Our team visited India and ministered to the people of India flying into Hyderabad, mid to late April, and established Check our Facebook page for a complete set of pictures from this trip. And please remember to “LIKE” our Facebook page for updates.
INDIA TEAM TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
• I am seeing the fruit of the seven years of sowing into India!!
• We saw the Leaders Manual for Widows Ministry (that I co-authored) translated and printed for the Leaders and widows that are leading the groups!
• Placed two widows that are leaders to train other widows…that is huge!…and I was able to mentor them some while there. They will help the work continue to grow.
• Met with the Master Tailor and worked out ideas that the widows can make to market and provide for her.
• We have opportunity to have manuals printed for all the pastors and the Bible School students as the funds come in. We would like to see 3000 printed (only $1 a piece)!!!
• Five sewing centers have been opened now. There are in the cities of : Hyderabad, Kismathpur, Srikakulam, Vishakapatnam, and Narsapur.
• We found out that it is cheaper for the ministry to buy ready made uniforms for the children at the orphanages than for the widows to make them (since they can do such big volumes.) The kids need play clothes and church clothes that were not the standard uniform. So the widows will be measuring the children and working with them for these clothes. Anna’s gate has sown into covering 550 children so for!
• Designed a plan for every sewing center to make play clothes and church “holiday” clothes for the children! We will open a sewing center with widows in every orphanage, touching close to 5,000 children and giving thousands of widows a fresh start!
• You should have seen the widows when I would throw kisses to them!!! and they would throw them back to me!!! This is amazing…for this country does not show emotion…but they are responding to HIS love!!
• We were able to feed hundreds of widows in the 3 cities where we opened more sewing centers!! It’s Acts 6 and the gospel will spread! Thanks for being a part!
• Speaking while there included: Greeted and shared about the widow at the Bhimavaram Convention (they estimated 5000 attending). Spoke at 5 churches, ministered to leaders and widows in gatherings, gave the message for the graduation of the Bible College, ministered at a Vacation Bible School of 700 children and teens and mentored widow leaders.
• Established the borders with a prayer and joy along the east coast with my widows/intercessors.
• Prepared the city of Srikakulam with praying widows for the upcoming crusade Dr Pete Sulack will be doing in December with Manna Ministries.
• Re-visited Narsupar where the widows ministry first began in India on my first trip in 2005! God gave us a time of refreshing at the beach and affirmed that He was bringing to pass all that was in my heart from the beginning!
• One of the most special highlights to me personally is that Bishop Ernest Komanapalli (founder and Head of Manna Ministries), has chosen to honor me with a Honorary Doctorate in Ministry for my work with widows and orphans!!! This will take place April of 2013 when I return for their Bible College graduation ceremony.
• Planned a Widows and Leaders Retreat there on the campus a few days before the graduation to train them in prayer strategies and be honored by their attendance at my graduation. To be a woman and a widow honored in India…is HUGE and to have the most recognized Christian ministry in all of India accept the message of the widow in the midst of a culture that does not….is just simply God…and i am so humbled to be included in this. (They work with Billy Graham Ministries etc…and now Anna’s Gate!)
I have always loved the Komanapalli family and their ministry…in fact Rachel (Bishop Ernest’s wife) is on my advisory board for Anna’s Gate and represents the outreach to the orphans for us. I have learned much from her and love having her in my life. What a joy!
The map below shows six of eight or nine cities where we established the borders in.
Anna’s Gate has been able to purchase low-cost, manual sewing machines in order to train widows in India how to sew garments ($200 covers the cost of each machine, supplies and training). Manna Ministries has hired Indian master tailors to provide professional training. Often, the clothes produced at these sewing centers become uniforms for orphans housed within the community. Many of the widows are younger and have children of their own. These sewing centers teach trade skills and bring a sense of purpose and pride to the widows who benefit from them.
There are over 50 million widows living in India. Some statics even say there are as many as 80 million! Once they are a widow, they remain a widow, for their culture does not accept remarriage. You see, they believe she was the cause of the death of her husband and is now a bad omen.
They are shunned and treated as outcasts. Many loose their children and homes. The majority suffer from loneliness too great to imagine and many will seek to escape their despair through suicide.
Most are illiterate and can only learn by what they hear or are taught.
Working in partnership with other benevolent ministries” Sewing For Purpose project” has been developed to help connect needy widows with a local church body so they will have a spiritual covering and fellowship and help give them practical tools by which to rise above their poverty and despair.
Sewing machines purchased through this pilot project will be donated to a specific church for the purpose of training their widows in how to properly operate them. The church is a covering to the orphanage that cares for up to 100 children who need uniforms to be provided for them.
Widows will be taught how to make the uniforms which will bless both the church and the children. Once this need is met, they will then be able to take in other work which will provide them a modest income.
It’s a win win situation. Widows + the Fatherless + the Church =Reaching their community and bringing in Souls for the kingdom.
Sewing is a popular living in India and can bring in income as this lady in Kadapa shows
What a wonderful opportunity to be able to help empower widows to connect with the fatherless praying over the garments and having a place where they belong! It’s a 2 Kings 4 example of getting the anointing out into the marketplace and touching the community! Thank you for helping us not just provide the fish to eat, but to teach them to fish as well…your gift will continue to give! It’s perpetual!
$150 (US currency) purchases one sewing machine! Add $50 and provide fabric for school uniforms for the orphaned children.
Will you help us?
