2 Jim Cook by Cathy Caldwell
3 Give Your Life Away by Pastor Bob Caldwell
4 A Hopeful Future by Lauren Phillips
5 Journey Toward Eternity by Lauren Phillips
6 Oases of Hope by Christina Linane
8 God’s Army by Lauren Phillips
9 Each Finds a Place by Lauren Phillips
10 My Indian Experience by Sarah Spurlock
11 Prayer & Praise
12 Jim Cook Memorial Fund
contentsSpring 2008
On November 25th, 2007 Jim Cook passed from this life into the waiting arms of his Savior, Jesus. Jim, and his wife Judy, invested their lives, love, time, and talent into Chapel Missions India for many years. Through their involvement, the ministry grew, became more organized, and hundreds of people became sponsors for the fi rst time. His insight and wisdom moved the ministry forward at a time of rapid growth. I personally thank Jim for encouraging me to go on my fi rst trip to India to meet the little girl we sponsored at the time.
About 2½ years ago Jim and Judy stepped back to pursue treatment and healing for the disease that fi nally took him home. I have tried to step into the shoes left by them but I’m still fi nding a lot of room for growth. Jim gave selfl essly and tirelessly – volunteering countless hours while building a successful business. We all continue to benefi t from their labor of love – but none more so than our family in India.
From the EditorMAGAZINE
contributors
PUBLISHER: Bob Caldwell
EDITOR: Lauren Phillips
ART DIRECTOR: Doug McFerrin
COVER ART: Doug McFerrin
DESIGNERS: Melissa Bent, Doug McFerrin
PRODUCTION: Jessica Toussau
WRITERS: Bob Caldwell, Cathy Caldwell, Christina Linane, Lauren Phillips, Sarah Spurlock
PROOFING: Linda Fraise, Lauren Phillips
Hope is a free semiannual publication and is an outreach of Calvary Chapel Boise, Idaho. Offi ces are located at 123 Auto Drive. Contributors can be contacted at 208.321.7440 or via e-mail at offi [email protected].
Additional copies are available for your church fellowship upon request. If you are interested, please call 208.321.7440 or e-mail offi [email protected].
4
Chapel Missions India is, indeed, a family ministry. Each of you are a part of that family – the beautiful Body of Christ. We need one another; we receive from each other, and glean from those that have gone before us. Though we miss Jim, his life’s passion lives on in the heart of Chapel Missions India.
HOPE Editor
You may like to donate toward the Jim Cook Memorial Home of Hope Scholarship fund. See page 12 for details.
6
9
2 Spring 2008
Bob, myself and each of our co-laborers in Christ at Chapel Missions India would like to honor and give tribute to our dear brother, Jim Cook, who has gone on before to be with our Lord Jesus. Jim’s life and dedication to our Home of Hope children has made a tremendous impact on the ministry. It’s a legacy that remains to this day.
A casual glance at Jim’s life might reveal him to be an ordinary individual. He was a diligent business man and was married to his wife, Judy, for over 30 years. He lived in a quiet neighborhood, enjoyed the pleasure of good friends and a good football game now and again – especially when his hometown university played. Yet Jim was no ordinary man. He was one whose life was a refl ection of the God that he loved and served, and was evidenced in who he was and all he did. At his memorial service, one by one people came forward to refl ect on Jim’s life and his infl uence upon their own. It is amazing how far reaching the impact of one person can be.
Jim became an answer to our prayer in the early days of Chapel Missions India when we were in desperate need of some administrative help for our Home of Hope children and their sponsors. He, along with his wife Judy and a few others took their fi rst trip to India in the 1990’s. After meeting Brother Guna and Sister Victoria and spending time with our Home of Hope children, Jim and Judy returned to Idaho with hearts full of love ready to do whatever they could to help. Jim and Judy, known as Auntie and Uncle to friends
and neighborhood children, had no children of their own, yet, all at once they embraced over 200 orphans who they now considered part of their family. They began the huge undertaking of managing the sponsorships of all of the children. They worked from their home for many years, sending and receiving letters for the children and their sponsors. All that they did was a labor of love. The only payment received was the joy of serving God’s children.
The end of 2007 brought sadness to the ministry as Jim and two of our precious boys, Isaac and Ebenezer, passed away. We are so grateful for the upbringing that the boys were given because of dedicated servants like our brother, Jim. We are grateful for all of our wonderful sponsors who through the years have helped make it possible for these children to not only be taken care of physically, but to have the greatest opportunity of all, to know Christ. Psalm 27:10 says, “When my mother and father forsake me then the Lord will take me up.” As God’s people we help fulfi ll this promise as we share in God’s heart to take care of His children.
Before Jim went to be with our Lord, we were able to spend some time with him at his home. Bob shared with our dear brother how God had used him and Judy by allowing them to become the roots of the beautiful, fl ourishing tree that CMI has now become. God took two willing hearts and used them to help build and establish the work as it stands today.
We fi nd peace that when our brother Jim passed into eternity he stood with Jesus to be there to greet Isaac and Ebenezer ushering them into their Father’s presence and into their new heavenly home.
Jim Cook - A Tribute
BY CATHY CALDWELL
“But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother
cherishes her own children….as you know how we
exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as
a father does his own children...” I Thessalonians 2:7, 11
The men who graduate from our two year Bible
College in Koppal, Karnataka, ready to take the gospel into
places where no other Christian missionary can be found,
are true heroes of our faith. They willingly lay their lives
aside for the sake of those they serve. They get very little
for it; they aren’t paid what they deserve; there is little
thanks from man. On the contrary, they are beaten – some
on a regular basis – for
their efforts. Yet, they
continue, compelled
by love for their Savior
and the people of
their native land. This
devotion toward many
who may never give
anything in return is
remarkable.
In First Thessalonians
the apostle, Paul,
reveals this same type of heart – that of a true pastor. He
started this church in Thessalonica from scratch and he’d
gone through a lot of persecution to reach them. Because of
his conviction to preach the gospel there, great things began
to happen as people put their faith in Christ. He describes the time
he had with them by saying, “We were gentle among you, just as a
nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing
for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of
God, but also our own
lives, because you
had become dear to
us. For you remember,
brethren, our labor and
toil; for laboring night
and day, that we might
not be a burden to any
of you, we preached
to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how
devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among
you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and
charged every one of you, as a father does his own children.”
In this recounting of their time together he speaks of not just giving
them the gospel but of giving them his life as well. This is the beauty
of God’s true ministers. However, to give your life away for others
takes dying to ones own desires. I don’t believe that our fallen nature
has a natural inclination to live for the benefi t of other people. On
the contrary, it is more common that we use people to our advantage
– even in ministry.
Paul referred to himself as their parent. Every parent knows about
living sacrifi cially for their children. Becoming a parent is a shock;
your hobbies, lifestyle, money fl ow, and even your sleeping patterns
change. Everything is now focused upon your child. You desire to
feed them, nurture them, and educate them. A good parent accepts
this change as their new focus in life; to exhort, discipline, and correct
their child, giving up their old way of life to do it.
This is the type of commitment and character we look for in the men
enrolled in our Bible College. During the two years they spend under
discipleship and teaching at the school they have the opportunity to
develop this ministry mindset. Our staff of teachers and pastors know
that it is critical to serve the lost with a heart of compassion and
sacrifi cial love. It is the biblical model that Christ, and the apostle
Paul, have exemplifi ed for us. As in Paul’s ministry, we have seen
the fruit from this type of sacrifi cial service in the ministries of our
Calvary Chapel pastors and evangelists. Thousands have come to
Christ through the commitment of these dedicated, loving, men of
God. Please pray for those who lay down their lives for the sake of the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
Give YourLife Away
BY PASTOR BOB CALDWELL
Spring 2008 3
Our staff of teachers and pastors
know that it is critical to serve the
lost with a heart of compassion and
sacrificial love. It is the biblical
model that Christ and the apostle
Paul have exemplified for us.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the
LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a
future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Upon approaching Calvary Chapel’s property known as
the Prayer Garden, which rests among rolling hills outside
the city of Bangalore, the sound of playful, energetic kids
can be heard. At fi ve each morning God’s children sing out
heartily their songs of worship and praise to Him. At six the
sound of breakfast, chores, and the bustle of very full and
busy households rings out as everyone gets ready for their
day at school and work.
A meeting hall, kitchen
facilities, the boy’s Home of
Hope, exercise fi elds where
lively games of cricket are
played, beautiful gardens, and
a guest house are located on
the upper section of this six
acre parcel. More recently, a multiple room building and
courtyard has been added to house children infected with
HIV. Their care-givers – also HIV positive – live here too.
Taking care of special children takes love and a heart of
compassion which these servants of God have because of what their
Savior has done for them.
Bagyamma’s husband, Nayanaswamy, died of AIDS in 2006. Before
his death, while in the hospital, Bagyamma was tested for HIV and
proved positive. Because their Hindu friends and relatives had already
deserted them, the distraught couple, along with their two sons, sought
the help of Calvary Chapel. Pastor Guna visited often, talking to them
about Jesus. Before he passed into eternity, Nayanaswamy asked his
wife to allow Pastor Guna to care for his family at the Prayer Garden.
Bagyamma accepted Christ and was baptized by Pastor Guna at
Calvary Chapel, Manjunath Colony, on Easter Sunday, 2007. She now
cares for HIV positive children at the Prayer Garden. She states, “I am
quite happy that the Lord has delivered me from all mental worry and
agony. I enjoy teaching the children songs which they sing during our
church services. He has given
me a new life.”
Sangeetha’s husband,
Gajanana, died of AIDS in
2005. She became aware
that she was infected with
HIV after her husband’s death
so she moved to Bangalore
where she could be treated
at a nearby hospital. That is
where she also came to know
about Calvary’s ministry to
people suffering with AIDS.
“Before I was baptized, I was
fi lled with tension, worry, and
fear. My future was uncertain. Since my baptism, I have been leading
a peaceful, happy, and contented life in our Lord.” Sangeetha joined
Calvary Chapel as one of the care givers of HIV positive children at
the Prayer Garden.
Yesuraj was born and brought up in Belgaum, Karnataka to follow
Hinduism. As a young man he worshipped many gods. “My life was
moving along peacefully until my wife, Pakkiramma, fell sick and
died. After that, I was shocked to fi nd out that she and I were both
infected with HIV.”
Yesuraj was convinced that his future, along with his two children’s,
was hopeless. “I didn’t know if I wanted to live.” When Pastor Guna
met Yesuraj and his children, “He spoke with gracious words which
encouraged me. He said he would keep my children and feed them
for as long as they lived. This gave me new hope for my life and I
experienced great joy.”
“At last, after experiencing the love of Christ in my life, I decided to
commit myself to the Lord, Jesus Christ. I was baptized in June, 2007.
Pastor Guna then gave me a job taking care of the children. I give all
the glory, honor, and praise to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
God is not only a redeemer of souls, but a redeemer of lives. God
pours His love and hope into each heart that is touched by this
powerful ministry. They receive love, compassion, and hope for their
future; they are valued; not tossed aside. Please pray that we are
able to care for many more precious people through the love and
provision of God.
BY LAUREN PHILLIPS
A Hopeful Future
–HIV Caregivers
4 Spring 2008
He spoke with gracious words which
encouraged me. He said he would keep
my children and feed them for as
long as they lived. This gave me new
hope for my life and I experienced
great joy
Spring 2008 5
The e-mail came as a complete shock. The precious sister I
sponsored in Koppal, India had just died. Her body fi nally
succumbed to the ravages of AIDS. As tears streamed down
my face all I could say over and over again was, “Thank
you Jesus.”
When I met Sainaz Begum in March, 2006 I was
immediately drawn to her. Sitting in a very hot tent under
the northern Karnataka sun listening to Pastor Bob and Guna
give encouragement to the families within, my eyes were
continually drawn to her forlorn face. As we broke into
small prayer groups we ended up together. She had a friend
with her that spoke English so she introduced us. “This is
Sainaz Begum. She has no children, no husband. I am her
only friend. We are Muslim women - outcasts in our Hindu
village.” She told me of the sores in her friend’s mouth,
on her lips and her face, and how she was unable to eat
because of the pain. Her eyes were fi lled with tears as she
spoke of her friend. I called to Amber, a nurse traveling with
the team. “What do you think is wrong with her mouth?”
“It looks like herpes to me,” she said, “this is very treatable.”
So we brought our new friend to the attention of Pastor
Navaneeth who immediately took her to a nearby hospital.
After arriving back in Boise I became her sponsor. I wrote her a letter and
sent her photos of our time together. Some months later
I received a letter back from Pastor Navaneeth written
on her behalf. She was happy. The picture enclosed
showed a smiling face. The herpes had completely
healed and better than that, she’d surrendered her
heart to Jesus Christ. He told me that her eyesight was
failing, but she was learning and growing in her new
faith.
We wrote back and forth one more time. Then the e-
mail came telling me that she’d passed into eternity. I
just sat there – stunned; overwhelmed with grief. Yet
through my tears I was able to see her in the arms of
her new Friend and Savior, Jesus – whole and complete, in perfect joy and
peace. “Thank you Jesus.” I thanked Him for letting me meet Sainaz and for
His faithful servants in India who told her about His love for her. I thanked
Him for allowing me be a part of such a wonderful ministry – walking with
others on our journey toward eternity. I thanked Him for allowing me to
meet this sister. My heart overfl owed with thanks amidst my grief.
As we embrace this amazing opportunity to serve people with HIV/AIDS
with the love of God we will look death in the face. We will see despair,
pain, and suffering. Yet, we alone, as God’s ambassadors, have the words
of life to give to each person we touch as we walk alongside them. I really
cannot believe that I have been given this phenomenal opportunity to
stand on the edge of eternity with another precious soul ushering them
into God’s arms.
We have many sponsorship opportunities available to you. There are many
families and orphans with AIDS who need your loving support.
From the fi rst time I set foot inside Calvary Chapel
Boise back in 1992, I knew India was an important part of its
very heart. I was happy to support the work because people
I knew and respected were so very passionate about the
ministry. It was many years before I ever considered going
to India. I held out as long as I could until I just couldn’t
take it anymore. I fi nally surrendered to my friends’ relentless
nagging and to what I knew was God’s will for me. I didn’t
even know that I wanted to go until I got there!
When I fi rst heard we would be judging an art contest in the
Children’s Centers, I felt buffaloed. I really hate to disappoint
people. How could I cold-heartedly pick a winner? Forget
malaria – I didn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings!
We went into the slums in and around Bangalore, and in
the villages surrounding the city of Koppal. We would walk
to a center, usually down a dirt road and through tiny lanes
where we didn’t quite fi t in. Although we were all wearing
traditional Indian clothing, we still looked out of place. I am so
tall that I felt like a balloon fl oat in the Macy’s Day Parade.
The centers we visited were often in a tiny room with a dirt fl oor,
white walls, and no seats. They were immaculate, bright, and
cheery, even though they were in the poorest sections of town.
Every child was dressed up in their best clothes – neat and tidy and
so intrigued by their foreign visitors. They were so thrilled to see
us; you could feel their excitement mount as the paper, crayons,
colored pencils, and rulers were passed out. This was a big event!
The children drew so carefully. A lot of the subject matter was right out of the
Bible. I learned two things at those drawing contests: These children can really
draw, and they know their Bible stories better than I do. And another thing: The
order the teachers keep in their tiny, cramped classrooms is something from
which the average school district in America could learn volumes.
Did you ever go to Day Camp? Those were exciting times. I can remember
making candles, butter, and macaroni jewelry boxes spray-painted gold. I kept
Calvary,s Child
are tiny oases of
perfect example
Jesus Christ at w
of India toward
Hindu children al
6 Spring 2008
Spring 2008 7
that macaroni jewelry box until my dog mistook it for a rawhide
bone and ate it. Now imagine growing up in a slum, and one
day someone invites you to this fun place and you don’t even
have to pay for it! You learn about God’s love for you, manners,
skills, and you get to have fun doing it. It becomes the high point
of your day in a confusing, chaotic, and dark world. Without
the Children’s Centers in these poor neighborhoods, without
teachers who risk their lives daily to nurture their students,
hundreds of kid’s days would be very different. They might wind
up on the streets: No chances, no breaks, only doing what you
fi nd on the street. Many would resort to crime and destruction
because they’re bored, tired, and hungry. They would have no hope.
Calvary’s Children’s Centers are tiny oases of hope and are a perfect example
of the love of Jesus Christ at work in the slums of India toward Christian and
Hindu children alike.
At each center, we picked three children in each age group to go to the fi nals of
the art contest, then all of the winners came together at Pastor Guna’s church.
It was a glorious day. The children were so happy to be there and
they drew so diligently – again. The fi nal winners were chosen
and each was given a prize. No child went home empty-handed.
The big winners brought home a prize for the whole family – a
shiny, new soup pot. It may seem like a silly gift, but to a family
with nothing, it means so much.
Here’s my overall impression of Chapel Missions India: Calvary
Chapel Boise is doing the work of a small nation in India. Our
little church is having global impact; the projects are inspiring;
the plans for the future are visionary. All you have to do is look
in the eyes of the children, the caregivers, the pastors and their
fl ocks to see faith in action. I still fi nd it strange that a woman, who
didn’t want to go to India in the fi rst place, is now committed to
the work going on there. For me and many others I know, giving
to Chapel Missions India is not a burden – it’s a blessing. I know
that though I’ve made many mistakes, one really good and right
thing I’ve done is to help the children and families in India.
dren,s Centers
f hope and are a
e of the love of
work in the slums
d Christian and
like.
Before the gun shots I was excited to be in the capital city of Imphal, Manipur where one of CMI’s seven Homes of Hope is located. It had taken a lot of prayer and government red tape to get us into this warring state in northeast India. Earlier that day my husband, Dan, and I, traveling with Pastor Bob, Pastor Guna, and his wife, Victoria, visited the 14 boys at the Home of Hope. It was the fi rst time they’d met anyone from America. Each one shook
our hands with a fi rm and hearty grip saying, “Praise the Lord!” We had a wonderful time listening to them sing songs and recite passages of the Bible from memory. They were happy to receive the
brand new Manipuree/English Bibles we brought and of course, the candy, but their smiles came slowly – cautiously. That night, back in our hotel where we’d heard gun shots ring out a few blocks away, I began to wonder if there was more to their quiet demeanor than just shyness.
I hadn’t given much thought to being an outsider, but I did wonder about the mandatory 4:30pm curfew for foreigners. I love to travel, meet new people, and try new things, but this was the fi rst time I’d been in a place where police guard the entrance to city blocks and where gangs of armed men stand on street corners. The excitement I felt upon our arrival had turned into a bitter realization of the life some of our boys may have lived before coming to the Home of Hope. Its strange how quickly a little bang in the night can instantly change your entire thought pattern.
“Who is shooting at what,” I wondered, “a mother, father, someone’s son? Will tomorrow be the fi rst day of a little
child’s life as an orphan? Do those sharp cracks in the night bring a memory to a young boy’s mind as he lies on his cot at the Home of Hope, an image that time cannot completely erase?” Suddenly, urgency surged through my spirit. I wanted, more than anything, for those precious young boys to know that they are not alone. I know that God has hope and a future for them, but sometimes words seem futile. A revelation of the goodness and power of their loving Father is what they needed. After all, apart from God, what kind of life awaits a young man growing up in that kind of environment?
Our second day with the boys brought joy to us all. We spent time in a park on the outskirts of town where we played and played. I found out that most of the boys have dreams of becoming a policeman or joining the army. As I thought about this, it came to me that God brought these boys together from fi ve different warring tribes to form an army of His own to bring about His purposes in this place.
Please join with me in prayer for the boys of Manipur, that they will know the strength and power of their God – standing upon their Rock in times of trouble. Pray that they will know the might of their Warrior King and the fi erceness of His love for them. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Commander of the armies of heaven, will one day reign victorious over all the earth as well as in the hearts of His own.
Before the gun shots I was ignorant, but since then God’s compassion has come. Let us allow the violence of man to stir up the love of God in us, compelling us to prayerful action on behalf of each precious child in Manipur.
8 Spring 2008
I wanted, more than anything,
for those precious young
boys to know that they are
not alone.
Spring 2008 9
One of the things I love about our Lord is His
open door policy of fellowship for each of us. He places
value on His creation and will use each life according to
His plan. This is taught and modeled to Chapel Missions
India’s Home of Hope children every day.
Some children show obvious promise in academics or are
gifted dancers or artists. We can’t help but be proud of those
who are in schools of higher education seeking careers as
doctors, nurses, engineers, or social workers. They’ve risen
above the poverty and sadness that brought them to us –
they’ve overcome by the grace
of God and have been able
to accomplish so much. But
CMI’s staff is also mindful of
the others – the children who
have been so traumatized by
life that they just are not able
to excel academically. What
future awaits them outside the
doors of the Home of Hope?
Consider a shy young girl I
know named Lalitha who
was abandoned by her father
after her mother committed
suicide. She was fi ve years
old when he left her and
her ten year old sister on the
streets of inner city Bangalore so he could marry his new bride. The
girls roamed the streets for fi ve years before a sensitive soul brought
them to Pastor Guna’s attention. One can only guess what may have
happened during those fi ve years. Think about it! Two children,
alone on the streets; no protection, no father or mother, no food, no
education, no job – nothing! Like I said, one can only imagine….
After coming to the
Home of Hope and
fi nding acceptance
within their new
family, the girls
adapted to the best of
their ability. They were
loved, included, and
befriended while learning about God and His love for them. Lalitha
was enrolled in a Tamil Medium school (a school in her native tongue)
and her sister was employed as one of the cooks at the girls’ Home of
Hope. Lalitha did her best in school, but struggled to make progress.
When she was unable to pass her 10th standard exams Pastor Guna
and Brother Moses, Childcare Coordinator for the Homes of Hope,
decided to place Lalitha in a trade school where she would learn life
skills like typing, sewing, and cooking. After successful completion of
her two year course, she was employed by Chapel Missions India and
now cares for ten children at the Home of Hope at Nachikuppam. She
also helps with
the mending and
sewing needs of
the home.
She’s proud of
her new job and
the money she
earns, and she
still has a place
in the loving
e n v i r o n m e n t
she’s known for the past twelve years. Many young adults like Lalitha
have found value and worth in their new family when those that should
have loved and cared for them left them alone. Their true Father sees
and cares. God has placed his Father’s heart into the leadership of
Chapel Missions India – showing each child that they are valuable to
both God and to their true family, the Body of Christ.
Each FindsA Place
BY LAUREN PHILLIPS
The girls roamed the streets for
five years before a sensitive soul
brought them to Pastor Guna’s
attention. One can only guess
what may have happened during
those five years.
I remember sitting in the audience of Engage Truth, Calvary Chapel Boise’s Sunday night service for young adults. Pastor Bob spoke about the mission opportunities available to us. I felt God calling me to go to India. It was past the application due date but I responded anyway. It was so late that I was sure that I wouldn’t be able to go. By God’s grace, I was accepted.
When we fi nally arrived in India our team of 25 fell silent. The smells, people, and environment were all so different! We walked out of the baggage area and were met by two smiling people with these beautiful leis. It was Pastor Guna and his wife Victoria meeting us – giving a warm welcome to their visitors from America.
During our trip, we were blessed to play with the children at the Homes of Hope, minister to lepers, and help at a conference for over a thousand young people. Every day we did something new and experienced different blessings.
10 Spring 2008
One day, we got to hang out at the Boy’s Home of Hope at the Prayer Garden located about 20 miles outside of Bangalore. There were riots in the city and radical Hindus were marching in the streets of Bangalore. Instead of doing whatever had been planned for that day, we painted the temporary AIDS home and played with the kids. At the end of the day we gave them gifts – cute little white bunnies.
We met a girl there who had gone blind from AIDS and is in the late stages of the disease. Her name is Athiya Begam. The workers guided her out to us. She held the stuffed bunny, felt it, and smiled so beautifully. My heart cried out to the Lord. I wanted to give her a part of my life to prolong hers, or take a part of her pain upon myself. There the Lord spoke to me saying, “Sarah, that is the life I have chosen for her, and your life is the life I have chosen for you.” I took comfort knowing that the next person she would actually see would be Jesus and that He, alone, could make something beautiful out of both of our lives.
God did so much in my life while in India. I was blessed by the faith of the people of India. We serve an awesome God! I will never forget what the Lord has done in my life through my Indian experience.
To see a video synopsis of the Engage India trip, January 2007, visit youtube.com/chapelmissions or chapelmissions.org.
My Indian Experience
BY SARAH SPURLOCK
My heart cried out to the
Lord. I wanted to give her a
part of my life to prolong
hers, or take a part of her
pain upon myself.
Spring 2008 11
I want to sincerely thank those of you who intercede for this ministry. The needs are great but we serve such a mighty God who cares for the fatherless and widow and delights in drawing all men to Himself. Though the needs are often times monetary in nature please remember that thousands of desperate people are being ministered to every day through the faithful servants of CMI.
The Lord continues to prove His faithfulness by providing gifts from many faithful sponsors including like-minded fellowships. With these gifts we are able to build facilities for 20 HIV+ girls at Heaven’s Gate; complete the Bible College facility; help build 2 key churches; supply 3 motorcycles and 6 bicycles for pastors and evangelists; and purchase a van to transport our HIV+ children to school.
Please uphold Mrs. Hema in your prayers – she is dying of AIDS. Pray for her two precious children, Kavya in our girl’s home and Vinod Kumar in our boy’s home, during this grievous time.
Please pray for each of the HIV+ children in our care as well as their caregivers.
Please pray for the development of a medical clinic and hospice care facility for the sick and dying at Heaven’s Gate.
CMI is being asked to vacate their head offi ces. It is our desire to build an administrative building on property that we own rather than pay high rental fees. Please pray for the funding of this need.
Our teen boy’s home is in severe disrepair. Please pray for the funds to build them a new, safe facility.
Our Children’s Centers need faithful sponsors. Please pray that this fi nancial need is met each month.
Please pray for Prabakar, Navaneeth, Edison, Solomon and other CMI pastors, evangelists, and Bible College students as they minister in dangerous, yet fertile areas of India.
Please pray for a Home of Hope facility for the boys in Manipur.
Prayer&Praise
$3,000 for 2 weeks
Download an application online at chapelmissions.org.
Also available online:Also available online: training videos, recommended reading, online payments for your trip, history of CMI, child sponsorships and more.
Applications and initial deposit of Applications and initial deposit of $500 due by May 15, 2008.$500 due by May 15, 2008.
Apply early, space is limited.Apply early, space is limited.
Each year Pastor Bob and Cathy take a group of mission minded believers on a tour of Chapel Missions India.
You will be introduced to our Home of Hope children, visiting six of our seven homes. Our children share their joy and love with their visiting brothers and sisters through drama, song, dance, and fun. Those of you who sponsor a child or ministry worker may have the opportunity to meet with them.
You will visit our Bible College where you will be blessed to meet men who are being trained to take God’s word into unreached areas of India.
You will meet our pastors and their families, possibly visiting their churches, bringing encouragement to the believers there.
Every trip is different, every trip is life-changing, every trip is ordered by God.
Come – allow the Lord to open your heart to the ministry and people of India.
2 0 0 8 T O U R
The Jim Cook Memorial Home of Hope Scholarship Fund“Pure and undefi led religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”
James 1:27
The Homes of Hope serve needy Indian orphans and are a combined outreach of Chapel Missions India and Calvary Chapel Boise.
This scholarship fund has been established to honor Jim Cook’s life, love, and labor for the children of India by providing educational or vocational assistance to deserving Indian children.
Make contribution checks or payments payable to Chapel Missions India (CMI) with “Cook Scholarship Fund” in the memo. Please mail c/o Larry and Lorna Brown, 2332 Ridgepoint Way, Boise, Idaho, 83706.
Financial AccountabilityChapel Missions India (CMI) is an outreach ministry of Calvary Chapel Boise, Idaho, responding to the biblical mandate for world evangelization. We are an enabling ministry for an indigenous work in India. This ministry holds itself accountable to God and to the elders of Calvary Chapel Boise.
The staff outside of India consists of Pastor Bob Caldwell, Lauren Phillips, and various volunteers. Chapel Missions India has no salaried staff. All of the work is done in home offi ces or at the church. Our administrators, bookkeeper, graphic artists, writers, photographers and those who assist this ministry in any way are volunteers or employees of Calvary Chapel Boise. Trips taken to India are paid for either by Calvary Chapel Boise and/or personal funds. Our stateside operating expenses are a small percentage of the total budget, most of which is used for postage and printing costs and is paid for by Calvary Chapel Boise.
Within India we operate as “Calvary Chapel Trust.” This organization has gained offi cial recognition as a charitable organization by the central government of India. As such, the Trust must report every rupee of foreign funds it receives. The Trust is audited annually by the government of India. The ministry there is
currently broken down into 46 separate projects under 15 specifi c programs.
The administration of Calvary Chapel Trust is done by the staff in the Bangalore offi ce. The budget for the director, manager, and seven other staff, travel, medical, gas, postage, etc., totals approximately 12% of the total budget and is provided for by a tithe from Calvary Chapel Boise. It does not come out of designated gifts given by sponsors.
Staff workers in India are paid. Full and part-time workers, teachers, cooks, drivers, and gardeners total more than 175. We also retain the services of a doctor for the Home of Hope children. The Bible College and Children Centers have staff workers in various other locations. Their operating costs are paid for by gifts given for those specifi c ministries.
It is very important that you know that the money you give to this ministry is used specifi cally for this ministry.
You may wish to give funds that are “designated” to reach a certain ministry or special project, or you may wish to give “undesignated” funds which are used for general operating costs or special needs that arise. Such needs include funds for new facilities, medical emergencies, or special projects. Either way, this powerful, life-changing ministry is served by your gifts. You will receive a monthly donor record and a yearly donation receipt upon request at year’s end.
12 Spring 2008
Sharing Their Experience...I never thought that I would be able to experience a world like India. Having my feet on the ground there opened up my understanding of the resilience of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The blood that is so evidently radically changing the nation of India is the same that was spilled for me, and there is nothing more endearing than that. I praise our Father for these precious and compassionate people; I am daily edifi ed by their testimonies.
David Hess
Calvary Chapel Boise, Idaho
My mission trip to India gave me a chance to meet some precious and loving children of God who live in a much different culture than our own. It gave me the opportunity to come along side and encourage and assist those who are in great need while meeting many dedicated sisters and brothers in Christ who serve Him daily.
Jane Walker
Boise, Idaho
Calvary ChapelChapel Missions India123 Auto DriveBoise, ID 83709
Financial Accountability: Stateside, CMI’s staff is made up of volunteer servants. The production of this publication is also a ministry of volunteers. In India CMI has 129 full-time staff, and a number of part-time staff. All of the donations given to CMI are given directly to India and the ministry specifi ed. CMI (called Calvary Chapel Trust in India) has gained offi cial recognition as a charitable organization by the central government of India. As such, the Trust must report every rupee of foreign funds it receives. The Trust is audited annually by the government of India. A CMI Financial Report may be obtained by contacting Calvary Chapel Boise at 208.321.7440.
Visit the newly redesigned ChapelMissions.org. Download trip applications, set up automatic donations, donate to
multiple areas with one form, view training materials, download past issues
of HOPE magazine, and more.www.chapelmissions.org