|
|
 Scott and Lisa Runzo with children, Brennan, Helen, Hayley, and Andris, located in Colorado Springs, CO, Director of Programs and National Operations for CALM in Rwanda, Africa. www.calmministries.orgOur ministry is CHANGING! From Latvia to Rwanda. But...why Africa? Why Rwanda? Rwanda is an influential country in the heart of Central Africa. The population of Rwanda is 13 million, with the average salary of an adult being .04 cents per day. Since the Genocide in 1991, where nearly 1,000,000 people were brutally killed, the government has worked diligently to build a strong infrastructure. However, devastating poverty and illness continue to haunt the nation. Overwhelming numbers of orphans and dense overpopulation of the country remain seemingly impossible battles to overcome. The amount of adults and children alike dying of starvation and treatable diseases is staggering. So we answer the former questions with another set of questions: Why not Africa? Why not Rwanda? Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) The Bible is clear, “Religion that our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27) May we never fall into the trap of false religion: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain ... ” (Mark 7:6,7) Our hearts are to be one with the heart of God, and His heart is clear: “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:15-17) Through the 9 years that we have been called to global missions, we are more convinced than ever that a life worth living is the life that is fully committed to following Christ, doing whatever He has commanded, serving Him, loving Him and loving His people. God has called us (the Runzo’s) to love His people by advocating for them, serving them, and sharing Christ’s love with them - and so, that’s what we are going to do! We need to raise $ 2500 more of monthly support in order to continue with this ministry. We ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with us as we serve the peoples of Africa.
 Bonnie Chatterjee-Allen, husband, Mark, and stepson, Bailey, located in Phoenix, AZ, Director of Hope Academy in Kolkata, India through NEED, Inc. www.needincorporated.org Hope Academy, located in the congested part of North Kolkata, India, is a school for the underprivileged children of the area. It is a charitable project run by NEED, Inc. Hope Academy was founded by the late Dulal Borpujari in 1986 with 60 students. He was concerned for the children of the extremely poor who had no way of receiving an education since education is not free in India. Only the affluent can afford to send their children to school. He realized that generation after generation remained in poverty because they could not qualify for even basic jobs because they had no education. With a heart filled with the love of God for the outcast children of India, he determined to change generations of hopelessness, one child at a time. Currently Hope Academy has 450 students and there is an increasing pressure and need to take more children as the community of Cossipore grows. Apart from providing free, Christian based English education, Hope Academy also provides free text books, note books, uniforms, a fruit snack, and a substantial and nutritional lunch each day. For some students that is the only meal of the day. Hope Academy also has a small clinic where the students are seen by a doctor and a dentist two days a week. Our goal at Hope Academy is to make sure that each child that attends the school receives the love of Christ and is introduced to Jesus Christ through the study of the Bible. We also believe that every child, irrespective of their cast, creed, sex and religion deserves to receive a good quality education and personality development that will help them accomplish their God given potential. Hope Academy not only focuses on the scholastic aspect of the curriculum but also trains students in other co-curricular activities. The children are taught painting, Indian classical dances and folk dances, recitation and debating. Hope Academy is totally supported by donations of committed and caring individuals from around the world. It is the only way that gospel can be taught. Other schools, even schools backed by Christian organizations, are restricted from teaching the gospel because they receive state money from communist West Bengal to help operate their schools. At NEED, Inc. we are committed to running Hope Academy without any government money so that we can teach our children that it is because of the love of God that their lives and the lives of their future children are being changed. It you would like to be a part of changing lives by supporting the education of one or more children in India, please go to our sponsorship page to see how to become a sponsor. |
| Upcoming Events | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| What do you think? |
|---|
| Have a need | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|