schoolteachers in the public school system in Puttur, India. Early in that

year, they were involved in a near- fatal automobile accident. While both

were seriously injured, Viola suffered the more severe injuries, and her

survival was very much in question. Both Henry and Viola are third-

generation Christians, and both of them have a very strong faith. Henry

prayed for Viola's recovery and made a promise to God that, if Viola

would survive her injuries and recover, that he and Viola would begin a

mission in the name of Jesus Christ.

The Bhaskers soon outgrew their little home, and they found an old

building which was for rent just outside of the village of Puttur. They

moved their home to this building and began to look for more orphans

who needed their help. They were also able to buy a small piece of land

which was adjacent to the rented building.




In 1990, a member of Calvary United Methodist Church was traveling

through the Puttur area with a group of medical/dental evangelists from

New York City. One of the members of the team became very sick while

on the road from Hyderabad to Bangalore. The leader of the group knew

of a small Mission nearby which would be able to supply refuge so the

sick member of the team could rest and recuperate. Brother Henry

welcomed the group, and the sick young lady was given a bed and

allowed to rest. The group remained in this area for the next day as well

and was able to participate in an outdoor evangelism service which was

being sponsored by the Good Shepherd Mission. The Calvary member

was very impressed by the manner in which the Mission was helping the

poor villagers of Puttur. He saw a totally selfless couple who was giving

everything they had to serve the poor and needy. There was no pretense

or self-adulation of any kind visible in Henry and Viola Bhasker. He had

the opportunity to talk with the the Bhaskers privately and to learn of their

aspirations and dreams for their Mission. Their primary purpose was to

spread the love of Jesus Christ, and they understood so well that it was

necessary to show this love IN ACTION!

When the Calvary member returned to Mohnton and talked with the

church leaders, they agreed to help the Mission build it's first structure,

the Good Shepherd Eye Hospital. This building was completed in 1993

and allowed the Mission to move it's free cataract clincs from the rented

Mission building to the new hospital. The Mission had been doing free

cataract operations for the poor for some years prior in the rented

Mission building, and this arrangement was very unsatisfactory. Since

the estblishment of the Eye Hospital, the Mission has done over 6,000

free eye operations for the poor. Other social service aspects of the

Mission include:

1) Founding of 12 village churches, each with its own evangelist,

in villages which previously had no Christian presence.

2) Founding of an orphanage housing 175 children.

3) Founding of a private school with 300 students.

4) Founding of an outreach program in the distant village of

Kolladam which has a teacher, health clinic, orphanage and a

church.

5) Operation of a daily medical clinic at the Mission which treats

120 outpatients each day.

6) Operation of a daily dental clinic which treats 20 or more

patients each day.

7) Home for the elderly.

8) Home for the lepers.

9) Clothing and feeding programs daily.

10) Daily worship services at the Mission.

11) Higher education for those orphans who qualify.

During a visit to the Mission in January, 2000, a group from Calvary

Church paid a visit to the local Puttur Free Government Hospital, the

only hospital which will serve the poor in an area with a population base

of over 5,000,000! The group had heard stories about this hospital and

wanted to see for themselves just how medical care was dispensed to the

poor. The tour of this facility was really an eye-opener! It was far worse

than bad! The entire place was filthy, the walls and floor apparently

never having been cleaned. Even the operating room was filthy. "Sterile

gauze sponges" were being folded on the filthy floor, antibiotics were being diluted with water to stretch the supply,

and disposable plastic syringes with the needles still attached were

being boiled in a tiny "sterilizer" to be reused. The stench in the

wardrooms was very nearly overpowering. But the lowpoint of the tour

came when we were shown the "birthing rooms." These were tiny

concrete cubicles with a thick stone slab to be used as a delivery table.

At the bottom of the slab was a dirty, rusty metal bucket to catch the

fluids. It was a picture from medieval Europe!! Several of the ladies of

this group left this scene in tears, finding the circumstances difficult to

believe.

When the group returned to the Mission, they discussed what they had

just seen. They decided that the only choice they had was to build a

small but modern and clean hospital at the Mission for the poor. They

asked Brother Henry to develop some plans and cost-estimates, and they

were amazed to learn that a 20-bed modern hospital could be built and

equipped for the cost of only $244,000, the price of a nice home in

America. Thus was born the dream project to bring a small taste of

modern medical care to the poor of Puttur.

To date, the hospital has been fully funded and is now in operation, serving the poor. Now the challenge is to fund an

endowment which will generate sufficient operating monies for the new

hospital perpetually. With operating costs being in the range of $52,000

annually, and the rate of interest being at 6.25% in India, an endowment

of about $500,000 will be needed to generate $30,000 annually. Henry

expects to be able to find the additional $22,000 from the fee-for-service

patients who will also want to use the hospital. The poor will have first

priority, but because this will be the finest facility in a wide radius, there

will also be some well-to-do shopkeepers and business people who will

want to use this hospital. There is now $329,000 in the endowment fund.

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