It Started with a Song…
Almost every night, Abib and his wife Jeyapriya heard the loud, cheerful singing of children coming from somewhere in their village. They always wondered what was going on, and one night they decided to go and find out.
Abib and Jeyapriya followed the sound of the music to a small church. Light poured from the windows and the open door, and as they drew closer, the children's voices grew more and more clear. They peeked inside the door, and watched as a couple of teachers led the singing, demonstrating the motions to go with the song. But more than the motions, they were intrigued by the words of the song. Who was this Jesus they were singing about?
As they continued to stand at the door, one of the teachers noticed them and motioned for them to come inside and take a seat. Abib and Jeyapriya sat with rapt attention as the teachers taught the children more songs, as well as stories from the Bible. They had never heard stories like these before.
After the lesson, the teachers invited Abib and Jeyapriya to stay for supper and to come again the next day.
“This is an evening school,” the teachers told them. “We help the kids in the village with their school work, and we teach them songs and stories like you heard today. And we give them food each night. Even though you don’t have children, you can still come for the songs and the stories and the food. “
Abib and Jeyapriya did come back, night after night. A few days later, Brother Baskar, the regional evening school coordinator, came to visit the evening school. They asked him to come to their home during the daytime to teach them more about Jesus. Brother Baskar came to their house every day to study with them, and eventually they decided to get baptized. Now Abib and Jeyapriya are coming to church each Sabbath, and though they are poor, they are faithfully returning their tithes and offerings to the Lord.
By the grace of God, our evening schools in India have impacted the lives of many children, but as you just read, their influence has spread far beyond the walls of the churches they are held in.
Many villagers are learning about God’s love through the service and witness of the evening schools, whether they have children or not. Traditionally, the meals served at the end of each night are meant for the children attending, but since COVID lockdowns have cost many their jobs, the evening schools have started to share their food with parents and other villagers in need. This kindness has caught the villagers’ interest, and now many are willing to learn about Jesus who were previously unwilling.
Please pray for Abib and Jeyapriya to continue to grow in faith, and for God to continue growing the other seeds planted through the evening schools.
$7 a month will provide food, education, and spiritual teaching to a child attending one of our evening schools. If you would like to support this powerful ministry, please click the button below.