Coming up! Christmas outreach dinners
For more than 30 years in India, partners like you have helped feed the hungry, and share the gospel with people who are spiritually hungry. At the Easter outreaches last spring, staff and volunteers worked long hours to feed as many people as possible. With fresh onions, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, and spices, they prepared a feast. They also provided good water and hygiene services that many don’t have access to otherwise. And, of course, gifts and goodies for the children.
Most importantly, they shared the gospel with those who attended, helping to satisfy not just their physical hunger, but their spiritual hunger.
Vasu’s story: A young, factory laborer wonders what prompted a free meal with love
Vasu is a little boy who works in a factory. A victim of exploitative labor, Vasu works long hours in terrible conditions with little pay. He struggles to have enough to eat. When he saw the Easter outreach tent from his workplace, he ran over as soon as he could. There, he was welcomed by a volunteer and given cold water. He enjoyed his meal and ate until he was full. He received a chocolate and a kite–gifts for a child who spends so much of his life having to be a grown-up. And he eagerly heard the gospel, marveling at the God who promises eternal riches and satisfaction in Christ.
“My home life is hard. We did not have the things we need…One day, I was invited to a church party at a tent. It was filled with lots of children. We sang a few songs and had a gospel presentation. After that, they gave us a hot, delicious meal with chilled, clean drinking water. This was my first time I was fed freely and with love and affection. Thank you for the wonderful meal I received. Please keep feeding kids like me.”
Easter Celebrations Held in 4 Locations
The Easter celebration was held at various places with special groups: the orphanage, blind parents with children, Leper community, and tribal people. For the tribal people, this is their first Easter. 27 New Believers from the tribe got baptized during the Easter Celebration!
Christlikeness teaching was held at several places, where all the new believers gathered and 750 people heard the gospel in several different villages. Last September we taught Christlike Character to 1,700 barefoot gospel workers. We are seeing the “Ripple Effect” of our training and follow-up work through all the local church groups, and barefoot gospel workers. Many are ready for baptism, and others pay the cost of discipleship—many believers are attacked and persecuted. Please, uphold all these barefoot gospel workers in your prayers.
The Lord enabled us to reach out to hundreds of these families during Easter, spend quality time, listening to their heartbreaking stories about fear of further attacks
and their own family crisis. They need counseling and a time of retreat for their families in the future. We also celebrated Easter with children and adults who are victims of HIV/AIDS. 350 of them have come together, 150 children from the slums of Bangalore. Each one has a heart-breaking story to share, knowing they don’t have much time to live. But, after the Easter message, several of them stayed back to personally thank us and share that, now, even if they die, they can die with new hope, because Jesus conquered death on the cross of Calvary.
Thank you, Mission to Children family for extending funding towards Easter Outreach for all these special groups. Because of your prayer and generous giving for kingdom work, We could reach out to them, demonstrating the love and compassion of Christ through our mercy ministries.
God sees their need, and you helped us reach them
Thank you, Mission to Children family, for funding Christmas outreaches for so many last year. Because of your prayers and generous gifts, we were able to demonstrate God’s love and compassion to those who need to know their lives have a purpose beyond surviving. We are prayerfully excited for the upcoming Christmas outreach dinners in 2017.
If your family, church, or small group wants to raise funds to help make these outreach meals possible, you can donate today at our website.
