A Woman in Action by Helen Dowd

INTRODUCTION: This is the story of a modern-day missionary. She does not have a university degree. She is not famous and she has no earthly wealth. But her reward in heaven will be great. She "has fought a great fight;" although she has not "finished the race." "As I entered the *India for Christ headquarters in Chilakaluripet, fifty pairs of brown hands and arms were raised, palms together in traditional manner of greeting. The children were standing in two lines facing each other to form a lane through which I walked. A shrill chorus of little voices greeted me with, 'Vandanalu'�?Praise the Lord.'" Usually, when a person reaches his or her sixties, it is time to think of retirement. Not this lady! She says: "Now I am of the so-called "Retirement age"; yet I have no intention of quitting front-line missionary service so long as I have an open door and the Lord supplies me with strength. I intend to "Occupy until He comes," or until He calls me out of service. Praise God!" She turned seventy-six in September ('06), but you will not find her basking in the sunshine in Florida or Hawaii. You will not see her nursing her arthritis or running off to spas to help improve her quality of life. However, you may find her in Chilakaluipet, Andhra Pradesh, India, standing before a congregation of more than 2000, preaching the Gospel, through an interpreter. You may find her pouring her heart out in prayer, while placing her hands on head after head of men, women and children seeking healing of body and spirit. You may find her kneeling on the cement floor of the tabernacle, her arms around an Indian women who is seeking comfort, communicating in Tamil or Telegu, as best she can. Words of understanding and love do not necessarily have to be perfect. Evelyn Splane, founder and director of the *India for Christ Mission, in Chilakaluripet, André Pradesh, never married. It was not because she was never asked, but because she chose rather, to devote herself for full time service for the Lord. She had been commissioned to "Stand in the Gap." Because of the laws of that land, Evelyn is unable to stay in India for long periods of time, as she did when she first went there. At her own expense she travels back and forth from India to Canada as often as is necessary to tend to the needs of the mission, which is left in charge of a very dedicated and faithful local pastor. While she is in her homeland, Canada, you will not see her sitting at home in a comfortable house, relaxing in comfort. Up until six months ago, she lived in a modest, one-bedroom suite in the basement of a church, in Toronto. In April of 2006, she moved West to live with her sister and brother-in-law, Hart and Helen Dowd, in order to be closer to family. While in her homeland, she travels about from place to place, also at her own expense, to create and renew an interest in the Lord's work in her adopted land of India. Evelyn does not take a wage from the mission. She relies solely on God to supply her needs. She receives a modest income from Canadian pensions, just as all Canadian seniors do. Any donations she receives from people, designated for the work in India, goes directly there. She does not keep a fee for administration. There are times when she is given a love gift for herself. That she may keep for her extra travel expenses, or she may share with someone whom she feels needs it more than she does. Evelyn has many stories to tell of the wonderful work God is doing in her part of India. Her mission now sponsors and supports forty-five orphan boys and forty-five orphan girls; trains young men for the ministry; goes to outlying villages to preach and teach. And most recently the mission has begun a shelter for destitute elderly folks. In 2000, the mission built a tabernacle, which seats a congregation of 2000. Since 95% of the congregation sits on the floor, pews and chairs do not take up space, allowing that many more people to hear the gospel. In 2005, the congregation has expanded to well over 2500. The church is filled to capacity every Sunday, and many more people congregate outside the building to listen, making an exact count impossible. Evelyn knew that India was God's place for her, from her early childhood. She cannot remember a time when "missions" was not in her mind. Every day at family devotions missionaries from all over the world were prayed for in detail. Missionaries were often guests in the humble home Evelyn shared with her parents, an older sister and four younger siblings, during her growing up years. Two of the most influential people in Evelyn's life were two great aunts, who were a missionary doctor and nurse in the hills of Northern India. So it wasn't any wonder that Evelyn became a missionary. But her first "calling" has an interesting story around it.(Adapted from a composition written by her sister, **Clara, now in glory, in her Junior year at Prairie Bible Institute, in 1949.) ......... "Water in the Tins." Two little sisters joined hands and skipped down the well-worn path to their playhouse. To the girls, their playhouse had real walls, not just a few sticks of wood in the shape of a square on the grass; and a real ceiling, not just green leaves and blue sky. "Ev," said Clara, reflecting on the Bible story their dad had read that morning, from Judges 6, about Gideon, "what's a fleece?" "I dunno," replied her sister, Evelyn. "Guess it must be a cloth, though, 'cause Gideon wringed it out." Clara gave a big sigh. "Sure wish I knew what a fleece is." "Why?" Satisfied with the ribbon she had been struggling with on her doll's bonnet, Evelyn wrapped her in a blanket. "Because." "'cause why?" "Because I want to know for sure if I'm s'posed to go to Africa to be a missionary. It would be terrible if I got way out there, then found out I belonged in China or somewhere else. If Gideon found out that he was s'posed to lead the army by seeing if there was water in his fleece, I can find out if I'm s'posed to go to Africa the same way. ... If I on'? knew what a fleece is." Evelyn jumped up from the ground. . ."I should find out if I'm s'posed ta go ta India, too." She put her finger to the side of her face. "A fleece must be a cloth, though." "I guess it is." Clara rose slowly from the ground, letting out a long sigh. �?"Let's put out a cloth tonight... Here." She pointed to a spot. "And see if it's wet in the morning. If it's wet, we're s'posed to go to Africa and India. If it's not, we're s'posed to go to some other countries." "But we need two cloths," said Evelyn, looking at the spot on the ground. "One for each of us." "That's right." Clara swooped down and snatched at her doll's blanket. "We could use Peggy Anne's and Eva's blankets." "But . . . but they'd be cold tonight." "Oh Ev. They're only dolls. Besides, they can sleep with us." "No! I don't like a doll in bed with me, and I won't let Eva sleep all night without a blanket." She hugged her doll to her. "I'll tell you what," said Clara. "We can't wring out cloth very well anyway. We'll get two tins and put them here ... to get water in." Again, Clara pointed to the spot. "It was God that put water in Gideon's fleece, and He can put water in our tins if He wants us to be missionaries in India and Africa." The girls turned and ran from the playhouse, letting their dolls tumble to the ground. Running to the garbage at the back of the shack, they rummaged around, finding two tins. A few minutes later, they were scampering back toward the playhouse, a Nabob coffee can and a Empress strawberry jam can in their hands. The girls set their tins in place, picked up their dolls, and headed back to the house. "Clara?" Evelyn grabbed her sister's arm, pulling her to a stop. "When Gideon put his fleece out to get water in it, didn't he pray that God would make it wet, so he'd know if he was s'posed to lead the army? We should pray, shouldn't we?" The girls joined hands. "Dear God," they prayed together. "Put water in our tins, if you want us in India and Africa. Amen." Still holding hands, they skipped up the path toward the house. The next morning just as the sun was peeking over the horizon, Clara and Evelyn raced each other to the window. "Oh, Ev! It rained! It rained!" Still in their nighties, the sisters ran down the path to where two tins, spilling water over their brims, waited for them. God's eye was on those sisters. He kept them in His will. Yes! **Clara went to Africa, and Ev's land is India still. ******* Note: I know this to be a true story. I am Evelyn Splane's younger sister. *Evelyn Splane: founder and chair person of INDIA FOR CHRIST, an indigenous mission, consisting of over 80 orphan boys and girls, and several out-reach ministers, in S.E. India. **Clara and her husband spent 10 years in Senegal, Africa. Three of their four children were born there. Clara and her husband were killed in a car crash in 1975. INFORMATION ON INDIA FOR CHRIST MISSION: Founder and Field Representative of India For Christ: (Rev.) Miss Evelyn Splane. Canadian Director:Rev. Paul Henderson P.O. Box 648, Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada K7A 4T4 © Helen Dowd