Stories

As dawn cracked the horizon of India’s eastern state of West Bengal, Charu shook her children awake.

“Up, up!” She whispered. “It’s time to get up.”

After a flurry of finding school clothes and packing backpacks, Kumari and Raahi waved goodbye to their mother. Charu watched them walk away, colorful backpacks bouncing with their steps. Her heart ached.

When Charu was young—not much older than her own children—her father passed due to a sudden illness. As the oldest daughter, the weight of his responsibilities fell on Charu. She dropped out of school, joining her mother as a daily wage laborer so her family could stay afloat.

When our ministry partners in India shared Charu’s story with us, they summarized her childhood this way:

Illiteracy was not her failure; it was simply the price she paid to keep her family alive.

As a mother and a tea garden laborer, Charu’s only hope was that her children wouldn’t have to pay the same costs she had. She enrolled them in a local government school, hoping that despite her limitations, they might have better chances than she did.

But her children weren’t the only ones with more life ahead of them.

After years of the same routine, a teacher named Shalvi knocked on Charu’s door. She was starting an Adult Literacy Class in Charu’s village, and she invited her to attend.

Though she was discouraged by her neighbors, who said she was too old to learn, Charu attended the first day. Then she attended the next.

Under the gentle encouragement of Shalvi, Charu bloomed. She attended every special training the class offered, including sessions on hygiene, money-handling, environmental awareness, and nutrition. As she grew, she began helping her children with their homework—checking their math problems, reading their books, and quizzing them for test-prep.

Charu had grown in every way she wanted, but she wasn’t done yet. As she learned to read and write, she also learned about a man named Jesus Christ. After sacrificing her education, her dreams, and her childhood for her family, she was deeply moved to hear that He had sacrificed His life on the cross for others. But she wasn’t convinced that He was God.

Then Charu’s mom fell sick. Soon, she was bedridden, affected by a paralysis that puzzled doctors and faith healers alike. Charu couldn’t bear the thought of her mother’s life ending like this. Finally, Charu found a pastor from a local church and asked him for prayer.

Undeniably, Charu’s mother began to heal—and Charu’s faith grew.

Charu graduated from her Adult Literacy Class at the age of 38. She graduated with a 5^th grade-level education and a strong awareness of health and social responsibility, which has made her a leader in her community. Most of all, she graduated with an undeniably changed heart—one that has experienced the resurrection of Jesus Christ in her own life and the lives of her family.

Pray

• Praise God for His gentle hand over Charu’s life! He never forgot her dreams, and He restored them in His own timing.
• Consider how God has watched over your dreams. Has He restored them, or does He have you in a waiting period? What would it look like to bring your dreams before Him today?

Take Action

• More women across India have dreams that they’re waiting on, and it only costs $40 to enroll them in a year-long Adult Literacy Class like the one Charu attended. And, from now to April 30, generous friends of Mission India are matching your generous gifts, up to $300,000! Will you partner with us to reach more women like Charu? Click here to make double the impact!