Mission (2) Hope Home

Thanks to everyone who read my previous post!  Today I would like to share another element of our mission trip, and that is the main work that we were doing.

We were based at the Hope for Children's Home, where John and Deepa, and their daughter, live with 35 other children.  The children come from a slum community, and usually from Hindu families. They are given a home, a place to live, eat, sleep, but also a place to learn from the Bible and meet Jesus.  The aim is that when they grow up, they might return to their families and support them and share Jesus with them.  Initial impressions of the Home from my journal:

The Hope Home was a lovely place – the grounds had lots to do – basketball, badminton, soccer, cricket. There were lots of animals including a baby goat called Angel. I really liked the atmosphere of the place. And John and Deepa are really relaxed.

We would visit the Home every day.  Some of our team would work in the buildings, painting the walls of the children's bedrooms.  Deepa would always prepare a wonderful lunch for them.  The rest of us would arrive at 4pm and spend the afternoon playing. We enjoyed many things - sports, crafts, music and playing on the equipment.  All the children, young and old, seemed to love running around and playing. It was always a highlight to spend time with them.

At 5pm, we would join together for devotions. We shared Bible stories from the book of Acts.  It became immediately evident how much the children love to sing. We would sing a few songs each time we had devotions. They loved to sing to us and teach us knew songs. It was wonderful.

Each evening, before we would leave, we would share coffee and afternoon tea with John and Deepa. It was a great way to relax together before we went back to PTS.  

We quickly grew very fond of the children and John and Deepa.  Here is an excerpt from my journal:

Let me tell you about Deepa. She is the most amazing woman. She looks after the 35 children including Ashima (her daughter) and her husband. She also cooks for the team while they are there. They have delicious fancy meals which they all enjoy. She prepares afternoon coffee for us each day. She is such a busy woman, but she always comes and says 'Hello' to me with a beautiful smile. She is so sweet and quiet and she always asks me about something of my day that John has shared with her. I love her so much. I told the boys to find a wife like Deepa. They told me to be a woman like Deepa! 

There were so many little ways they blessed us. On Lara's birthday, they bought a birthday cake and we had a celebration. John took some of the team to a Tea Garden and to the Forest Museum.  He also organised a picnic for us all on Saturday. On the day we left he arranged a huge feast for us all!  One thing I loved about John was that he was happy for us to really engage with the children and to do our Bible teaching.  He was comfortable with us, and we were with him.

Josiah and David teaching the boys how to play footy 

Having a game on the grass 

Josh giving a Bible talk

My friend Shankah

 With John under the verandah

 One of the girls braided my hair one day

All together on our picnic

It was a wonderful encouragement for us to see a couple so faithful in their service, and so generous to others.  I was really challenged by the way they open their family to all these other children, and work hard to raise them well!  I pray often for John and Deepa and the children that we met, that God will always provide for them and bless them, and that they all might be effective witnesses to those around them.  

I think this sentence from the end of my journal sums it up pretty well:

I think I will most miss John and Deepa.