There are many good ministries doing good things. Some of those ministries can do those good things because they’re very large. But what if you’re a small ministry trying to do huge things to help the poor?
Over the years, Christian Life Missions has been able to come alongside small ministries, many of which we write about. Over the years, we’ve been able to raise millions of dollars.
Three years ago, our donors gave $180,000 to help Lee Grady’s Mordecai Project build an orphanage in India. It was one of the most successful fundraisers because the need was so great and because donors knew the integrity of Lee’s ministry.
Now we need to raise $160,000 to build a Metro Hope for Kids orphanage for 24 girls in Nagaland, an area in Northern India. Metro Hope for Kids was founded seven years ago by a very special person in my life, my sister-in-law Rosella Ridings.
Rosella’s beloved husband died in 2008. Most widows of retirement age slow down and withdraw from life—but not Rosella. With very few resources, she is helping these wonderful girls. They need $160,000 to build a much-needed building. So far, only $11,000 has come in, so we’re hosting a fundraiser on Friday, May 25, at Charisma Center in Lake Mary, Florida. But that small event won’t raise enough unless we find others to come alongside us.
I decided to share the need in hopes that we could present a wonderful gift on behalf of CLM partners at the fundraiser. The need for an Indian orphanage a few years ago touched hearts, and people responded. Now can we do it again?
I invited Rosella to share her incredible story below. If you feel led, will you give generously, as Joy and I are doing? If you give quickly, we can present it on May 25.
You can rest assured that every penny you give will help build the orphanage. Nothing will be taken out for costs by CLM or Metro Hope for Kids. As long as the donations pour in, we will send a tax-exempt receipt and send the money to India until the need is met. Later, we will report on the project’s progress in a future newsletter and on christianlifemissions.org. You can give either through CLM or through metrohopeforkids.org. Your offering will help Christian girls in India who have no parents and few resources.
Now read how Rosella describes the need, and may God lead you to give generously:
Just four years ago, God spoke to me and said, “You can do something for the girls in Nagaland.” I responded, “Yes, God, I can do something.” At that time, I didn’t even know where Nagaland was, but God did and He knew there were 24 young girls in an orphanage who needed help. She was found after wandering in a train station for three days. Someone called the orphanage and found her a home!
Or take Meribeni’s story. She was 3 years old when her parents were both buried alive by a mob. She has been living at Wondang-Ki orphanage for 16 years. In June 2017, Meribeni graduated from college with honors, magna cum laude. What an amazing feat for an orphan!
The world of an orphan is miserable. Like any normal child, they also have wants, needs, preferences, expectations, dreams, ambitions and longings. The difference is that, in most cases, they end up as domestic helpers, dropouts or worse. They are traumatized by the death of their parents and grow up with resentment. They need a home, loving care, an education and encouragement to fulfill their dreams.
That’s where Wondang-Ki Orphanage in Dimapur, Nagaland, India, comes in! Mr. N. Thungdemo Kikon, the founder, offers a home for these girls and babies! I have partnered with Mr. Kikon through Metro Hope For Kids, which I founded in May 2011 and is a 501(c)(3) charity recognized by the IRS. It has been most amazing what we, the Hope For Kids Team, has been able to accomplish. We have assisted with monthly expenses such as food and rent as well as paid all the education fees for the girls for the past three years.
Now is the time for us to step up and do more! We must help build a clean, adequate home for these girls. The present orphanage is an old, rented building in need of much repair. It is very crowded with the 24 girls, 4-10 babies, Mr. Kikon, family and helpers. This past summer has been the worst yet with extreme flooding, resulting in no running water or bathrooms for over three months. I don’t think I’m the only one who will say, “I can do something.”
The projected new home for the girls will house 50 little girls and babies and will be adequate to take care of these beautiful children. The total estimated cost is approximately $160,000.
Together it will be amazing what we can accomplish! Yes, we can do something! We can build a home for these homeless children!
—Rosella Ridings
Click “Donate” to help Rosella give these homeless orphans a better life!
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