Catherine Joiner, Stephanie Hitt, and Sonya Dunham arrived safely at home after a successful two-week visit to India. We praise God for our health and safety during the trip. During our trip we visited Christian workers and saw the newly constructed orphanage in South Andhra, now home to 90 children. The Indian people are hungry for the truth and freedom the gospel brings as well as for the simple daily meals that Margham workers provide for the destitute widows and children in these rural villages. We also were in awe at Margham gospel workers’ endless, fatiguing work for the sake of spreading God’s word to these “backwards” villages. They have many needs in their many ministries, including a vehicle (they walk or take unreliable public transport to these remote villages), sewing machines for a training center, support for gospel workers who have been working with them, and food for the many impoverished believers in their area. In spite of the great needs surrounding them, Margham Christians in India have a joy and devotion that I found myself envying.
We were also blessed to visit Arun at the Mum Anita Home with his 30 children. While there, we held a widows’ conference (click here to see a video from the widow’s conference) for about 60 widows that were members of the local church. Our topic for the conference was remembering our identity as daughters of the King, and how that means we have been called for a purpose in His great plan and called to bring Him glory. We also spent time hearing some of their stories. These women, our sisters in Christ, live such difficult lives. I was touched deeply by how young many of them are, trying to support several children on less that $1 a day from working in the rice fields. These women have faced rejection by their families and families-in-law, but they have found new family in the church. Some of these ladies came to the church from hearing sermons over a loudspeaker while in the fields. One woman gave her testimony, which included how she was healed of HIV. At the end of the conference, we gave each woman 5kgs of rice and a pretty re-usable grocery bag from the U.S. Our small gift of rice will not last very long, but we hope, as always, that the Lord may help us increase monthly support so more help can be given.
We also held a three-day children’s conference (click here to see a video from the children’s conference), again focusing on the importance of being children of the King. Our three days with the 160-180 kids in attendance were delightful, and the kids were eager to learn whatever we had to teach them, whether it was English memory verses or “Duck, Duck, Goose!” We did dramas, learned action songs, and even made them take notes on our lessons! During our time with them they made crowns (which seemed to overwhelm them with delight) and handed out Bibles (from the Gideons – this was a clever way to get the Bibles into the neighborhood homes.) We passed out more gift bags from the U.S. The greatest blessing from the children’s conference is that pastor who hosted the conference told us that already parents have come to him to inquire about the church, as a result of our visit. Allelulia! We pray that our time with the widows and children may continue to reach people’s hearts and bring them to God. This pastor now has plans to start a monthly children’s meeting to continue what we started. We encourage your support for this new ministry.
In between and after the conferences, we visited several village churches and again were greatly impressed with the fervor and devotion of these poor pastors to spreading God’s word. The churches we visited were in staunch Hindu villages and very poor areas. One such church was across from the city dump and next door to a Hindu shrine. These pastors often face great opposition to their work, yet we heard story after story of their churches growing and new villages being reached. I was amazed again by how much our short visit to their churches encouraged these pastors. They were overjoyed that we would travel great distances to visit their humble churches. Our visit deeply encouraged these men. While I was thrilled that God could use the presence of three simple young American women to empower these men, I was struck with the irony of how the effect should be the opposite. How much more should I, after hearing about their work and seeing the difficulties they face, be shaken out of my comfortable, middle-class American life and desire to likewise do all that I can to spread the gospel and care for my brothers and sisters in Christ? Each time we visited a church, we were requested to pray for the congregation. I also asked that they pray for us and for our churches - that God would enliven us and grant us the same zeal for sharing the gospel. Those of you who have heard Indian churches pray know how moving and powerful it can be, and I know they will continue to pray for us whenever they gather.
Finally, we had the blessing of having quality time with the “Aruns.” It was an absolute delight to spend several evenings with the children at the Mum Anita Home. Several of them know enough English now that we had a wonderful time playing, singing, dancing, coloring, and laughing with them. To think of these children as unwanted, abandoned, or rejected is heart-breaking, but to experience the joy they have found in a godly home with Arun is sweet beyond measure. When we asked several of them what they wanted to do in the future, most of them answered that they wanted to be pastors and gospel singers, eager to follow in “Daddy Arun’s” footsteps. There were tears in many eyes, including ours, when we had to say goodbye.
We are blessed with such an abundance of Christian literature, teaching, activities, and entertainment here in the U.S. that it is in some ways difficult to know how the pastors and gospel workers in India do so much with so little. This trip has reminded me again of how our life’s priority should be our great calling from our Father God to “go and make disciples.” Our brothers and sisters in India are on the front lines, facing many difficulties to reach villages and people who truly have never heard the gospel. Can you imagine it? Even today, some have still never heard about Jesus. And to think that we can help!
-Sonya Dunham