Today we were at the Compassion Child Development Center (CDC) that our partner church here in Katihar runs. The team had another amazing day of engaging with the children leaders, staff and even got to visit their sponsored children’s homes. We were there all day long, ending it off with the visits into the villages where these children walk to the CDC from. As everyone returned from the visits and we all sat around at the CDC with the staff telling the stories of the visits the energy was through the roof, Georgie, Tony & Marty were all blown away by the visits they had and what they experienced as they were among “the poor”. They were touched, moved, humbled and encouraged like they never imagined. Here is Marty’s account of our day!!
Hey everyone, this is Marty sharing. Wow is the word I want to start off with. This is a day I will never forget as long as I live.
The day began with my sharing of a devotion, about God’s heart for children, during breakfast. We then visited the Child Development Center. When we arrived, there were close to 300 children standing in rows waiting to greet our team. I immediately began to search the crowd with my eyes for my sponsored child Yadesh. He is seven years old and has was very shy and nervous at our first meeting on Saturday, as well as at church on Sunday. Our eyes met, and I knew Yadesh was carefully watching me. Throughout the day I had several opportunities to connect with Yadesh.
I was asked to share a short Bible story to the children. I told the children about the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand and How Jesus used a small boy to bless the crowd with five loaves and two fish. When the children’s morning devotion was finished, the leader asked if there were any volunteers from the children who wanted to pray. Yadesh, my sponsored child, raised his hand. The cool thing about this is that Yadesh is new to the Child Development Center and is from a Hindu background. Yadesh has been so very shy and has never prayed before. He was so nervous, but I felt like a very proud Papa as I watched this little guy say a short prayer for the very first time.
The team was then asked to observe the classrooms while the children were in school. I observed about 30 children learning English and memorizing the names of the days of the week in English. We then provided arts and crafts and sporting games with the children. I was asked to assist with the arts and crafts. It seemed like I tied hundreds of bracelets made out of colorful pipe cleaners. Every child had to have one.
We finished today with the best of all. I will NEVER forget today! I had the privilege of going to Yadesh’s village of about 700 people. This shy little boy was so excited when we arrived. Yadesh took me by the hand and led me to meet with his father and mother. It seemed like most of the neighbors arrived to watch this lifetime event. Yadesh was so open and happy. He and I even danced before the villagers together. The parents expressed their gratitude with tears in their eyes. Yadesh and his father took me by the hand and led me into their house, which was a simple mud home with hand made carvings in the mud walls. They then led me by the hand to see the family’s prize water buffalo that the family sells milk from. The home was surrounded by mango and fig trees. We watched as the family prepared a special meal.
I was so touched by the look in the eyes of the parents...it was a look that expressed such sincerity and gratefulness. The tears in their eyes moved me like nothing else. The family allowed me to pray for them, and I prayed for God’s mercy, love and blessing to surround this family. I was invited to come back any time. I left, feeling so humbled and knew that this day was holy, and God was in our midst. I sensed a Holy God at work in the midst of this village and with this family. Please pray for Yadesh and his family to come to know the Lord.
Ian Stevenson
