Mission India
New Zion's trip to India consisted of two missions, both at different locations in Bangalore. The journey was both successful and challenging in many areas. Question is... Where do we start? As Mother Teresa said..."Reach out to one at a time".
Meet Beulah and her husband Ramesh. Beulah is one of the daughters of the late pastor Aaron Arason who was one of our field pastors. Beulah and Ramesh have agreed to help us as the India representatives for New Zion.
Pastor Aaron had a passion to assist the poor as best as he was able to, so he built his church right in the centre of a slum area. As we drove passed one side of this extremely poor area, we felt God tug our hearts to do something... but what? there are so many that need help. After a sleepless night and a strategy from God, I could see that we could help one family at a time, but by the end of the mission we have been able to commit to help 5 families at one time.
How will it work? We will remove families from their houses made of sticks and tarpaulin, moving each family into their own one bedroom place. A cost of £50 per month per family will pay their rent, food and a child's education. The aim is to help them for 6 months. During this time we expect one or both parents to get a job (not too difficult in India) and to become independent and regaining their dignity. Our expectation is that each child has to attend school throughout their school age.
As at April 2020, we have successfully been able to support 8 families, with a further 11 families currently being sponsored. There are also 9 children in this area that we support through our sponsorship programme. The cost of a child sponsor is £30 a month whist the child is in full time education. It covers the cost of education, food, clothing and additional needs.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Beulah and Ramesh for stepping in the gap for New Zion India.
If you can support a family for £50.00 (or less) for 6 months, please contact us, details are on our contact page. Thank you.
The picture to the left is one of the typical dwelling places in the slum areas in Bangalore.
The picture to the right is one of the 35 families that 'New Zion' and 'Sharon Evangelical church' worked together handing out a food parcel to every family on this site.
Each food parcel cost a little over £6.00 a bag.
We thank God for His provision in being able to help in a small way.
Can you help us to continue to help them?
RAJAN, JANSI AND THEIR CHILDREN ARUN AND JASMINE WAKE UP EACH DAY TO RE-LIVE THE SAME STRUGGLES AS THEY LIVED YESTERDAY AND FOR AS LONG AS THEY CAN REMEMBER. BOTH THE PARENTS WORKED AS SCHOOL CLEANERS, BUT THE PRINCIPLE GAVE THEIR JOBS TO YOUNGER PEOPLE MEANING THAT RAJAN AND JANSI HAD NO WORK AND NO MONEY. THE CHILDREN WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL AND TO BE ABLE TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE WAS A DAILY CHALLENGE. THANKS TO ONE OF OUR SPONSORS, FINANCIAL SUPPORT HAS BEEN PROMISED FOR A SIX MONTH PERIOD. OUR FIELD WORKER IN INDIA IS WORKING TO GAIN THE FATHER A FULL TIME POSITION IN A MORE SECURE JOB. THE CHILDREN NOW HAVE UNIFORMS AND BOOKS AND ARE NOW ABLE TO REGULARLY ATTEND SCHOOL. THEIR HEARTS ARE TOUCHED TOWARDS THE STRANGER WHO SPONSORS THEM SO THAT THEY CAN PUT A MEAL ON THE TABLE FOR THEIR CHILDREN EACH NIGHT.
MURUGAN IS A HUSBAND AND FATHER WHO LIVES IN ONE OF THE POOREST AREA OF INDIA. HE HAS A SMALL FRUIT CART WHERE HE SELLS A SMALL AMOUNT OF FRUIT EACH DAY. MURUNGAN'S WAGES ISN'T ENOUGH TO FEED HIS FAMILY, HIS SON ISN'T ABLE TO ATTEND SCHOOL AND MOST OF HIS WAGES GOES ON THE RENT OF A ONE ROOMED HOUSE. IN THE ONE ROOM HOUSE, THEY ALL SHARE TO COOK, EAT, SLEEP AND WASH. WITH HELP, MURUGAN CAN OBTAIN A BIGGER FRUIT CART AND MUCH MORE FRUIT TO SELL. SANTOSH CAN ATTEND FULL TIME SCHOOL. AS A FAMILY THEY CAN MOVE TO A MORE ACCEPTABLE ACCOMMODATION, EVEN IF IT IS A ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT. LAKSHMI, WIFE OF MURUGAN WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A PART TIME JOB AS HER CHILDREN ARE NOW AT SCHOOL. (PLEASE FOLLOW MURUGAN'S STORY BELOW).
THERE ARE MANY MANY FAMILIES IN THIS SAME POSITION ALL OVER INDIA, BUT AS MOTHER TERESA QUOTED "REACH OUT TO ONE AT A TIME". SOME OF OUR FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN IN A STATE OF SUICIDE BECAUSE LIFE HAS BECOME SO DESPERATE FOR THEM WHERE THEY COULDN'T SEE A WAY OUT OF THEIR HARDSHIP, THANKFULLY WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STEP IN AND MAKE A POSSITIVE DIFFERENCE.
HOPE AND CHANGE FOR THESE FAMILIES HAVE ONLY BEEN POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE SPONSORS WHO HAVE GIVEN GENEROUSLY TO OTHERS IN NEED, ALBEIT STRANGERS. OUR HEARTS ARE GRATEFUL. THANK YOU.
Pastor Gladson and his wife Somiya worked closely together with the New Zion team on the first leg of our mission in Bangalore. Nothing was too much for this couple in how they helped and supported us as a team. We are grateful.
One of New Zion's passions is to see orphaned children bought up in a family home where they will receive the benefits of loving parents and a home atmosphere. Whilst we were working with pastor Gladson, two children from seperate families was bought to our attention. Both had recently lost their fathers and neither of the mothers were able to support their child/ren. With the help of generous givers, we have been able to keep one child with his mother and continue his education. The second child will be bought up by foster parents well known to the pastor, with our support. The cost to accomodate, feed, clothe and educate each child cost £30.00 a month until the child/ren are at the age of finishing their education.
If you would like to sponsor a child, please contact us on our contact page. Thank you.
When I think of the great work that is done in many orphanages in developing countries, our hearts are touched. What would happen to these children without a safe roof over their heads and food in their little tummies?
Just before we travelled to India this year, I had a dream. In my dream I was walking down a dusty road in a poor area of India. I took hold of a small child's hand and led them to a home where there would be a mother and father ready to love and care for this child as though she/he was their own child.
When I woke this dream stayed with me in every detail. I knew if we could give children a loving home with parents and a chance of a full time education, we must find a way to do this. We found that some children were abandoned or living with struggling grandparents. We realised that sponsoring a child for £30.00 a month would feed, clothe and educate these children, and change their lives for a brighter future.
To date we sponsor eleven children. Some children have been able to stay with relatives because of a sponsors assistance with finances, others have been found Christian parents to love and take these children in as though they were their own children.
A FAMILY SUCESS STORY; FROM PROVERY TO INDEPENDENT.
One of our first supported families in India (mentioned above) has now come to the end of their six month support of £50 a month. This man owned a tiny fruit cart. He was only able to buy and sell a small amount of fruit each day due to lack of money. The produce he sold barely paid for their one roomed shack. Due to a sponsor helping this family for six months, this man has been able to get out of debt, buy a much bigger fruit cart and sell a lot more fruit. His children attend full time education and the mother has gained a part time job. He is looking to rent a two roomed house with a tiny kitchen and a toilet. Now this man is assisting one of our new families to start up their own business too.
To date, we have completed a six month program for seven families because of generous support from donors. We have started to help a further 11 families. Our hearts are touched and lives are being changed for the better.