Ganapavaram has become my home away from home here. It is the village that
Tata and Mama (Grandpa and Grandma Manda) live in and where we go each Sunday to church. Their whole family has adopted me as their own.
Vijaya calls me her baby, their parents (
Tata and Mama) call me their granddaughter, and
Vijaya's kids call me big sister. I am blessed beyond measure to be cared for and treated as one of their own. It's such a beautiful thing.
My little brother, Ravi, is such an amazing kid. He is only twelve years old, but chose to move away from his mother and family at the children's home to live with his grandparents in the village and run daily prayer at the church. Every morning and evening he can be found on his knees in that church. I'm so proud of him and so humbled by his devotion to God and to his people.
Whenever we go to the village and I see the clay huts and the naked village kids running to give us hugs, I can't help but smile and think, "This is the kind of place I want to live in for the rest of my life." I can't even begin to describe it. The village people there of the lowest caste in India. They are treated so poorly in the outside world, but as we walk up and down the street, their faces glow with hope. It's amazing what God can do through one family to bring life to a community.
Thomas' parents and family have poured their lives into
Guanparum.
Tata owns much of the land in that village and has given it away so that family can have a place to call their own. They also provided the land for Thomas to build the village church on. Every Sunday, a group of us from the children's home go to the church to run a service for the villagers. We worship, pray, and study the Bible and afterwards the kids go around to each hut and pray over it. We spend a lot of time in fellowship and in prayer for those who want it. It's honor to be able to intercede for single mothers, prostitutes, AIDS babies, and so many more hurting people. I rejoice that they have the hope of Jesus Christ within them.
Along with helping fund the building of the church, the
Mollhagens (Thomas and Peter's U.S. family) helped to install three water pumps in the village where everyone can get clean water. One of those is at
Tata and Mama's house and is truly a miracle. Let me explain. In India, clean water is often hard to come by -- especially for village people. Even when water pumps are built, they often only run part of the time. Yet, somehow, God has provided water at
Tata's house 24/7. The hose never stops running. The water never stops coming...ever. Sometimes more water comes then others, but I have yet to see or hear of a time when God did not provide water there. Women line up in front of his house to fill their water jars because they know that it will come. It's truly amazing.
It's a beautiful reminder to me every time I go there of the God we serve. It reminds me of the words of Jesus in John 7:38, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this, he meant the Spirit of God coming to live inside each of us. That Spirit is always there. It is always working and flowing their own very beings. At times, we feel a rush of the Spirit pour over ourselves and at other times it seems like just a trickle. But in all seasons and at all times, we have Living Water and because of that I rejoice.
On Tuesday, March 24th at 7pm Open Arms For Asia will be hosting a fundraiser event at Celebration Cinema. They will be showing the new film "Slumdog Millionaire" which is the powerful story of three orphan children fighting to survive in the slums of India. It focuses on a Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers. The movie paints a realistic picture of the despair and struggles that orphans face in India yet delivers a message of hope and perseverance.
For those of you in Grand Rapids or surrounding areas you should really try to make it out to this event. It's going to be an amazing night -- I wish I could be there myself. I'm excited for what God has in store that night. There will also be an Open Arms For Asia presentation and all proceeds will go to the children here in India. You won't want to miss it.
For ticket information please contact Gary Schuler at 616.340.1165 or Dale Plowman at 616.540.8860. Or you can email me at breana_d_brendsel@cornerstone.edu and I will reserve tickets for you. Tickets are $15 each and include a fountain drink and popcorn. Only 500 tickets are being sold, so you must reserve yours ahead of time.
