Blog 1:
We loaded up into a bus and drove from the outskirts of the Indian jungle into the smog of Ulhasnagar. Our company being fifty or so boys ranging from age seven to eighteen.  Today’s mission: finding outfits for Christmas.  As we bumped along the road with bandanas protecting our eyes and mouth from the dust and debris in the air, I was surrounded by laughter and song.  These boys were ecstatic about going shopping and having the opportunity to buy something of their own.  Little did we know the shopping excursion would take an entire day!

For each boy we looked for a nice dress shirt and pair of jeans to wear to the Christmas Celebration at Ashagram.  Imagine fifty or so clueless boys trying to pick out outfits!  As humorous as it was to watch, it was heartbreaking at the same time.  I thought about how each of these boys, each a child of God, had no mother or sister to help them with picking out clothing.  They had no mother to remind them to eat all their food, to wake them up in the morning or send them to bed with a hug and kiss.  Seeing each face light up when they found the style or color of shirt they liked was touching. Being able to share with them in what seemed like such a mundane event brought tears to my eyes.

Each of these boys has a story.  Some worked on trains, sweeping to make enough money to eat while others were orphaned drug addicts with no home.  A few of the boys were sold by their parents to shop owners and many came from homes torn apart by abuse and addiction.  You would never have guessed these children experienced such pain and abandonment when seeing the joy on each one of their faces.

Throughout the day more and more shared how God transformed their lives.  Boys that were addicted to heroin and alcohol are now telling complete strangers about Christ.  Boys that had no reason or purpose are now filled with hope.  Time and again I saw the pain of missing parent figures lessen when talking about the love of Jesus Christ.  In the absence of a physical parent, God had become both their mother and father.