As the lockdowns in India lifted slightly over the last two weeks, ITMI partners, Paul and Molly, have organized outreaches to declare and demonstrate the Gospel to those lining the roads in despair.
Many have gone over a year without a steady income due to the pandemic. They are desperate, homeless and hopeless.
Paul and Molly have also planned two events aimed at reaching frontline COVID-19 workers, like traffic police, doctors, nurses and government cleaning groups in two different locations to take place the first week in August. An outreach for pastors will follow that.
David and Taru Kumar are also mobilizing.
In June, they were able to provide two-week food parcels for the families of the students who attend their Deepam Primary School. These families live in the Modi Road slum.
David and Taru with supplies for families of Deepam students.
Needy families gather at Deepam in hopes of receiving a food parcel.
The Kumars are currently working on another Project Joseph outreach in another slum, Ambedkar.
The Kumars recently visited Ambedkar slum.
The 500-700 foot area situated between a set of railway tracks and a busy road in the heart of Bangalore is home to about 300 families, averaging about 6 members each.
This population of about 1800 people shares one cylindrical 8,000L capacity water tank (about 4.4L per person) and two toilets, one for men and one for women, separated by just a wall. Imagine sharing your toilet with 900 other people!
Every house is covered with a tarp or asbestos sheets, while a few have mud walls.
David prays with a widow living in Ambedkar slum.
Taru and her team visit a home in Ambedkar slum.
Taru and her team plan the future distribution.
Shrines to Hindu gods and goddesses inside one of the homes.
A resident of Ambedkar slum who is struggling with health issues.
“As we walk into the slum through those narrow paths we can see not only poverty, sickness and illiteracy, but spiritual darkness is rampant,” David writes, “…We are sensing the Lord is placing burden in our hearts to visit some of these people regularly (at least once or twice in a week) to share about Jesus and pray for them. Our desire is to see people from this slum come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Steve Evers has advocated for and served the ITMI partners as ITMI Director since 2001. Approximately once a year, Steve visits with ITMI partners in their countries and brings stories back to encourage supporters. Steve enjoys photography and mechanics, (both hobbies that have greatly benefited ITMI partners!) Prior to becoming ITMI's Director, Steve served on the Board of Directors for 4 years. Steve lives in Arizona with his wife, Darlene.
