
cancelled, all returned to Udhampur the next day. The funeral service
was more like a Thanksgiving Service with the heavens echoing with a
glimpse of the coming glory. A team of pastors under the leadership of
Rev. Dr. Silas Dayal Sharma who is also our secretary led the funeral
service.

As the final march slowly moved through the city’s main bazaar with
the body in an open van, many of our old and new friends came out as a
mark of respect. In the final message, I encouraged our children,
grand children, spiritual children, and missionaries from all over
Himalayas to continue and complete the ministry Christy has left
behind. Several of our old friends and pastors from nearby states also
arrived. The president of BJP and some RSS leaders who once opposed us
also came, embraced me and expressed their love and condolences and
they were moved to witness a unique burial.

Today as I look back, I was saved in 1944, left home for full time
ministry in 1953, we were married in 1962, she continued her race with
me from Kerala the southern state of India to Udhampur in 1963 in the
northern part of the Himalayas, stood faithfully with me and
encouraged me. Both our children were born by caesarian deliveries,
then another major operation due to some complications, then I had two
heart attacks admitted at Udhampur in 1971. Later she was admitted
several times in hospitals in different parts of India due to heart
attack, stroke, diabetes, bronchitis, BP etc. but she never stopped
her ministry of teaching, preaching, fasting and prayer and still
remained as a good advisor and friend to me.

In 1996 when we moved our central office to Gorakhpur she continued
the ministry as it spread to the eastern tip of this hill country. She
has fought the good fight. She faced persecution, hunger, sickness and
lack of money with me and still continued to strengthen me and our
children. Now she has finished her race and gone to dwell in the house
of the Lord for ever which is far better place for her. She finished
her race where we started the ministry. She was a good wife, a good
mother, a good grandma, and a good servant of God. She was a woman of
Faith. Hundreds of miracles happened because of her prayers and as a
result gospel reached Nepal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Now here is another miracle. In 1988 when we completed 25 years after
reaching Jammu Kashmir, I received an international award in missions
from USA which included some cash also. After much thinking I decided
to use that money to make a 25 ft tall cross on a hill in our
graveyard on the roadside as a silent witness to the passers by and
named it “The Ebenezer Cross”. After making it, I casually said if we
die anywhere else please bring our body and burry it in front of this
cross. Then years passed by, we moved to Gorakhpur in 1996, my father
died here and buried here at Gorakhpur and we also thought someday we
also will be buried here at Gorakhpur and then we forgot the whole
matter. But our dear Lord did not forget even that small sentence or
desire we uttered and He planned the burial in such a way when most of
our missionaries from Kashmir to Arunachal, all our early believers,
old friends and all my two brothers and their families could be
present.

Now my dear friends, gospel reached India in the first century itself.
Now two thousand years have passed. Still more than 97% of Indians
are living in darkness. Will you join hands to finish this work?
Kindly keep in touch with us as your letters have always encouraged
us.

Your brother in the Himalayas

P.M. Thomas