My Testimony
Dear One
Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus who is coming soon.
It was 1975, a furious craving for power and control over the Hindus
consumed the heart of Muslims in Bangladesh which resulted in bloodshed
of thousands of minorities. Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister of
India ordered to open the border for India that gave way for the Lakhs of
Hindus to come to India and lived as refugees. My parents were among
those outcasts in India who left behind all their properties as they were the landowner in Bangladesh. Affected by Typhoid fever in her teens my
mother got was to be paralyzed in her right leg. However her physical bound could not stop her from the hope of living.
Later in 1977 while in India, my father lost both of his eyes by an accident and became completely a blind man. In India usually the blind people embrace the occupation of begging. Within a few days he had to start begging in the local train for our survival. In fact that was our soul income and occupation for our family. I still remember almost every day after coming from school still my sixth grade, I was to accompany my father in the local train. My blind father used to sing and I was to beg. Daily passengers in the train had a piety on us. Thus all through my teens we lived on the handouts of others. Pained to see my parents doing their best to give me a minimum education I was determined to help them see spending some of the happy days in their lives on the face of this earth.
However, the cruel hands of destiny did not allow us to finish the
line. One-day morning we found a lump developing inside the throat of my
father. Later biopsy test revealed that it was a cancerous lump. With no
one to turn to, I began, then only 16 years, to go out for earning. But
the pay I received was not enough to fill the stomachs of the four
members of our family. Many a time I contemplate suicide but when I looked
at the pale face of my parents hardly I could took that step.
Within a few days my mother died, leaving us behind with our sick
father who was completely bedridden then. During these days we found our
Savior in the Lord Jesus through a pastor of a nearby church. This brought
a kind of peace in our heart. As the doctors who attended my sick
father regularly predicted it, my father also went to be with the Lord after
seven months of my mother's death. We both brother then remain alone
in the world. My brother was only 13 then.
Sending my brother to a mission school I again began to attend to my
old job. This time I could clearly hear an inner voice asking me always
"Jagannath how long will you live this lonely life. Live for some
special cause. " I did not know where to go. Gradually I felt that the Lord
was calling me to submit my life for His special task. Thus for the last seven
years I am involved in evangelistic work and always aiming to bring
people into His fold whomever I meet on my way. As the Lord made me
convinced that I should not go out without Gospel tracts in my wallet, I am
happy to share that to the passers by. It resulted a tremendous joy and
immense peace in my heart as I have witnessed people Hindus, Muslim and
Christians alike are moved by seeing the way the Lord Jesus is taking
care of me.
Presently the Lord has convicted me with a burden to reach out the
Orphans and destitute, mainly the children who beg in the street and local
train as I did with my father at my early age. In India in the state of
Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa where people mostly live under poverty
line, children are the neglected community there. During my stay with them I have seen the agony and misery they live with. Many of them are abused in their early age. They do not have even a cloth to cover their bodies. Teen's boys and girls alike only cover the lower part of their bodies. Every time I see them my heart cries aloud to the Lord Jesus whom I came to know as my savior just a few years back, that He would send people to take care of these little beautiful ones. But only thing I have seen that people in the ministry have very little care for
them.
In the subsequent days the same inner voice that caused me to be involved in the task of winning souls for my savior, started pricking me "Jaganath, people may turn back their face from my little ones. But how long will you passed them by?" I did know what to do. Only thing, still I remember, I said to Him, 'Lord I do not have any land or any property that can be used for the upbringing of this children. Only thing I have is 58 Kg. of my body including all my weaknesses. If you can use it, please do so. Here I yield myself completely to you.' I do not know how it will come to pass into reality. However, I believe that the Lord has His provision for each of His task that is to be fulfilled in the near future. Friend we do not know the possibilities we have but the Lord sees and gives us His grace and the abundant assistance along with His right provision at the right time if we continually pray for this with an undivided heart.
Therefore I would request you to kindly uphold me in your daily prayer
and if possible share this with your nearest and dearest friends for
extending their prayer for me. Believe me, if we are sincere in our
prayer life then surely the Lord will enable us to build a community of
Nazareth (a community of peace) where people thought nothing good can come
out of it but I believe that our Lord Jesus will come and rest a while
in that community of destitute. Because 2000 years ago Nazareth was
the only resting place for Him. Moreover, if you can help me with any
kind of counseling and advises I will remain obligated to you. Thank You.
With Regards,
Yours in His service
Jaganath Banerjee : E-mail: jaganath_banerjee@yahoo.com
The Immediate helps that you can extend:
1. Prayer: Kindly do not take any step without having prayed
enough. The Spirit of the Lord that compelled me to write these to you whom
I never seen in my own eyes except the idea of being in the same
universal family of our Lord Jesus, will surely guide you to determine the
priority of your work. Thus guided by His presence you please use every
Thursday evening only one hour in prayer. I do it on Thursday because it
take me back to the Gethsemany where on the same evening our Lord Jesus
broke out to His Father expressing His willingness to be sacrificed for
the remission of the sins of humanity.
è Same way our task is going to be a beautiful sacrifice in His
sight. Thus we need strength from our Lord who suffered great sacrifice
for all of us. It is our lives that are to fully given for this noble
cause.
è This time I would like to tell you that we can not take this as
social work. Because any social work is done for certain cause or
humanitarian reason. But we will do it for Jesus. When we find our Jesus in the
lives of these little orphans then only we would be able to carry this
task.
What to pray:
è Pray that at first the Lord will enable us to start a prayer
shell. We may stay in different parts of this world. But this prayer
network will help us to finding out the will of Almighty in this regard.
è Pray that even then it may take time to began something noble
like this but we would seek first for the prayer of every individual whom
we meet on our way instead of completely depending on some fundraising
society. Individual sacrifice (carrying our own cross) pleases our Lord
much more than anything else. Therefore whenever we meet a person whom
we think that he/she knows the Lord Jesus, then we should not forget to
share the burden to pray for the Orphans of India with them.
è As I go out for evangelistic work and meet many to share the
Gospel. Please pray that the Lord will raise many among them who would be
interested to give their lives fully for this precious task.
è Also pray that the Lord will protect us from lukewarmness of our
heart so that we will not give on half done. I think we should pray
atleast for One million children in order to give them compassionate care
and needs for their survival.
2. Support: Each one of our financial support becomes a precious
offering if it comes out of a prayerful heart no matter how small it may
be. Remember saving one dollar in a day or doing little hard work for the
same and set them aside during your family devotion, will save two children's life in India and its' subcontinent.
Being clearly directed by the Lord the first thing I did not was to register a organization in our state, hoping to reflect all the transparency and sincere love for the Lord and serve Him through serving the little orphan children.
Therefore this house of Christ can be spread to the needy villages
of our countries. Please pray and uphold this matter in your prayer. And if
God has encouraged you to extend any financial help then please let me know. As we do not have any official web-site due not having any financial assistance. We will be responsible for the proper use of your assistance and will be obliged send you the details of the work done through the love gift you have sent for the Lord Jesus.
3. The Urgent Needs:
At present we are thinking of taking care of few more children there
whose parents, relatives and properties were washed out by Tsunami, the
killer waves. As this Christunilyam (House of Christ) is situated very
near to the place where the Tsunami waves hit (places like Kayamkulam,
Kollam, and Kanyakumary) we visited and witnessed many are still (these
places are neglected by the government and considered as less affected
areas) living in the temporary shelter where the children are homeless,
living with some of their known persons (not even relatives).
If we have the assistance then with an immediate affect we can build a
temporary shelter for them. And minimum of hundred of parentless and
unprotected children can be accommodated in the same campus where the
present children's home is situated. Please pray and help us in any way
as we are desperate about them. These children are precious like Jesus
to us and I do not how long will be helpless in front of them. Please
do something and have an impact in eternity on behalf them. If you need
any details about them please let me know. I will be ready to do
anything decent that would cause for their upbringing in their society
4. Personal Request: Understanding the incessant need for
theological studies that would help me equipping myself for evangelistic work as well as for child care, this I have enrolled myself for M.Div. program.
Now as an Itinerary evangelist the money I am able to arrange around
Rs.2000/- ($ 40) which is enough for my monthly expenses. But I am not
able to pay my monthly tuition fee. I always pray to the Lord not to make
me asking for my personal needs, instead you make me to earn my own. In
this area I am totally helpless. Thus a monthly help of $15 will be a
great help for me to continue my M.Div program (To finish this course it will take only two years).
*** Please do not forget to pray and if Lord allows to extend your help
then kindly do it by mentioning clearly for the reason. For the Tsunamy
effected children please mention it clearly.
Thanks a lot
Your friend in Christ.
v
