"Put the Word into practice and do not be content with hearing it"
(James, chapter 1, verse 22)
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
I am Father Balashowreddy Jaddu, a Catholic priest from India. I was ordained a priest on 28th April 2005 in the state of Andhra Pradesh and served in the parish of Brahmanapally until my bishop sent me to the 'Divine Retreat Centre', a retreat centre in Kerala, South India.
This retreat centre is probably the largest in the world. Conversion and healing retreats are held in seven languages simultaneously every week of the year. There are between 1500 and 5000 retreatants in a week, coinciding with the Christmas, Easter and holiday seasons. The retreats last five and a half days and are attended by people from all over the country and even from abroad. All kinds of inner and physical healings take place and people give testimonies of these healings. Many are delivered from addictions to drugs and alcohol. Sinners are forgiven, the sick are healed, the broken-hearted are comforted and the Good News of salvation is preached to all. Many people return to the faith after such an encounter with Jesus. This retreat centre is probably the largest in the world. Conversion and healing retreats are held in seven languages simultaneously every week of the year. There are between 1500 and 5000 retreatants in a week, coinciding with the Christmas, Easter and holiday seasons. The retreats last five and a half days and are attended by people from all over the country and even from abroad. All kinds of inner and physical healings take place and people give testimonies of these healings. Many are delivered from addictions to drugs and alcohol. Sinners are forgiven, the sick are healed, the broken-hearted are comforted and the Good News of salvation is preached to all. Many people return to the faith after such an encounter with Jesus. There have also been conversions of people from other religions.
Around 2000 people live in this centre, including all those who live in the shelters (the elderly, the mentally ill, widows, etc.), together with the priests, brothers and lay people who carry out the many activities of the centre.
I am part of a team of six and our task is to visit the various villages, churches and rural missions scattered across the vast state of Andhra Pradesh and preach the Word of God. In this state only 1% of the population are Christians, who are sometimes arrested by the police or attacked by radical Hindu groups.
As we carried out this evangelistic mission, the Lord also gave us a message: 'Practice what you preach'. At that time I spent all my time preaching and counselling many people. When I asked God how to carry out His command, His answer soon came. A family came to me asking for help for two children who had been orphaned and had no one to take care of them because both parents had died of AIDS. So I started to help the children and the foundation 'SAINT MOTHER THERESA TRUST' was born.
Mother Teresa is truly my role model and inspiration for working with the poorest of the poor. At the moment I have 48 children under my care. Some of these children's parents have AIDS. I start by caring for them by offering them a more dignified life in a rented house, giving them access to education, medical care and protection. The families of these children live in extreme poverty and are unable to care for, educate or protect them. Many have lost their childhoods. Girls are abandoned because of the dowry problem (their parents cannot pay for their wedding). And all kinds of social, economic and family problems put these children in situations of great risk and vulnerability.
For all these reasons, I am looking for collaborators who would like to support the Foundation financially, which has the following objectives.
Objectives:
- To build or buy a house where the children can live in dignity.
- To provide them with the medical care they need.
- To help the children attend school.
- To provide them with everything they need for their education and school attendance: uniforms, books, school supplies, school and transportation fees, remedial classes.
- To teach them basic computer skills and give them catechism lessons.
- And anything else that will help them to build their own future and change the reality of their immediate environment for the better.