India…
 
A country where a sense of spirituality is essential, a love of curry must be adopted and a heart for the poor & needy will be tugged. India has a lot going for it, with a large income of business as more and more companies realise the benefits of working out of India. At the same time though, India still have many hurdles to jump. Whilst I was in India I was able to see the rich and poor side by side. If you consider the list of top ten billionaires I think you can find that four out of of the ten are Indian businessmen. So riches do flow through India, but poverty is still extremely evident, with under classes working for $1 a day, beggars following you on the streets, children playing in gutters generally in tattered clothes around busy streets where motor bikes are constantly ducking and weaving.
 

 
Whilst in Chennai I had the opportunity to visit an orphanage for three days. The children were a joy to meet, and extremely refreshing to see people who are so grateful and happy in the small luxuries of life. In meeting with them I learnt that many of them had been saved out of a certain future of being prostitutes. Those that run the orphanage visit small villages in India, that often have business men come take advantage of their poor status, and have parents tricked into selling their children into prostitution, when they are made to believe they are giving them a better future than that which they can offer in poverty. Those who run the orphanage make it clear to them what the business men are doing, and then let the family know that the orphanage can actually offer a better future for the Children. The orphanage gives the children a roof over their head, food to eat, an education at a local Christian School, a large community of brothers & sisters as their sense of family, and hope for the future. The orphanage is run largely on Christian principles, and whether or not your religious you can see that these principles have clearly given the children everything they need to survive. In fact out of this I was rather impressed, as I saw these children who have hardly anything (compared to what I had as a child in Australia), and yet are the happiest children I have ever seen, with extremely thankful hearts to those who run the orphanage, their new brothers and sisters that they all love and care for and an amazing sense of awe and gratitude unto God for using them. As you will see from my photos when I was around them they ran a church service, they shared prayers and thanks to God, and when they sang they did it with all their hearts. Some on their knees, others crying, jumping, and waving their hands in the air. It was incredible to watch all these young people who love life and love their God so much.
 

 
In Bangalore we had yet another experience. Another orphanage run by Christian principles and more children that saw God as central and Jesus as their Saviour. They were once again grateful for all they have, though its not much and were most happy to see a strange looking white man…
 

 
Details coming soon on what needs I saw in India, costs and how you can help…
 
Matthew Law