My prayer is that every abandoned and unwanted child in India can hold up a picture of a family who has decided they have room in their hearts for one more child. This is not a little prayer, but a monster one. You see, there are 11 million abandoned children in India, of which 90% of them are little girls, like the one above.
If you have room in your heart, check out Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope ministry as soon as possible.
Although I’m a Baby Boomer and have enjoyed living in one of the most prosperous ages in the history of the world, our savings account hovers between $25 and $100 most of the time. Our 401K and IRA accounts never did get past the planning stages. Real estate investments? None. Gold, silver, and precious jewels? None. Other investments? None. None. None.
At 67 years of age, am I worried about our futures?
No, absolutely not!
You see, I believe the following scripture to be true:
Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. (Psalm 41:1-3)
So, when I say we have just updated our retirement fund, I actually mean we decided to sponsor three more children in the Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope program. We now sponsor a total of four children and hope to add more before the year is out.
Maybe you’re the type who reads this, shakes your head, and says. “A fellow should never put all his eggs in one basket. He needs to be a good steward. What if your idealistic beliefs fail you, then what? Who’s going to take care of you?”
This is where the rubber meets the road for us Christians. As they say in Texas Hold ‘Em, “We’re all in with God,” and isn’t that where we all want to be?
Just take a moment to review your retirement portfolio today. Can you afford to add one child at $35 per month?
And here’s another little nugget of truth, God will cover your investment for you. It’s a win/win deal for you and a needy child!
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17)
Filed under Christianity, God, grace, India, jesus, Kingdom of God, Poverty, Prophecy
One day the Lord got my attention while I was standing at a busy street corner in India waiting for the light to turn green. There were little children everywhere, a common sight at many busy corners in Bombay. Tourists are cautioned not to give them anything because once you do, the others will all mob you.
While I was at this corner, feeling a bit annoyed by little hands grabbing at me, I heard from behind me the voice of a young girl.
“Sahib, Sir, my father died. My mother is sick. She can’t beg anymore. And I have a little brother, who is very hungry. Would you please give me a few pennies so I can buy some bread and take it to him?”
The light turned green, and everybody hurried on. But I couldn’t move. What she said pierced my heart, I turned around and saw this young girl, not yet 10 years old. I will never forget her face − one of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen on a child. She had big brown eyes, thick black hair almost the length of her body, dirty fingernails, and dust mingled with sweat running down her face. She was barefoot and in rags. She just stood there with her hand extended.
I put my hands in my pocket and took all the money I could find and gave it to her. Then, I walked on.
Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, I felt an unseen stranger joined me on this emotional walk. “So, what do you think about the little girl you just met? Is her life as valuable and precious as…” and the face of another young girl appeared in my mind’s eye. I didn’t know the name of the girl on the street, but I for certain knew the name of this new face; it was my own little daughter, Sarah.
I certainly don’t want anyone to feel guilty about lovingly caring for our own children and grandchildren. But the question remains: Is there room in our hearts for one or two of the world’s suffering children, and can we also care for them in Jesus’ name? Can we see them as Jesus does, so special to Him, their worth like jewels beyond compare?
(Excerpts from No Longer A Slumdog by K.P. Yohannan, © 2011, pages 69-72. Order your copy here.)
When I read No Longer A Slumdog, I saw the face of my daughter, Susan, and became a sponsor in Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope ministry. I pray this happens to thousands and thousands of Americans, maybe even you. (Larry Who)
Filed under Christianity, Church, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, God, India, Inspirational, jesus, Kingdom of God, Poverty, Prayer, Prophecy, Religion, spiritual warfare
In my younger and single days, my alarm rang at 2:55 AM. I jumped out of bed, went to the bathroom, and put on sweat pants and a sweatshirt. I next bowed my knees and prayed till 6 AM at which time I took a shower, ate breakfast, and dressed for the day. I then walked over to my church and prayed for an hour. Afterward, I put in a full day’s work as a laborer or a car salesman.
This was my routine for almost ten years.
As you can imagine, I earned a reputation as a prayer warrior. People asked me to pray for them or their problems, which I gladly did. I would write their names down and add them to a list. Praying for others was a priority in my life.
But what about my family and my needs?
I usually spent just seconds praying for myself and my family. Many days, I forgot them altogether. And even when I did pray, it was a basic thanksgiving prayer, such as, “Thanks for taking care of my son. Thanks for taking care of my daughter. Thanks for providing healing for me. Thanks for my finances.”
Did my system work? My family had miracles and so did I.
Do you want to know my secret?
How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. The LORD will protect him and keep him alive, And he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health. (Psalm 41:1-3)
I discovered that if I helped the poor and helpless, mainly through financial offerings, the Lord would take care of my family and me. This revelation has so impacted my life that I wrote a book, What’s In It For Me? The book is not burning up the New York Times Best Sellers List, but it should, because it absolutely works.
So, now you know why I have no problem advising you to sponsor a child in Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope ministry. You will be blessed and who knows? Many of the miracles you have struggled to receive may run up and tap you on the shoulder.
It’s worked for me for over 25 years… and still counting.
Filed under Uncategorized
I am nobody,
Worthless my life is.
To Untouchables I was born,
A Dalit child my fate sealed.
I was born in slums.
Rights? We have none.
To upper-caste our lives we owe.
Slaves to serve all their wish.
Poverty and hunger
Is all I ever knew.
If there is hope,
Tell me how?
What is my future?
Do I have any?
It all looks so dark
And I wish I were not born.
(The poem is taken from No Longer A Slumdog, K. P. Yohannan, © 2011, page 45)
At the very bottom of the ungodly caste system in India are the 300,000,000 Untouchables or the Dalits. Their numbers are staggering and their children have lived the words in the above poem for over 3,000 years.
Yet, take a closer look at the above picture, okay?
These are Dalit children who have been brought into Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope program. Their eyes radiate hope because they attend school, are fed one hot nutritious meal each day, receive clothing to wear, have regular medical checkups, and learn about Jesus.
And it only takes someone − like you or me − to sponsor a child for $35 per month.
Filed under Christianity, Church, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, India, jesus, Kingdom of God, Poverty, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare
Can you imagine being six years old and never having tasted an ice cream cone? Never once having drops of chocolate dribble down your chin and splatter onto your shirt, causing your mom’s eyes to almost shout aloud. Never once taking a bite out of the bottom of the cone and making a bigger mess on your shirt, causing even more problems.
How can this be?
Jagruti is a beautiful six-year old girl who lives in rural Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state which borders on the Arabian Sea. The financial capital of India, Mumbai, and other large cities in Maharashtra swirl with activity from IBM, Microsoft, Honeywell, Volkswagen, Audi, GM, Fiat, Mercedes, Skoda, and other large international corporations.
Yet, Jagruti has never tasted an ice cream cone.
You see, Jagruti had the misfortune of being born to parents who are Dalits. And as a Dalit child, Jagruti is considered a subhuman, impure from birth, and worthy of nothing but contempt. She is one of the 300 million “Untouchables,” which means just that – no upper-caste person can touch her and she can not touch them. She is denied access to public wells and may be fined for drinking from a water fountain.
But still, it’s only an ice cream cone, can’t she have one?
Jagruti’s papa is a hard working laborer, but being a Dalit, only certain jobs are open to him. These include harvesting crops by hand or cleaning open-air toilets, latrines, and sewers with his bare hands. This backbreaking work will earn him a few rupees per day, barely enough to support his wife, a baby daughter, two sons, and Jagruti.
So, no money left over for luxuries like ice cream cones.
Jagruti is special child, especially to my wife and me, because we help support her through Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope. The picture above is one she colored and sent to us from her village, nine thousand miles away. A work by Monet or Renoir could never hold a candle to a Jagruti original.
Just so you know: my wife and I have struggled financially. Yet, we support Jagruti, three other children, and plan on supporting more. How? We’ve learned God honors His word.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given. (Proverbs 19:17)
And pay backs from God are always more than enough.
Filed under Christianity, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, India, Kingdom of God, Poverty, Prayer, Prophecy, spiritual warfare
In 1995, a friend told me about K.P. Yohannan and his ministry, Gospel For Asia. She gave me a book which I quickly forgot about until New Years Day, 1996. On that particular holiday, I had nowhere to go and no TV to watch football bowl games. So, I hunkered down and read the book.
In one part, Yohannan wrote how overwhelmed he felt by the size of India and his meager resources. He cried out to the Lord and eventually the Lord spoke the following to his heart:
“I am not in any trouble that I need someone to beg for Me. I made no promises I will not keep to you. It is not the largeness of the work that matters, but only doing what I command. All I ask of you is that you be a servant. For all who join with you in the work, it will be a privilege – a light burden for them.”
Although I don’t remember the book’s name, I wrote the above response in my Bible. Then, I did nothing.
Fast forward until last year when I received a free copy of No Longer A Slumdog. The title caught my attention and I began reading it. Over the following two hours, I wept and asked forgiveness again and again as the book revealed my selfishness and hardness of heart.
There were stories about Muttu, Asha, Lata, Vichy, Tusli, and other names of poor children I can’t begin to pronounce. I read about a mother who sold her baby for ten pounds of rice. I learned about India’s caste system and how the lowest rung, the Dalits, comprise 20% of India’s population, or 250 million people, and are considered subhuman, worthy of being treated like a dog.
Every word in the book acted like a rock thrown against my plastic Western Christianity, creating cracks in it. Yet, it was this specific sentence on Page 31 which penetrated my heart:
“In India alone, there are 11 million children like Asha who have been abandoned, and 90% of them are girls.”
Afterward, all I could think about were the 9.9 million abandoned little girls. If I closed my eyes, I saw children, but their faces resembled my daughter when she was four years old.
This time, I could not ignore my heart.
My wife and I are now sponsors of children in Gospel For Asias’ Bridge of Hope program. Also, I am a volunteer advocate for Bridge of Hope and a Gospel For Asia Blogger.
In the Foreword to No Longer A Slumdog, Francis Chan wrote:
“I am very thankful for the book you are about to read. It has stirred my heart once again. Living in the West with all its affluence, it is easy to forget about others…”
I recommend this book to everyone and who knows? It may change your life, too.
No Longer A Slumdog can be reviewed and purchased on Amazon for $14.95. Or it can be purchased for a suggested $5 donation from Gospel For Asia.
166 pages. Authored by K. P. Yohannan, 2011. Published by gfa books.
Filed under book review, Books, Christianity, church planting, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, India, jesus, Kingdom of God, Literature, Poverty, Prayer, Reading, spiritual warfare, Writing
Although only five years old, I remember that particular September day.
It was the weekend of the Ogle County Fair which meant jumping in our 1951 Ford with my family and driving to the fairgrounds. Upon arrival, my sister went with her cousin to check out the fair. I stayed with mom and dad.
My parents first treated me to a hot dog and Nehi Cream Soda. Afterward, we walked around looking at farm exhibits.
Dad was interested in a tractor at one tent and talked to a lively salesman. Mom listened to the haggling and laughed at the two men. I stood there for a few moments, but the sounds of the fair tugged on my ears.
“Step right up and win yourself a teddy bear.”
“Get your ticket now for the tilt-a-whirl.”
“Hurry, hurry! Right this way!”
Without a word, I turned and followed the sounds. The crowd swept me along in its current to the carnival games and rides. Everything seemed so alive until a revelation dawned upon me: where’s Mom and Dad?
I backtracked to the tractor exhibit, but they were gone. I searched here, there, and everywhere. No parents. Finally, I stopped by a tree and cried. The thoughts of never seeing my parents again and wondering what would happen to me bombarded my mind.
Then, I heard a voice.
“Sonny, I’m here,” said Dad, leaning over to give me a hug.
My life began again at that moment.
This experience occurred years ago and lasted twenty or so minutes, but do you know in India there are 11 million abandoned children whose experiences never end? Little ones left to fend for themselves by poor parents who can no longer afford to care for them. 90% of these abandoned children are little girls.
Three million of these children end up living on the streets. A million or so of the little girls will end up in the sex trade with a life expectancy of 15 years of age.
What can we do?
Gospel For Asia’s Bridge of Hope offers us an opportunity to sponsor children, with 100% of our financial offerings going directly to help the children.
Like my dad on that day long ago, we can be a loving voice to these children which says, “I’m here.”
Filed under Christianity, Church, Faith, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, India, Inspirational, jesus, Kingdom of God, Poverty, Prophecy, Religion, Spirituality
If I were Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, I could help thousands of abandoned children in India with a signature. The check could be for a million, or even a billion dollars, and it wouldn’t faze me… if I were one of these two men.
But sadly, I’m not.
You see, I’m just an ordinary Joe. My life has been spent treading water from one month to the next, never quite affording a boat to travel atop the waves. A tsunami is new brakes for our car. A fiscal cliff happens to us at the end of every month.
Yet, even though I’m an ordinary Joe, the Lord has laid the abandoned children of India on my heart.
I hear their cries. I see their tear-streaked faces. I feel their loneliness. I know their hopes do not include iPads or iPhones or college educations, but rather, they just hope to survive today. Tomorrow is too far away to even think about it.
Here’s a poem by an abandoned Dalit child:
I am nobody
Worthless my life is
To Untouchables I was born
A Dalit child my fate sealed.
I was born in slums
Rights? We have none
To upper-caste our lives we owe
Slaves to serve all their wish.
Poverty and hunger
Is all I ever knew
If there is hope
Tell me how?
What is my future?
Do I have any?
It all looks so dark
And I wish I was not born
(No Longer a Slumdog, K. P. Yohannan, gfa books, ©2011)
There are eleven million abandoned children in India between the ages of 4 and 11 years old. Ninety percent of these, or 9.9 million, are little girls. These abandoned Indian children = the population of the state of Ohio.
Now, of the 9.9 million abandoned girls, 1.5 million will end up in the sex trade, where half of them will be dead before they are fifteen years old.
Using Ohio as our comp, the 1.5 million girls = the combined populations of Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
The above numbers are overwhelming for an ordinary Joe like me. My financial offerings and prayers are mere drops in an Ocean of need for India. But what can I do?
“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” (Mother Teresa)
Who knows? Maybe my little drop will cause others to add their drops. Then, maybe we’ll have a teaspoon. Or a cup. Or a quart. Maybe even more.
But it all begins with a drop.
If you’re interested, check out Gospel for Asia and their Bridge of Hope program. 100% of your offerings go to help the children.
Filed under Christianity, Church, church planting, Gifts of the Spirit, God, grace, India, jesus, Kingdom of God, Prophecy, spiritual warfare
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Larry Who 