Sisters of Compassion Do Acts of Kindness to Alleviate Suffering & Poverty in Slums Like Mumbai

Last updated on: February 3, 2018 at 4:06 am by KP Yohannan

Sisters of Compassion Do Acts of Kindness to Alleviate Suffering & Poverty in Slums Like Mumbai 2018-02-03T04:06:18+00:00 KP Yohannan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Imagine you are packing your bag, preparing to take a one-way trip to another part of the country. You get on a train, travel about 1,500 miles and end up in a colony of rundown shacks—and you are going to live there.

Sprawling slums in Mumbai (Bombay), India.

Where you’ll be staying, you have no running water, no bathroom and no guarantee of safety. You are there to serve leprosy patients, helping them bathe, cutting their hair, cleaning their wounds and feeding them. You will experience suffering, physical and emotional, but through your sacrifice, these people will know Christ’s love for them.

The graduates of Sisters of Compassion face situations like this one. After receiving six months of training for special compassion ministry among people like leprosy patients, slum dwellers, widows and abandoned children, these women travel to the challenging areas where God has called them, committing three years of their lives to minister in this way. They are willing to sacrifice their comfort and personal ambitions to serve those whom their society sees as the lowest of the low.

In the New Testament, Jesus revealed the love of His Father by His example of healing the sick, feeding the poor and taking care of the needy. He didn’t abandon people who were helpless.

In remembrance of United Nations Day this week, it is good to give attention to those who are overlooked. The downtrodden are many, from the widows, to the abandoned children, to the overlooked Dalits, to the refugees around the world, to those affected by this year’s many disasters. As the UN Secretary-General stated in his message for UN Day, “Our world faces grave challenges.” As believers in Christ, it is our place to see these suffering people through God’s eyes. It is our place to be Jesus to them. It is our place to share the message of God’s love to those who feel they are overlooked by the world around them.

Two women in the Mumbai slums. In almost all the houses here, ladies go for work in middle class families where they do laundry and dishes, clean and mop the house etc.

I remember one story about a young woman and her children. They lived in the Dharavi slum—one the largest slums in Bombay with over 1 million people living in abject poverty. If you saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire, you’ll be able to picture it. It is the same slum where that movie was shot. I have been there; the images and smells are not something you can easily get out of your mind. This woman was thinking about committing suicide. Her husband was an alcoholic and drug addict and walked away from his family. Suddenly she was alone with four children and no way to make a living. She saw no way out but to end it all.

It was in the midst of this anguish and crisis in her life that Gospel flr Asia (GFA)-supported church workers went to this slum to help people who needed aid and a way to earn a living. This dear sister happened to be one of those people. She received a sewing machine in the name of Christ and attended a tailoring class where she learned to sew. She was so surprised that someone would come to her and want to help. By God’s grace, this sister didn’t commit suicide. Now she is able to make a living, and her children are able to study in school. They know now that God loves them. It is all because of one act of kindness in Jesus’ name.

This is not an isolated story. Our workers go to slums like this one as well as poor village communities. They see people who are suffering, who are starving, and with the help of the community leaders, they give aid to them in Jesus’ name regardless of their religion or caste. A seed of hope begins in the community. Those who are helped recognize that someone sees them and actively cares. They are able to experience in a very real way that God loves them. In 2016, 600,989 families were helped in this way.

This is Kanal, his family and the pig they received as a Christmas gift.

One family that was helped with a gift of a pig, later gave one of the piglets born to their new pig to another family who was in need, passing on the hope that they received. The father of the family, Kanal, says, “This pig has financially helped us in many ways. [By selling piglets], we have bought a goat and chickens, which are also going to be another source of income for our family. We do not have any problems now to pay the school fees for our children and to meet all their needs in school. … We also have purchased roofing sheets to construct our house. … I thank God for all the blessings.”

As we now walk on this earth, we can care for the needy, the poor and the suffering just like Jesus did when He walked here. We can be aware of the opportunities we have before us. We are partakers of His nature, and He lives through us. You and I may not necessarily be able to go to the places of greatest need, but we still can have the privilege to play a part in serving those areas through prayers and finances. We can shine God’s light and bring hope to those who feel forgotten. We are here to be His vessels to touch this world.

Learn more about Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan, Believers Church

Sisters of Compassion teach children in the village of Punya Basti about cleanliness and personal hygiene—including simple things like putting on clean cloths and brushing their hair.

For one way to care for the needy, go to Gospel for Asia Christmas Gift Catalog.

=====
Click here, to read more articles on Patheos by Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan.

Go here to know ore about Dr. KP Yohannan: SourceWatch | Wiki | Flickr

Uncategorized

KP Yohannan

KP Yohannan Metropolitan

Sisters of Compassion

Previous Post

October 23, 2017

Love is the Greatest Motivator of All Says Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan

Next Post

October 24, 2017 Love Is All About Sharing, Says Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Current Events Devotionals Field Stories From My Books Guest Writer Inspirational Personal Life Spiritual Growth Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 June 2024 May 2024 December 2023 October 2023 May 2023 April 2023 December 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 November 2021 September 2021 August 2021 May 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz