Dear Friends —

It is so good to meet with you here, again. We love and appreciate each one of you, and how you stand with us so we can serve God’s people with radical love. (To learn more about The Lulu Tree’s philosophy of ministry, please go here.)

We are re-emerging from a time of fasting from social media and praying for 40 days. Without these secret, hidden times with the Lord, it is impossible for us to minister. He is our everything, here at The Lulu Tree, and we’re grateful for His grace.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

It is our prayer that you would abound in every good work, friends, having all that you need, thanks to the glorious grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today we’re delighted to share updates with you from India and Sri Lanka.

INDIA

We praise God for the opportunity to partner with a brother in South India who, together with his wife, is helping vulnerable women from the village overcome poverty through tailoring classes. Currently the tailoring programs are being hosted by three different villages, and each program is training 10 women in tailoring and in the Word.

Following are updates sent directly from the ground in South India where the centers are located.

D.S. Colony

From the Church Overseeing the Center

Our church members are very much thankful for the Tailoring Training Centre allotted at D.S. Through this center many women could learn tailoring and thereby earn money to support their families. For this kind act of you our congregation is very grateful to you. Mrs. K  R is being appointed as trainer for the trainees in this center. Presently they were taught about cutting various designs. Once again we thank you for the center.

T Village

From the Church Overseeing the Center

Respected Sponsors,
Greetings in the name of the Lord,
Our church members are very much thankful for the Tailoring Training Centre allotted at Village T. Especially our church members belong to the Bull Dancing community. They decorate the bulls every morning and go around villages house to house and beg for their living. Due to this their children are less educated. As per the present situation they earn very meagre money by begging. At this time, a tailoring training center was opened. This is really God’s love and plan. Through this center many women could learn tailoring and thereby earn money to support their families. For this kind act of you, our congregation is very grateful to you. Trainees and instructor are also very much thankful to the mission.

PET

About B.R. – A Tailoring Center Instructor

B.R’s husband works in a private company. They have 2 children. They are facing financial problems to support children studies and to clear debts. She is a very skilled worker in tailoring and could create many varieties of women wear. When she was offered the opportunity of Trainer in the center, she readily accepted. She counts it as God-given opportunity to teach women from financially weaker sections like her, and build their lives and work as an instrument in God’s hand. She believes that God is paving a way to come out of her financial crisis. She is very much thankful to the sponsors and the Mission.

About Kamala – A Tailoring Center Instructor

She hails from a remote village, married to Mr. Ravi, 20 years back. They are blessed with 2 children. She lives in one of the slums. Her mother- in -law is a dependant and her husband is a tailor with meagre daily income. Kamala wanted to support her husband and support for the study of the children. In order to fulfil her desire a tailoring training centre has started to make women folk to stand on their own. Now she has started learning. She is very skilful and loves to learn more techniques. She is very much grateful to the sponsors.

SRI LANKA

Following are five videos documenting the stories of some of the world’s most courageous category of people — single mothers from Sri Lanka. These mothers have triumphed over so much — the economic downfall of their country, the abandonment of husbands (others whose husbands are sick or who’ve died) — and now they are providing for their children.

Saroja heads up this project. Saroja was born in Sri Lanka, and is so grateful for the support you’ve shown her struggling country.

Friends, you’ve provided 20 families with monthly food rations since last fall (rations which will end next month).

You’ve also helped provide sustainable projects for each woman: sewing machines for tailoring, gas ovens and food supplies for making and selling food, chickens and coops for chicken farms, salon equipment for hairdressing, and laptops for teaching computer to local youth.

In addition, these women have all been studying Harvestime together too, one course at a time, their babies on their knees. The plan is for them to graduate this November with a diploma in Biblical Ministries.

Here are five profiles of mothers from Sri Lanka who’ve been equipped to care for their families, to the glory of God the Father.

Please pray for these women, dear friends, that they might continue to stand victorious with Jesus Christ and to shine a bright light for Him in South Asia.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, my sisters and brothers. May He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may He give you peace.

(Note: It is my hope to visit both India and Sri Lanka this November, and to personally attend the Harvestime graduation of the Sri Lanka mothers)