Have you ever had the opportunity to do something in your life that you never thought you would do? It might be skydiving or bungie jumping, or visiting a place you’ve always wanted to go. In life, we all find ourselves taking advantage of opportunities that we thought would never come our way. Yesterday was one of those days for us. It wasn’t anything glamorous, but even still, we both found ourselves in a completely new place, taking advantage of an opportunity that we never pictured coming our way…
Yesterday, we had the opportunity to go to one of the many slums here in India.
We’d never been to a slum before.
After a taxi dropped us off in one of the nearby cities, our guide led us down one of the many alleys splitting off from the main road. As soon as we turned off of the main road and stepped into the alley, the slum was visible at the end of the street. We made our way through the alley, people’s eyes watching us as if this was their first time seeing Americans in person. Where the paved city street met the dirt road to the slums, there was a pack of large dogs giving us uneasy looks. We had been warned about aggressive dogs in the city, but luckily they didn’t give us any trouble.
Within a matter of 5 seconds, we were no longer walking on paved city streets, but litter filled dirt roads (if you can call them roads) in-between huts made out of trash and tarps. We didn’t get to walk deep within the slums because the pastor we were connecting with hurried us into one of the first available huts. Well, he didn’t hurry us into the hut, because it wasn’t big enough for us to stand in, and even if it was, there were already 20 to 30 children crammed inside waiting for us. One by one, we took turns crouching down to enter the hut, singing songs with the children and teaching them simple english words.
The faces of those children are unforgettable. Some of the children had looks of complete and utter despair. Looking into their emotionless eyes, we were met with cold, blank stares. What had these children seen and experienced growing up in a place like this? One can only imagine the challenges of being raised in this type of environment. The parents in this community leave every morning at the crack of dawn, not returning until close to midnight. They work underpaying jobs to feed their families. This happens every day, and comes at the cost of never seeing their children.
However, there were other children there who were absolutely bursting with joy! For these children, we were a breath of fresh air. Their tiny little hands clapped to the songs we sang, their innocent voices filling the tiny, cramped hut. It was obvious that our presence brought hope not only to the children, but also to the leaders in the community that are attempting to educate the children. There are a handful of members in the community who are teaching the children basic life skills, in hopes to one day give them the opportunity to be accepted at a local school. That particular school is the one that is run by the ministry we are partnering with. At this school, the children not only learn their basic subjects, but they learn about the love that their Heavenly Father has for them. Since it is not a normal public school, the children are allowed to be taught the Bible. One of the murals in the school depicts Mark 10:14:
“Some people were bringing little children to Him so He might touch them, but His disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw it, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me. Don’t stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ “
Through the ministry we are working with, these little children are learning about the love that God has for them, in addition to receiving an education that their parents otherwise would not be able to afford. From the truth that is found in God’s Word to the basic life skills and academic knowledge they learn, the kids in this community are receiving an education for life!
We do not know what the rest of the month will look like from here on out. Other members of our team are visiting the same area of the slums today, and we desire to continue working there in the future. We are in an interesting situation, due to the fact that most areas of India heavily persecute Christians (yet the area we are in is relatively safe). While it is legal in our area to share the Gospel and pray for others publicly, there are many who want to prevent the work we are doing here.
Please continue to keep our team in your prayers as we make His name known in the nation of India this month. Your comments, emails, and messages are extremely encouraging to us, so please keep them coming!
