An India Partners volunteer team recently left for India, including volunteers from Engineering Ministries International (EMI). The group of engineers will visit a river island in Andhra Pradesh where India Partners has been serving for the last 12 years. The engineers’ goal is to develop a flood prevention system for the island to protect against reoccurring floods and land erosion that threaten the community’s livelihood.

For over a decade India Partners has been developing self-sufficient programs for the island’s 1,200 residents by providing livestock for food and income generation...

If you’ve ever called the India Partners’ office with a question, you most likely spoke with Brian Palmer, India Partners’ Administrative Assistant and Sponsorship Coordinator. After five years of faithful service, Brian is accompanying a team to India for the first time. We asked Brian to answer a few questions about the trip and what he hopes to experience and accomplish.

1. Why do you want to travel to India? I have managed India Partners' child sponsorship program for almost five years now, and in that time I have heard many stories from our partners...

In February 2011, India Partners began the initial building stages of a self-sufficient emu farm in Andhra Pradesh. Later that month, Heather Hintze, a photographer for KEZI-TV in Eugene, Oregon found an article online about the India Partners’ emu farm, and immediately called the office to inquire about joining a team to India. Now Heather will be traveling with the team leaving today! Below are a few questions we asked her about her interests in visiting the emu farm and traveling to India.

1. How did you hear about India Partners? I was actually looking up different emu farms in Oregon when I came across a press release about India Partners setting up a sustainable emu farm in India. Once I realized they had a Eugene connection I made a few phone calls to learn more about the organization.

India Partners was recently awarded a $10,000 grant by the Tyndale House Foundation to underwrite a three-day gathering to teach discipleship training skills to 250 church leaders in India. The training will integrate the use of the Life Journal, a Bible study tool, to further spiritual growth for pastors, church leaders and ultimately their congregations.

The Life Journal, written by Pastor Wayne Cordeiro, is a personal discipleship tool that encourages growth within a personal faith journey through reading, studying and applying the Bible, with a focus on prayer. The Life Journal was translated into Telugu in 2006 with funding provided by the Tyndale House Foundation and India Partners.

India Partners is happy to announce that the self-sufficient emu farm at Living Sacrifice Ministries (LSM) is underway! Thanks to generous donations from individuals, and a $46,300 private foundation grant, LSM was able to purchase one acre of land and 100 emus in April.

For the past eight years, we have partnered with LSM in Andhra Pradesh, India in such areas as child care, community development, disaster relief, and micro-lending programs. LSM also focuses on one-to-one mentoring. This self-sufficient emu farm is part of a creative initiative to support orphans and children who live at LSM’s Little Lamps Children’s Home, as well as widows in need and impoverished families in remote villages.

By Staff at Sahaara Charitable Society

Our partner, Sahaara Charitable Society (SCS), runs three safe homes for trafficked women and at-risk children in the red-light areas of Maharashtra. SCS provides counseling, education and medical clinics for the women and children. Below is a story from Sahaara’s staff. Aasha was a pregnant, trafficked woman who was rescued by Sahaara staff and referred to a local mission.

Unfortunately, Aasha miscarried, but our staff persuaded her not to return to the red-light area, welcoming her into a safe home.

By Dr. Iris Paul, Reaching Hand Society

Our partner, Reaching Hand Society, provides medical clinics, literacy training, water resourcemanagement, prison rehabilitation, and health education to remote jungle areas of Orissa. Below is a story from Dr. Iris Paul, co-founder of Reaching Hand Society.

One day I had to go to another town and return back through a jungle path. My driver, his wife and their two children were traveling with me that day. We were about 40km northeast of our town, when suddenly we saw a group of political rioters with big sticks in their hands blocking the way on the narrow jungle road. Our jeep’s driver, familiar with jungle roads, took the jeep through a one-foot pathway to try and catch another route home.

By Pastor Babu, Orphans Faith Home

Our partner, Orphans Faith Home (OFH), has helped to raise and educate more than 1,500 orphans and other needy children in Andhra Pradesh. OFH supports local school teachers and widows, staffs a local medical clinic, runs a tailoring school, operates an inland fishery, administers disaster relief and provides clean drinking water in poor neighborhoods. Below is a story from Pastor Babu, founder of Orphans Faith Home.

Nearly 15 years ago, while praying for the villages and islands near Orphans Faith Home, I was led by God to go to a river island that was known for its poisonous snakes, rampant thievery, idol worship and witchcraft. The Gospel of Jesus had never been preached to this island, and it was regarded as the most dangerous island in the area.

Prema is the mother to many who are not her children by birth. In addition to her own two children, she cares for up to 24 children who live at the partially constructed Little Lamps Children’s Home. Below are the stories of Raju, Mangaranni, and Sudhakar – three of Prema’s “adopted” sons and daughters.

Raju is the youngest of five children. His father died and his mother was unable to look after and feed five children on her own. She knew that Raju could have a future if he went to live with Prema at the Little Lamps Children’s Home. Raju was 5 years old when Prema took him into her home.

We recently celebrated Mother’s Day in the US as a time to recognize and show appreciation to moms. In light of this holiday, we asked our anti-trafficking partner, Sahaara Charitable Society, to interview several mothers who work in the red-light districts of Maharashtra, India, as commercial sex workers. Below is the sobering reality of the struggles they face while trying to raise their children and work in the trade.

What kind of struggles do the women face in raising their children?
Most of the women are extremely poor...