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Bringing the love of Jesus into the lives of India’s orphans TESTIMONIES FROM INDIA Bible Society in India (BSI) is bringing the love of Jesus and the hope of the Bible into the lives of abandoned and orphaned children. Through this work, many children will encounter Jesus for the first time! As well, many needy children will receive Scripture notebooks, school bags and shoes. India’s Population: 1.3 billion Number of Orphans: 20 million This year, children will receive: - Children’s Bibles: 88,000 - Notebooks: 25,000 - School Bags: 10,000 - Pairs of Shoes: 3,000 Project Reach: - Children Reached: 250,000 - Children Committed - to Christ: 60,000 Children with school bags they’ve received from Bible Society of India. Roopa ROOPA “I have been coming to this “There are two Bible stories that church (in Bangalore) for about appeal to me. The first is that two years. I enjoy singing and Jesus feeds 5,000 people with hearing the Word of God,” says five loaves and two fish. That nine-year-old Roopa. reminds me of this church, where every day so many people get “I get a delicious meal here. My to eat. The second story is that mother works as a housekeeper Jesus heals a blind man. I like but earns very little. My father that because I want to become has no work. I go to school in a doctor when I grow up. I like our neighbourhood. When I get having my own children's Bible home, I usually do some chores in Kannada. Then I can read the and my homework, and I take stories myself at home.” care of my brother. Latha Prasanna, 46, is the lost seven members. The five- I WANT director of an orphanage in year-old son became infected Bangalore. with tuberculosis. I took him to TO SAVE hospital, but, unfortunately, the "My husband is a chaplain in a doctors couldn’t help him. He CHILDREN Christian hospital,” says Latha. died a few days later. Her desire to help children came after she watched a child die “On that day I decided I wanted from tuberculosis. to save children. I took home children with tuberculosis. I also “For me, it all started when there took street children with me. was a tuberculosis epidemic Some of these children had never in India. The government was been to school. looking for volunteers to go door-to-door to check people for “We currently have 36 children tuberculosis. I started doing that. living in this home – 24 girls and 12 boys. Four are orphans. The “One of the families I visited had others have either lost a parent or Mother Latha, left, and Alice, who features in the next story. ALICE "I have heard that my mother years old. When I came here was a good mother before she everything changed in my life. became ill. However, she had I am well taken care of here. I psychological problems. She go to school and I learn healthy could no longer take care of me habits and good manners. and my two brothers. My father left at that time as well. “Of course, I have a lot of grief when I think of my parents and been abandoned by their “We ended up on the street. I my two brothers. But Mother parents. was four years old. I had no Latha comforts me and prays for food and no clean clothes. I me. Then the feelings of sadness “Every morning we have was skinny and suffering from go away again. Later, like Latha, a devotion and we tell the tuberculosis. I could not hold on I want to take care of poor children Bible stories. We any longer. children. want these children who have been abandoned by their “But then Latha plucked me “Mother Latha tells us many parents to know the love of off the street. She took me to Bible stories. Job is my favourite God. hospital. I took a month to Bible story. I really think of recover. No one came to see me, him as an example. Job was in “Over the years I have helped neither my parents nor brothers. deep trouble. He literally lost 150 children. I try to transfer Mother Latha took care of me everything and everyone. Yet he my vision to them, so that and paid for everything that was continued to trust God. That is when they leave here at 17, needed. a lesson for me: do not rely on they go on to Bible school, people, but on God.” or to help other orphaned “Then I went with her to the children like themselves.” children's home. I was five DEENA "I have been living in this home “I got a new family here and a (in Bangalore) since I was six,” new mother. I am very grateful says Deena, now 14-years-old. for that because my own mother “At home we were so poor I often died four years ago. The Bible went to bed hungry. I didn’t go story of Ruth appeals to me. She to school and neither did my four says to her mother-in-law: your sisters or three brothers. people are my people and your God is my God. I sometimes feel “Occasionally my father found like Ruth. I feel part of this new a job herding sheep or goats. family and I want to serve God But he bought alcohol with the very much. It seems very nice to money, got drunk and slept in have my own children's Bible the street. He eventually left us. I and to be able to read the Bible was placed in this home through stories myself.” a social worker. There is so much love and care for me here. I can go to school. I really enjoy that. My favourite subject is English. Deena DANUSH “I first came to church three always have three meals a day. If months ago. I am learning more it goes well, we have meat once about Jesus. My favourite Bible a fortnight. We never actually story is when Jesus heals the eat vegetables. That's why I like blind man,” says eight-year-old to come here. Pastor Lakhsmi Danush. prepares delicious food. I am also very happy to have my own “At home, there is my parents, children’s Bible.” my sister, and me. We do not Danush SANDYA “Pastor Lakshmi invited me and “My favourite Bible story is my sister (10) to come to her the storm on the lake. I like it church,” says 12-year-old Sandya. because Jesus shows that He has “I’ve been coming here for about all the power. I like to remember six years. that when I have a hard time, that Jesus will protect me. I “At home, the atmosphere isn’t like having my own children's always pleasant. My mother has Bible. The pictures help me to no work and my father works understand the stories, and to Sandya night shifts. We have to be quiet remember them better.” during the day. ROSY AND TULSI Rosy and Tulsi are orphan sisters treats us like her own children, who live with their aunt. “ Our but my Aunt and Uncle are very parents both died from yellow poor, so we do not always have fever, five years ago. Our brother enough to eat,” she says. also died of it. He was seven- years-old,” says 13-year-old Rosy. “My Uncle and Aunt are Christians, and we go to church “I often think of my parents, and I with them. I like to hear Bible sometimes cry. I miss them very stories. The words of Jesus are so much. My Aunt has three boys of powerful. I find it very special Rosy, right, and Tulsi with a her own, and there are seven of that Jesus died for us. I do not children’s Bible. us living in a small house. Our have my own Father anymore, Aunt takes good care of us. She but God cares for us,” says Rosy. CHANDRU Chandru is 14-years-old. His age of five. He especially loves parents died when he was Psalm 91 because it talks about four-years-old. He lives in an how God helps us through our orphanage run by the St Thomas hardships. When he grows up, Academy Trust in Karnataka. He he wants to be a pastor to help received his first Bible at the others learn about God. Chandru Dharsan DHARSAN "I have lived in this children's “My real mother comes to visit home since I was eight,” says now and then. Fortunately, things Dharsan, now 12-years-old. are going well with her. I hope That was when our father left to be able to return to her in a our family. After that my mother few years. couldn’t take care of us, so she gave us up. My sisters are in a “I really like the Bible stories. home about 70 kilometres from My favourite story is the story of here. I ended up here through a Zacchaeus, the tax collector, who social worker. climbed into the tree to listen to Jesus. Even though he was “I am really enjoying myself here. hidden, Jesus could still see him. I am well taken care of. Latha One day, I hope to be able to tell (the orphanage director) is like a people about Jesus and save their mother to me.

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