India

Food For India Donation

A New Water Well For The Bonda Tribe – March 2024

In March of 2024, the ministry was blessed with a monetary gift to drill one water well in India.  The money was wired to India and within three days a new well was drilled and producing water.  Now, no more walking 2 to 5 miles to carry 4 gallons of contaminated water from any source available.  Good, clean, cool water from a well is available and ready to serve 650 families!  We give God all the glory for this great blessing!    As most people of the Bonda tribes are animists (the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a ...

Water And The Bonda Tribe of India

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."  (John 7:37-38) Among the mountains of Andhra Pradesh, India, lives a tribe of people who dream of having good, clean water for their families someday.  In addition, they are also an unreached tribe of people, most of whom have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   In the meantime, they get water for drinking ...

Christmas At Grace Children’s Home

Christmas came to Grace Children's Home a little late this year but it did come and the children were very happy to receive their gifts, which is evident from the smiles on their faces.  Each child received a piece of clothing.  We would have liked to provide a little more such as hygiene items, i.e., toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, etc., but they were happy to get their one gift.  If you would like to support one or more of the children each month, please click on the link on the right-hand side that says, "Support-a-child".  Thank you and may God richly ...

Reaching The Unreached – The Bonda Tribes of India

The Bonda tribe lives in the isolated hill regions of the Malkangiri district of southwestern Odisha, India, near the junction of the three states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.  A 2011 census estimates the tribe's size at approximately 12,000 members.  They are the first forest settlers in India. As expected, the Bonda people's culture is extraordinary.  The women prefer to marry men younger by at least 5-10 years so that the men can earn a living for them when they grow old.  Women are small in stature averaging about 4 ft. to 4 1/2 ft. tall.  They are usually ...

India Evangelism Leads To Many Salvations!

In October 2023, Pastor Cornelius and other pastors conducted evangelism services in India. The result was the salvation of over 350 people, and since then, around 50 of them have been baptized by full immersion into water. This act symbolizes the death of their old sinful nature and their rebirth as children of God.  However, the Christian community in India faces persecution, which makes it essential to keep these men of God in our prayers. Below are some photos of the events.   ...

August 15 – Independence Day in India!

On August 15, 1947, India gained its independence. Just as the Fourth of July is a day of celebration in the U.S. the same is true in India but on a different day. The children at Grace Children's Home celebrated this day with special edible treats and gifts of lunch boxes to take to school. Below are photos of the children with their treats. From the smiles on their faces, it looked like it was a success! ...

Grace Children’s Home – June 2023

The orphans at Grace Children's Home are doing well and as you can see by these photos, it was feeding time at the home. James 1:27 says, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."  (New Living Translation) In his epistle, James is making it clear that in God's Eyes true religion is putting aside your own interests and caring for those unable to care for themselves.  In other words, "self" is either controlling you or you are in control ...

Your and My Purpose in Life

Dear friends of C.M.M. Just a word to let you know that all of us connected to the operation of this ministry are very grateful for your support through your offerings and prayers.   Every person on earth has a purpose, sometimes multiple purposes, to fulfill during their lifetime.   Christians must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them in this process.  God has placed a sense of purpose in my life to support devout Christians in Ghana to win others to Jesus Christ in that nation and more.  Additionally, it includes Rev. Sikila Cornelius' ministry in India, a man who has ...

God Is Changing India – One Person At A Time

Although Hindu politicians and other government officials rule the country at every level, from the national to the local, the Holy Spirit is still actively working in India, to change it . . . . . one person at a time.  Any attempt to convert others to Christianity will result in imprisonment, physical beatings, and/or death.  But that does not stop some who are driven by the call on their life to share the Gospel regardless of the consequences.  Such is the like of the founder of Grace Children's Home, Rev. Sikila Cornelius, and the pastors who work with him ...

Christian Pastor Is Beaten For Preaching the Gospel

Just today we received a short video from India of a Christian pastor who was pulled out of his church yesterday and beaten for preaching the Gospel.  In India, where the national and local governments are dominated by Hindus, this is not uncommon.   If such an incident was to be reported to the authorities it would be of no use and might even provoke greater anger, which would result in a worse outcome.   Pastor Cornelius explains that is the reason they plea for assistance from outside of India.  Practically no support exists from within, either financially or spiritually.  So, please ...

Important Gifts For The Orphans – November 2022

Here in the U.S., we take so much for granted.  For instance, when was the last time you went without a toothbrush and/or toothpaste?  How about soap?  For many in India, these items are not taken for granted.  In fact, you could say they are considered to be items of luxury, available only to the "rich".  Thanks to many of you, this ministry is able to continue to feed the orphans and pay the staff but sometimes God provides a little extra, and we are able to give more to the orphanage.  That happened recently.  We received a little above ...

Smiles at Grace Children’s Home Plus Evangelism in India – 2022

In September 2022, Rev. Sikila Cornelius visited Pastor David and his wife at their home in a remote village in India.  Pastor David has the foundation for a small church close to his home but lacks the funds to finish building it. In this short video, Rev. Cornelius introduces the pastor and shows the foundation of the church.  He also gives a glimpse of the inside of the very small home of Pastor David.  Here is a link to the YouTube video:  Pastor David In addition, below are photos of the orphans at Grace Children's Home at dinner time.  By ...

Mosquito Nets for Grace Children’s Home – September, 2022

It has been a while since we posted news from India so here is the latest:  August 2022 - The Lord blessed Grace Children's Home in India with mosquito nets through this ministry.  This time of year, mosquitoes are very thick, so mosquito nets will make sleeping at night more comfortable.  Using the nets will also help prevent the kids from contracting malaria, a disease spread by mosquitoes.  Rev. Cornelius messaged us to say the kids were thrilled to get the nets, which is obvious from the smiles on their faces in the photos.  Each net can cover two children ...

Feeding the Homeless In India – September, 2022

Rev. Sikila Cornelius, founder, and director of the Grace Children's Home, also goes to the streets to find and feed the poor and homeless.  Most of them are Dalits (untouchables) and their only source of income is from begging on the streets.   On this evening, Rev. Cornelius found several to bless with packets of food.   Thanks to all who give into this ministry. We wire your offerings directly to Rev. Cornelius' bank account as soon as possible. Rev. Cornelius provides hot meals in the evenings to over 90 children from poor families in addition to the orphans at Grace Children's ...

A New Tour of Grace Children’s Home – India 2022

Pastor Sikila Cornelius recently sent us a short video of Grace Children's Home after they had done some painting to the compound, inside and out.  Please take about 5 minutes or less to watch the video and if you have comments you can email us with the email address: valblack.cmm@gmail.com The orphanage usually has over 40 children.   Not all of them are included in the video but it gives you an idea of how they begin their day before going to school.  On this particular day, they were blessed with plenty to eat.  That is not true every day.    ...

The Bethesda Leper Colony in 2022

In April 2022, a special offering was given to the ministry to be used to purchase food for the needy in India.  We notified Rev. Cornelius of the offering and he advised us the money should be used to buy rice for the 60 residents at the Bethesda Leper Colony.   I asked Rev. Cornelius to take photos of the people as they received the bags of rice that was bought with the special offering.  He obliged by taking several photos and forwarding them to us.  With the exception of an occasional charitable gift, these 60 lepers have not had any ...

Speaking Up

Proverbs 31:8-9 says, "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.   Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice." You may be wondering about the title of this article, Speaking Up, but in reading Proverbs 31:8-9 the bottom line is for us to"speak up for the poor", so that is what I am doing.   From time to time, Evangelist & Pastor Sikila Cornelius, also the caretaker of the Grace Children's Home for orphans, will send us photos of the many needs of those he sees on a ...

Helping the Lepers of India

Most people would be surprised to learn that leprosy is alive and well in some countries.  One of those places is India where 120,000 to 130,000 new cases of the disease are reported every year.   Old myths still linger about the disease such as it is very contagious and it is incurable.  But in both cases the very opposite is true.   You cannot get leprosy by casual contact such as a handshake, hugging, or being close to someone and it is curable if treated in its early stages.  Most experts agree that 95% of the world’s population is genetically immune ...

Reaching the Unreached in India – March 2022

In March 2022, the founder of Grace Children's Home, Rev. Cornelius, along with seven other pastors traveled 200 miles on motor scooters (two per scooter) to a remote village to preach the Gospel and encourage local Christians.    They made videos of the trip and we have combined them into one 5 minute video.   The pastors found one church building in which construction had stopped because of a lack of funds.   The church was crudely made with mud bricks but it doesn't have a roof, windows, or a door.   You will see it in the video.  There is also a ...

Blankets For India – January 2022

In January Rev. Cornelius in India contacted us to share there was a desperate need for blankets for villagers who could not afford to buy for themselves.   Many people were getting sick and some of the elderly were even dying because of the cold nights without proper means of warming themselves.   Consequently, we did a fundraiser on Facebook and raised money for the blankets.  We wired the money to Rev. Cornelius as soon as possible and the next day he went to several stores and negotiated for the best price.  One store had good-quality blankets for the equivalent of $3.29 ...