Dear Friend,
You may be wondering if this pandemic has affected the children’s ministry hub in India? Our Easter gospel outreaches? The educational system in India?
It sure has!
We temporarily suspended gospel outreaches that involve gatherings, the education of the children is a work in progress, VBS plans are paused, nearly 150 barefoot pastors are on hold, and the ministry hub is in lockdown (more on this below).
Currently, most of our support for children funnels to India, the world’s largest democracy. This country of 1.3 billion is struggling to manage stay-home orders. Its streets are becoming more unsafe and unsanitary. And news outlets report a mass exodus of migrant workers returning to their home villages during the lockdown.
The situation is also degrading. We learned that our Christian brothers and sisters in India are experiencing even more discrimination and persecution than they normally do. It breaks my heart.
We strongly believe there’s an outpouring of ministry coming … possibly like never before in our charity’s 48-year history. But we won’t react with a short-term response. We want to learn through this unprecedented event … for a long-term solution. By God’s grace, together we will adapt to effectively meet the essential needs of vulnerable children, aid their educational development, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ—the true message of hope.
So, please continue to pray with us. In addition to your partnership, here are other blessings we’re thankful for:
Favor: In the jurisdiction of our ministry hub, the local police department has issued a sticker allowing our field partner to leave his home. While this doesn’t mean things are back to normal, it does mean that essential needs for children are continuing to be met.
You: Our ministry team and the children we help are thankful for supporters like you. Your gifts make Christ known tangibly to these little hearts. God is transforming your gifts into shelter, Bible teaching, acts of love, and uncommon hope for uncommon times. Again, thanks for taking part in spreading the gospel.
Provision: A local grocer is delivering food to the children’s home. This isn’t a free service, but it’s an essential service to these 40-45 children.
Activities for little hands: During lockdown, children at the ministry hub are crafting and making face masks. If that doesn’t give you goose bumps, consider this … they want to send some of these face masks to us in North America—despite the need in India!
Hope: With your monthly help, workers at the ministry hub continue ministering to the children during confinement. These children (most of them under 15) are hearing God’s word every day. Because God’s word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11), we believe that He will make His great name known in the surrounding communities of India.
We’re not alone: I recently enjoyed an online, global prayer meeting. It was inspiring to hear pastors and ministry leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America pray on behalf of vulnerable children. It encourages me that the unifying theme of their prayers is that the gospel of Jesus Christ spreads through children’s homes all over the world.
Everyone is affected somehow by COVID-19. The difference for the children you’re investing in every month is that they’re walking through this uncertainty hearing God’s promises. God is writing history. And on the hearts of the vulnerable children, may it be His story that’s written.
Until every child in every nation knows that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Byron Garmo, President
FYI: In order to follow stay-home ordinances, we’re each working remotely. Our ministry team continues to receive and respond to all phone calls, postal mail, and e-mail Tuesdays-Thursdays.
