Dharmapuri Orphanage

This morning I had the chance to preach at the church service of a local orphanage. I feel like I keep saying this, but so many of the places we visit are truly like an oasis of peace. This orphanage, started by German missionaries, was right on the main street of Dharmapuri. In the middle of the craziness of a bustling town, this spot was so peaceful inside. Apart from the oddly inappropriate frolicking white German children on the front gate, everything about the orphanage was beautiful.

The church service was cool. The stone work chapel was incredible. Dozens of flower streamers hung from the cathedral ceiling. Two hundred children and twenty-five adults sat barefoot on the floor to worship. I preached the three "lost and found" parables: the lost sheep, coin, and son. The children were enthralled by their American visitors. The stray dog that wandered in during my sermon bleeding and with labored breathing detracted a bit from worship, but not too much.

After the service we were able to tour the orphanage and have chai with the pastor who managed the location. The children who lived there were all orphans or destitute. They lived in family style homes of 18-20 children with house parents. They eat in their homes and sleep on the tiled floor with bamboo mats with a blanket. Their lives were more structured and disciplined than anything American children have known. The day starts at 5:30 with prayer and the kids have studied for 90 minutes, had an hour of devotions and performed their chores before leaving for school at 9 am.

The organization that runs this orphanage, Christian Mission Service, operates orphanages in six states in India, providing housing and care to nearly 6500 children.

What struck me most about the orphanage was the sense of peace and presence. Coconut trees were sprinkled throughout the grounds. Bananas gre in the rear. A vegetable garden provided fresh food for the children. Girls chopped tomatoes on a stone slab in preparation for lunch. Music played through an outdoor loudspeaker. Scripture verses were posted everywhere. Here again we found the patient work of a loving God caring for the least of India.

We come to India thinking that the work of God comes with us. We come as representatives of a new kingdom. But we get here and realize that God is here in India. He is at work, caring for widows and orphans, low-caste and high-caste, in the cities and in the villages. Everywhere we go we find God already at work.

And so we realize that we don't start the work of God. Rather, we enter into it. We don't bring water to a thirsty land. We draw from the wells that are already there. Deep wells of living water amidst the fertile soil of South India.