Every Sunday, as many as 99 dirt-stained faces shine with joy as they sing songs about Jesus. Raji and Jasingh, two young GFA Bible college graduates, hold Sunday schools in two slum villages in North India, and the message they bring the children is completely opposite of what their whole society tells them.

“We teach them that Jesus loves all of us equally,” said Raji. Not only are the children from poor slum families, they are low-caste Dalits, or “Untouchables.”

Most of the children in the slums don’t go to school, but work alongside their parents in manual labor or trash collecting. The children that do attend government schools are mistreated by richer children and even teachers.

“There are a few children who told me, ‘The teachers tell us that we will never improve in life. We live like beggars and we’ll die like beggars. We’re poor at learning and we’ll never make it.’ They felt very bad,” said Raji.

Having grown up in discrimination and a community resigned to “bad karma,” Raji and Jasingh’s teaching may be the turning point of their lives. But the young missionaries want to do more: Their vision and prayer is to start a Bridge of Hope center in the slum.

“I want to see the children growing to know the Lord and do something for Him in the future,” Jasingh shared. “Starting a Bridge of Hope center here would be the right thing to get started.”

Attending classes during the week, the children would learn simple yet desperately needed hygiene, receive an education, clean clothes and good meals, all while learning about Jesus.

Even now, the parents tell Raji and Jasingh, “Our children used to sing songs from movies, but now they sing the songs you teach them.” The children also get Gospel tracts at Sunday school, which they share with their parents.

“Through these children, we want to share the Gospel to the entire slum,” Jasingh shared. “I want to see changes in the lives of these children…They don’t go to school and many don’t get sufficient food. It is my prayer that the Lord will enable me to do something for these children.”

Roma, mother of the missionary who began the work in this slum, said, “When we reach those children with the love of Christ, and when they grow up knowing Jesus, they will definitely be instrumental in bringing the Good News of Jesus to our society and families.”