[Note: because of the anti-conversion laws just passed in the state where our ministry functions in India, we are refraining from saying the name of the city and the name of our partner at their request]

The slums of a major Indian city are one of the most hopeless places I’ve visited. Tiny one-room houses almost piled on top of one another with 10 or more people crammed into one. Remember social distancing? Impossible in an area like that. It’s crowded. It’s hot. Hunger is rampant. Education, the only path out, is rare and expensive. Until our partners followed God’s vision for their city.

Because they obeyed the Lord, on April 6, 2022, their school celebrated its first graduation. These thirteen students who have attended all 12 years of school received their diplomas with joy and excitement. In the following weeks, nine of them applied to a local university and were accepted. They will continue their education in an institution with excellent credentials and a well-established graduate job placement program while engaging in weekly discipleship with our partners. They have a real chance to break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness that has gripped their families for generations.

If you would like to help these students, or the ones following closely behind them, continue their education and discipleship please email Sharilyn at [email protected].

What now?

At the end of 2018 we thought our partner might have to close its doors. But God had other plans. Now, the school has a completely new vision and model for ministry that has allowed them to reach into other parts of the city. God has increased their reach. This year, they enrolled 30 new students. Many of these students were unable to continue in school due to the Covid-19 pandemic, two of them are Nepali, and a few of them did not speak English yet. God is truly increasing their ministry and the gospel is reaching new families.

As God rebuilds the school, we need to rebuild support for this vital ministry that is making a difference in the lives of these students. If you would like to know more about this ministry and/or sponsor a child, please email Sharilyn at [email protected].