We also have a team of wonderful volunteers who help us connect with others who have a heart for helping children in the developing world. These volunteers are our partners, advocating for the voiceless and encouraging others to get involved.

This week we will highlight the invaluable work of our volunteer network. Before we do that, however, we need to acknowledge our God and the way He draws people into His kingdom. His network is much greater than ours, and Mandy's story is a perfect example of God's interwoven work in the world!

Back in early 2008, my dad sponsored a young boy from India named Abhishek, deliberately picking his picture from those displayed at his church because Abhishek bore a striking resemblance to my husband, Shomik, who is originally from Mumbai, India.

Sadly, my father passed away suddenly later that summer. This was a huge loss for our family, yet my mother continued to faithfully support the young boy from India with whom my dad had a special connection.

Finding myself in India a few months later, I knew what I needed to do. Mission of Mercy put us in contact with Abhishek’s school, which was only 20 miles from where my in-laws lived in Mumbai. One hot February day, my husband and I hopped on a rickshaw to meet Abhishek. Hidden off the side of a typically busy and dusty Mumbai street, it took us awhile to find the school.

We first met the principal and the director. Their heart for the slum children of India was so impressive. They themselves were making great sacrifices in their own lives in order to ensure that these children could have a future and could know Christ.

When they finally brought Abhishek to meet us, he looked terrified! This tall “gori” (white lady) was smiling at him and trying to speak with him in a crazy accent! Fortunately my husband could speak the local dialect of Marathi, and Abhishek gradually came out of his shell, telling us about his family and where he lives. A sweet and respectful kid, he smiled at me shyly and thanked us for the chocolates and books we gave him.

We vowed to visit the school one last time before we left India. The children live in the local slums, and there is a huge waiting list for the school. In India, even elementary education is not free, so it is a luxury for the impoverished. Despite the fact that most local families are Hindu and Muslim, they are eager to enroll their child in that local Mission of Mercy school. Not only will their child receive a free education, they will hear about the love of Christ.

A few days later, we brought cake for all the elementary school students. We wanted them all to know that they were special, and that their sponsors were thinking about them and praying for them. When speaking with the principal, however, I learned that quite a few students still needed sponsors. The school was pinching pennies to keep them there, refusing new students until more sponsors could be found. My heart broke, and at that moment I knew that it was my responsibility to help. Of course this meant sponsoring a child of our own, but I wanted to do even more than that.

Now, to tell you a little more about me, I am a campus minister to international students through Chi Alpha Christian fellowship. Many of the students I work with are from countries aided by Mission of Mercy, so I knew these students would understand the intense need for this ministry.

Thirty-four dollars a month may sound like a lot for a college student, but considering how much most college students spend on coffee each month, it’s definitely possible for most people to sacrifice one dollar a day.

Our campus ministry took a couple days to promote Mission of Mercy on campus. Despite the fact that it was the busy week before finals, we found sponsors for 24 impoverished children! Many of these sponsorships came from international students of different religious backgrounds: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh. They knew what the organization was about, but they were so touched to see people caring for the poor in their own countries that they wanted to be a part of it!

Can you imagine? Our effort to care for these poor children and to be a witness to them became a witness to the international friends here among us! It is amazing how meeting the physical needs of others can impact something that God is doing spiritually!

I am excited to see how God is going to use this ministry in amazing ways, and how He can use me to help partner with Mission of Mercy in the future. This is certainly a ministry that is close to the heart of God, and through it He is opening doors that are just waiting to be walked through!