April 2014 Newsletter
The Lord is good to all. And his mercy is over all that he has made.
(Psalm 145:9)
Gender preference is a large problem in India today. Boys are often prized over girls for their greater potential to earn for the family. Adding to this, to marry off a daughter, a family may need to pay an expensive dowry to the groom’s family. It is no wonder then that girls are regarded as a drain on a family’s resources.
Early last month, a couple brought their premature 24-week-old baby girl to Mercy Hospital, while sending her twin brother to a more-costly private hospital for preferential care. Those first few days, we were not sure if the baby would make it. We offered up prayers as doctors and nurses delivered incredible care. A month later, we are blessed beyond words to still have “Baby Mercy” with us. Mercy is off of the ventilator, breathing on her own, and miraculously, she doesn’t have any physical problems. She is our tiny miracle baby here in Calcutta, and we thank God for her continued strength and weight gain.
Every child, male and female, is precious in God’s sight. He created each with gifts of love and service that must never put to shame or disuse. When you give to CMM, you proclaim God’s truths about children to families who desperately need to hear them.
Please continue to pray for Baby Mercy and her family.
Pick Up A Copy
The April 2014 edition of Charisma Magazine spotlights Calcutta Mercy Ministries as their cover and feature article! Please pray that this exposure will bring greater awareness and support to the needs of the poor in Calcutta. To preview and pick up a copy, visit: www.charismamag.com/magazine
A Cause For Applause
This January, over 2,000 students, alumni, and supporters across the globe gathered in Calcutta to celebrate the 60th year anniversary of our ministry in India, and the 50th year anniversary of our investment in children’s education.
On any given day in Calcutta, impoverished children loiter in alleyways, forage around train tracks, and work in their parents’ tea stalls rather than attending school. Their parents, earning less than $1 or $2 a day, simply cannot afford school fees, uniforms, and textbooks. CMM resolved to make a difference in these children’s lives beginning in 1964 with the opening of an elementary school on Calcutta’s Park Street. That year, 230 disadvantaged children enrolled and embarked on an exciting adventure of discovery and new opportunity. 50 years later, our education network includes over 100 schools with a total enrollment of 32,000 students.
Alongside our Anniversary celebrations, CMM received a wonderful surprise with the release of an article in the Times of India. The newspaper had conducted a School Ranking Survey that placed our Park Street School as third best in education in all of Central Calcutta, and our Tollygunge school as third best in all of South Calcutta. Following this, our Park Street School came fourth in a recent International Market research survey of 170 schools. Thank you for making these wonderful achievements possible. Thank you for giving to Calcutta.