The more children I met in India and the more stories I heard, the more I know that God brought me to this place, at this particular time, for a specific purpose. With all my heart, I felt He wanted me to do something significant to help these suffering children. But there are many children in India, so many horrific stories, and so much to be done…It’s overwhelming. Where do you start? With a single child.

That realization was never more real to me than the night I visited a children shelter where several hundred children were sleeping on the floor. Some were in tents, some on the floor of a bus park, and some just out in the open with no food, no house, no clothes, and some without any parents. Most of these children were very sick and had no money to visit a doctor or to buy medication. My husband David and I were able to take 35 children and set up a fund for their doctor’s visits and for medicine, but that was such a small number which needed help, love, and God’s word.

I stood next to our ministry partner Derrick watching about 10 to 11 thousand people gather together to worship God and they do this every half hour. So many people hungry for God and they don’t care if their family disown then. Some of them had to hide just to talk about Jesus and to read the Bible (which sometimes is just a partial copy of the Bible). They cannot walk, talk, or pray freely. They don’t have a building to worship in, but they are grateful for what God has done and continues to do. Nothing will stop them to love God and to believe in Him and His word. They have nothing, but yet they have it all because they have Jesus. God is doing a wonderful work in their lives. They cry out to God with all of their heart. They are not ashamed of Jesus if even they know they could lose their lives.

I just love these people. They are close to God’s heart. I watched over 300 children as they sang, praised God, and said their prayers. It hit me all over again that this is their daily experience ….one which has been indelibly printed on my mind and heart. When I glanced over at Derrick, he was weeping. He said, “These atrocities must stop!”

It was difficult for either of us to speak. The enormity of the problem weighed heavily on my mind. I asked permission to stay and spend more time with the children. My heart broke as I was able to tuck those boys and girls in and pray with them. As I looked into the face of each child, I began to understand that our heavenly Father knows each one.

He formed and created them individually, with unique talents, gifts, and desires. When God looks at the problem in India, He doesn’t see a mass of bodies or a sea of faces. He sees grace. He cries for Moses. Every single boy and girl is precious in His eyes…and to save even one is worth any price.

As long as I live, I’ll never forget that night when the children became real to me. Later on in that trip, I met with Derrick and other pastors to discuss a way to meet the needs of these very real children. When we all sat down and I looked into their faces, I knew there was no way I could send them home empty-handed. It was so obvious that they all had a strong compassion. They were sacrificing their time out of love.

I visited the National Association of the Blind, for children who were born blind and abandoned by their families. With the blessing of God, David and I were able to sponsor fifty children. We don’t have much, but as God supplies our needs we turn around and bless them. They have little beds to sleep in and the word of God and His light to brighten up their way.

One pastor told me, “It’s not that we don’t care about these children. We desperately want to help them, but our people are so poor …we just don’t have the money.” I prayed and asked God for a strategy that would be culturally sensitive and would allow that pastor to meet this great need. I wasn’t interested in making my presence known or getting credit for anything I would do. All I truly wanted was to provide the resources this pastor needed to take care of the children.

Millions of people around the world suffer hardship, hunger, and disease. But those who suffer the most are children. They endure unimaginable living conditions on a daily basis without any hope of a better life.

David and I also support Home for the Ages, a senior citizen home, for people who have been put out from their homes for one reason or another. We have at the moment 140 women and 110 men. There is work to be done, very little time, and no money or people to do it. God is coming soon and He will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail. As believers, we are commanded by God to love others and to share the hope of Jesus Christ. God loves and cares about suffering people. And if we share God’s heart, we must see the world through His eyes.
The word of God says “go and make disciples of all nations.” It was the last command Jesus gave His disciples. Jesus did not command us to do the impossible, nor did He command us to go to the ends of the earth with His Gospel if He did not expect us to obey. However, today there are still entire groups of people who have never heard of Jesus Christ.

A world in need—hunger, war, famine, disease, and natural disaster create a worldwide climate of the suffering that most of us cannot begin to comprehend. A sponsor for a missionary can provide a child with the basic necessities such as food, clothing, medical attention, and education opportunities. Most importantly, these children can receive the message that God loves them and has a special plan for their lives…

As you read this, let God add a special blessing to your life, so that you also someday may give to needed children. My strategic thinking and emphasis on partnership have breathed new life into the mission world and provide innovative ways to partner together and accomplish more for the Kingdom of God. Please give to missions and pray for our missionaries.

Elaine, Missionary, Christiandesign.blogspot.com