I want to share this story with you where I experienced God our Father and Jesus last week ...

26th July' 2005 was a day of doom for almost every individual here in Mumbai, India ... Every National and International News reports on channels kept flashing this news. That day everyone ... rich and poor both, walked almost several miles together on foot through water that logged upto 4-5 feet within 3 hours, all over the city. Meteorological department said that the sudden cloud burst in the sky lead to a record breaking rainfall in Indian History. Almost 900 people died in the state of Maharashtra and around 450 people died in Mumbai city alone that day. Many are still missing yet.

The heavy rains made me and my office colleagues leave office early around 3.30 pm. By train or by road I would normally reach home in an hour from office but that day ... I kept walking and walking as everything was on stand still, submerged in water. I stand 5 feet 6 inches tall.The water was around my waist height when i sensed trouble ahead ... the water was still rising ahead in lower areas ... I was taking pictures of the submerged vehicles under this water, on my camera phone as I kept walking. More over the high tide made things worse. There were water currents so the states power supplying board shut the electric supply of the entire city for safety reasons. There were earth shifting, bridges falling apart at several places due to water pressures. All mobile phones were down and I couldn't call home.

As I walked alone, I saw ahead two little girls of around 12 years holding on to a 7 year old boy, all from the same school struggling through the waters and walking ahead. The boy sat on one of the girls shoulders while the other girl lifted all the school bags. I asked the girls if they needed help but they said "No, Thanks". They were of course scared as I was a stranger to them. I dragged myself through the water and moved ahead. It indeed was a horrifying sight ahead with people crying and shivering in cold rain, as the water level rose even higher ahead. I turned back with concern to see that the girls were indeed struggling with the boy on and their school bags. Everyone around wanted to save themselves first. I went back and asked the little girl again if she needed help. This time the frightened children looked exhausted. By now it was dark around 8.00 PM. I took courage and lifted the boy on my shoulders as I walked with the girls encouraging them saying "Don't worry ... I am there now. I learned that they all lived in a place that was not on my route but the opposite. This meant if I had to drop them home I had to walk several more kilometers and then come back to catch the route towards my house. I knew I would not reach home that night as walking several more kilometers more would mean getting myself exhausted completely. But now I saw these children depending on me.

On the next junction we were told by some cops to take a diversion as water logging ahead was around 6 feet deep. This meant extra kilometers walk for me but somehow I was not getting exhausted. I walked ahead leading the children. On walking ahead we reached a place where the water level was just around a feet so the child on my shoulder told me that he would walk in this water. The place was crowded but no vehicles moving. Out of the blue, I saw a couple in a big jeep approach us and ask me which school these children were from. I learned that their child too had not come back from school. They were searching for their child. The girls with me told them that all the school children were shifted to a safe place but since they had accidently left school earlier they got stuck in the water. This vehicle moved ahead without concern but because the water level was high ahead they had to take a U turn. They stopped the vehicle near us. They asked me where we were going. They happened to be going to the same place close to the kids house. They offered to give us a lift. We were glad. For around 20 minutes we drove through different levels of water. People everywhere were walking but we were provided a vehicle by God's grace. Surprisingly I could get through the child's home via my earlier dead mobile phone. I assured the kids parents and told them not to worry and promised them that I would drop them home safely. We reached close to the children's house but the vehicle had to go its own way. So I lifted the boy once again and drop the children to their home.

I was happy from within. A feeling of contentment. I got extra energy as I walked towards my home. The water in my area was around 6 - 7 feet deep and had high pressure so I could not go home. I wondered what to do as it was almost 12 midnight. I got shelter in the a nearby fire brigade that night. I reached home the next day.

The next day after I settled in my home, I learned from my mother about my father. He being short in height was about to drown in the 6 feet water collected in my building premise. He did not know how to swim. Nor was anyone around at that time. Dad held on to the building gates but shivering and had lost all hope when a stranger happened to come by. He saved my father and lifted him up through the deep waters and took him home. My father mentioned to me one important thing. When he was saved by the stranger, it was around 8 PM. I WAS DUMB STRUCK!!! This was the exact time when I had held the hands of those kids for help. Four days later when the water had receded everywhere, I went back to office. My colleague told me an incident. He mentioned about a particular place which was very badly hit by this rain water. He said the water level there was around 7 feet and strong water current got many stranded and many were swept away. I was astonished once again because I remembered that this was the same road I would have walked that day if I would have not got that lift in the car.

Ferd my friend, What better example can I give to show how much my Great Father up there and his Son Jesus loves me. They not only did take me safely home but provided me, gave shelter that night and most importantly ... SAVED MY FATHER'S LIFE ...

Surely that decision to help those kids was not mine but God's who chose me for the job ... I don't know if my job was well done but I can very much boast that my Great Father up there and his Son Jesus have done a splendid job beyond my understanding ...

I have no words but all I can say is - I LOVE GOD VERY VERY VERY MUCH ...

I pray for all those unfortunate ones who have lost their lives in this tragedy and hope that God uses me every time. Not just in trouble but each and every moment of my life for the benefit of mankind ...

Pray for me Ferd, OK ... that I live up to the expectations of our Mighty God and his Divine Son Jesus Christ ...

Take care ... Bye

Lots of love from me to you and your family, Gibson

Gibson, will always live up to God's expectation when like God's Son Jesus, he puts others before himself. Also you can not out give God. While Gibson was doing God's work ... He sent another to help Gibson's father. That might have been an angel or another like Gibson, who heard God's call. Ferd@2jesus