Pakur Update

After landing in Kolkata at 2am, we crashed at a hotel for a bit, stopped to find an acoustic guitar for me to buy and have for the whole trip, then we went to the first of the two cities we visited: Pakur. This is where Alex Sam and his family live, where Everett Mission is based, and the Shiloh Residency (home for orphans) is located. There are currently 42 kids there, ages 4 to 16. They have a decent bit of land — I'd guess between 5–10 acres — and are growing crops, raising livestock and becoming more self-sustainable. Pakur is a growing city, but Everett Mission is in a pretty rural location: farmland all around and a couple small villages in between their home and the city.

The main level of the Sams' home is called "Bet-meraanen" (house of refreshing) and has a kitchen, dining/living space and 3–4 bedroom/bathroom suites. They use it to host visitors and ministers however they see fit. We shared every meal with them, and got to just be a part of the family. This is such a restful and refreshing place for us. Alex and his wife Sunita, his two daughters still at home (Grace and Allison), and another sister in Christ, Dolly, have become such close friends to us.

One of the highlights of our time in Pakur was getting to dedicate the completed roof structure over the women's empowerment center — the second story above the Shiloh Residency. We raised a significant amount of the funds for the project through fundraisers back in Birmingham, including bake sales and art by Ginny & our kids, and me working hard to sell "be a good neighbor" hats to all of my friends, clients and colleagues. It was extremely humbling to get up on the roof as the representatives of all the people back home who generously gave to this project. We sang songs, prayed to dedicate the place to God, and all of the ladies + Alex and myself poured concrete in the last corner of the room and anointed it in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We had two dedication times — once with all of the kids and staff, and another time after the Sunday morning service with other pastors and believers from the surrounding community. Alex cracked me up telling me how seriously he was pushing the workers to be sure it was completed for our visit — both hilarious to me and humbling, as we feel like such a small part of everything God is doing there, yet they honor us.

Alex helped me understand a bit more specifically the purpose of this space. More than a decade ago, he felt God led Sunita and him to plant their ministry in Pakur, Jharkhand as it is an extremely prevalent area for the trafficking of children, for forced labor and mostly sexual exploitation. A majority of Everett Mission's work is to love and serve the most vulnerable in their society (i.e. orphans and widows, or as Alex says "gospel in action"). The women's empowerment center will be a safe place for vulnerable women to give birth, receive post-partum care, and receive life/career skills if they wish, including literacy, computer skills, and trades such as sewing. Many of these women are coming out of trafficking or abusive/unsafe situations. To stand on the roof and think of the women that will come through that place, that will be honored, protected and empowered, was beyond humbling. They still have the finishing of the interior before it's opened up to the surrounding community, but the structure is complete and the finish line in sight.

At Everett Mission, time with the children in the Shiloh Residency will always be the main highlight. The children wake up around 5:30 every morning and gather in their common space to pray, worship and 1-by-1 stand up and read aloud (in English) through a chapter of the bible. In the evenings they gather for prayer and worship daily. They are all clearly growing so strong in the Lord — it is beautiful to see. Ginny and I got to join them for many of these times. I purchased an acoustic guitar before leaving Kolkata, so we were able to teach the kids some new songs and play/sing along with them. They taught us new songs as well that we will be teaching to the kids at our church in Birmingham!

After the last morning gathering I attended, they had me teach them a bunch of exercises for about 15 minutes — to have all 42 of them following along with lunges, pushups, squats, jumping jacks, stretches was too fun! The staff always have Ginny and I serve the kids some of their meals — to have a bunch of adorable, hungry kids line up and get dished out freshly cooked, healthy food out of the biggest bowl you've ever seen (think bathtub-size) is quite an experience. We also sponsored 100 winter blankets both for the Shiloh kids and for street kids/kids from the villages nearby, so we got to hand those out and it was too sweet!

The kids all call us James Uncle and Ginny Auntie, and we know so many more of their names this time around. Ginny had a special time painting the girls' nails on our last day there, and I played lots of games with all the boys. Sunday evening, all of the kids took turns putting on performances for everyone — from reciting scripture, doing traditional tribal dances to a "bible character fashion show." They also took this time to put us up in front of everyone, two of the girls washed our feet with water and oil, put flower veils on us and showered us with parting gifts, cards, paper flowers, etc. To be loved on, honored and blessed by all of these kids is difficult to process; it makes your heart just want to burst. They are full of the love of Jesus, and you can feel God's delight in their midst.

Alex is who we first met in Birmingham back in November 2024 to share Ginny's dream and begin to learn what God might be calling us to. From the beginning of our relationship, Alex has faithfully, and without any strings attached, served us in following God's leading in Deoghar/Athmuria (the dream village). Everett Mission has endless opportunities and needs for the Church to support what they do, as they operate completely from faith/God's provision, yet Alex is 100% selfless in facilitating our purposes elsewhere — helping us as a guide/translator, making our travel throughout India seamless, being the liaison in Deoghar negotiating land, lining up contractors and materials — whatever we feel God is leading us in.

I love his analogy in building the wall of Jerusalem in the Kingdom of God: "I would never try to hinder the building of the wall in one location in order to build up the part that I myself am working on. We are all building God's wall and He provides everywhere it is needed."

Ginny and I both feel a tremendous amount of respect for, and are inspired by, Alex, Sunita and Dolly in their faithful service to God and their servant leadership to others. It has been a tremendous, and unexpected, gift to Ginny and I to get to "sit at their feet" and just learn. Each of them grew up in an orphanage together, and have such a colorful story of God's redemption and restoration that allows them to lead this ministry with a significant amount of wisdom, empathy and integrity. It's an honor for us to have them as friends and truly be a part of their family.

One last surprise for us was getting to join a monthly gathering of 20 or so young adults at Alex & Sunita's home, high school and college age — the next generation of Church leaders. I got to share a message with them, and Ginny and I led a couple of songs.