Story number 1 for 3 Sep 2002

(India)–India is where we begin today’s newscast as Bible Clubs are springing up in a very difficult area of the country. David DeGroot of Mission India of Grand Rapids, Michigan says an area that’s become a “no-man’s land” of sorts for evangelical missions is now home to their Children’s Bible Clubs. “Five of our clubs are now starting right in the heart of the disputed territory in Kashmir. It’s very difficult for traditional missionaries to go into this area. These happen to be Kashmiris who went across the boarder for training and then went back to their home areas. And, these are the kinds of people that are able to reach their own home areas with the Gospel.” DeGroot says it costs about one-dollar per child to fund the program, and they can’t meet the demand for it. “This summer, it’s going past three-million children in India, which we’re extremely thankful for, but at the same time the door is open for 4.8 or even five million and we could do it if the funding would be available.”