Millions of children in India lack guidance and discipline, especially those who are in poverty. They are developing bad habits like stealing, smoking, drinking alcohol at a young age and criminal activities. According to the census, India has 10 million child laborers between the ages of 5 and 14. Addiction, lack of education, poverty, ignorance and blind faith in idols of their parents in India are destroying the future of young children in India.
Exciting Word has been focusing on reaching the children with the message of the Gospel. We started regular Sunday schools in the villages and slums and have several free day schools in the slums. We are conducting VBS and Sunday schools in the slums and remote villages with the help of young believers.
This year from June 6th to 8th we had 42 Vacation Bible schools for children of Christian parents. Over 9,000 children ages 7-16 attended the VBS in different locations. It was a time of rejoicing, singing learning, listening and fellowshipping. A total of 402 young people ages 12-16 dedicated their lives for the Lord’s service, and over 900 children gave their lives to the Lord. We saw 342 young children 12 years and older baptized during the Vacation Bible school. Truly these children were greatly impacted and touched by the Word of God, fellowship, and worship.
During the week of June 10th, we conducted a 5-day “Sunday school” program. Held in 92 different locations in different slums and remote villages in north India, we invited over 16,000 children ages 7-16 from non-Christian families. For most of them, this was the first time attending a Christian program. On the first day the attendance was low but when the children spread the news of the “Sunday school,” other parents brought their children, and many parents stayed to help, serving the children with water and snacks. It was a great harvest time according to our brothers who were overseeing the programs. They prayed and saw hundreds of children with physical needs healed. One young boy born mute began to speak, another boy had a tumor in his neck disappear, and many children were delivered from evil spirits. More than 1,900 children came forward to receive Jesus into their lives during the 5-day Sunday school. Thousands of children were touched and were moved by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. It was a great festival time for children, and in many places, because of the request of the parents, our youth started a regular weekly Sunday school.
Piyush
Piyush and his siblings’ reputation for being poor and untouchable was causing lots of harassment in the school that was affecting their lives. Piyush and his family were always sick and depressed. His parents worked hard to provide for the children, but often they did not have enough to eat and went to bed with empty stomachs. During our one-week Sunday school in their village, Piyush brought his siblings to the Sunday school. It was first time that a Christian program had been organized in their village. Piyush said later he had come to the meetings just for some free food for himself and his siblings. Once there, they listened to the singing and sang along. They also listened to the parables and Bible stories. The following day, Piyush brought many of his friends to the Sunday school. The first day there were 70-80 children. On the second day the number doubled, and by the fourth day when I(Regi) visited that particular Sunday school, I saw over 300 children, ages 7-16, all from non-Christian backgrounds, rejoicing, dancing, and singing Christian songs. Not even realizing it, they were praising and worshiping Jesus. That day we gave an invitation to the children ages 12-16, to dedicate their lives and accept Jesus as their personal Savior. Forty-three children responded and gave their lives to the Lord. Piyush, his brothers, and some of his friends were the first ones to come forward to accept Jesus into their lives.
Malati
Malati is a 13-year-old girl, brought up by her single mother who works as a temple cleaner in the nearby Hindu temple. Malati’s mother struggles physically and financially to provide for the two of them. Malati goes to the government school, and in her class, there was a Christian girl who befriended her. She was always happy and singing. Her family was not rich, they were also struggling, but they were happy, always smiling and behaving respectably to everyone. Malati was invited to Sunday school in the nearby village by her Christian friend. With Malati’s mothers’ permission, she attended the 5-day Sunday school for the non-Christian children in the nearby village. During the Sunday school, she heard about Jesus and Bible stories for the first time. At the end of the Sunday school, she gave her life to the Lord, along with 31 other children ages 12-16. She gave her testimony in front of the other children: “The 5 days I spent in the Sunday school was the happiest time of my entire life. Before this I was very unhappy, enduring rejection and humiliation, and no one accepted me, but here in the Sunday school I found true joy and friendship and learned that Jesus is going to be with me always.”
For the past three Sundays our missionary has been conducting a Sunday evening service in that village. Many of the children and their parents are also attending the service. Last Sunday our missionary reported that 14 people received Jesus as their personal Savior, including Piyush’s parents. God touched their hearts, and they received Jesus as their personal Savior. Through the mouth of the little children God is spreading the message of the Gospel to unreached and untouchable villages.
Because of your prayers and sacrificial giving and by the hard work of more than 900 youth and young people who were leading the VBS and Sunday schools, we were able to sow into more than 25,000 children. Knowing our Labor in the Lord is not vain, we are expecting a greater harvest in the days to come. We rejoice, knowing that our Lord can use these children to change and transform their parents, families, villages and communities for Christ by the power of God.
Help Us Share the Gospel
We want to thank you for every one of your prayers. Without your prayers we would not be able to harvest this harvest. To read more inspiring and exciting testimonies of what God is doing among the unreached people groups of India, click the links on the right, and keep reading!
Proclaiming the Gospel…
…until He comes