Insight 2009

Giving soles to win souls: Netta and Richard Norton in the beginning, collected shoes to provide relief aid for Portugal and Eastern Europe.

Dr Devdutt Thomas operates to remove a cataract from a patient also suffering with leprosy.

As a vulnerable child, Solomon was lovingly cared for in the Siloam home.

Sponsors continued to help Solomon as he went on to higher studies and qualified as a minister.

Richard Norton took part in the Pax Christiana Bible College graduation. Several hundred people came to mark this occasion which will greatly benefit communities throughout different areas of India.

The Wright family are reaching out to help another family through Siloam child sponsorship.

Kim Hau of Vietnam enjoys an extended family relationship with the Wrights.

Martin Mackenzie welcomes opportunities to share news of Siloam with others.

On remote islands in the Philippines, Survival Paks give more than just basic food supplies and staples. They also offer hope for a better future.

Team members of Leamington Christian Mission are prepared to meet the needs of local people physically and spiritually. Standing on the right Geoff and Steph Devlin with Siloam’s Chairman of Trustees John Eld standing on the left with volunteer Frankie.

Summer 2009

Netta Norton

Co-founder of Siloam Christian Ministries together with her husband Richard, Mrs Netta Norton passed into eternity on the 31st of January. The Nortons established this Leamington based charity which helps people worldwide in 1982.

Netta was active in the ministry until nine years ago when specialist nursing care for her Alzheimer’s disease became necessary. During her long life and almost 40 years of happy marriage to husband Richard, she visited all the areas that Siloam helps in the developing world and was a great inspiration to many.

She loved the children being cared for in the Siloam hostels not just in India, but elsewhere too. As a Trustee of Siloam, she will be greatly missed by those she helped around the world. Since her passing on that sad day, numerous tributes have been sent from as far away as Vietnam and the Philippines as well as places closer to home.

Netta was instrumental in starting projects which helped children and families in many parts of the world. She had a particular heart for helping the Anglo-Indians, a despised social group in India, as well as mentally handicapped children in Romania where she served as a volunteer during 1990.

A dedicated mother to twins Naomi and Natasha, she was also a devoted mother to Annette whom she adopted even before she was married. Other teenagers also enjoyed foster care as Netta believed in being personally involved with those she was trying to help.

Help In Sight

During his trip to India earlier this year, UK Director Richard Norton visited the Siloam Thomas Eye Hospital in Coimbatore.

He comments, "We met some of the patients who were treated from the leprosy camp we had visited earlier last year and most of the patients were going on well. Many had given their hearts to the Lord as a result of the kindness shown to them by the doctors and staff".

"On the following day when we returned, there were about 14 leprosy patients. Three had been selected for eye surgery that day so that they could have the second eye operated for removal of cataract lens".

Siloam aims to bring both physical and spiritual sight to others. Serving those who suffer from blindness and leprosy is our way of following Jesus.

Solomon's Story

God works in all our life circumstances as a young man named Solomon testifies. Born into a Hindu family in India, his father was a fisherman and his mother sometimes did farming work.

When he was just five years old, Solomon contracted severe chicken pox. Sadly, without medical attention, he lost his eyesight within a few days.

After that, his father wanted him to go to a rice mill to beg. He reasoned that if people saw his blind little boy sitting at the gate begging, they might sympathise and give him some rice. But his mother objected and Solomon did not have to become a child beggar.

Later his parents agreed that Solomon could go to a school for the blind operated by Siloam Christian Ministries. He was amazed, ‘There were two hundred children blind like me.

"The warden was the one who introduced me to Jesus and led me to salvation. He helped me to realise the unconditional love of Jesus and I accepted Him as my personal Saviour."

Through continuing sponsorship, Solomon was able to attend Pax Christiana Bible College and Seminary for a diploma course. It was challenging to learn English without the ability to read and write like his fellow students.

Yet Solomon notes: "God answered my prayer and enabled me to complete my course successfully. I thank the Lord for His dedicated servants who taught me God’s Word and also the English language."

Graduating in 2005, Solomon returned to his home village to begin a village ministry along with a local pastor. Solomon explains, "I thank God for His grace and mercy throughout my life. To repay His greatness to me, I will serve Him and proclaim His infallible love to people as long as I live on the earth."

Pax Christiana Bible College in India

The Bible College represents an important stage in the 'give and take' of Christian living which Dr Max Lange noted in his address at the recent graduation.

UK Director Richard Norton took part in this day which was a notable event for the church in India as well as for the individual graduates.

Dr Lange spoke about how we should be 'givers in the church'. He tried to motivate the pastors and church members to be involved in giving to others since they themselves had already benefited from people's giving overseas.

Many Bible College students are young people who come from Siloam’s children’s homes or hostels. Within this caring environment, some come to faith from other backgrounds. All share a sincere desire to serve the Lord in practical ways and strengthen the local church.

Together Child Sponsorship

Family Love
I find it an amazing thing that God says, “There is no difference in the love I have for you and for My Son.”’ That’s how Tim Wright explains the love he and his immediate family enjoy – and how they are sharing it with others.

Tim, his wife Linda and their two daughters sponsor a Vietnamese girl Huynh Thi Kim Hau. Tim says, "Our daughters contribute to our child sponsorship by using their allowance. As a family, we pray for Kim Hau and her family. Hopefully, our girls are acquiring the compassion of Jesus."

The Wrights are Americans but came to England because Tim works among students for Operation Mobilisation. Their family is international in several ways as their adopted daughter Abigail is Chinese. Tim notes that when their birth daughter Hannah was born, he realised that his parental love was the same for both his children. It made him appreciate the Father love of God in a very real way.

He says, "By sponsoring a little girl, it increases her family. We wanted to help someone potentially at risk. Because we help her with her education, she can have options for the future".

"What I appreciate about Siloam is that they enable a child like Kim Hau to stay with her family while getting her education. God wants the family unit to stay together. This way we are reaching out and helping family to family."

Preparing for Safari

Getting ready for an arduous journey, Martin Mackenzie and Jan Williams aim to help vulnerable children at Lambwe Christian School for the Deaf. They will be travelling long, uncomfortable hours through harsh terrain to reach them in Kenya.

Over the last 20 months Martin has successfully raised funds for various Siloam projects globally. He sets up an informative stall and discusses the ministries with interested people, many of whom contribute.

Now he will concentrate exclusively on obtaining clean water for the deaf children and hard-working staff of Lambwe. Martin and Jan are undertaking this fact finding venture to monitor the work already completed, update plans for the bore hole, and assess any other needs.

Assistance would be welcome since Martin and Jan still require sponsorship for their compassionate safari. For information, please contact Martin on 07970 869956.

From Devastation to Hope

Death tolls may seem like just statistics. But when a typhoon kills your parents, your life is devastated. That’s what happened to seven year old Pepe in the Philippines.

Scared and grieving terribly, he was orphaned without relatives. Pepe lived in the streets, scavenging for food with other children, dogs and rats in the rubbish dump. At night he slept somewhere in a corner or under steps. His loneliness was unbearable.

Somehow Pepe found his way to Evangelist Jason dela Torre. He was glad that someone was ready to listen to him and show him compassion. When Jason encouraged him and shared the gospel with him, Pepe decided right away that he, too, wanted to have the Lord Jesus as his Saviour.

Jason asked him to come to the children’s meetings. He also gave him a Survival Pak with food. It was a day Pepe would never forget. Finally, after so much misery, he had new hope.

Now over just a short time, Pepe's life is transformed. He is staying with members of Jason's church. ‘Because they love and care for him, he has become a happy child. You wouldn't think that just a short while ago, he was a hopeless street boy,' says Jason.

According to Pepe, there is hope for the future, ‘When I grow up,' he says, ‘I want to study in the Bible School and become a pastor.'

Leamington Christian Mission

It's a time when none of us are immune to financial difficulties. The Leamington Christian Mission team realise the difference in the kind of people who now come to them.

These people have held down jobs and provided for their families. Then working hours are reduced, some to a drastic low of 26 hours a week. Yet their expenses and bills remain the same.

Steph Devlin who heads the mission with her husband Geoff explains, 'One man stood watching as other people came and went. Once everybody else was gone, he approached us, very embarrassed to have to admit needing help.'

'Spiritually, people are realising that they cannot stand alone. The team notices how the number of people asking us to pray with them is increasing. It means that as we stand together, we keep God in the centre of the work.'