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Posted
on November 13, 2006
by
Sungeeta Jain
It has been approximately one year since I left
the busy and exhilarating life of being an associate at
Perkins Coie to travel to India to work among the poor,
destitute, dejected and needy people of the subcontinent.
There have been ups and downs, victories and setbacks, but
not once have we (my Mother and I) looked back at our
decision with doubt or regret. We are certain that
this is where God has called us.
Many of the ideas we had originally gone to India
with have changed. For example, although initially we
had planned on being in India for one year, we have decided
to extend that for at least another six months to a year.
Leaving India now would mean leaving too much
undone with no one to conduct follow-up and continue the work we have started.
But, I think the most significant change
has been a broadening in our definition of “orphan.” I think many of us, when
we think of “orphans,” we think of adorable children, who have no parents and
are cold, lonely and hungry for love and affection. But, during our time in
India, we have realized that an “orphan” can be any person, child or
adult, who through feeling or circumstance is alone, dejected, empty, destitute,
unwanted, unloved, lost, or wandering. Although we still have a heart
for, and a strong desire to help those who are traditionally thought of as
“orphans,” we have broadened our focus to also reach out to and help the
millions of additional “orphans” we meet in India on a daily basis.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank
you for your support and prayers over the past year. Many
of you have signed our guest book or written us encouraging
emails. Some of you have even visited us in India. We
appreciate you more than you can imagine.
I am sorry that I have not been the best about
sending out updates as to the goings on in India. There
have been many reasons for this, the top two being: lack of
electricity and lack of time. But, I will try to be better
in the future.
Here is a brief update on what we have been up to
at The Orphanage Project (“TOP”) over the past one year:
Our Weekly Schedule:
Monday:
Free tutoring of slum children & Afternoon Bible study for
Young Adults
Tuesday:
Outreach at slum in Ashram, Delhi & Home Visits
Wednesday:
Free tutoring of slum children, Afternoon Bible study for
Young Adults & Evening Miracle Prayer Fellowship
Thursday:
Outreach at Priya Marketplace in Vasant Vihar, Delhi & Youth
Meeting
Friday:
Free tutoring of slum children & Outreaches to area slums or
Youth Gatherings
Saturday:
Free computer class for slum children & Outreaches to area
slums or Youth Gatherings
Sunday:
Morning Prayer Fellowship in Faridabad, Afternoon Prayer
Fellowship in Vasant Vihar, Delhi
Slum Outreaches: We conduct outreaches at a slum in Delhi on a weekly basis and
at several slums in Faridabad on a monthly basis. During
these outreaches we visit the slums for an hour or more to
develop trust and love relationships with the residents.
There we pass out cookies to the children, sing songs with
them, share inspirational stories, pray for the sick, and
teach positive habits. We encourage the children to steer
clear of bad habits such as chewing tobacco, smoking,
fighting, skipping school, swearing, etc. We also work with
the parents and encourage them to stop abusing, drinking and
gambling. Some have even shared with us that the abuse and
alcoholism has stopped in their families. In one of the
slums, Mom has been reaching out to a young boy with polio.
Through
her encouragement and prayers, this boy has
gained confidence in himself and a determination to face the
world. Through these outreaches we are able to reach a few
hundred people every month.
Tutoring Slum Children: Three times a week we have slum children come to our home for
tutoring. Some of the children attend schools for the poor,
while others are school drop outs.
We tutor the children in all subjects (Mom handles anything
in Hindi, I handle the English subjects). We have anywhere
from our regular six students to twenty students at a time,
all in different grades, with different abilities.
We have seen a drastic improvement in the children who come
on a regular basis. Many of the slum children do not learn
the basics of reading or math in school. They simply learn
how to memorize. I remember one child, Nahim, who was in
fourth grade. He opened a book and started reading it to
my mom. She was impressed at the big words he
was reading. She asked him to skip a few lines and read a
different section, and all of the sudden, the child was
stuck. He could not read. He had merely memorized the book
and was reciting it from memory! We began working with him
and he began to put Hindi words together as he began to
read. He knew his English alphabet only until the letter
“g” initially, but after about a week, he was reading simple
words like “man” and “jet.”
Computer Classes: Recently a young computer professional in our area came across
our website on the net and offered to volunteer his
services. Thus, we have started a small computer class for
the slum children. Many of the children are excited about
the opportunity to learn a skill that they had previously
thought was only for the “rich.”
Sunday and Wednesday Faridabad Fellowship: We conduct prayer fellowships at our home every Sunday morning
and Wednesday evening. On Sunday mornings we have
approximately 40 children (under the age of 16) attend on a
regular basis, along with approximately 10 adults.
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At times we have over 60-70 in attendance. Many
come from the area slums, while others are from the working
or upper class. The children who come to the prayer
meetings are really starting to trust in God and develop
their own relationships with Him. They are starting to
share testimonies of how the Lord is answering their
prayers. When there is a power cut, they are praying and
the Lord is restoring power (one girl prayed after a
power-cut, “Lord, don’t bring the power back, I want rain
instead” and it actually started to rain!). When they are
having aches and pains, they are praying and the Lord is
healing them. When they are having difficulty in school,
they are praying and the Lord is giving them wisdom. One
child, Rahul, testified that God is simply giving him joy!
Bible Study:
Twice a week we conduct young adult Bible studies and
discuss relevant issues.
Priya Marketplace Outreaches: The Priya Marketplace is often referred to as the
“hippest” marketplace in all of Delhi. There are several
nightclubs, bars, and western restaurants and stores in the
market such as TGI Fridays, McDonalds, The United Colors of
Benetton, and Reebok. This marketplace plays host to a wide
range of people from varying backgrounds. It is a hangout
of choice for rich teenagers, successful twenty-somethings,
and businessmen. It is also the place of employment for
several hardworking young people. Then you have the small
shop owners who have jewelry or tea stalls. And finally,
there are the slum children who pick up garbage or beg to
make money. But the one characteristic binds the people at
the Priya Marketplace together is that they all seem to be
empty. They are searching for something more
out of life.
We visit this marketplace once a week and pass
out cookies to the slum children and pray for them,
counseling and encouraging them. Many of the children we
come in contact with are trying to positively change their
lives. Some have stopped sniffing toxic substances in order
to get high.
At the marketplace, we also spend two hours a week praying
for and counseling ill, depressed, lonely, unemployed or
otherwise needy people. Some we only meet once. Many
return week after week,
often bringing their friends with them. Recently
we met a man, Mr. Narayanji, who told us, “I have been
observing you for months. And I have asked many people whom
you have talked to and prayed with about their
experiences.” Mr. Narayanji told us, “Every single person
whom you have prayed for reports at least some positive
change in their circumstances.” Through these outreaches we
are able to reach a few hundred people every month.
Youth Group:
We have started a small youth group in the Priya
Marketplace, mostly consisting of at-risk teens. We have
approximately six to eight regular members, as well as
several others who attend on a sporadic basis.
Through prayer, counseling, and sharing testimonies many of
the young people have experienced amazing transformations in
their lives. They are giving up bad habit and addictions.
Their personalities are changing (the anger and depression
are being replaced by joy and love). We have taken some of
the young people for outreach meetings in slums and colleges
where they have been able to pray for others and see the
power of God at work, first-hand.
One of our members used to take drugs and has
completely stopped taking drugs. Others have found a sense
of direction for their lives and sense of belonging.
Depressed and lonely young people have found happiness. One
young person, who was extremely depressed after a failed
relationship, recently wrote me an email stating:
I WANA CONFESS THAT NOW I PRAY EACH DAY AND ITS HELPIN ALOT....I
DONT THINK MUCH ABT [HER], I WANA B THE SAME PERSON AS I WAS
3YRS BACK AND MAKE MY PARENTS PROUD OF ME......I WANNA LIVE
FOR A CAUSE NOW AND NT FOR NO REASON.....AND ITS ALL COZ OF
U AND UR PRAYERS.
Sunday Delhi Fellowship:
At the end of August 2006, we started a small prayer
fellowship
near the Priya Marketplace. We have
approximately 40-60 people in attendance every week. Each
week people share testimonies of the miracle working power
of Jesus. The young people from the Youth Group serve as
our prayer team, praying for those who have needs.
Supporting Other Organizations:
We have helped do outreaches and meetings for many other
organizations in the Delhi area. We have conducted small
meetings in homes, as well as larger meetings in colleges
and rural areas. The meetings are to help the
furtherance of other organizations, so we leave
the follow-up to the other organizations.
One-on-One:
Aside from all of the organized activities, we also make
many house visits, hospital visits and have people come over
for prayer and are seeing lives changed. For example,
approximately three weeks ago, a man who was an alcoholic
came over for prayer. His wife tells me that he used to
begin drinking when he woke up in the morning and he would
continue to drink until he literally fell down. He was
neglecting his family and his work. But, since the day he
received prayer, he has not touched alcohol. The following
is an excerpt from an email his wife wrote me:
Thanks to God and to you. [My husband] is fine, he is not
drinking at all…My kids are very happy now a days and they
want their father to be like this always.
TOP Building Projects: All building projects have been temporarily
put on hold. As many of you know, when we initially went to
India, we had purchased 9 acres of land, with a vision to
build an orphanage, school, elderly person’s home, and other
facilities. However, when we arrived in India, the price of
the land had more than doubled and the sellers decided they
wanted the land back. So, they are disputing our ownership
and the dispute is slowly making its way through the Indian
justice system. Although we have the papers to show our
ownership, the process must take its course. Thus, we are
currently looking for new land (although with the price
hikes, most land is unaffordable) and/or trying for an
out-of-court settlement.
Our Future Plans
1. We will continue and expand the projects that
we have already started.
2. We hope to resolve the land issues and start
design and construction of a childrens’ home, elderly
persons’ home and school.
3. We aim to start a work among the Hijras
(Eunuchs – people born with an undetermined gender). In
Indian society, Hijras are almost considered sub-human.
They live in isolated communities, are not generally allowed
an education, and are not accepted by society as a whole.
They bully and beg for money. We have a burden on our
hearts for this unreached people group. We would like to
share with them a message of hope and love. We would also
like to train them with skills, such as sewing, in order to
help them find ways to make a living other than begging for
money.
God Bless,
Sungeeta Jain
www.TheOrphanageProject.com
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