T and Me with Irene
Before Irene left Kuwait, her employer tried to convert her to Islam many times. They used to prevent her from praying, reading her bible, and even offered her more money, less work, and a better position to simply forsake Christ and become a Muslim.
Irene did not convert, but instead stayed devoted to her Lord; taking her bible with her to the bathroom and reading it there- which was the only place she could.
After Johns Hopkins, Irene took a gigantic leap of faith. She trusted that the Bob and Kristen would actually send the money they had promised to send, but this is only part of the story. The Father of the family didn't want to let Irene leave Kuwait. After all, she was very inexpensive labor that easily earned her keep and by this time, his daughter had become quite attached to Irene, and she was hard worker who never complained. The father held her basically hostage because he controlled her passport, which allowed to her come and go from the country.
Through a miracle of God and the pleading of his daughter, the father finally let Irene go. This is a story in a of itself, but it will have to wait for another time.
After landing in India, Irene wrote a letter to Bob and Kristen that basically said, "I am in India, and I am praying that you were serious about sending the money."
Thank the Lord that Bob and Kristen are people of their word and soon Irene was reunited with her son Roshan and her daughter Reema. They were 13 years older now and different people than when she left. During her time in Kuwait, she was only allowed to see her children once every two years and then only for a day, but now she was reunited with them and they have been together ever since.
Now if I had gone through all of this I would be focused on my family and my own well-being, but not Irene.
She found that with the money Bob and Kristen were sending, she could take care of a couple of the children that the Hindu people would not. The Hindu religion believe that today's life is a product of deeds done in the past lives, so if a child is retarded and handicapped, he/she deserves it because of last life's sins. The religion has no sympathy for such children and Hindus even go so far as to kick their own children out on the street if they are born with a physical handicap or mental retardation. These children are what the bible means when it talks about "the least of these."
Irene talked about her new orphaned children to Bob and Kristen who were already running several businesses at the time. Bob and Kristen were were so touched that soon they had a non-profit up and running in no time.
It was named Happy Home for the Handicapped. Here is Irene in her own words.
"I started Happy Home for the Handicapped in October of 2003. It was a vision for me to start working with physically challenged children. I was inspired by a child named Latifa (author's note- this is the daughter of the family in Kuwait) who was under my care who was specially challenged. I made a firm decision to help these special children and let them know about the Word of God at my home town. Myself and my 2 children and my family have dedicated ourselves to serve the downtrodden."
Happy Home soon rented a piece of land and now there are 72 orphans and disabled children roaming Happy Home for the Handicapped, but the land is not their own and the Hindu people around the area do not like having this kind of place in their community.
But this is Irene on land that is literally in the process of being purchased by Happy Home. It is safe from others and near hospitals, dentists, and a main road. They are in final negotiations now. Unlike so many things in India, land is not cheap. Pray that God provides the funds and the workers needed for the daunting task ahead.
Roshan and Ben on the land.
Here we are today- if you are interested in helping, click here and sponsor a child!
I can tell you from first hand experience, no pennies are wasted here- and you will be helping those who really need it!!
James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Mathew 25:34-40
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Include Irene, Reema, and Roshan in your prayers. Pray that they will be safe is a place that doesn't like having them here. Also pray that this land deal goes through if it is God's will.
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