Merry Christmas

Wishing all of you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas and a lovely New Year. May God be with you and bless you with abundant good health, happiness, prosperity and all the graces you require to lead a blessed life.

For the birds too!

Every morning as the sun rises and sheds its warm glow around us, families of pigeons line up on the balcony wall looking for something to eat. A big bowl of grain brings these pigeons together and they flock to get the first feed! With wings flapping and a little fighting among the males, its exciting to see them flutter around trying to grab a bite. A few photos have been taken. A little giving, no matter to whom or what, brings such joy and happiness to the giver. Lets hope that this Christmas, we will all dip into our pockets and make someone happy. Let there be miles of smiles all around the world and not only in Guntur!

Thank you!

Whispering Hope would like to thank its volunteers, Mrs. Hema Rajasekhar, Miss Deena Kumari, Mr. & Mrs. Guravaiah for the invaluable help and support rendered during the recent Christmas programs. We also wish to thank the sponsors of the program, Dyllis Almeida and her daughter Wanda, Ashley & Helen Bakes from Sydney, Sharon Gomes from Melbourne, Biju & Sudha Damodaran from Muscat, Cuneyt Meran from Turkey, Kudzai Chinhengo from Zimbabwe, Vikram from Mumbai, and Sangeetha Veena from Chennai for their contributions towards these programs. May the Blessed Infant bless all of you in a very special way at Christmas and all through the year 2014.

Christmas at Chebrol

The 8th of December saw Whispering Hope make its way towards a little village called Chebrol. We visited the Carmel Convent and distributed plenty of goodies to the nuns. These nuns visit the villagers every week offering them comfort and solace, tending to the sick, counsel the young ones and spread the blessings of Christ among the needy. They also have a school which serves the surrounding villages. When parents find it difficult to pay the school fees, the nuns offer them free education. Anyone willing to sponsor a child can contact the Mother Superior, Rev. Sr. Resin on +91 8818 251370. We also visited the Church of Mary, Help of Christians, also known as the Church of Instant Miracles. A lot of goodies were given to the Priest and his helpers. Fresh buns and fruit cakes were gifted so that the village people could be fed during the cool evenings after the services. If anyone wishes to provide any kind of contribution towards feeding the people, you could get in touch with the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Anthony on +91 8818 252233. The beauty of this little church is that many miracles have taken place over the last two years and people have been flocking to receive the many graces that our Lady and Lord Jesus give to each and every one who visit. Rev. Fr. Anthony could also be contacted for prayer requests on the number given above.

Family time at Christmas

The First of December heralded in the Christmas Season for us here in Guntur. What was supposed to be a special lunch for the ladies turned out to be a fun time for the whole family. The ladies brought in their children, brothers, husbands, parents and a gala time was had by all. A sumptious meal was hosted at Hotel Vajrams, Guntur. The invitees were asked to bring in a small gift and after the lunch, there was an exchange of gifts - from one to another. Whispering Hope had gift bags for the ladies and every one present received a gift. Christmas, being the season of giving and receiving the blessings of the Holy Infant, was experienced by one and all.

Surekha celebrates!

To celebrate her birthday, Mrs. Surekha Grace decided to give a small treat to the children from a backward area in Guntur. Armed with the birthday cake, cup cakes, egg puffs, soft drinks and little chocolate pouches, Surekha and her family, my volunteer and I made our way to the Sai Baba Colony in Guntur on Sunday, 22nd September. Mr. Praveen conducts regular Sunday School services for these children and they kept singing and praising the Lord with much gusto. Despite the power fluctuations, we sang, we prayed, we played games and at the end of it all, distributed the snacks and drinks to the children. All children were given chocolate treats and the winners were given little prizes. Check out the photos alongside. We thank Surekha and her family for giving us this time out and for the delectable snacks provided. We also thank Biju & Sudha Damodaran from Muscat for sponsoring the gift packs. To find out more about his ministry, Mr. Praveen could be contacted on +91 92 471 78847.

A little something for the kiddies

When you drive down the highway from Guntur to Chennai, you find some village schools dotting the sides of the road. One such school is located about 20 kilometres from Guntur and had caught my eye. The little girls and boys playing around, the teachers trying to control their exuberance make interesting viewing. Despite being closed for holidays, the teacher in charge said she would call the children to school and Whispering Hope could conduct a small program for them. The day was fixed for the 12th September, but the heavens opened up and down came the rain and washed up our plans! We were so disappointed but not to give up, we prayed for a sunny day and behold! Friday the 13th wasnt so unlucky for us after all! There was a bright sun and the party started. Curious children from this primary school gathered and inspite of the puddles all around, we had a good time. Gift packs were given to the children and to the teachers. Delicious fruit cakes and buns were distributed. Our photographs tell our story of our lucky Friday the 13th!! We take this opportunity to thank Cedric & Maureen Pinto from Sydney, Australia, and Biju & Sudha Damodaran for their generosity in giving us this beautiful experience with the children of Naidupet, Guntur District.