Early this week we were in the village of Athipatti where The Rhema Project had drilled a bore-well that would provide fresh drinking water to the people of this village. The pastor of Athipatti organized a ribbon cutting celebration that included music, hot chai and biscuits (wafer cookies). After the ceremony ended we began to walk through the village and the mother of these two girls came up to us and begged me to take her daughters with me to America.

Two Young Girls from Athipatti Village

She kept telling us that “she had no food, no opportunity, no hope her two daughters would have a life worth living – please, please take them!” My head tells me I can’t even consider her request. Even if it was legal, they have no passport, no birth certificate, no ID. My heart screams “you have two spare bedrooms that you never ever really use – each bigger than their entire house. You have 20 people right now that you could call in America that would also provide them a loving home.” But you can’t.

The discrimination of the India girl child does not end if she is lucky enough not to be aborted in the third trimester (feticide) or killed shortly after birth (infanticide). In many parts of India it will follow her the rest of her life and then she will have daughters and the cycle will continue.

Education, economic opportunity and faith are their only hope of a better tomorrow. For about $30 (USD) per month we can break this cycle in one girl’s life. For about $25,000 the support system can be built to transform an entire village. We have a team already in place in India (Philip, Malar, Prema, Raj and Pastor John). When we launch small micro businesses the cost even goes lower because now they have a source of income.

As we walked to the car to leave my two friends and their mother followed us. They were ready to leave and their mother was ready to say good bye to them forever. Again we had to tell them they could not go but had to stay. What were they thinking? My prayer is that somehow they will know hope is on its way to Athipatti. My hope is that people will hear their story and be moved beyond head knowledge.