ITMI’s David and Taru Kumar do own a small vehicle, but Taru doesn’t know how to drive it. She walks or rides the bus for transit in their city of Bangalore, India.
Not long ago, Taru was on the street when she happened to see one of the police officers who belonged to the precinct where Taru and David did an outreach event at the end of 2020.
Mid-2020, thousands of rioters descended on this police precinct. They burned buildings, vehicles and personal property of police personnel.
The police are generally feared and despised by the marginalized. The precinct was one near David and Taru’s ministry area, one they pass when they make the almost daily trips to Deepam Center, where they share Jesus with impoverished Muslim women and children living in Modi Road slum.
With the help of ITMI supporters, in August of 2020 David and Taru honored the members of the precinct with shawls (a sign of honor in their culture to some and to others, fine cloth usable for a customary Indian garment) and offered them copies of the New Testament, which many of them accepted.
The on-duty officer was overjoyed to see Taru. She told Taru that she and her family had been reading the New Testament and it had prompted them to begin attending church!
It has been over a year since David and Taru conducted that initial outreach, but the Lord was taking what was offered and working in the lives of this family that entire time, unbeknownst to the Kumars or to us!
David and Taru were already planning additional outreaches for early December (2021). One of these outreaches was to be at the same precinct. Another would include the impoverished, broken families of the children who attend Deepam Primary School, daily learning from Taru and her dedicated staff about Jesus and being prepared for grade school.
A third outreach was planned for the impoverished and oppressed women who come to Deepam center to learn to sew, in hopes of earning a small amount of income to help their families.
New Testaments will be given to each of these groups. Join David and Taru in praying for the recipients, and asking the Lord to use His Word to reach many through this endeavor!
