Blessing HIV Children in India

 


Our friend Mavis spent recently three months in India. She worked with two wonderful Indian Missions. Ark Family Ministries and Adopt A Village. If you wish to learn more, and hopefully support them, just click on the link. Below is a letter from Mavis on her return home.

HI FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BY THE GRACE OF GOD I REACHED HOME SAFELY ON THE 5TH OF APRIL. IT IS A GREAT FEELING TO BE HOME WITH FAMILY, ESPECIALLY WITH MY THREE LOVING GRAND CHILDREN. MY 4 YEAR OLD GRAND DAUGHTER, LEAH,  ASKED ME,  "YOU ARE NOT GOING BACK TO INDIA?"  I SAID, "NO", SHE SAID, "THANK GOD, WELCOME BACK AMMAMA".  SHE IS SO CUTE.  I STAYED  IN INDIA IN THE WARM WEATHER  FOR  3 MONTHS & I DID NOT MISS THE SNOW AT ALL.  I ENJOYED VISITING MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I ALSO ENJOYED VISITING ASHIRVAD HOME WHICH HAS 39 CHILDREN-MOST OF THEM ARE HIV POSITIVE CHILDREN,(PL.READ BELOW  NO. 8).  GOD GAVE ME THIS MINISTRY AND I AM HAPPY TO SERVE HIM.  I HAVE TAKEN UP ANOTHER MINISTRY CALLED ADOPT  A VILLAGE-THERE ARE SMALL VILLAGES THAT DO NOT HAVE TV CONTACT SO THEY CAN LISTEN TO GOSPEL MESSAGES. THEY ARE SO POOR AND CAN NOT AFFORD TO GET THE TV CONNECTION.   I CAN NOT GO AND PREACH TO THEM ,  BUT WITH LITTLE EXPENSE I CAN SEND GOD'S WORD TO THEM  WITHOUT ME GOING OUT. IF ANY ONE IS INTERESTED IN THESE TWO MINISTRIES AND WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT  IT PL EASE LET ME KNOW I WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT. GOD BLESS YOU ALL . VERY HAPPY TO BE HOME .   I HAD VERY GOOD VACATION.  MAVIS

Helping Children with AIDS in India

Ark Family Ministries is a Mission devoted to Healthy Families. They have a boarding school for children with AIDS who have been abandoned by their families. Bharathi is on the right hand side of this picture.

Bharathi is our first totally orphaned child. If you see her today and compare to how she was when she arrived on December 14th 2005, you will marvel at God’s grace in transforming this little one. Bharathi was born on November 15th 1999. Her father died next day on November 16th due to complications with AIDS. Her mother continued working as a basket weaver until she died in November 2005. It was shortly after her death that friends approached us and requested if we would accept Bharathi in our residential school. Bharathi’s brother was in their children’s home but they were unable to take her in as Bharathi tested HIV positive. As we evaluated the situation and prayed about the desperate need for a proper home for this little one, the Lord motivated us to admit her in Ashirvad School.

To make it possible for her to adjust faster, we kept her 10 year old brother, Sunil, with us for a few days. How she clung to Sunil when it came time for him to leave to return to his children’s home! She was very insecure and found very hard to trust anyone. It is anyone’s guess what all she may have endured in her young life.

But we praise God and rejoice to share with you that she soon became a very special part of Ashirvad School. Her impish, cheerful smile wins our hearts. She has been a slow learner but now beginning to go forward in her studies. Her relatives, also basket weavers, have visited couple times but are afraid to invite her to their homes on account of her HIV condition. We have tried to explain to them how HIV can and cannot be transmitted, but there is no change in their response towards her. During first Summer we invited her brother, Sunil to spend 2 weeks in our home while all the other Ashirvad School children went to their homes or relatives’ homes. Now her relatives take Sunil home during holidays but Bharathi is not included. We were very grateful when Annapurna, our caregiver happily included Bharathi along with her 2 children on her visit to her family in May 2007.

Bro. Jayaraj Chinta of Ark Family Ministries will be preaching this Sunday during the 9:45 AM service at First Baptist Church of Rahway. Learn More about this wonderful mission here.

Family Seminar and Retreat

Saturday, August 7th
3 PM to 8 PM

Featuring
Bro. Jayaraj Chinta &
Kailas Chinta

Ark Family Ministries
Hyderabad, India
http://www.arkfam.org/

Theme:-

Enriched Christian Family
Hebrews 13:4

Subjects:-

1. Blessing and preciousness of Marriage
2. Conflicts/Conflict Resolution in a Christian Home
Dinner will be served after the Seminar

Pastor William Whitehead
First Baptist Church Rahway
FBC Telugu Service 177 Elm Ave. Rahway, NJ 07065
Call for more Details: 973-979-3536 / 908-380-3075
http://www.fbc-rahway.org/ (Directions)
www.fbcrahway.blogspot.com
www.fbcts.org/ - TELUGU—Bro. Ebenezer Pattabhi

Ark Family Ministries Family Conference in India

Leaders Family Conference was conducted in Manipur state in T. Khullen village which is Kerry’s home village. Here we ministered to 4 pastor couples and other church leaders couples. Initially we were very disappointed at the small attendance of the pastor couples of that area, but our hearts rejoiced when the Lord allowed us the privilege of ministering to the local church couples at Kerry’s home church. Kerry had reminded us that we need to be very clear in our gospel presentation as there were many nominal Christians in the church. At least 5 couples trusted the Lord as their Savior during the family conference. Each night at the gospel meeting, there was tremendous moving of the Holy Spirit and many more trusted the Lord as their Savior. Please pray that adequate follow-up will be undertaken by the church leaders to disciple these new babes in the Lord.


"We thank the Lord for allowing us to join the couples conference. We have learnt things that we have missed and we regretted, but we will be doing what God require for each other and for our children. And one thing that impressed us is the time to pray with each other-husband praying for wife and wife praying for husband.” Kangsong & Salila

“We didn’t know the Lord before we came for the Conference, but both of us are sure we accepted the Lord as our personal Savior. Now we are born again believers in the Lord. So do kindly remember us in your prayer.” Suibipa & Malati

*Rev. Jayaraj Chintas of Ark Family Ministries will be speaking at FBC Rahway on Sunday, August 1st. To learn more go to; www.arkfam.org/, www.chintas.org/