INDIA BLOG DAY 4

Today has been a day of challenges, a day of understanding a day of despair that led to hope.

I visited one of the Compassion Child Survival Projects about 2 hours south of Calcutta.

It was, of course, extremely witnessing the levels of poverty on clear and open display, it was hard to think how it could ever change and it was frustrating as hell knowing that it does not need to be like this. The imbalance of power and wealth in the world, as you well know, is shocking and so full of injustice. And I am part of it, part of the problem and I want to be part of the solution.

However, when I heard the stories, the testimonies of the mothers that were there with there small children, when I heard them talk of renewed sense of hope and faith since finding faith in God and experiencing the tangible benefits of the compassion project in their village.....I was filled with great hope also.

Parenting skills, feeding programme, health checks, educating mother and child, mothers learning how to read and write along with there children, skills being taught that can be used for wealth creation, helping them to provide for their family......this is the real deal people and everyone needs to be helping....EVERYONE, THAT INCLUDES YOU!

We have all heard the phrase 'Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but give him a fishing rod and he eats for a lifetime and feeds his family too". What I saw today was this very thing in action. All of the staff at the projects are local people so jobs are being created also.

Then this evening we heard testimonies and stories from some teenagers who have been given full scholarships through Compassion! Children who came through the Child Sponsorship Programme and have now been given the chance to further their education.

Their stories, their attitude and their character was beyond what I can justifiably describe. They were, quite simply, magnificent young people, a credit to themselves, their families and Compassion.

These young people told us, first hand, how Compassion ( or really Christ through Compassion, their words ) rescued them from a hopeless, choiceless future and has given them the chance they deserve, and along the way they found Jesus for themselves also.

I cannot really explain to you how overwhelming it was today, but I do know that it has changed me forever, cliche maybe....I don't care. I am changed!

Missing my family

tim