Story number 4 for 27 Feb 2002

(India)–Elsewhere, Ramabai Mukti Mission reports an experimental program in India has blossomed into fulltime outreach. Mukti’s focus on community development is geared for long-term results in helping people out of poverty. Scott says they’re following the Biblical example of ‘a cup of cold water in His name.’ “We have a mobile clinic that goes into villages. We have, what we call our ‘community center’ that was built a few years ago, so we could have a more direct community presence in the village where we’re at. We show them some things in the area of making baskets, sewing, making dolls, pickles, chalk.” Scott says their mission is to not only alleviate the people’s physical hardship, but also, to meet their spiritual needs. “We very much want to help people with ‘no strings attached’. But if they don’t come to know Christ, what value is it, in the long term? So, we have genuine care, but also, we genuinely care enough so that we want to introduce them to Jesus Christ.”