India is known for its cold winters. And when you combine cold and poverty, it’s a recipe for disaster.
“Statistics tell us that anywhere between 6,000 and 10,000 people die every winter,” says Lars Dunberg, president of Global Action. “There’s no statistics on these people in the slum areas, but that’s a pretty high number and we’re trying to prevent that as much as we can.”
That’s why Global Action is sending Christians to the region to help. “We actually have three trips going [to India]: one over Thanksgiving, one in the beginning of December, and one over the New Year,” Dunberg says. “Teams are made up of a minimum of 12 and a maximum 20.”
The teams will go to distribute blankets. Dunberg says the children run around stark naked—some just in a pair of underwear. With temperatures below freezing, this is dangerous. Beyond the natural need for blankets during cold weather, the teams are sharing something else to warm the hearts of the Indian people: Jesus.
“We go out into the villages and we bring our little orphan choir from our Hope Center,” Dunberg says. “They sing a song, and suddenly there are 400 people gathered. Then we tell them that we are there because Someone loved us first.”
That’s when team members can share their faith. Dunberg says it’s successful: “We’ve done this for several years, and in several of these villages people have come to faith through the blankets. Little cell groups have been formed. It is just encouraging to see the power of the gospel just when you do something tangible; people also come to faith in Christ.”
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