One year ago today, Nepal experienced a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by hundreds of aftershocks and a 7.3 magnitude earthquake on May 12. Between the two earthquakes, roughly 9,000 people were killed and more than 22,000 were injured.

(Photo courtesy of Baptist Global Response via Facebook)

According to reports from the Nepali government last year, between $5 to 10 billion (USD) were lost in damages of infrastructure. BBC reports more than 800,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Historical sites and entire villages collapsed.

“There [were] always challenges of access infrastructure, always challenges of healthcare services, water, electricity, things like that. But the earthquake really exacerbated those types of problems and issues,” Baptist Global Response’s (BGR) Executive Director, Jeff Palmer, says.

2.4 million people were affected, most of whom were instantly made homeless, orphans, or widows.

Aid organizations and the Nepali government rushed to help survivors with food, water, and temporary shelter. Yet, due to roads being cut off by landslides, and the isolation of the Gorkha and Sindhupalchok districts – where the earthquakes hit the hardest — there was very little support actually brought to the people.

“Folks could get into the capital, Kathmandu, and that’s what the news was showing as where the damage was. But really, it was more in the outlying areas.”

(Photo courtesy of Baptist Global Response via Facebook)

A majority of Nepalis weren’t prepared for the disaster, but just weeks before the April 25 earthquake, BGR “had done a training with national partners, Nepali believers in-country for responding to disasters. And, we used earthquake as a model because that’s common in that Himalayan country.”

When the earthquake hit, an indigenous team was already equipped and ready to start with assessment and initial response.

Later, a BGR team and volunteers linked arms with the nationals.

“We worked in about 10 to 12 different communities in the two districts [Gorkha and Sindhupalchok],” Palmer says.

“We kind of identified areas [where] nobody else was working and we chose those as our impact areas; we mobilized our volunteers from overseas, we connected with the local church in Nepal. And, in those areas, we would go into a community of 1,000 homes…and every home was completely destroyed.”

With the help of its supporters, BGR has touched the lives of close to 60,000 people in the hardest-hit areas. Teams have brought in medical healthcare, psycho-social counseling, food supplies, and temporary housing.

(Photo courtesy of Baptist Global Response via Facebook)

Because the earthquake happened just before the rainy season, it was impossible to restore or rebuild permanent homes. BGR built Quonset huts to act as temporary shelters for the displaced.

Today, on the earthquake anniversary, the team is transitioning its efforts to building nearly 600 permanent homes.

“With the local community, with the government, and with the local church, we’ve identified about 550 to 600 priority families that can’t get back into a permanent home,” Palmer says. Widows, the elderly, the disabled, and single-headed householders will receive much-needed permanent housing.

About 100 homes have been built so far, but over the next few months, the rest are scheduled to be set up. Though small, these homes will be made of cement, wood, and a tin roof, so they’ll be more earthquake-resistant.

Though one of the biggest disasters in years, the earthquake was but one of two tragedies to hit the third-world nation in 2015.

The Nepal Blockade

Following the end of the Nepali Civil War in 2006, an interim constitution sat in place for nine years. After the earthquake, the Nepali government resolved to make an official constitution, and declare the nation secular.

Protests and attacks from indigenous and out-of-country radical Hindus erupted immediately.

“In the midst of…the earthquake, and the mess that was going on with the poverty that the country experienced, and the change over the government, there were other countries that boycotted [Nepal]. They were angry, they didn’t necessarily agree with the decisions of the Nepali people.”

A major blockade was put up along the borders between India and landlocked Nepal in late September.

(Photo courtesy of Baptist Global Response via Facebook)

Nepal blamed India for imposing the blockade after India demanded changes over the constitution. India denied responsibility for the blockade and pointed fingers at the Madhesi protestors. Tensions between the two countries rose.

Importing medical, earthquake relief supplies, and fuel supplies became nearly impossible. Whereas 300 fuel trucks might enter into Nepal on a daily basis, only 5 to 10 were getting in once blockades took effect. Lines for gasoline stretched for miles.

China offered a hand of support, bringing in a limited amount of supplies across harsh roads. While it helped, there was still a much greater physical need than could be met. Residents couldn’t heat water, cook, or be mobile. The restrictions quickly grew into a choke hold.

“It affected the people a whole lot worse than any organization,” Palmer says. “It affected the ability to deliver goods to build homes, to deliver food to needy communities, to provide medical and healthcare access to places and to people.”

But, Palmer notes the resilience of the Nepali people, and their will to stay strong despite the overwhelming circumstances.

On February 3, 2016, the blockade ended after months of protests and negotiations between the Madhesi and the Nepali government. But, it didn’t end before bans on religious conversion were made, so as not to “undermine or jeopardize” the religions of the people.

Any national who converts is faced with five years of imprisonment and a 50,0000-rupee penalty.

(Photo courtesy of Baptist Global Response via Facebook)

The law has restricted evangelism, but the Church has stepped up even more — ministering to the communities, providing supplies, and showing Christ’s love and encouragement.

“I think there’s always in Nepal…barriers to the Gospel. I think that the opportunities that we’ve had to show compassion has been wonderful to break down a lot of those barriers,” Palmer says.

One year after the Nepal earthquake – what’s changed?

Communities resistant to outsiders and the Church have let down their guard after the earthquake, realizing believers are there to love and support them. People have started listening to the Gospel and accepting Christ as their Lord.

“Nothing can stop the Gospel going forth. The Church that steps out of the walls and loves people, and cares for them in the midst of their needs, it’s just an amazing way for making Christ known.”

(Photo courtesy of Baptist Global Response via Facebook)

Supporters like you have helped raise $1.6 million for Nepal through BGR. Palmer shares how your support has saved and changed lives, bringing more followers into the Great Commission in a recent video. 

Will you please pray for the nation that has lost so much over the last 12 months? Will you pray for the work BGR is doing? And, will you support further efforts of BGR to restore and minister to the Nepali people?

(Representative photo courtesy BGR)

Take “Rebecca,” for example. According to Baptist Global Response (BGR), this believer in Africa found herself struggling when her husband abandoned her. Without warning, Rebecca was left to support herself and their children.

To top it off, the family became less than nothing in the eyes of Rebecca’s sister-in-law, “Alice.”

In the coming days, though, Alice would unexpectedly find herself in the cross-hairs of redeeming love–and Rebecca would face a difficult choice.

According to Water.org, 1 in 10 people lack access to safe water and 1 in 3 lack access to a toilet. Water-related diseases affect more than 1.5 billion people every year, and the problem is especially immense in Africa.

On any given day in sub-Saharan Africa, over 50% of hospital beds are filled with water-related or hygiene-related illnesses.

Through its Clean Water initiative, BGR and its partners strive to give communities clean drinking water and proper sanitary facilities. By distributing water filters, drilling wells, building latrines, and offering sanitation training, BGR helps communities throughout the continent.

In fact, it was a BGR water filter that helped “bridge the gap” between Alice and Rebecca.

When Alice became terribly sick, she had few people to turn to. In desperation, she turned to the woman she had mocked and degraded–her former sister-in-law, Rebecca. This presented Rebecca with an opportunity for revenge; she could have easily let Alice suffer.

Instead, redeeming love won the day.

(Representative photo courtesy BGR)

Prompted by the Holy Spirit, Rebecca began helping Alice. Not only did Rebecca forgive Alice, she gave her housing, food, and clean water from a BGR filter. Women from Rebecca’s church also gave Alice a BGR Hospice Kit containing items like bed sheets, socks, and lotion.

The process is ongoing, but at each step Rebecca is telling Alice about Christ and demonstrating His compassion. By partnering with BGR, you can play a part in another redemption story.

On 5 January, during a school day, 9-year-old Ayman sells candies in the streets of Kafar Batna village in Rural Damascus.
(Photo, caption credit UNICEF)

“School equips children with the knowledge and skills they need to rebuild their communities once the conflict is over. And in the short-term, it provides them with the stability and structure required to cope with the trauma they have experienced,” UNICEF Chief of Education Jo Bourne stated recently.

Working with churches in the Middle East, Baptist Global Response (BGR) is going a step further to help refugee children.

At a refugee school just started by BGR, Executive Director Jeff Palmer says they’re helping students process the trauma they’ve experienced in recent years. “Art therapy” is a huge help.

“[Counselors] had them [refugee children] drawing pictures, kind of as a therapy thing, telling their stories,” explains Palmer.

“Every one of those pictures had something blowing up, or it had airplanes dropping bombs; and these were like, five- and six- and seven-year-old children that were depicting…their story.”

Refugee school offers more than education

(Photo courtesy BGR)

Many reports warn of Syria’s “Lost Generation” because war and ongoing violence in the region have made school an impossibility for displaced families. A refugee school organized by BGR and its partners was an obvious necessity.

The need for emotional support was just as clear.

“They’ve seen things that nobody should have to see. They see bombs going off, they see people mangled; they see horrific, horrific things,” says Palmer. “That’s a part of them when they come out.

“Physically, they may be safe, but emotionally [they’re] going through all kinds of trauma.”

The new refugee school offers much in the way of physical help: a much-needed education, resources, employment for refugees with teaching experience, nutritious meals, and a safe place to learn. Christian counselors, organized and acquired by a local church, are rounding out the other components of holistic care.

“We’re able to go in and listen, let them tell their story, counsel them through their story, and in the midst of that, share God’s plan for everybody’s life,” shares Palmer. “It makes a huge difference.”

(Photo credit UNICEF)

It’s good news in the midst of heart-wrenching headlines. But, the refugee school can only continue with your help.

Click here to send financial help through BGR’s “Syria Crisis” fund. Or, send a check to Baptist Global Response 402 BNA Drive, Suite 411 Nashville, TN 37217 and designate “Refugee Education” in the Memo line.

Above all else, pray. Ask the Lord to heal emotional scars carried by refugee children. Pray that they will find hope in salvation through Jesus Christ. Pray that children will share the salvation message with their parents and other family members.

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

Governments in “restricted access” countries–also known as “creative access” nations–pass and enforce laws to stop Great Commission activity within their borders.

In one such country belonging to the Central Asia region, the Lord is using government to overcome these barriers. Through local officials, “we found an opening to work with prisoners,” shares Baptist Global Response (BGR) Executive Director, Jeff Palmer.

“These are not just ordinary prisoners: they’re women prisoners. In this country, they actually take their children with them, and then they may be in there [for] several years.”

According to Palmer, BGR just funded a new project in a women’s prison that helps with nutrition for female inmates and the children. Working through their partners on-the-ground, BGR will also provide educational opportunities and skills training.

It’s similar to BGR’s prison ministry in other restricted nations. In those locations, “we have found them to be very responsive to any help that we can give them and very responsive to the hope and the Truth that’s in the Gospel.”

Palmer says he expects a similar response in this particular country.

“In the midst of a fairly resistant culture and people group,” he explains, “those who have been rejected by that group [are open to Christ’s love].”

(Photo courtesy BGR)

This new opportunity is literally an answer to prayer. For several years, BGR and their partners have been looking for opportunities to share Christ in this country. They searched, but efforts to find and build meaningful relationships with people always turned up fruitless.

Now, “the government opened up the doors for us to do this,” Palmer says.

“In regular areas of their country, [inmates] would have little-to-no chance to hear [the Gospel]. They’re now in a place where they can receive compassion and hear the Truth of the Gospel for the first time in their life.”

Would you keep this project in your prayers? It’s worth sharing, too; look for the link on our Facebook page.

Click here to learn more about BGR’s work.

Madhi’s friends and neighbors didn’t stop the attacks. When ISIS drew close, local Muslims turned on Christians. As Madhi gathered his family and fled, his heart broke. Only God could heal that pain, but we could offer him food.
(Photo, caption courtesy BGR)

International (MNN) — Syrian refugees are showing up in North America, whether they’re wanted or not.

Central American smugglers are reportedly helping Syrian refugees sneak across the southern U.S. border. After flying from the Middle East to countries like Brazil or Ecuador, they pay locals to smuggle them into the U.S.

“There are so many people leaving Syria now,” migration expert Shaina Aber tells The Washington Post. “It’s not surprising that some are making their way around the globe the best they know how.”

Heated debate surrounds Syrian refugees and their admittance into “safe haven” countries. In Europe, some countries are building fences to keep refugees out. State governors in the U.S. are taking similar measures, but on paper instead of on-the-ground.

This conversation isn’t limited to the political arena. In evangelical churches throughout the U.S., Christians are asking themselves, “What would Jesus do?”

Syrian refugees: a political or biblical topic?

The refugee issue is complex, and Christian thought-leaders on both sides have valid points.

“Let them in”

(Photo courtesy BGR)

“You can’t look at what happened in Paris, you can’t look at what happened in Mali, you can’t look at what happened in Lebanon and NOT be moved with emotion,” observes Jeff Palmer with Baptist Global Response (BGR).

“My fear is that we will miss what God is doing in the midst of all of this.”

More of Palmer’s thoughts here.

“We are in danger of a globalized indifference, of letting concern for our own safety completely blind us to the perils and pains facing our brothers and sisters, and to our obligation as Christians to help these people,” pens Gracy Olmstead, a contributor to The Week.

Christian blogger Marty Duren shapes his response in a well-known framework: Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan.

“Keep them out”

(Photo courtesy BGR)

“The government should major on security; the church should major on compassion,” states Dr. Michael Brown, the president of FIRE School of Ministry.

“The government should do its very best to shut the doors on any potential terrorists, even if that means slowing down the process of absorbing refugees.”

Janie B. Cheaney, a columnist for WORLD Magazine, asks here, “Jesus embodied sacrificial love, and expects the same of His followers…but does Jesus expect my self-sacrifice to endanger others?”

Syrian refugees and you

Regardless of which side of the debate you fall on, God’s Word gives clear direction: no matter where vulnerable people are located, whether “here” or “there,” we are called to respond to their needs in love.

You can help change circumstances for refugee children whose families are trying to find safety.
(Photo, caption courtesy BGR)

“Let’s look at this through God’s eyes: we’re always praying for those unreached areas…. Right now, we have unparalleled access,” says Palmer. “It’s not ‘us going to them,’ it’s them coming to us.

“This is a great moment for the Church to stand up and say, ‘We want to take the stranger in’ and love them in the name of Christ.”

Through Baptist Global Response, you can give help and hope to Syrian refugees.

(Photo courtesy BGR)

International (MNN) — Amnesty International shames world leaders in a new report as World Refugee Day approaches.

Meanwhile, Christians are taking action to help refugees through Baptist Global Response (BGR).

“The love of Christ motivates and compels us, and we could not do anything else BUT to respond to these folks in need,” says BGR Executive Director, Jeff Palmer.

Why should we care about refugees?

Pointing fingers

Amnesty’s 35-page report, The Global Refugee Crisis: A Conspiracy of Neglect, blames the world and its leaders for failing to “fix” desperate circumstances currently surrounding 50 million people.

(Photo courtesy Cameron Russell via Flickr)

“The global refugee crisis may be fueled by conflict and persecution,” part of the report reads, “but it is compounded by the neglect of the international community in the face of this human suffering.”

About two-thirds of the world’s refugees have been in exile for more than five years, many of them with no end in sight.

Approximately 86% live in developing nations; Turkey, Lebanon, and Pakistan each host over one million refugees.

Outlining crises in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, Amnesty’s report calls for a “paradigm shift” in the way people view the global refugee crisis.

It also blames the global community for refugee deaths.

“The current approaches to the world’s many refugee crises are failing — and the toll in lives lost and lives blighted is far higher than many armed conflicts.”

Read the full report here.

BGR and its supporters have been coming alongside Syrian refugees — the world’s largest refugee population — since the crisis began four years ago.

Taking action

(Photo courtesy BGR)

Through BGR, Southern Baptists are helping thousands of desperate families who have fled the violence in Syria. By providing food, hygiene kits, and more, BGR and their partners are demonstrating the love of Christ in tangible ways.

“Right now, we have an unprecedented time in history to minister to some of the most closed people groups in the world because they’re looking for ways to survive,” explains Palmer.

As they form friendships with refugees, on-the-ground church partners get opportunities to speak into their lives.

“What a wonderful opportunity it is to make Christ known in word and deed,” Palmer says.

Syrians are the largest refugee population BGR is helping, but their refugee ministry isn’t limited to the Middle East. See who else they’re helping here.

“It’s so biblical to address those needs,” observes Palmer.

Through partners on-the-ground, BGR is helping Syrian refugee families of all faiths. (Image courtesy BGR)

“It’s so strategic, too, because there may not be another time in history that we’ll have access to people we’re having access to right now.”

Put your faith into action by helping refugees here.

“Jesus said, ‘I was a stranger and you took Me in.’ And He said when ‘we did it to the least of these’ we did it unto Him,” Palmer recalls.

“God is inviting you right now to work with Him.”

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

Nepal (BGR/MNN) — A powerful new earthquake rattled Nepal on Tuesday May 12. According to BBC, at least 37 have died and more than 1,000 have been injured.

The 7.3-magnitude quake came 17 days after a massive earthquake destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and killed over 8,000 people. As the epicenter, Namche Bazar, is near Mount Everest, the tremor triggered a series of landslides.

Tuesday’s earthquake will add to the already-dismal statistics as rescue workers once again begin the arduous task of rescue and recovery.

The Southern Baptist relief teams have been providing for Nepal since the first earthquake, and now they are searching for the newest damage and emergency needs.

Baptist Global Response, the Southern Baptist humanitarian organization with which IMB partners in disaster response, is coordinating the efforts. BGR’s Nepal Earthquake Response will continue helping those who are suffering by providing basic needs like water, shelter, food, and healthcare.

Francis Horton, who is coordinating the earthquake response for BGR, said one of his teams was on the mountain when the quake hit. As they were descending, they came upon a recently-collapsed house and offered their help. Fortunately, the family had been outside when it fell, and the team was able to provide comfort.

“This quake really brought back nightmarish memories for many people,” Horton said. “Immediately, businesses shut doors and buildings emptied into the streets.”

The earthquake hit 47 miles east of Kathmandu on the way to Everest Base Camp. It could be felt as far away as Delhi, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh. According to BBC, three people were killed in India.

Landslides have cut off roads to the main town near the border of Tibet.

One local Nepali pastor asked for prayer as reports of two major landslides have caused havoc in the area, on top of damage from the most-recent earthquake.

As strong tremors were felt in Kathmandu and other areas affected by last month’s quake, rumors of another large earthquake circulated the country for weeks. More than 100 aftershocks took place the first week, and hundreds of thousands slept outside in tarps or under the open sky as they feared buildings would come crashing down around them.

That same fear surfaces now.

“Looks like it will be another night outside,” a local Christian conveyed over Facebook. He was in the exact same building when the April 25 quake hit. He said the building in Kathmandu shook and swayed, then everyone ran to the streets in panic.

“Everyone is too frightened to sleep inside tonight,” he wrote. His family will be sleeping under a tarp provided through BGR relief funds. “The aftershocks are still going, and we have no idea if buildings are safe.”

The extent of the loss of buildings is still undetermined from the April 25 quake. Nepal’s National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) estimates around 299,588 homes were destroyed and 269,107 were damaged in the first earthquake. They still had thousands more to check out for stability before this May 12 tremor hit.

BGR is working with a Southern Baptist partner to check out as many homes as possible. Their contact was caught in the first earthquake with a team in the mountains. He opted to extend his stay to work with local believers in assessing homes.

Horton said BGR will continue its plan of “Disaster to Development,” with added attention to the immediate needs generated by the newest earthquake.

“We are seeking to meet needs as we find them and to implement a plan that will be a 6-12 month response,” Horton said, adding that BGR is partnering with local churches in this response. “People in the hills are already beginning to construct shelter that will get them through the rainy season. We want to help them along in this process so they can attend to other issues, such as farming the crops that will be food security for next year.

“They are determined to reconstruct. They need to get family life back to normal,” he said. “We want to help them do that. We want to be the hands and feet of Christ.”

BGR invites you to help Nepal by praying, donating, or volunteering to go.

(Photo courtesy BGR)

Nepal (MNN) — It’s been nearly two weeks since the worst earthquake in eight decades shook up Nepal.

Victims’ bodies are just now being recovered as aid workers and Nepali soldiers reach previously-inaccessible locations. Makeshift funerals are a daily occurrence as the death toll climbs to and surpasses 7,500.

But amid countless reports of devastation, hope remains. According to Baptist Global Response (BGR), their teams are finally able to reach quake survivors in at least two remote villages.

Remembering the unseen

Kathmandu and its urban neighborhoods have been the center of most aid agencies’ attention. “Carl,” the leader of BGR’s quake response efforts, says they’re focused on helping the overlooked.

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Watch Carl’s entire update here.

BGR and their local partners were able to secure a food source in recent days and deliver it to quake survivors in remote locations. One village was close to the quake’s epicenter.

“Out of 2,200 houses, there was one house standing,” Carl reports. “10,500 people are without food, water, and a place to sleep.”

In another village, none of the homes remained.

“There were actually no [human] deaths in that community, but their water buffalo and their animals that were in the house were crushed,” shares Carl.

Sharing a reason to hope

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BGR is partnering in the earthquake response with the Disaster Response Christian Coalition (DRCC). The coalition is made up of 10 Nepali Christian groups–many of them trained by BGR just this past February–who are working together to address the quake and make known the love of Christ to those who are suffering.

“They are already stretched and need some rest. Many are responding to huge needs but also have needs for their own families,” said BGR’s Executive Director, Jeff Palmer, in a recent update.

Palmer is asking readers to pray for DRCC staff. “Pray for them to get rest and be refreshed in the midst of the chaos.”

As the initial shock fades, believers are helping quake survivors come to grips with what happened. They’re also sharing the hope and understanding only available through Christ.

BGR needs YOUR help to keep this project going long-term.

“In the initial week after the disaster, people are not sure what’s needed for long-term. Everyone is focused on just surviving,” said Pat Melancon, BGR’s managing director of disaster response and training. “Now the reality hits of getting past that stage and starting life.”

(Photo courtesy BGR)

Help BGR walk with quake survivors through the recovery process here.

“As you give, also remember to please pray for them,” requests Carl.

“Many of them will be out tonight sleeping under the stars, and we are working as quickly as we can to get a response to them.”

Pray that quake survivors’ eyes will be opened to the Truth of Christ’s salvation as they begin to process their grief and loss. Pray also for aid workers as they labor tirelessly to help as many people as they can.

Find more ways to help quake survivors here.

(Photo courtesy of BGR)

International (MNN) — If Easter is about the resurrection of Jesus, why do we spend so much time focusing on egg hunts and the Easter bunny?

This Easter, celebrate our King and the resurrection by giving unique gifts to those in need through the Baptist Global Response Spring Gift Catalog. 

The catalog offers a long list of item you can give to people around the world who are suffering and need to be shown the love of Christ in a tangible way.

Instead of buying a new Easter outfit or a cute stuffed animal, you can purchase a sewing kit for a family or rabbits and other livestock to help a family support themselves.

There are other items available to give, such as clean water, baby formula, blankets, water filters, and medicine.

BGR is partnering with Global Hunger Relief to meet the needs of the hungry at home and abroad.

The Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund reaches hungry people in the farthest reaches of the world, helping families survive disaster and famine, providing clean water, improving health and nutrition–all while helping people discover how to have hope and a purpose in life.

Celebrate the resurrection of Christ and the goodness of God by giving out of your abundance. Click here for details.

(Photo Credit Baptist Global Response)

India (MNN) — Bornali, 13, is the class clown at the 7 Sisters Home in northeast India. Bright and enthusiastic, she wants to grow up to be a computer engineer, a soldier, and a dancer. She hungers for adventure and knowledge.

During the day, she laughs with the other girls at 7 Sisters Home, a nonprofit that rehabilitates girls from abusive backgrounds. But at night, Bornali often has nightmares in which she dreams about her former life as a child slave.

When she was roughly 5 years old, she was sent to work as a domestic slave. Her file at 7 Sisters contains a copy of a document transferring ownership of Bornali away from her family to her new masters.

To the people who bought her, Bornali was nothing more than a workhorse. They forced her to clean a construction zone, wash dishes, and care for children and animals; they fed her scraps of food from other people’s plates. When she made a mistake, they punished the little girl by stripping her nearly naked and tying her to a tree so the mosquitoes could feast on her skin. They even beat her with an assortment of items: a wood block, a police rod, or a pressure cooker lid. Sometimes they tied her to a window when they beat her. Once, they tied her up in a bag.

Out of cruelty, Bornali’s owners told her that her older sister, who also worked in their house, died of tuberculosis. Bornali, however, suspected they were lying.

Then, about a year and a half ago, Bornali escaped from her masters. She took a rickshaw to a train station and hopped on one of the cars. An old man and his son noticed that she was alone and took her to the police. A child services agency picked her up and placed her at the 7 Sisters Home.

When Bornali first arrived at 7 Sisters, she was “wild.” She was stubborn and refused to follow rules. The staff believed her rebellion resulted from her life as a slave, when she had to obey any given order.

Eventually, with proper care, Bornali grew both physically and emotionally. She ate plenty of nutritious food, provided by Baptist Global Response and shot up more than six inches. She is now one of the tallest girls living at the home. She also started studying and showed an aptitude for learning, transforming from an illiterate little girl to a high-level student. She became enthralled with the workings of electrical systems and watched intently as an electrician fixed the home’s circuit breaker. She then began to wonder what the inside of a computer looked like.

Now that Bornali has unleashed her curiosity and joy, she thrives. She still bears physical and emotional scars from her abuse, but she can live in the manner for which she was created.

Her abusers, however, are still at large. No effort has been made to apprehend them or even file an incident report, despite 7 Sisters’ efforts.

Pray for this little girl as she grows up surrounded by the love of Christ. And ask God to grant her justice after the horrors she faced.