In 1954, Mark & Huldah Buntain and one year old baby, Bonnie, steamshipped to India, thinking they would give one year of their lives until the real missionaries would show up allowing them to pursue a post in China. Soon after arriving in Calcutta, they discovered the deplorable conditions and severe poverty which forces millions of men, women and children to pick through dumps and slums for their next bite of food. Mark knew he must start a feeding ministry.
Today, Calcutta Mercy Ministries feeds 25,000 people six days of every week! I have a feeling that number receiving one modest meal of rice and Dal is conservative.
Last Wednesday, Scottie & Stephanie Adams - Youth Pastors of Trinity AG in Decaturville, Tennessee, hosted a simulated village feeding in their student ministry service! I prepared a huge pot of basic Dahl to be dished out to each student with special instructions to eat using only their right hand. Terry shared stories and videos of Calcutta. At the conclusion, Scottie challenged those 30 students to fast for 1 day while raising $1650 which will feed 25,000 people in Calcutta for 1 day.
For 24 hours starting Wednesday, November 14, at 7pm, the students, their youth pastor and leaders have chosen to refrain from eating and raise $3300 to cover 2 days of feeding 25,000+ adults and children in villages, schools, dumps and clinics!
Scottie explains why he and the students will fast:
God's word tells us in Isaiah 58:6-7 that a fast that God accepts is one that loosens the yoke of wickedness and shares bread with the hungry. I read in a John Piper book that if you ate 1 meal today and own a car you are one of the richest people on the planet. We eat 3 meals and have 2 cars so we are already blessed beyond measure. God has dealt with my heart to show me that as an American there is not much reason for me to ever ask for more materially, but it is my goal to MAKE MORE GOSPEL in the world with what God has given me. If we love mercy then we will make more of it, and that is what this fast is about. In Calcutta, people are like the slave girl in Acts 16. Her future is lead by other evil people and she is tormented by demons. Our fast can break those bonds through prayer and giving of the money that we all have so much of already. My prayer in life is becoming more and more not that I will be leader of this or executive that (which is where my heart was a few years ago) but that when I die there will be more mercy in the world and less lost people. I get my students on board with this by reminding them of 3 things. 3 reasons why we fast: 1.) Jesus loves Calcutta, and His blood is for them. 2.) Jesus deserves worshippers all over the world. He emptied himself for us (Philippians 2) so the only proper response is that we do it back. The Moravians said as they sold themselves into slavery to reach people "Let the lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering". The very lifeblood of the Christian life Jesus! 3.) Jesus suffers to identify with and reach those who suffer. We are like Jesus when we sacrifice to bless others. On the cross, Jesus is in darkness in the middle of the day for 3 hours. This is a powerful way of showing that He enters our darkness, our isolation, our hopelessness to have us. We want the people of Calcutta to find Jesus in a dark place, because those are places where Jesus goes. We know it because of the cross. I don't drive them with condemnation (you spoiled brats!), I pray that they are compelled by grace (look at Jesus!).
Terry and I believe in you and plan to join your fast!
If this sounds like something you'd like to be part of, please contact me for additional info. Your group could host a village feeding night, too!
~"Sam"
Today, Calcutta Mercy Ministries feeds 25,000 people six days of every week! I have a feeling that number receiving one modest meal of rice and Dal is conservative.
Last Wednesday, Scottie & Stephanie Adams - Youth Pastors of Trinity AG in Decaturville, Tennessee, hosted a simulated village feeding in their student ministry service! I prepared a huge pot of basic Dahl to be dished out to each student with special instructions to eat using only their right hand. Terry shared stories and videos of Calcutta. At the conclusion, Scottie challenged those 30 students to fast for 1 day while raising $1650 which will feed 25,000 people in Calcutta for 1 day.
Scottie explains why he and the students will fast:
God's word tells us in Isaiah 58:6-7 that a fast that God accepts is one that loosens the yoke of wickedness and shares bread with the hungry. I read in a John Piper book that if you ate 1 meal today and own a car you are one of the richest people on the planet. We eat 3 meals and have 2 cars so we are already blessed beyond measure. God has dealt with my heart to show me that as an American there is not much reason for me to ever ask for more materially, but it is my goal to MAKE MORE GOSPEL in the world with what God has given me. If we love mercy then we will make more of it, and that is what this fast is about. In Calcutta, people are like the slave girl in Acts 16. Her future is lead by other evil people and she is tormented by demons. Our fast can break those bonds through prayer and giving of the money that we all have so much of already. My prayer in life is becoming more and more not that I will be leader of this or executive that (which is where my heart was a few years ago) but that when I die there will be more mercy in the world and less lost people. I get my students on board with this by reminding them of 3 things. 3 reasons why we fast: 1.) Jesus loves Calcutta, and His blood is for them. 2.) Jesus deserves worshippers all over the world. He emptied himself for us (Philippians 2) so the only proper response is that we do it back. The Moravians said as they sold themselves into slavery to reach people "Let the lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering". The very lifeblood of the Christian life Jesus! 3.) Jesus suffers to identify with and reach those who suffer. We are like Jesus when we sacrifice to bless others. On the cross, Jesus is in darkness in the middle of the day for 3 hours. This is a powerful way of showing that He enters our darkness, our isolation, our hopelessness to have us. We want the people of Calcutta to find Jesus in a dark place, because those are places where Jesus goes. We know it because of the cross. I don't drive them with condemnation (you spoiled brats!), I pray that they are compelled by grace (look at Jesus!).
Terry and I believe in you and plan to join your fast!
If this sounds like something you'd like to be part of, please contact me for additional info. Your group could host a village feeding night, too!
~"Sam"
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