We began our ministry in India in 1997 with the Child Sponsorship Program. In 2003, we started the Child Survival Program, and the Leadership Development Program followed in 2004.

Country Director

Paul Asveen joined our ministry as Country Director in 2010. Paul came to us with 22 years of combined experience from both the corporate and ministry worlds. For 16 years Paul worked in the banking industry with Citibank – 10 years in India and 6 years in Indonesia. In 2003, Paul decided to devote his energy fully to Christian ministry.

After six years of serving in ministry in Singapore, Paul and his family felt the call to return to India. Paul joined the Christian Institute of Management as their Executive Director in January 2009, a position he held until joining our ministry.

Paul holds a bachelor’s of commerce degree from Loyola College Chennai, a master’s of business administration degree from the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, and a master’s of divinity degree from Trinity Theological College in Singapore.

Implementing Church Partners

Implementing Church Partners are local churches in India with whom we work to deliver child development programs and frontline ministry in the field.

• Spiritual Climate
  Ninety-three percent of the population is Hindu, and India is often called “Hindustan,” meaning the “land of the Hindus.” The Christian church fights for basic rights and struggles against Hindu religious extremist groups. While Christians in most areas in India face only occasional persecution, there are scattered areas that face adverse persecution.

  However, this has only resulted in growth and unification for the church. The church has grown in number every year as a result of ministry programs.

  We have faced charges of trying to convert people to Christianity, but we have handled these charges with sensitivity and caution thus far. It is likely we will continue to face such charges.

  It is challenging to mentor the beneficiaries who become Christians because they are unable to boldly profess their faith for fear of being thrown out of their homes and punished by the local community. They lose all benefits provided by the government once they become Christians.

  For example, the government provides subsidies for education and employment for those living in poverty and those from lower castes. However, these subsidies will not be provided if a person becomes a Christian.

  The church also struggles to compete in providing services due to the lack of funds. There are new commercial institutions that are providing services, not necessarily from a heart of service, but in order to gain profit and good standing in the community, and many are choosing to seek services at these institutions rather than from the church.



• Unique Challenges
  One challenge unique to our Implementing Church Partners in India is how to make the program relevant to an area that is very large geographically and highly varied culturally. Each Implementing Church Partner is unique, and it is difficult to generalize the program enough so that it fits all Implementing Church Partner’s needs.

  Generally, our church partners can be classified as urban, semi-urban, rural and tribal and each has its own challenges and opportunities.

  Another challenge is retaining qualified staff with the resources provided.

• Contributions
  Implementing Church Partners provide the facilities used for the program, ongoing maintenance and recurring expenses for the facilities as well as spiritual materials and other resources.
• Partner Development Activities
  We develop partners in the following ways:
  • Partner consultations: We encourage the sharing of best practices and learning experiences among Implementing Church Partners and with the field office.
  • Compassion Partners Conference: We hold an event to challenge the churches to address current issues that the children face.
  • Bi-annual meeting: The leadership of the ministry in India meet for a minimum of one hour with each Child Development Center Director to provide guidance in handling local issues and to keep the Implementing Church Partner informed about progress and/or expected changes.
  • Regular Partnership Facilitator visits with the church leadership.
  • Vision casting exercises: These are done with the church leaders and pastors to help them develop growth plans.

Child Survival Program

• Caregiver Literacy
  Literacy classes are held monthly during the cognitive development portion of the program. We also offer need-based literacy training because literacy rates vary greatly between caregivers. The caregivers learn the alphabet, how to write their name, and how to deal in the local currency proficiently.
• Income-Generating Skills
  Income-generating skills, such as tailoring, weaving, basket making, juice making and goat rearing, are offered either weekly or bi-monthly depending on the caregivers’ needs and the availability of the trainers.

  Some development centers have utilized Complementary Interventions to supply machinery and tools for the training.



• Health Care
  The Child Survival Program assists every caregiver in accessing and receiving health care. This includes an annual checkup performed by a medical doctor for all caregivers and children, financial assistance for major medical treatment if needed, regular growth monitoring of the children done by Child Survival Program staff, maintenance of an immunization chart for every child, and monthly health awareness programs on topics such as the prevention of waterborne diseases and good hygiene practices.

  Caregivers and children receive medical care and immunizations at the local government hospitals and primary health centers, and the Child Survival Program staff follows up to ensure they are utilizing these health services.

• Nutritional Support
  Caregivers and children are provided with nutritional supplements during all regular meetings at the Child Survival Program. They also receive training on healthy eating and the use of inexpensive healthy fruits and vegetables. Additionally, we encourage kitchen gardens to improve their nutritional intake at home.



• Involvement of Fathers
  A variety of activities are offered for fathers to encourage their participation in the Child Survival Program including special meetings to discuss the role of fathers in the family, awareness programs on alcohol and substance abuse, family retreats that focus on family dynamics and healthy relationships, and counseling, if needed, during the regular home visits.
• Transitioning Out of the Child Survival Program
  When a child reaches the age of transition from the Child Survival Program to the Child Sponsorship Program, Child Survival staff meet with the parents to inform them of the criteria and guidelines of the Child Sponsorship Program.

  Mothers are asked to attend the monthly parents’ meetings for the Child Sponsorship Program, and once the child is registered into the program, the Implementing Church Partner staff conduct regular home visits to inform the mothers of their child’s progress.

• Areas of Expansion the Child Survival Program
  We plan to expand into northern and southern India based on infant mortality rates.

Child Sponsorship Program

Your sponsorship of a child in India provides a variety of benefits.

The schools and Implementing Church Partners are in close proximity to each other, so children are able to spend a good amount of time at the child development center. They enjoy coming to the child development center because their needs are met there.

• Meeting Times:
• 3 to 5 year olds: 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 6 to 8 year olds: 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 9 to 11 year olds: 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 12 to 14 year olds: 3 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 15 to 18 year olds: 3 hours a day, 2 days a week, and 4 hours on Saturday
• 19 +: 6 hours on Saturday and public holidays



• Nutritional Support
  Most child development centers provide one nutritional meal per day to the children. A typical meal consists of locally available grains, cereal, vegetables and eggs; meat and fruit are sometimes provided once or twice a week.

  We provide meals because many children only receive one or two meals a day at home, and those meals are often not nutritious. We also provide special food for children who are malnourished.



• Vaccinations
  The Indian government provides certain vaccinations to all children free of charge, and if there are other vaccinations that are needed, our ministry covers the cost. The Implementing Church Partners have good relationships with the medical staff in their communities, so they are sometimes able to negotiate with the local hospitals to receive the needed vaccinations at a discounted price.
• Extracurricular Activities or Community Service
  Children participate in sports, camps and outreach programs. Some children are given the opportunity to visit nursing homes where they spend time with elderly people.
• Vocational Activities
  The child development centers network with other organizations to offer vocational training. Students who excel in academics are encouraged to pursue higher education. Some Implementing Church Partners conduct a “multiple intelligence” test to prepare the students to make decisions about their future.

  All adolescent children receive some type of vocational training in addition to life skills and English education. Vocational skills offered include carpentry, welding, electronics repair, mechanics, driving, plumbing and electrical work.

• Child Sponsorship Program Alumni Activities
  Some Child Sponsorship Program alumni volunteer at their former child development centers, encouraging the registered children through their own testimonies. Some even sponsor beneficiary siblings, meaning they support siblings of sponsored children at the child development center. They also participate in outreach and evangelism together.
• Parent Involvement
  Parent meetings are held on a monthly basis and cover topics such as parenting, social issues and the importance of education.

  Most Implementing Church Partners also have self-help groups, which are small groups of parents organized for various activities such as income-generating projects.



• Areas of Expansion for the Child Sponsorship Program
  We plan to expand into the north, tribal belts, city slums and areas with high numbers of highly vulnerable children. Much of the development in India is focused on the south, and tribal areas are the last to be considered. Development is also focused on urban areas, resulting in over-population and poor conditions in the city slums.

Leadership Development Program

• Universities Attended
  Most students attend government universities, but a few attend private Christian universities.
• Location of Universities
  Universities are spread throughout the country.
• Working Students
  Students do not work while attending university.
• Service Opportunities
  Students have the opportunity to join a national organization that has branches on all college campuses, encouraging them to participate in community service activities.

  They also join service clubs at their university; some students, such as nursing students, are required to do some type of service in their field of study.



• Leadership Development Program Meetings
  The larger Leadership Development Program group meets twice a year to cover curriculum. They also meet every summer to participate in a six-day work camp where they attend special training sessions focused on spiritual outcomes and other country-specific topics. The students hold a two-day outreach campaign as well.
• Specialty Curriculum Topics or Resources
  We cover abstinence, sex and sexuality, friendship, courtship, dating and marriage. We also bring in qualified people to discuss health issues, such as HIV/AIDS.
• Mentors
  We network with program alumni, existing mentors and Implementing Church Partners to assist students in finding mentors.
• Career Placement Assistance
  We work with prominent Christians who are in human resources positions as well as placement agencies to train the students on job placement skills. This helps guide the students and inform them of any job openings.
• Leadership Development Program Alumni Group
  The alumni group meets at least once a year to revisit their mission and vision. The group is divided into chapters by region since they are spread throughout the country.

  Each chapter participates in advocacy activities at the child development centers, mentoring and encouraging children at the centers by sharing their own success stories. The alumni also participate in Leadership Development Program care groups, engaging with the current Leadership Development Program students and, in some cases, serving as mentors.

Complementary Interventions

Compassion’s core Child Sponsorship Program, while comprehensive, cannot address all obstacles to a child’s healthy development. Compassion’s Complementary Interventions program works in harmony with the holistic child development model to provide additional services as needed, such as the AIDS Initiative, Bibles for All Children, disaster relief and water projects.

Complementary Interventions in India include:

• Livelihood opportunities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, skills training
• Access to clean, potable drinking water within 1⁄2 kilometer from the child’s home
• Sanitation, including proper sewage and drainage, disinfecting the environment weekly, segregation of animals, networking with local health organizations in the area of sanitation and community involvement
• Malaria awareness training and mosquito net distribution
• Disaster relief including food supplies, clothing, shelter, tarpaulin sheets, clean drinking water and medicines

Highly Vulnerable Children

The primary Highly Vulnerable Children needs are orphans and semi-orphaned children who are affected by HIV. Our strategy to meet these needs is to focus on home-based care and only consider replacement care in extreme circumstances, to provide for housing needs on a case-by-case basis for child-headed households, and to provide vocational training for beneficiaries to increase their ability to become employed.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Meet Arun. Arun grew up in the slums of Bangalore, India, packed in a little one-room house with his father, mother, brother and sister.

Arun woke up each morning not knowing whether there would food for the day. The effects of poverty were very real in his life.

Arun’s father, Chellakannan, worked as an auto driver and struggled to provide food for the family. Stretching the budget to meet their daily needs seemed hard enough, let alone educating the children!

The family was forced to survive on less than Rs. 2,500 per month (U.S.$50). Adding to the struggles, Arun’s father was an alcoholic. He seldom gave money to provide for the family needs. Oftentimes, he didn’t go to work. This resulted in frequent quarrels between Arun’s parents, destroying the family’s peace.

To make ends meet, Arun’s mother, Pushpalatha, sold old newspapers in exchange for a plate of food. She went without her own meals to feed her children, but at times all of them went to bed with hungry stomachs.

It was at this time that Arun was fortunate enough to be registered at one of our child development centers. Arun tells us,

“Initially I attended the development center just for a plate of food, hunger was so fierce.”

Arun’s future seemed gloomy. Despite scoring 82 percent in 12th grade, his parents’ income was barely sufficient to provide for their daily needs, let alone his education.

However, to his astonishment, Arun was selected for the Leadership Development Program. He was assured of attending university and earning his bachelor’s degree in business management. His entire fees were taken care by our Leadership Development Program.

Arun completed his degree and was named the best student of Baldwin Methodist College. Today, Arun is working at a reputable company while simultaneously pursuing a post-graduate certificate in management.

The Leadership Development Program taught Arun a great number of things. He learned about time management, Christian discipline and social awareness. Most importantly, Arun learned how a Christian must respond to contemporary issues…issues like corruption.

Speaking Out Against Corruption

Corruption is an issue that is at the forefront of India’s national poverty concerns. In some places in India, people are forced to bribe officers in the government office to get a death certificate. Among politicians, corruption is an everyday phenomenon.

Arun has given several speeches regarding corruption, and his thoughts on this issue are inspiring. He challenges others to stand up against corruption and make a difference in India.

“Many of us complain and blame corruption as a reason for poverty in India. But I want to ask a question – who is actually responsible for this?

“We simply cannot keep blaming others all through our life. We need to change ourselves. Stop bribing so that people will stop taking bribes. These days, many people doubt that you can succeed in life if you do not give bribes. But you can be the change you want in this world.”

As Christians, Arun believes that we need to witness Jesus through our lives. He reflects on his thoughts on curbing corruption and proclaims,

“Let my life speak and not just with words!”

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Some years back, I visited a project in North India as a facilitator. During my visit, I noticed a boy who received his food and kept it inside his bag while all the other children were eating their food there. I was curious to know why this boy wasn’t eating his food like the others.

He told me, “Sir, at home, my younger sister stays hungry, as my mother could not go to work. I remembered her now. So I packed the food to take home so that I will share it with my sister.”

There are many children in India who are hungry and have no one to care for them. Today, the Lord is asking us: “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” As God created everyone in His own image, are we not responsible to share what we have? As God called each one of us, I believe it is our primary responsibility to share what we have with the poor.

The boy with the fish and loaves in John 6 was willing to share everything he had as a response to the Lord’s question. He knew that five small barley loaves and two small fish would not be enough to meet the needs of the crowd. But he trusted the One who called him.

The Lord’s miracle was a sign of acceptance of this boy’s sacrifice. And the boy’s willingness to share all that he had became a great blessing for the entire crowd. Though the name of the boy is not mentioned, I believe that he became great in the Lord’s kingdom.

What is my response toward hungry children? Am I willing to share all that I have as a response to God’s calling? Am I ready to become a channel of blessing in the lives of others?

“Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” — John 6:5b, NIV

Prayer: Father God, help us to share what we have with our needy brothers and sisters. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: K.L. George works as a Partnership Facilitator Supervisor in India. K.L. lives in New Delhi and works in the Delhi office.

Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

In episode 17 of Missions in Action we meet former Leadership Development Program student, Blesslin. At 23-years-old, Blesslin has started her own company and plans to give back to her community as her business grows.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

In episode 14 of Missions in Action we visit Nagpur India — the epicenter of the red-light district. In Nagpur, the mothers of these children are sold for sex for as little as 55 rupees or approximately $1.

There are over 200 children of sex-workers living in this community. Out of those 200 children, only 40 have sponsors. Will you prayerfully consider sponsoring a child in Nagpur?

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I grieve today for the child I’ve lost. The relationship has ended. He’s left the Compassion program. There’s nothing I can do. And he’s not even really mine; I’m the correspondent.

I’ve had children leave before. Maregu graduated from the program. Sandra moved outside of our ministry area.

Ruan’s sponsor got married and his wife decided to write to him instead of having me as his correspondent. Ravi somehow is different.

Ravi dropped out of the program.

I don’t know why he left; it may have been family issues or peer pressure or feeling that working in a low-income job was better than completing his education.

As a 14-year-old boy, it could have been any number of reasons.

I simply know that our staff in India would have done all they could to reach out to him and encourage him to stay connected to the program and all it offers.

I suspect that his departure also hurt those wonderful men and women who mentored and cared for him right there in his part of India.

About three years ago I was speaking with one of our staff members who sends field memos to country offices on behalf of Australian sponsors.

On the same day they had received two emails from two sponsors of 10-year-old boys from Bangladesh in response to “why did my child leave the program” questions.

One child left because, like Ravi, he dropped out due to lack of interest and peer pressure. The other left because the support he had received from our ministry and the church had lifted him far enough out of poverty that the family was now considered “too rich” to be supported by us.

Two 10-year-old boys left; two very different reasons. You could say one was a success story and one was a failure.

Yet I say that every child who is presented with the Good News of Jesus Christ is a success story. Every child who receives more vaccinations and more education than he would have otherwise had is a success story. Every child who interacts with God’s Church and is influenced by His servants is a success story.

They are both success stories.

Like me, many sponsors may not know why their child has left the program, they just know he or she has. Sadness can overwhelm as you lose this special member of the family. Grief increases knowing that you can’t physically see or speak to him or swallow them in the hug you long to give.

When it feels like there is nothing you can do to help this child anymore, there is just one thing you can keep on doing as before, and that’s the most important of all.

Pray.

I may not ever see Ravi, or hear from or about him again. He may never think of me again. But his photo is on my wall and his name is written on my heart.

I will continue to pray for him because this is the most powerful thing I can do for him. My God sees Ravi and loves him, wherever he is, whatever he’s doing, whether he loves God or not. So I keep praying for my boy Ravi.

And today I start giving a little bit of my heart to a new child, Ita, as our friendship begins and my lifetime of prayers for her starts.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

In April 2011, three months after I graduated from high school, I felt God leading me to sponsor a child. This may not sound all that crazy, but it was. I had about $40 to my name, barely enough to cover a month’s sponsorship, and while I had been looking for a job for three months, I hadn’t had any luck.

I checked the Compassion website to look for a child, and had no idea I would be so overwhelmed.

How do you choose between almost 2,000 children who desperately need someone to sponsor them? How do you choose when they all have beautiful eyes that speak to your soul, and some of them live in places with AIDS, and others are orphans, and on and on and on?

I have a heart for children. I’m going to college to be a neonatal nurse, and I want to start an orphanage in India. It tears me apart to see kids who can’t go to school or don’t have enough food every day or have watched their parents and siblings die while they are left behind.

How do I help just one when I want to help them all?

“God, how do I choose?”

I decided I needed to be specific in my search. I decided to look at the children with physical or mental disabilities.

And there he was. Djamsel.

I have no idea how to pronounce his name. The sight in his left eye is defective, and you can see it in his picture. He has a quirky little smile on his face, and he looks a bit unsure, but he is so beautiful…

It’s been almost four months now, and I’ve written to my little boy twice. I haven’t had a letter from him yet, but I look forward to the day when I do. He turned 9 a few weeks ago, and so I bought some brightly colored stationery for him for my next letter.

I’m hoping he’ll be able to see the pictures I send to him and know what I look like and know that I love him and pray for him every time I see his picture, which hangs above my bed.

How do you choose which child to sponsor? How do you know which one will be yours, to love and hold in your heart?

In all honesty, you’re not the one who will choose your little boy or girl. God has chosen a little one for you, and He will lead you to him. Your child will choose you.

“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:40, NASB)

Sarah is a new Compassion sponsor who likes to share about her life’s adventures on her blog, A Christ-like Life.

If you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, we are happy to consider publishing it. Read our guest blog post guidelines.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

I remember her – a poor woman sweeping the pavement in Calcutta.

I was across the road, separated from her by cars and straining buses that leaned precariously as they traveled, overloaded and overcrowded, down the street.

She had a small child. The little girl played in her make-believe world, not knowing that the odds were already stacked unfairly against her. Odds like disease, abuse, trafficking, hunger, poverty.

As I watched, I witnessed one of the most troubling sights I have seen. As the mother hunched over, sweeping the path, the little girl took a discarded plastic cup and filled it with wastewater from the gutter.

She poured it on the concrete and began to scrub the pavement clean with a piece of litter.

I could almost hear her say,

“Look, I’m just like mummy.”

At that moment, poverty had claimed her life and marked her place in the world, yet she was barely old enough to speak or walk.

I tell you this story not because I want you to feel guilty, but because I want you to feel outraged by poverty.

I want you to identify with this mother and her child as your own sister and daughter.

I want you to feel disturbed enough to ask why these things happen, then stand up and speak out as an advocate for the “least of these.”

I want this story to trouble you enough to provoke a moment longer of prayer on their behalf, and to ask yourself how much is enough. What do you really need so that out of your comparative wealth you might find that extra to give?

It is a true gift from God when we move past dutiful charity and come to a deep solidarity with the poor.

Anchoring our discipleship in the compassion and justice of Jesus is something we should all wish for. In short, a heart for the poor is a conversion experience.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” — Mark 10:25, NIV

Prayer: Loving God, please give us just a glimmer of your heart for the poor. Encourage us to stand up and defend the weak and the powerless, and deeply anchor our discipleship in the justice and compassion of Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephen Tollestrup is the Executive Director for TEAR Fund New Zealand. He is the Director of the World Evangelical Alliance Peace and Reconciliation Initiative and has an honors degree in Theology and a post-graduate degree in Industrial Relations.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

A trip never imagined!

A table, a photo of a child, and a curious young boy all led us to a trip we never imagined possible!

Ten years ago our son, Torrey, saw a photo of James in a Compassion packet. Torrey read that James liked music, sports and reading. Torrey liked all of those things as well. James was the same age as Torrey and lived with his mother and father.

James lived in India. Torrey lived in the United States. Two young boys who enjoyed the same hobbies yet lived vastly different lives.

Torrey picked up the photo of James from the table and brought it to me.

“Mom, we need to sponsor James.”

Thus began a 10-year-long relationship with James through Compassion International.

Last fall my husband, Jay, observed,

“James will be graduating from the Compassion Child Sponsorship Program. I doubt we will ever get to meet him.”

Meet James? Never even considered it a possibility. He lives in India. When are we going to go to India? Do I even want to go to India?

Recently our entire family made the phenomenal trip. We flew halfway around the world to Chennai, India and boarded a sleeper train for a 12-hour ride to Tuticorin.

Then we rode in a bus through crazy traffic to a quiet village 30 miles outside of Tuticorin to meet James.

We were greeted with flowers and smiles by James and his mother and father; his brother, Johnson; and his sister, Jemi. We hugged, ate, walked and visited for an entire day with James, our Indian son!

The next day, James and his sister traveled with us as we visited a few Compassion programs in the area.

We spent the morning at a Child Survival Program. Babies galore! The Child Survival Program assists mothers in taking care of their babies. Through this program mothers are taught proper care and feeding of their babies.

The women are also taught how to learn a trade in order to provide for their families. Many of these young mothers have husbands who are not around or cannot provide for their families. In this particular program many of the women made baskets and scarves and sold them in markets to make some money.

We visited a child development center as well. This center was the one James had attended as a child.

A child development center is a haven for sponsored children to attend Bible classes, enjoy recreation, and receive much-needed food, medication and other essentials. This visit was great fun because we got to see James in his element, with his friends.

Goodbye was bittersweet: the hugs, the tears, the joy of meeting our son and the pain of saying goodbye. All I can remember is James saying,

“Please don’t forget me.”

A trip never imagined became a trip never to be forgotten.

1.2 billion people live in India. 600 million of them live in poverty. 200 million of those people live on less than $1 a day. Paul, the country director for Compassion, shared,

“Some days I feel as if I am digging a hole with a toothpick.”

We understand this sentiment.

We know that through our son, Torrey, we have made a difference in the life of James. He has a brighter future. He has received a good education. Most importantly, James loves Jesus. Yet this is only scratching the surface of what can be done in India — one child at a time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Laura Laffoon and her husband, Jay, live in Alma, Michigan with their children, Torrey and Grace. They are the founders of Celebrate Ministries, Inc., a ministry helping couples celebrate marriage. The Laffoons have been Compassion sponsors for 10 years.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates

Losing a child and seeing your little one suffer are two of the most painful things a mom can face in life. This is why we are working with churches to provide care for mothers and babies through our Child Survival Program (CSP).

Pastor David Platt and a team from The Church at Brook Hills spent time with a group of Child Survival Program participants in India. The church team was particularly touched by the story of Bhanna, a woman who experienced the heartache of miscarriage and then the joy of motherhood after the intervention of our CSP workers. Pastor Platt relates this story,

“Bhanna began to weep as she described her despair. But it all changed when she was given the chance to be a part of the CSP. After getting pregnant again, she was introduced to the Child Survival Program and the case workers from the local church began to visit her, pray for her and give her encouragement. Bhanna received good education on prenatal care, how to eat nutritious meals, gather information on how to take care of the baby properly once it was born, and most importantly Bhanna heard about Christ.”

Read the entire post from The Global Initiative

Bhanna’s story wasn’t the only one to stir the hearts of the Brook Hills team. Another mother was told her baby probably wouldn’t live. But God had other plans. Pastor Platt goes on to share about this mom,

“She was pregnant, and various signs in her pregnancy indicated either that her baby would not live or that her baby would need extensive medical treatment. Consequently, two different hospitals in her area turned her away when she visited them. They said that her baby would require too much care, and they would not be able to help her. The Child Survival Program coordinators stepped in, offered her the help she needed, and not long thereafter this precious mom gave birth to a healthy baby girl…a baby girl that is alive and thriving today.”

See a video and read the rest of this story from The Global Initiative.

My Account l Sponsor a Child l Help Babies and Moms l Crisis Updates