“Asha Bhavan” - House of HopeThe Widows' Home in India
Varanasi: the City of PilgrimsVaranasi is one of India’s holiest cities. Thousands of pilgrims come to this city to bathe and wash away their sins in the holy Ganges River. Hindus believe that if they die in this city then they will go straight to Nirvana (heaven), which is one of the reasons why so many widows stay here.
Another reason is that many of those who come to Varanasi on pilgrimage leave their widows behind so that the families don’t have to take care of them any more. For these reasons the city is crowded with widows living on the streets and having no one to care for them—an estimated 20,000 of them. Many survive by begging or by prostitution. Some have even lost their sanity from these desperate living conditions. In James 1:27 it says that God wants us to take care of widows so that they will have a better life. Our Vision: In 1997 God spoke to us about the widows of Varanasi. He told us to build a home for them where some can live in dignity and others can come to earn a living. We know this will take time, a lot of staff, finances and knowledge. We have built the home and have started taking in widows. As widows are very much on God’s heart, we are committed to showing and telling them the message of His love and teaching skills which will enable them to return to society. We see the widows as individuals, precious in the eyes of God and we want to treat them with that same respect—not as mere numbers in an institution.
• Youth with a Mission (YWAM) will also use the Widows' Home to run various training schools and seminars. • Children’s Ministry will be a part of this home because widows often come with small children. • The Widows’ Home is also a place where our staff can live together with the widows to help them more effectively. Your help is needed!Participate
|
Copyright © 2009 www.widows-varanasi.info
All Rights Reserved.
Designed by One-in-C.Networks Missions Support.