Ashish Massey with children at Faith Children's Home.

In 2001, I was in a small town in Punjab preaching in an outcaste colony. Our small tent was pitched next to a garbage dump and an open sewer. Our meetings went way past midnight. When we started praying for the people, I was surprised to be surrounded by so many kids. A mother with a helpless look in her eyes wanted me to pray for her children. It was one of those moments I will never forget for the rest of my life. It was a moment when I experienced pain, someone else's pain, as if it were my own. My heart went out to them.

I saw these children suffering from malnutrition, hunger, and various diseases. They were poor, very poor. It was not just poverty; it was a system called Caste in India, which had robbed them of opportunities to succeed for centuries. This was reality of life for them.

I was very disturbed as I returned to my small motel room that night. I kept seeing their sad faces over and over again in my mind. How could I put a smile on their faces? What could I do to bring joy into their lives? How long will they continue to suffer?

I wanted to give new shoes and socks to them, a haircut, new clothes, healthy food, and medical care. They needed a school and a place to grow up. So I prayed and believed God for all of these dreams to come to pass. God heard my prayers.

Ashish Massey