I am John Edward, and I reside in Tamil Nadu, India. I have been a disciple for the past 32 years. Life has been an incredible journey filled with lots of learning, challenges, and encouragement. I am grateful for God's kindness to me and my family.

I have been associated with the HOPE Foundation for almost a decade now. In 2020-21, I was diagnosed with Myelofibrosis Grade 3 (Blood Cancer) and Massive Splenomegaly, with my spleen growing to a size of 33 cm. Despite facing personal health challenges, including being diagnosed with Blood Cancer (Myelofibrosis Grade 3), Massive Splenomegaly, and Thyroid issues, my wife and I continued to serve at the HOPE Foundation in Chennai, India, at the HIV Infected and Affected Girls Orphanage. However, I recently had to redirect my focus due to my mother's health challenges in Bangalore. Nevertheless, I have continued to serve at the HOPE Orphanage with the strength God provides me daily. I find myself in a position of need, seeking assistance for my health treatment. With immediate effect, I am scheduled to undergo Splenectomy, a significant open surgery, in the second week of April 2024. In this hour of need, I request your prayers and support as I prepare for this procedure. Your encouragement and assistance would be invaluable as I navigate this challenging chapter of my life.

Request $1,000

At just 22, Hanna Bharti, a devoted member of the Delhi Church in India, faces an unimaginable challenge. Diagnosed with both a brain tumor and tuberculosis, Hanna demonstrates remarkable courage and unwavering determination.

Tragedy struck Hanna early in life when she lost her mother due to medical complications during her teenage years. Now, with her father, a shoe factory worker, struggling financially to support the family, the burden of Hanna's medical bills feels insurmountable, especially with two younger siblings depending on him. Despite these hardships, Hanna remains a dedicated student, steadfast in her pursuit of becoming a nurse. Remarkably, she's in her final year of nursing school, having secured a full scholarship.

Your help will relieve Hanna's financial burden and enable her to receive the medical assistance she needs during this difficult time.

Request $1,000

Veronica, a devoted disciple for seven years, exemplifies unwavering faith despite her challenges. Diagnosed with diabetes, she faced the difficult decision of foot amputation last year. Yet, her spirit remains unbroken. Wrapping her foot in a plastic bag, she hobbles to every church meeting, demonstrating her unwavering commitment.

Veronica's daughter, Jaya, also a disciple, works as a house helper, offering invaluable support. Veronica needs a specialized boot to improve her mobility and medication to manage her blood sugar. We are hoping to raise funds to help her acquire these necessities. Your contribution, however big or small, can make a real difference in their lives.

Request $1,000

India's southern state of Tamil Nadu has been hit by heavy rainfall that has caused severe damage. Several districts have been paralyzed, with entire neighborhoods, roads, and railway tracks inundated. This comes just days after a cyclone hit the southeastern coast of India, causing widespread damage. Many areas are still isolated and without power, leaving them shrouded in darkness. This unexpected calamity has left countless lives impacted, and our brothers and sisters in the affected areas are in desperate need of help.

Janani has been a disciple for more than 20 years. She became a disciple in Chennai and moved to Tirunelveli with her husband, who is also a disciple, seven years ago. Janani currently works as a caretaker at the Home for the Children, which is run by the Hope Foundation. She tirelessly serves 26 boys who live there and are HIV positive. Recently, during heavy rainfall, Janani's house was flooded with water, resulting in severe damage to most of her household appliances, which are now beyond repair. Despite this setback, Janani and her husband remain devoted to their faith and continue to serve their community.

E. Athilakshmi, a faithful disciple for 15 years. She has two children and three of her family members are also disciples. Unfortunately, their home was affected by a recent flood and several household items such as the fridge, washing machine, cot, and mattresses were damaged due to water. They hired a motor pump to remove the water from their home and have temporarily moved to a nearby disciple's house. They plan to stay there for a few days until they can make proper arrangements.

Jones Jacob Arulkumar has been a disciple for twelve years and has two other disciples living with him in his house. His father runs a small tea shop, but during a recent flood, he lost his daily income. As a result, his family is struggling to meet their basic needs. Water entered their house during the flood and damaged all of their household items, including their washing machine, cot, mattress, fridge, and bike.

Gopi has been a disciple for 24 years. Unfortunately, during the recent flood, water covered his entire area, leaving him stranded in his house and unable to move around to provide for his family's basic needs. To make matters worse, his bike was completely destroyed during the disaster, which will make it difficult for him to recover it.

Anitha, is a 20 years old disciple, a mother of two, faced the unexpected challenge of a flooded home thanks to relentless rain. Yet, her spirit undimmed, she opened the doors of her first floor to fellow disciples, offering shelter amidst the rising waters. Unfortunately, the flood claimed many of her belongings, including a cot, refrigerator, washing machine, and even her scooter.

Shijiin, a devoted disciple for eight years, has become the sole breadwinner for his family. However, their village has been ravaged by floods triggered by the opening of a nearby dam, submerging everything under water. This devastating event has stripped Shijiin's family of their daily income, leaving them struggling to fulfill even their basic needs. The floods also wreaked havoc on their home, destroying clothes, kitchenware, and essential appliances.

Request $6,000

Vasanti, a faithful sister and member of the Mumbai Church, is facing a financial crisis due to her recent lung cancer diagnosis. Despite successfully recovering from breast cancer last year, she is now battling a new health challenge. The cost of her chemotherapy treatment is estimated to be INR 100,000, an expense that her family cannot afford on their own. In dire need of financial assistance, Vasanti's family is pleading with ETF for support to cover the cost of her treatment.

As we all fervently pray for Vasanti's health and recovery. Any financial support, no matter how small, would be deeply appreciated. Your generosity will not only help Vasanti receive the medical care she needs but also provide her family with peace of mind during this challenging time. Thank you so much in advance.

Request $1,000

History

The South India Old Age Home for destitute women was established in February 2003. It has sheltered 65 women since its inception. The need for a shelter to house women became apparent due to elderly women living and sleeping on the street. Turned away by family who were unable to meet the financial or physical burden of elder care, or no longer having family, these women were faced with the challenge of daily survival.

Many of these women worked as maids, housekeepers, or provided other cleaning services. Now, due to failing health and their homeless condition, they cannot even clean themselves. Their sole focus has been to find a bit of food to sustain them one more day. Medical needs along with mental and emotional needs go completely neglected.

The home in Kochi run by disciples took in these women, providing sanitary conditions, nutritious food, a warm bed, and basic medical attention. Above all, they provided emotional, social, and spiritual support through reading the Bible and praying with the women.

God has since moved in these women’s hearts to give them hope and a future. Nine of the 13 current residents have made decisions to follow Christ. All of the women are grateful to God and His servants which he used to make Psalm 40:2 a reality for them.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Ps 40:2

The Old Age Home has operated out of 5 different rental locations over the years and the current one is not well maintained by the owner. (See following photos.)

1. door doesn't close

2. Structurally Unsafe

3. Cramped Quarters.

4. Located on a noisy dusty road.

5. External Stairs - difficult for elderly to navigate and impossible in rainy conditions.

6. Buckets for leaky roof.

7. No storage available.

8. Crumbling Foundation

9. Septic system often backs up.

10. Rooms locked from both inside and out for residents' safety.

11. Overcrowded

12. Minimal storage for personal items.

13. Cramped quarters.

NEW PROPOSALS

Purchase a 2-story, 2500 sq. ft. building expandable to 5 stories with 6,000 sq ft of living space easily accessible by elevator. The permanent location contains 9 bedrooms, and a space that can be converted to accommodate an additional 20 women in a dormitory style arrangement. The purchase cost is about $300 000 ( collected about $65 000 for this project)

See photos of the building. 

14. Front of Home, Street View

15. Rear and Side view

16. Left side view.

17. Front Patio

18. Right Side Walkway

19. Rear View

20. Front View

During the Corona lockdown, Seena came to know Christ. Her elder son used to attend tuition classes in front of Vilasini's house. Vilasini was studying the Bible during this time, and even with lockdown restrictions, we managed to give her a Bible. Vilasini would read the Bible ardently in front of her house whenever she got free time from her household chores. Seena's son noticed Vilasini's curiosity about what she was reading and asked her about it. Vilasini told him that it was a Bible. Seena's son then told his mother about the lady who reads the Bible, and he remembered that they had a Bible in their home that was gifted to them some time ago. After exchanging information, Vilasini reached out to Seena and invited her to the Church. Soon Seena started studying the Bible and eventually got baptized too.

Seena and her husband had a tough time when her husband, Manoj, had a bike accident and broke his leg just before the COVID-19 outbreak. They were stuck without a job and wages, and were managing with the ration and support given by various people. We helped them financially, medically, and by providing food provisions during these difficult times. Life has been challenging for them after COVID-19, as they lost their well-running business. Currently, Manoj works as a daily wager and earns just Rs.380 per day, which is their only source of income. The family of five, including three children, are struggling with malnutrition, and the younger ones get sick frequently. Seena also has diabetes. The harsh circumstances have made life difficult for Seena and her family. They are now dependent on the goodwill of those around them, including the church. I request you to please extend your support to Seena by helping her take care of her two young daughters who are struggling with malnutrition and frequent health issues. Any amount that you can contribute will be utilized towards Seena's daily medical needs.

Joy, his wife Sheeba, and their sons Vipin and Rigil were one of the earliest converts in the Calicut church. Joy came from a traditional Christian religious family, while Sheeba came from a staunch Hindu family. As a result, they faced opposition and rejection from both sides of their families. Moreover, they were not financially stable, with Joy working as an assistant to a daily wage of household painting and Sheeba working as a tailor. Despite all these challenges, they became one of the supporting pillar families of the Church in Calicut. However, an unfortunate event occurred in their lives, which brought them into a predicament.

In November 2022, Joy developed a small boil in his calf muscle in his right leg. He went to a government medical college hospital where they gave him tablets for his fever and said not to worry about the boil. However, Joy, who is highly diabetic, continued to have a fever for two weeks and the boil became swollen and reddish. He returned to the hospital and was given some medicine, but a week later, the situation worsened. Finally, he was taken to a private hospital where it was discovered that the entire muscle was infected and inflamed, requiring immediate surgery. The tests, medication and surgery cost a lot of money, and Joy had to be hospitalized for two weeks. Thanks to the help of some people and the church, the procedures were able to be done.

Afterward, his eyesight started deteriorating, and he had high variations in his blood pressure and low blood count, as well as hearing problems. As of November, Joy will not be able to work, but Sheeba works night and day to tend to her husband and family. Even though she had her uterus removed two years ago and is in poor health, she will sweep and mop the house before breakfast. However, medical expenses still pose a significant burden to them. Any amount will use for Joy's medical needs.

Request $1,000

Jomon is a faithful disciple since 2002, and his wife since 1996. Their teenage daughter (Aksa) aspires a career in medical sciences. Jomon is having a DTP workshop and earns very little money each month from it. His wife (Anila) recently got a job as a waitress in a hotel to help pay for their daughter's schooling.  As he has a dream of building a small house for his family, he applied for a Life Plan program of Gov’t of Kerala India and got the approval of INR400,000 building a house. But the estimate may go up because of current inflation. The present gov’t allotment as instalments is very less to build a normal house. So he is seeking some help as benevolence for the same. He will be very grateful to God for the great help.

Request: $800

Reena is a faithful disciple of the Mumbai Church. Sanjana, her teenage daughter, is also a disciple. Her husband and her younger son (Ashish, 15), however, are not. They live in a one-bedroom apartment, and she is the only earner in the family.

She has a growth in her throat, and the doctors are performing various tests to diagnose it and set a date for surgery.

Any assistance with her surgery and medications would be greatly appreciated.

Request: $250