Letters of Commendation

I, Harold Parsley, a minister of the Gospel, have known Dr. L.A. Rasalam since 1977. During this time, Dr. Rasalam founded "Hope for the Suffering" or "HFTS". I became involved with the organization from the beginning because Dr. Rasalam had a commitment to help the needy which I also desired to do.

The organization had as its purpose to enlist business and professional persons to fund the work and there was not to be any of the donated funds used for overhead or administrative expenses. This was very attractive to me and for the next seven or eight years I served on the Board of Directors and in an advisory capacity. I made two trips to India with HFTS and one trip to Mexico. All of the expenses were paid by the individuals making the trip. The expenses of the work and ministries were also paid by the directors, mostly by Dr. Rasalam himself. I served with the board of India when we were there. I had first hand knowledge of the activities of the board in India, they too were required to pay their own expenses. Monies given for the child were all given to that child. I personally saw bank accounts in the name of the child being supported.

As a strong supporter of HFTS I can assure you that it is an organization using the highest moral and ethical standards. I am still involved and am planning another trip to Inida within the next year.

Reverend Harold Parsley

To Whom it May Concern:

I joined Hope for the Suffering's Board of Directors in 1983. Hope for the Suffering is an organization which ministers to the needs of children around the world. The primary reason I joined Hope for the Suffering was they were unique in the distribution of donations, because 100% of all money received is given to the children. All expenses of the organization are paid by the Board of Directors.

From 1984 to 1989 I served as Vice President. During this time I traveled twice to India and once to Mexico at my own expense. In India, I visited hospitals, brought clothing and food to the poor villages and visited a leprosy hospital which Hope for the Suffering donated to. I personally audited during these years the Treasurer's Reports indicating all donations were given to children and also all expense were paid by the Board of Directors.

Since I have known Dr. Rasalam, his life's mission has been to help suffering children through Hope for the Suffering. I am privileged to be part of this fine organization. I can't stress stongly enough the high moral and ethical standards of Dr. Livingstone Rasalam. He has worked relentlessly to help children around the world. Hope for the Suffering is currently helping over 1,000 children, and in the process of building another church in an underprivileged area in India.

Very truly yours,
Margot Veirup
Mokena, Illinois USA

To Whom it may Concern:

Hope for the Suffering is a Registered Society functioning with prior permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Contributions from HFTS, Trivandrum, are received from Hope for the Suffering, USA, the Founder and President of which is Dr. Livingstone A. Rasalam, M.D., who happens to be a nephew of mine, whom I hold with great love and regard particularly for his Christian love, compassion and integrity of rare order.

HFTS is a Christian Social Association. The aims and objectives include help to poor children, aged and destitutes. The contributions received from the USA are distributed among the poor and destitute for food, clothes and education to school-going children, mainly orphans. Another area where support is offered is in the form of marriage help to poor girls at the time of their wedding. New clothes are distributed during Christmas to deserving people; support to leprosy patients and medical help through Medical Camps are also included in the activities. Financial help is given to congregations in need, to construct church buildings. Deserving people receive help to repair and maintain their humble homes.

All these activities are carried out by a group of committed volunteers drawn mostly from his closely knit affluent family. They are all sufficiently blessed by God Almighty and neither do they need any help from HFTS nor do they take any amount from HFTS, voluntarily utilizing their spare time. The President, Dr. Christo S. Rasalam, M.D., is a busy pediatrician. Mrs. Janet E. Rasalam, his aged mother, is the Treasurer who maintains the accounts, properly audited by accredited Chartered Accountants in accordance with the Foreign Contribution Act. The General Secretary, Mr. Edward J. Rasalam, retired from the service of the State Government as the Additional Director of Fisheries of Kerala State. After my very active academic and official life as the Director of Central Marien Fisheries Research Institute, Government of India, my Lord led me to the establishment of the Home for Handicapped (Polio) Children in Trivandum in cooperation with the church of South India and Churches Council for Child and Youth Care (CCCYC) with funds mainly from the Kindernothilte in Duisberg, Germany. It is therefore only my joy to share my ideas about the children in need, with the Hope for the Suffering, as its Honorary Adviser.

I hereby affirm and vouchsafe that the statement given above is true and is based on my personal knowledge. The above statement by me in my capacity as the Honorary Adviser to Hope for the Suffering.

Dr. S. Jones

Dear Dr. Rasalam:

Thank you for your kind letter of November 23. It was certainly nice to meet you at The cove recently. Thank you for taking time to attend Prescription for Renewal.

I want to express my deep appreciation for your generous contribution to Samaritan's Purse in the amount of $10,000 to be used for our Operation Christmas project this year. We are busy gearing up for the final preparations and will begin making distribution about December 15. We will be doing a very large distribution in Bosnia; however, we will also have distribution programs in Beirut and throughout the Middle East, as well as parts of Africa and Centeral America. We certainly would appreciate your prayers for our team as they travel to these troubled areas of the world.

May God bless you this holiday season.

Sincerely,
Franklin Graham

Dear Dr. Rasalam:

On behalf of the Center for Successful Child Development and our participating families, I wish to thank you and Hope for the Suffering for the generous donation of eighty five (85) holiday food baskets.

It was so nice of you, Sara and your HFTS volunteers, Ms. Joyce Brooks and daughter, to join us at the Center for the basket distribution. This very personal donation of your time at this busy season has given added significance to Hope for the Sufferings' gift baskets.

Sincerely,
Haroldine Bourelly
Community Linkages/CSCD
The Center of Sucessful Child Development
4848 S. State Street
Chicago, IL 60609

Respected Sir:

The monthly aid from your organization is very helpful to poor students in their school education. By the help of this they have much enthusiasm to study well. They are in the life of well disciplined and organized. They have been used this amount of each to school education and balance is earned for higher education. The children and family members are cooperating in worship and ministry. I and the fellowship members are always praying for the development of the organization and its ministry.

Thanks again for your service,
H. Christu DAS,
Plavila Prayer House
Thiruvananthapuram

Respected Dr.:

I thank the precious name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In South India especially Nellimoodu area, there are 32 children achieving education help from HFTS. Surely it is a marvelloouw help to the suffering families. In this area there are several people like this. The above mentioned children are very glad for this help from HFTS. These students are studying very well. This help will effect after their S.S.L.C. examination, so all students keep their total account in a particular bank. I care for these students as a pastor in this area. In short this help from HFTS leads these students in a glittering future.

Thank you,
Rev. M. William
C.S.I. Church Kazhivoor (S.I.U.C.)

I am glad in giving a brief report about our organization "Hope for the Suffering" and its work at our churches. Hope for the Suffering organization helps our poor children by paying a monthly honororium of Rs.60/ regularly. By this the children are encouraged in studying a moral life. They regularly attend church services. This amount is stored for their higher education in the banks. The parents also are very happy because of their children are helped by this good organization. The attendance in the church service is considerably increased due to this help. One condition to receive this help is, they should attend the Sunday school and to score high maks in the test. This helps the children to study the bible regularly and loyal to the Almighty.

We have aso received help for our poor girls marriage. One soverigu chain is presneted to these poor girls during the time of marriage. This really is a great help to our prople to stnad in the society with gold chain. I appreciate this scheme very much. One of our District Members has received a ehlp for purchasing a sewing machine self employment scheme to find our ways and means to come up in their life. A nice scheme indeed.

Our Hope for the Suffering organization has come forward to help our Vattacottai church construction work in His glory in an early date. I sincerely pray that this organization "Hope for the Suffering" would grew continuously, so that the need will be benefited and our Lord's name be glorified.

Rev. P.J. Jayaseelan
District Minister

Integrated Rural Development CASA Project, which is one of the rural development projects under the CSI South Kerala Diocese have two nurseries (Day Care Centers) which is formed by the people in the area to meet the growing educational needs of the community. These centers are working under the Mahila Samayams formed in the area of Peringammala and Edawom. The center at Peringammala more than 1000 children have studied till now from the very inception of the project. In the beginning here there was more than 100 children at a time. Now there are 35 children in the center. We meet their educational, psychological, social and cultural needs even from the very early childhood. Every year the children at age 5 will be admitted in the nearby school. The children who have studied here are better in their class. Most of the children who are studying in our tuition center started here as a service collecting nominal fees. The children belong to the cateegory of the poorest of the poor who are mostly residing in the hills in the four center colony and other colonies in the area, road purampokkin huts called roadan Kathen Veldukal. Since the parents are unable to provide them food CASA is providing energy and food which is just like wheat rava cooked and given to the children at the interval at 11 a.m. Noon food, children will bring. CASA has also provided the nursery play materials, charts and other study materials, etc.

CASA has no provision to meet the remunceration of the nursery/teachers and ayas. We are very much thankful to Hope for the Suffering who have come forward to issue us Rs. 400/ allowance to meet little allowance as remunceration to the nursery/teachers. The amount provided by Hope for the Suffering is a great blessing of us and to our nursery/teachers who receive Rs. 22/ each in two centers. The ayas are paid Rs. 50/ each which is often not regular out of the fees collected, which most of the children do not pay regularly. The poor parents, children, staff, project authorities are all extremely thankful to Hope for the Suffering which throws great hope to these unreached, down trodden hopeless mass. From the Edawom nusery more than 800 children have come to the light with the assistance of Hope for the Suffering. At present there are 30 children, they could build the foundation of their eduction and thereby their future. Therefore in total more than 1800 families have been enlighten hitherto by the grace of the organization support us, is a great remarkable help extended to us for which we will ever be grateful to the authorities of Hope for the Suffering.

J. Rosbery
Project-in-charge

Respected Sir:

Greetings from the Management and staff of Dr. Somervel Memorial C.S.I. Missions Hospital!

Hope this letter finds you and your family healthy and gay. God bless you to carry on all the good work you are doing and I can only thank you for all the great help you are giving to our mission hospital. Rt. Rev. Dr. J.W. Gladstone, Bishop, South Kerala Diocese, laid the foundation stone for the mental health unit, named Rasalam Psychiatric Unit on 6/9/99. All the office bearers of the Diocese and the South Kerala Medical Mission present at the function, emphasized on the mental problems caused by the complexity of modern society and how a hospital like ours can help to preserve the mental health of the people in and out of our service area by providing proper counseling and modern treatment. Bishop also reminded people of the innumerable contribution the Rasalam family has rendered to the erstwhile London Missionary Society and then the Church of South India, especially in the early stages of the South Kerala Diocese. He also expressed his love and regard for Dr. Livingstone A. Rasalam who has come forward to extend timely and valuable help in starting a psychiatry ward attached to our hospital which is a need for our area. He also called upon every one present to be every grateful to your goodself and to pray God for your long life and to strengthen you to be of greater service for the welfare of man and the Glory of God!

The construction of the proposed building would be started as and when finance is available. A committee comprising of Er. Rasalam, Er. Alexander, Er. Joshua and office bearers of the building committee would meet at each stage of the work to discuss the check accounts. We have temporarily arranged an outpatient clinic with four beds for any emergency admissions. The response from the people of the service area is encouraging.We have appointed Dr. Raghuthaman, M.B.B.S., DPM, M.D., who was working as Mental Health Consultant at C.M.C. Hospital, Vellore, to be in charge of this unit. He would enable it to become a full fledged Mental Health Centre with modern equipments such as Electro Convulsive Therapy Unit, Etc. May God help us to complete the work related to the starting of the unit as early as possible and to dedicate it in His Name at a function in which He will bless us with your esteemed presence at the beginning of the new Millenium.

With thanks and prayerful wishes,
Dr. Bennet Abraham, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Medical Superintendent