April with Mercy.

Each month’s message is crafted as an echo of our current work. It serves as a quick glance into the heartbeat of the moment for Calcutta Mercy. Many of our friends and partners request this right to their mailbox, but just in case you miss it, we want to ensure you can join the conversation.

Wherever you may be, may the Bengali New Year find you.
As we celebrate this special time with our friends in Calcutta,
we hope renewal and refreshing fill your month.

Your friendship to Calcutta Mercy has made many hopeless endings begin anew for the people of India.
And you’re just getting started.

March with Mercy.

Each month’s message is crafted as an echo of our current work.
It serves as a quick glance toward the heartbeat of the moment for Calcutta Mercy.
Many of our friends and partners request this right to their mailbox,
but just in case you miss it, we want to ensure that you can join the conversation.

Wherever you may be, we are wishing you a powerful month.
Our hope is that you do more than endure, hope, and wait.
May you anticipate.

Your friendship to Calcutta Mercy has given the world something to look forward to. May the same hope find you.

February Newsletter

Get Your Hope's Up

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Every day, our teams encounter destitution and desperation. The needs of Calcutta are blatant, but  hardship is not limited to a lack of possessions. Often, challenges begin in our heart.

While you may never know what it's like to skip a meal for lack of resources, we have all walked in seasons where feeding our spirit felt nearly impossible. The majority of us will sleep in a bed tonight, but our minds will find it difficult to rest through the week. 

But we've got some good news.

You can get your hope's up......and keep them there.

Every situation of your life deserves the chance to be lifted on the shoulders of great expectation. Our President, Dr. Randy Valimont, has three ways to help you bolster them up.

             Hear the full message: www.griffinfirst.org/sermons.

1. Face the Facts. Know the Truth. 

The Gospel gives us the reality of hope, but situations bring us face to face with feelings severely opposed to this solid foundation. It is okay to have challenging facts. It is okay to admit the situation doesn't seem to be in your favor. Daniel did not go into lion's den confessing that there were no animals, but he did go with faith that God is Who He promises to be, and He will do what He's promised to do: never leave, never forsake, and uphold us with His right hand. 
The difference between facts and truth is simple: facts will change, Truth does not. This means that in the midst of temporary struggle, a joyful Truth is worth grabbing onto. Don't let go of it. Facts never get the final word. With the peace of God on your side, wait for every situation to be turned around, knowing that God will not waste a moment of where you're at today.

2. Deal With Your Fear and Anxiety. 

Faith begins as a seed we chose to plant. With time and nourishment, it springs through the ground and offers a fruit our souls can feast on. Fear works the same way. We plant it, we feed it, and it crowds out our joy.
Usually, hopelessness kicks in because we are afraid of certain outcomes, not because we are waiting for an answer. It's the presence of fear, not the need of patience, that drives our anxiety through the roof. You may think you feel hopeless about a situation, but people rarely lose heart over a single thing. We feel hopeless because we've fed a variety of worries that have finally crowded out our trust and faith.  
Even if the situation were to change today, another challenge would quickly arise shaking our stability once more. It's deeper than circumstance; it's a matter of what we've planted.
We can't uproot these monsters on our own, and we don't have to. Peter reminds us to "cast our care on God because He cares for us." He will not only deal with the patterns of worry we have created, but He will tend to the faith we have left, making it stronger and sturdier in even the hardest of times. 

3. Pray.

Science itself proves that our minds are hardwired to lean into a negative bias. Even more, the way we think will determine the actions we take in reflex situations. Our thoughts train our internal and external responses.  God knew this when He inspired the author of Proverbs to remind readers that "as a man thinketh in his heart, so he is." 
Prayer is not a self-help plan. It is not tricking yourself into believing something or latching onto a false reality. Prayer is a process of not only tending to our relationship with a heavenly Father but an invitation to have our minds re-programmed. Instead of focusing on the what if's, I have to focus on promises. Instead of analyzing the situation, we have to remind our hearts of God's track record.
It's possible to stop translating the world through a broken, finite perspective. Instead, pray your way into peace and assurance. Speak with God until your heart is at rest. 
 

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Hope is rising through Calcutta. May it elevate in your life, too.

What 63 Years Teaches Us About "Calling"

“Today marks 63 years since we arrived in Calcutta. We never dreamed what God would do.”

Six decades and three years. One city, one mission, one couple.

Today, we have the luxury of the present-day piece of this triumphant story: the fully functioning hospital, rural clinics, Bible colleges, vocational schools, nursing programs, children’s homes, volunteer programs, and daily feeding lines that provide meals for 25,000 a day. Countless lives have been touched by what we now freely witness but it cost the Buntains so dearly – and as they paid the price, they never knew it would come.

Like many distinguished stories, this one began with a “yes.”

Unsure of what may lie ahead and uninformed of the details, Mark and Huldah Buntain set sail in 1954 with their baby girl, Bonnie, in acceptance of a “one year” service opportunity within a church in India. Over the next few decades, God would create a story of hope for the lost and light in the darkness.

They began on the bottom of a boat, but today we stand on top of their mountain, hoping their God-crafted story may liberate you from some infected thinking, impoverished expectation, and inferior understanding of what it means to serve a God who “knows the plans He has for you…” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Here are three things the Buntains teach us about “calling.” We hope they teach you, too.

1.     Our calling: it becomes clearer as we clear it:
Have you ever cleaned out a section of a yard before? What about paving a trail through the woods? You must first make up your mind that you will go through the woods, and then you must simply go, allowing God to clarify what He will in His own time and fueling your walk with trust, faith, and reliance. Do not sit on a burning desire because all of the intricacies are not yet specified for you. God is FOR your victory for His own namesake! He will not hide destiny from you as you walk in obedience. Your first step is always to know Him and love Him. The second, third, and fourth build off of this as you walk. The Buntains did not know everything that may lie ahead, they only knew an opportunity to pastor had knocked on their door, and they knew they must go. It was as they went that the needs of Calcutta’s poor would weigh their hearts with a holy fury and more would come. It was as they walked that God would unveil more of what He wanted for them to accomplish. They kept saying yes, and He kept clearing branches. You may not know it all, but you CAN say yes to what He’s shown you, knowing “He will make your paths straight….”

 

2.     Our calling: It doesn’t have to “just be” this OR that:
Can you imagine how very incarcerated Pastor Mark and Huldah would have felt if they had limited their mission to a specific trade, hobby, or skill set? Your gifts will make a way for you, but gifts are not where you begin and end! It would have made complete sense for a pastoring family to sail to another country, begin a church, build its attendance, raise up a successor, and end there – but passion for the Gospel and a desire to see the impoverished restored burned more deeply in their hearts than the spiritual equipment to preach alone. So they did both. They met physical needs and supplied a spiritual Word, and they have since done it to a legendary degree. There are times where you feel an ache for so many things, but it is a trap to think God corners you to "just pick one." Your job is always to pick Him, and He will use you to meet the needs of an earth He loves more deeply than you could ever imagine.
    The Buntains are heroes of “both/and”. You can start the business AND obtain the ministry degree, you can teach elementary school AND be deeply involved in your local church, you can get the law degree AND mother your family well, you can have a heart for another nation AND finish your undergraduate degree right now, and as 63 years of ministry has proved: you CAN feed, educate, AND medically assist an entire community for generations of time.

3. Our calling: You will grow, and the outcome of your calling will grow, so take heart:
It began with the preaching of the Word, and an infamous line shot through the Buntains’ heart that changed their ministry model in Calcutta indefinitely: “Preacher!” the beggar exclaimed, “feed our bellies and THEN tell us there is a God in heaven who loves us!” With this, a feeding program emerged. There were more needs, however, and while the soul of every citizen needed Christ above all else, illness and devastating poverty were unignorably infectious. The remedy is Christ, and He often moves in one step at a time, changing us little by little. While God changes us in salvation instantaneously, He works through us in process. The redemption of Calcutta is a reflection of this process: it doesn’t happen all at once, and the issues are so deep. Let the solutions grow. Have patience. Keep investing. Don't throw in the towel just because the impacts aren't immediate. First, the presentation of the Word, then a feeding program, children’s homes, then a hospital, clinics, the list goes on. It did not happen overnight, and when the needs around you feel overwhelming, take heart in knowing that God will grow your capacity, your influence, and your reach. Never be discouraged by the magnitude of what breaks your heart – be drawn to God in it and watch Him live a plan through you! Fulfill your calling one step at a time.

It goes without saying that 63 years in Calcutta could teach us 63,000 things. Our hope today, however, is that these 3 foundational truths will go with you as you continue being faithful where you are. Stateside in the suburbs or in the trenches of Calcutta, your calling in God is sure and His ability to provide is inarguable. Have patience, live in faith, and watch God build a heritage of grace and the Gospel through your "yes." May the next 63 years of our lives testify to His ability to work wonders through such a powerful syllable. 

On Hair and Diplomas

Did you know that the market for hair regrowth is a 7 billion dollar industry in America?

That's the daunting financial investment of U.S. citizens seeking to put a few luscious locks back on their head.
Male or female, young or old, we do not like such obvious, sudden, significant loss.  

The old adage really proves true:

                 "You don't know what you have until it's gone......." 


Ask any woman who has purchased a plethora of product in hopes of achieving that Julia Roberts-esque mane. Talk to any man who fondly remembers the days his bangs alone disqualified him from needing to apply sunscreen anywhere above the neck. It's quite an adjustment. 

We find some humor in the process our bodies go through. It's the cycle of life - and that's okay, but it is certainly fascinating to observe how human nature works:

when we have something, we don't always appreciate it. When it's gone, we understand its true worth to us individually.

Can you imagine if, one day, you woke up to the loss of something a little less aesthetic? 

Can you imagine your life without education?

While there are a few criticisms, comments, and complaints the general population could submit about academic circumstances in the States, education IS a national value, and the only reason we CAN criticize it is because it exists: we celebrate it, recognize it, and supply it.  As a nation, we are always evolving, changing, restructuring, and attempting to improve our public education processes.
Teachers.
Principals.
Guidance Counselors.
Department Directors.
Professors. 
They are our every day heroes, supplying the super power of knowledge and investing in the future health of our nation.
 

what would our lives be without the impact of education?
 

What if, one day, you went to run your fingers through it - and all traces of educational influence on your life, community, and society had disappeared?

would you live in the same house?
would you survive that surgery?
would your children be healthy?
Would your self esteem thrive?
would your daughter ever work?
would you be qualified for that job?
could you speak?
could you articulate?
could you write?
could you live?

From childhood to legal adulthood, we are guaranteed the access to education in America; beyond that mandate, you could literally stay in school for the rest of your life. Education is our privileged right. 

India, on the other hand, is home to the most illiterate population in the world. 
237 million adults never learned to read and never learned to write. 

This creates children who are disqualified from advancing into successful careers, almost guaranteeing a future life of poverty and struggle.
This creates families who are handicapped from ever rising past marginal poverty lines, prematurely employing their babies to sweatshops and other methods of harsh labor.
This creates communities that find themselves malnourished in basic principles of knowledge in regards to everything from hygiene and health to finances and gender equality. 

You are ensuring this changes. 
We don't wake up without education, and because of you, neither will they.

Education is the gateway to better living today and a better future tomorrow. 
Calcutta Mercy representatives have reported that nearly a quarter of all sexual exploitation involves children. Likewise, we've discovered that the most effective way to remove a child from prostitution is to make him a student.

"We've discovered the most effective way to remove a child from prostitution is to make him a student...."

- Calcutta Mercy Reps

90% of exploited children find their way out of this vicious, vulnerable cycle by enrolling in schools - many of these schools, you have helped us provide.
 
We remove the children of Calcutta from would-be tragedies, would-be poverty, and would-be generational struggle by placing them in classrooms. 

This month, maybe as you wake your own children up for school, celebrate report cards with your grandchildren, or review the deadlines for your university's new semester, remember the mission of Calcutta Mercy and the part you play in raising awareness, providing sustainability, and increasing effectiveness as together we feed, educate, and medically assist a precious corner of the world.

Three Steps to Free Indeed

With a day of celebrating under our belts in the states, many American citizens still have the residue of yesterday on their hearts and minds.

Gratitude. Dignity. Honor. Sacrifice. Freedom

We are thankful. For the men and women that have given their lives and comforts in modern history and, this month especially, for those who acted from the bravado of their soul, knowing that liberty was God’s ordination to mankind and justice was the birthright of their brethren.

The Fourth of July is a special time for us in the USA: we eat, we laugh, we appreciate, we celebrate. Fireworks and charcoal highlight our evenings and afternoons. The heart of America beats with strength.

And then the fifth comes. It always comes.

We roll out of our beds, back into our work attire, into our cars and commutes.
We’re back to the daily grind.
Lunches to make, ordinary Wednesdays to live out.
Practices to get to, presentations to give, proposals to draft.
It’s the 5th of July. Back to reality.
But on this side of the globe, even the most mundane reality packs a load of good news.
There’s ALWAYS good news: you’re as free as you were yesterday. There’s as much to celebrate on hump day as there is on America’s birthday.

As you move out of long weekends and patriotic enthusiasm, we want to encourage you to continue savoring your freedom, growing in your liberty, and expanding your independence.

First, spiritual liberty – we know that "it is for freedom Christ set us free". We echo the many Christian voices that have pronounced this sacred truth through the weekend.

Second, national liberty – we are THE most liberated patch of land across this world. While we at CM do not ignore the social strides left to make in our beautiful country, it’s no secret that we are the most equipped to pursue such progress.

And third, your personal liberty – the very definition of independence means self-rule and separation. Christ’s lordship over us DOES mean that He is our guide, our director, and our captain. We DO, however, invest our will, our time, and our thoughts into our daily habits, established routines, and time spent. Are you living in TRUE personal liberty or are there certain faculties bound up to less than ideal things?

This 5th of July, we’ve compiled a quick list of THREE things you can do TODAY to grow deeper into your personal, practical freedom. From negativity, lack of productivity, anxiety, and more.

The whole country is free. You may as well be, too!

Five Things To Make You Free Indeed:

1.       Stop Doing Drugs: The average American spends FIVE hours a day on their phone.  Did you know that app developers have figured out how many likes/notifications on social media will cause a dopamine release in your brain? That’s why online behavior is SO addicting – the scroll-then-zone-out cycle is like a literal high. It can easily consume your thoughts, time, and consequentially your productivity in all areas of life. Put down the screen drugs and find ways to retrain your mind to enjoy the best invention of all time: human beings. (Don’t believe us? Refer to 60 Minutes recent interview with app developers through their website)
 

2.  Stop This Train: Negativity and anxiety are just as addicting as the screen! Do you know someone who always has a reflex Debbie Downer remark: about situations, others, or themselves. Maybe you are Debbie. Have you ever caught yourself unraveling a minor situation into an absolute catastrophe when nothing THAT bad had even happened yet? It can be crippling, paralyzing, and quite plainly, just annoying. Great news: you aren’t a slave to that personality “trait”*. You have probably just trained your mind to go there over time. Long story short: your neurotransmitters follow the beaten path they find (think of them as running through the woods of your mind) and if you’ve taken the route of negative thinking long enough, it’s a pretty worn in trail for them to follow, right? If you’ve begun a cycle of negative self-perceptions or outlooks, or if you have made mountains out of molehills for an extended period of time, the only way to stop it is on purpose. Stop yourself from getting in the slump today, whatever that may be, by saying outloud “I do NOT have to go there. I am sending my neurotransmitters down a DIFFERENT path. This will be fine, I am confident, even if the worst thing happens, everything will work out in the end!” Some psychologists even suggest soothing anxiety by repeating the anxious thought out loud (or in your head if you’re in public) in a creepy mouse voice so that it sounds less daunting. It’s like making fun of your anxiety and negativity, and while it sounds absolutely silly, it works on a physiological level.

*We know anxiety is more than a mood for many individuals and, in fact, is a chemical imbalance. By no way do we intend to discredit or disregard the professional, medical advice/counsel you have received from any licensed physician. We refer here to the mild daily anxieties every person experiences on an interpersonal level.

 

3. Start Smiling: This is so simple you are probably frustrated, but we mean it! Sometimes, moods and thoughts can become overbearing and overpowering. We don’t want to “feel” something, but we feel it nonetheless. Forbes helped us out with this dilemma: SMILE and smile big! Decades of research boost the claim that for some reason, even if you are consciously faking it, the muscular activation that takes place in your face when you spread a smile across your demeanor improves mood, reduces stress, and even lowers heart rate levels in tense situations. They confirmed this with something called the “chopstick” study, but we’ll spare you the details here and point you this way if you don't buy it. (Really, though, who needs to be convinced to smile?)

There you have it.
Three steps to free indeed. We hope you enjoyed your Fourth. We hope you’re more free on your Fifth. And we pray the Sixth is the greatest you've ever had. From us to you, be free.


 

You've Done So Much!

Red Light Rescue

What Can You Do?