Well, it has almost been one week that I've been in Hyderabad and already, I've seen so much. This past 5 days I've had the privilege of visiting two of the Dali
t Education schools run by OM India. Most of the children in these schools are from the Dalit caste, or the historic untouchables of India. The Dalit Freedom Network is an initiative set up by the AICC (All India Christian Council) t
o fight for the rights of this massive group of people - 250 million. Joseph D'Souza, the OM India leader, set this organization up to address the abuses against the Dalits and to advocate for them in society and government. The Dalit leaders asked Joseph D'Souza and OM to begin by educating their children, so OM has been hard at work putting together education cetners that will educate the children as well as teach them vocational skills. This allows them continually to share the Gospel through deed and word. Dalits communities have embraced a mass exodus from Hinduism because of the support it has given to the Caste system. The Church is here waiting for them and hoping that they will choose Jesus instead of revenge, Buddhism, Islam or any other religion that would offer them a way out of their hidden apartheid. The children as you can see are beautiful and of course made in the image of God, their Creator. If you are interested in supporting these schools financially or in teaching in them, please visit, http://www.usa.om.org/omindia/. I also had the opportunity to speak in a devotional in front of 60 pastors from the OM India Church planting intiative which has planted 2,000 Churches in the past 6 years. The pastors of these Churches face ever-increasing persecution because of the rise in Hindu fundamentalism. One pastor I spoke with had been beaten and tortured for sharing openly with people in his community while another had a woman in his congregation who's arm was broken by her husband for going to his Church. She continues to come when she can. It was a humbling opportunity and one that I will never forget. These
men are coming with stories of beatings, persecution but also healings and many wonderful stories of God's power working amongst Indian people. Please keep the Indian Church in your prayers as it is steadily growing and making a huge impact on society. This morning I was able to visit the Good Shepherd health clinic which is here on the campus of OM India in Hyderabad. It was an interesting morning as the doctor invited me into his office. In that short morning period he treated at least 15-20 people and was constantly cracking jokes, like, "I believe in the liberty, freedom and the pursuit of making patients pay, I believe in liberty, freedom and the pursuit of money, and on and on he went about how he loved America and the way that many Americans had supported his work there along with people from Canada and Europe. He was a good man with a healthy sense of humor - if you saw what I saw, you would need the same thing along with prayer and a dependence on the Holy Spirit for daily strength and health, please keep him in your prayers. Blessings!
t Education schools run by OM India. Most of the children in these schools are from the Dalit caste, or the historic untouchables of India. The Dalit Freedom Network is an initiative set up by the AICC (All India Christian Council) t
o fight for the rights of this massive group of people - 250 million. Joseph D'Souza, the OM India leader, set this organization up to address the abuses against the Dalits and to advocate for them in society and government. The Dalit leaders asked Joseph D'Souza and OM to begin by educating their children, so OM has been hard at work putting together education cetners that will educate the children as well as teach them vocational skills. This allows them continually to share the Gospel through deed and word. Dalits communities have embraced a mass exodus from Hinduism because of the support it has given to the Caste system. The Church is here waiting for them and hoping that they will choose Jesus instead of revenge, Buddhism, Islam or any other religion that would offer them a way out of their hidden apartheid. The children as you can see are beautiful and of course made in the image of God, their Creator. If you are interested in supporting these schools financially or in teaching in them, please visit, http://www.usa.om.org/omindia/. I also had the opportunity to speak in a devotional in front of 60 pastors from the OM India Church planting intiative which has planted 2,000 Churches in the past 6 years. The pastors of these Churches face ever-increasing persecution because of the rise in Hindu fundamentalism. One pastor I spoke with had been beaten and tortured for sharing openly with people in his community while another had a woman in his congregation who's arm was broken by her husband for going to his Church. She continues to come when she can. It was a humbling opportunity and one that I will never forget. These
men are coming with stories of beatings, persecution but also healings and many wonderful stories of God's power working amongst Indian people. Please keep the Indian Church in your prayers as it is steadily growing and making a huge impact on society. This morning I was able to visit the Good Shepherd health clinic which is here on the campus of OM India in Hyderabad. It was an interesting morning as the doctor invited me into his office. In that short morning period he treated at least 15-20 people and was constantly cracking jokes, like, "I believe in the liberty, freedom and the pursuit of making patients pay, I believe in liberty, freedom and the pursuit of money, and on and on he went about how he loved America and the way that many Americans had supported his work there along with people from Canada and Europe. He was a good man with a healthy sense of humor - if you saw what I saw, you would need the same thing along with prayer and a dependence on the Holy Spirit for daily strength and health, please keep him in your prayers. Blessings!
nice photo in the classroom. must have been a trip giving the devotion to those guys
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