Funeral service for my brother Kumar

Tribute to my brother Kumar.

This eulogy was delivered by me at the funeral service at 1541 Centerville Turnpike, Virginia Beach. on Friday, March 2, 2012 at 11:00am

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Friends, brothers and sisters in Christ,

Thank you for taking time to come for this service in honor of my brother Kumar. On behalf of our families I want to thank you for your care, concern and love which you showered upon Smita and Manisha during this difficult time. I am simply overwhelmed by the support and love you all showed, which certainly lightened the burden and made this stretch of the journey more bearable, especially for Smita and Minisha. Birth and death are all part of life’s journey. King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3 - There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to mourn and a time to dance, Indeed today we mourn but we sorrow not as people without hope but as people who are assured that we will soon see Kumar face to face in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While we bid a sad farewell to Kumar today, it’s also a time to celebrate his homecoming through heaven’s gate, and remember his life and the legacy he has left behind.

It was on Saturday night (Spore time) when I was informed that Kumar’s condition had taken for the worst. I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at that time facilitating a Christian Leadership Seminar. That morning I was sharing with the group on what makes a Christian different from the rest. A Christian is one who perceives life as transient and because life is temporary he redeems the time and seeks to fulfill God’s purposes and plans as long as he lives. That in short summarizes my brother’s life.

Kumar gave his life to the Lord when he was about 14 years old. We came from a Hindu background and together with our parents, Kumar was baptized on 31 Aug 1971. His teenage and youth days were relatively quiet but he was a good sportsman in school. As we were growing up, most of our time was spent in church and church related activities. One would have thought that Kumar being the older brother would have been the bully in the house. Not in my case…I was the bully. It was not that Kumar was scared of me; rather he loved me and was very protective. (mentioned about Rajoo falling into the drain incident)

Kumar started slightly late in life, but as he progressed, he showed a passion for missions and helping the poor. When the OM gospel ship, Logos visited Singapore, in the mid seventies, he served as a volunteer and in fact, wanted to join the ship. They said he was too young. Then there was another gospel ship from Finland. Kumar was so excited when he was invited by one crew member to visit the ship.(mentioned about him falling into the harbor). Special item during Christmas 1977...I think?)

He was very much impacted by the lives of missionaries who came to Singapore, In fact out family came to know the Lord through a Finnish missionary. He wanted to be a missionary. I remember one day, when he was about 15-16 years old, a man of God (Bro DGS Dinakaran)prayed over him and said that God will take him to many nations of the world to share God’s love. And that’s what he did.

Picture taken at my wedding 11.1.1986

After his high school, he did his national service in the army for two years and later worked in a shipyard as an engine fitter for a couple of years.. All along he knew that that was not the place where God wanted him to be. One day he came and told me that he wanted to serve the Lord and that he will have to go to Sri Lanka for training. Many people did not take him seriously at that time but God took him seriously. He left Singapore by faith, trusting God alone. National Service 1976 (Artillery unit - Kumar at the far right)

He spent his initial days working with “Shelter Now” a branch of Christ is the "Answer Organization." Moving from Sri Lanka to India , Pakistan and back to India. That’s where he met Smita who was also part of the missions group. In those days, they did not have the advantage of the internet or cell phones and most of their courtship was through letters. Simta said that in almost all his letters Kumar would sign off with the following words: “Let’s love God, let’s love one another and lets be a blessing to the others. We will serve the poor.” In Afghanistan

They got married in Dec 1986 and a few years later both joined Bethany School of Missions to do their theological studies. One step of faith led to another, from one person group to many people groups, one humanitarian mission to many missions, from one nation to many nations, sharing the love of God with the poor and needy. If you have read his face book or watched the clips on his site, you would have realized the impact that he has had on thousands of lives all over the world. Just a few nights ago one of our youth leaders from Singapore said, Kumar’s life has impacted many young hearts in Singapore and they too wanted to follow his example.

In 2004 Kumar was Director of CBN office in Hyderabad India and I was the Missions Director of my church. Kumar invited me to visit Hyderabad and introduced me to an Indian pastor who had such a passion for reaching the lost. Kumar said you may want to work with him. He is a great asset. That was about 7 years ago. Today as a result of that connection, we have more than 150 church planters and pastors working all over India to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the uttermost parts of the nation of India. We have planted more than 300 new churches in the villages of India and the work is growing. All Kumar did was to make an introduction and that became a vital link in extending God’s kingdom and fulfilling the Great Commission.

One of the things that impressed me about Kumar was his love for the Lord and for the needy. Whenever there was some news about some catastrophe in any part of the world, he would be moved to do something or connect with some organization that will bring some relief and comfort to those in need. His face book site is full of such activates. In 2000 there was an earthquake in Gujarat, India. I was leading a humanitarian mission on behalf of the Singapore government to bring aid for the earthquake victims and as we were transiting through Mumbai, I suddenly saw a figure that resembled like Kumar. Kumar also saw me and he whispered to Smita who was with him, “That guy looks like my brother.” Kumar was also heading for Butch on a humanitarian mission on behalf of Operation Blessing. You can imagine our surprise and joy. Two persons from two different locations in the world not having a clue of each other’s movement… The timing was so perfect, it must be God.

Kumar was a busy man. Whenever he came back to Singapore, he was all the time connected with his office and often had to move at short notice. But he was always ready. The word NO did not seem to exist in his vocabulary as far as serving the Lord or meeting the needs of the poor and needy were concerned.

He never compromised his Christian values and principles. There were many opportunities during his time with the many different Christian organizations where he could have enriched himself, taken a bribe or siphoned money to his accounts. He never took a dime for his own. He was careful on how he used the God given resources, minimizing expenditure but at the same time making sure that the quality and the vision was not compromised. Kumar was frugal when it came to spending money for his own comfort but lavish and generous when it comes to helping the poor and the needy. That was his heart, that was his passion, that was him. No wonder they called him the simple fellow, the friend of the poor and needy.

He had high standards and demanded the same from the people he worked with. Many found it hard to accept. To those who failed, Kumar always gave them a second chance, sometime many more. He did not just point the way, he showed them how to get to the way and that made him special. No wonder may called him a friend, a mentor ,brother, a father, and the adjectives keep adding.

In spite of his many achievements and accolades for the kingdom, Kumar never boasted of his achievements or took credit. Like Paul, Kumar’s attitude was, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Kumar was a great son and a wonderful brother. Although he was away from home most of his life, he never failed to keep in touch with us, especially our parents and sister. He always made sure that they were taken care of, both physically and financially. My brother hardly denied me anything. I would tell my friends that even if I asked my brother for the moon, he would somehow get it for me.

He was also a great husband a wonderful father. In many of our conversions he would always say how much he loved Smita and Manisha. They were his delight. He always had their best interests in his heart and did everything that was needed. We are indeed grateful to Simta for standing by my brother through thick and thin, through sickness and in health and through all the difficult and dangerous journeys he undertook for the sake of the kingdom. There were times when he had to be away from home for more than a month. And believe me, it’s hard on the wife. Theirs was a life of commitment and dedication and Simta, Kumar could not have achieved all that he did without God and you. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made. Manisha was the joy of his life. She was always his song and pride. Kumar reminds me of our Heavenly father as described in Isaiah 49:15-18 - Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you—never. Look, I've written your names on the backs of my hands. In Kumar’s case, Manisha name was written all over him. Yes Manisha, as you always say, your Daddy is the greatest ever. We will always be there for both of you.

Last year in Nov my mother and I visited him when we heard that he was diagnosed with liver cancer. It was the last time I had a long chat with him in the hospital room. We talked about many things from our hearts. We planned to do a project together in India after he recovered, where we could train and equip the next generation with handles to fulfill the Great Commission. We prayed for each other and committed our plans to the Lord. But God had better plans. Jeremiah 29:11 says,” For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. For Kumar, it was time to come Home and hear the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: …. enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

I would like to end by thanking God for the life of my brother, his faithfulness to the Lord and for the legacy he leaves behind. He will forever be part of our hearts, we will miss him. I miss him. Love you brother. Farewell.