Testimony of: Rev. N. John David Raju Founder Grace Children’s Orphanage - India   Good Evening. Welcome to the Children’s, site! From a young age, I became a fully dedicated Christian and also learnt a lot about Jesus and became spiritually involved. I have a sincere love and fear and a lot of love for God. Baptized In The Year 1973.   In the year 1979, the first week of May I was working in Mumbai. A Man of God, Pastor Rev Paramjyothi came to preach a crusade and I attended this Crusade. I went to hear his word of God. Then I went to him to convey my greetings personally.   He requested that I should marry an orphan girl in Wings of Healing Children Home, which is run by Rev. Paramjyothi. I interpreted his word as the will of God and I agreed to marry that orphan girl.   Very soon in May 21, 1979 I married her. In that way I invited this orphan girl in to my life and became deeply in love with. In the year 1993 I was called upon by the Word Of God to preach the Gospel and as per the Word Of God I became involved with the Gospel and Ministered in surrounding places of Andhra Pradesh, India.   At That Time when I saw a lot of fatherless children in some areas, I was overcome with an intention to start an orphanage for those poor children and prayed for this need to God. I received Spiritual guidance to run the Grace Children's Orphanage.(Ps,41:1)I started this as a sister organization with in the Church Ministry. I started this home with 10 children in the year 1995.   In the year 1996, a great cyclone stormed our place. At that time nearly 2000 people died and many children became homeless, destitute, and hungry and even lost their fathers and mothers. I was also in this cyclone storm area with my wife and 4 children. Our homes' roof was also blown away by this heavy cyclone. At that time we went to a building to safeguard our lives. God saved our family and the children and some families with us." Praise the Lord" for all his miracles. Entire district were affected with this heavy cyclone and thousands of people became shelter less and was starving. Seeing this decimation I decided to admit some more fatherless children into our home. During that time about 50 children joined our home. (James, 1:27).     Many children across the Asia region still desperately need your help, whether or not they have been personally affected by the recent tsunami. You can make a difference in the life of a precious child in need and help provide long term restoration to this hurting part of the world.   We shared Information about our Orphanage to some of our friends and Ministries abroad. Since we cannot meet all the needs of these children with the available local funds we have, decided to establish communication links with Christian organizations abroad to raise the necessary funds. During this period I once attended a Christian Convention. As A Gospel singer and a musician. On that day i met a Missionary Pastor Ezra, and asked him to share with me some addresses of foreign Christian organizations. He gave me an address of a foreign organization known as “Home Work”. This Is Home schooling group.   I contacted the “Home Work” Organization through letter correspondence. Through them I was introduced to a magazine called “Teaching Home Magazine”. In 1995 they allotted me a gift subscription for one year.   When we further contacted other Christian organizations, we came to know about another magazine called “"New Attitude">New Attitude”. The “New Attitude Magazine” published the letters written by our children, for a while, in their “Pen Pal” bulletin article.   Latter on one Pen Pal friend introduced us To another Magazine Called “No Greater Joy” In March-97. By reading an article published on Page-8 Of the March-97 Edition we came to know about “Nathhan' News”. "http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&gfns=1&ie=UTF- 8&q=Nathhan%27+News" In that article they asked to send details of parents with special needs children. Seeing that article I was encouraged to contact them. In this way I contacted “Nathhan News”. They were very much pleased by our Organization, calling and gave us a lot of encouragement. An article about our “Grace Children's Orphanage” was published in the “Nathhan News” winter 1997/98 Magazine (Page No: 12). Nathan Families extended their helping hands and latter on the number of children who joined our home rose to 100 as more and more children joined our home.   All those ministries and families abroad helped us with great love and compassion towards the poor. Many individual families and Ministries encouraged us with support and prayers. With God's abundant blessings, the “Grace Children’s Orphanage” is running well. All those who know about our Orphanage are really encouraging and praying for us.   We also wanted to expand this Orphanage and Minister to other activities in our area. We encouraged India Evangelism, Widows support, Tabitha Sewing Center for impoverished Girls (Training School), and several other activities. We are also concentrating on establishing schools in rural areas and working for their development. We distribute note books; uniforms conduct sports and games in these schools.   We also encourage rural Church development. We also extend regular support to area Pastors and their families. We have also constructed separate building for our orphanage. By God’s Grace and through generous support of “Nathhan Families” we are able to do this good work. Yet we are still in the process of achieving our goals, we still need to construct some more rooms, dining hall, play ground and toilets for the children. We are sincerely trying to obtain help from supporters for this divine work.   We are also conducting Pastors' Fellowship meetings every month. We help widows by distributing rice and clothes as well and provide monetary support every month, as God provides. We distribute tracts and gospel literature in every town and city around this area. We are a non-profitable organization. Not only committed to our local Ministry but we also desire to expand our ministry to some other places in India. (2 Cor, 9:9).   Recently some disasters like the Gujarat Earth Quake occurred and thousands of people died. According to a Government survey nearly 5000 children became orphans. The Government Announced to Charitable Organizations an offer to help these orphan children. We have intentions to admit more children into our orphanage. Some Sponsors have enquired about adopting orphan children from our home. We are restricted by the Indian Government, no adoption are allowed. Since we have no chance to accept any requests for adoptions we decided to safeguard these orphan children in our institute ourself. We Are Providing Them Good Education, Good Food, Accommodation and Fulfilling All Their Needs, by God’s Grace. We are guiding them spiritually in every manner. (Prov. 6:22)     Sponsorship is available. If any one desires to sponsor one or more children on regular basis, we will send the bio-data of the child or children to them who wish to sponsor. We Will Be sharing with them about the welfare of the child from time to time. The Sponsors are welcome to visit India and see the child. They may also teach the children about God and provide many more things to these children. They can also pen pal with our children.   We are also thankful for the previous sponsors who supported our ministry. We are also thankful for every generous individual for their regular support and we love them and pray for them in our regular prayers.   For the past 2 years even though we are getting some help, most of the Nathhan Families have stopped extending their financial help as they have their own financial challenges. At present, we are getting the help of only 4 families from abroad. We are fac- ing lot of challenges due to insufficient funds; we are carrying out our activates with great difficulties. We are sincerely praying God and asking Him to provide through more sponsors who will extend their financial help. Luke 6:38 “38. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (KJV)   We are very much thankful to the directors of 'Nathhan' for extending their kind help in the initial stages of development of our orphanage and we are always grateful to them, “www.nathhan.com ”   (Rom 28:8). We welcome the services of any new sponsors in continuing our services and in achieving our ambitious goal of standardizing our orphanage services. Casual needs: - used clothes, books pens, and pencils, sketch pens shoes, soaps, biscuits, toys tapes, medicines. Sponsoring a child, monthly for little as, $20   We thank God for providing us this opportunity, to serve God’s orphaned children.   Thanking You                                                        IN HIS SERVICE                      Rev. N. John David Raju        Founder Grace Children’s Orphanage - India