For the past two years, Grace has financially supported the Bangladesh Water Project in Pallabi, the poorest province of Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city. Through Covenant World Relief and Seattle’s Water 1st International our giving has gone to help the poorest people in Pallabi have access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene education. This is improving their health, as well as allowing women to be gainfully employed in the time that is saved not having to gather unclean water by hand.
Since last year, we have begun to develop a connection with the staff of the Project’s Field Office in Pallabi. Taslima, the office manager, and her staff coordinate the purchase and installation of wells and toilets, and provide hygiene education in the Pallabi slums.
Our Missions and Evangelism Committee has been praying about how we can share the love of Jesus with the Pallabi Field Office staff who are Muslim or Hindi, as are most of the population of Bangladesh. Only 0.5% of the nation’s population is Christian.
In December 2010, Kirk Anderson of Water 1st delivered a framed picture of our Missions Committee to show our interest in developing a friendly relationship with Taslima. Kirk told her that we are a Christian church group in America who are praying for their success.
We also desired to send a gift for Taslima and her staff with Kirk on his visit in November 2011. As we’ve been asked not to directly proselytize in the Pallabi Field Office, after much prayer we chose to create a 2012 calendar with photos of our families, our church, and the state capitol, as a creative way to ‘introduce’ ourselves to them. Please join with us in praying for God to shine His love through our smiles each month this year!
An amazing glimpse into God’s work awaited Kirk in Pallabi when he arrived. While Kirk and his team were visiting with Taslima, they first asked about all the work accomplished by the Field Office in 2011. Then Kirk asked Taslima if she had anything else she would like to share with him. Instead of speaking further about her work, she excitedly spoke only of our photo from 2010, and nothing else. Through an interpreter Taslima said, “When we get a photo from people who live far away, we feel very good. This photo is an honor. It inspires us. We go home and tell our families that our office has received a photo from people in America. I instruct everyone to keep this photo clean and in good condition. We treasure it!”
Then the translator added, “She spoke very beautifully and I am sorry that I cannot convey her words with the same eloquence that she spoke them. I hope you can perceive how honored they feel to have received special attention from these people. They receive little recognition for their work with the poor.”
Thank you for praying with us about God’s next step for us in sharing His love with Taslima! Our Missions Committee’s photo provided them encouragement every day for the whole year! They worked hard, knowing we appreciated their efforts, and they accomplished much more than they did in 2010! Please pray with us that they come to recognize that it is Jesus’ love encouraging them, and drawing them to Him!
If you or your church is interested in being involved in one of our projects in a deeper, more meaningful way, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We can answer any questions you might have and provide you with ideas and materials. You can see a list of our projects by clicking here.
If there are any other churches or groups out there who have taken interest in a particular project like this and would like to share your story, please contact us! We we would love to share your story!
