GRACE AND GANESH
when God writes the story
We first met Grace and Ganesh while doing village evangelism with Pastor Emmanuel in the same village where our children’s home and his church are. Their “home” wasn’t a house at all. Picture a bare concrete slab with a few scattered bricks left over from some old project. Over it, tree branches were tied together with a tarp stretched across to keep out the sun and rain. A few feet away was their “kitchen”—a circle of stones with a fire in the middle and a single pot, covered with ash, on top. This was where they lived and cooked day after day. It wasn’t much, yet they never complained. Instead, their only request was prayer: that God would bless them with children.
Grace and Ganesh being Chrisitan and not having children, and living in a Hindu- majority village, were rejected by their families and their village. It was not easy for them and a very difficult time.
Fast forward a few days to the Pastor’s Conference. I spotted them sitting quietly in the back—women on one side, men on the other, as is custom in the culture. After the service, Pastor Emmanuel and his wife invited us into their home, which had lovely ac, and brought Grace and Ganesh inside. That’s when we learned more of their story.
Ganesh had once been a drug addict who abused Grace because they had no children yet. At one point, he was even on his deathbed, and was not expected to live. But God healed him! Pastor Emmanuel and his wife, Sharon, began mentoring them, teaching them how to walk in faith, and showing them what it means to have a godly marriage.
We prayed over them again, thanking God for His work in Ganesh’s life and asking Him to bless them with children. My dad saw a picture of a snake wrapped around Grace’s stomach. As we prayed, she experienced deliverance! She fell to the ground, which is not common is this culture, and when she got up, her face was glowing! She shared how she saw the snakes break off her as we prayed. Praise Jesus!
Before they left, my dad handed them all the rupees he had. Later we learned that it was exactly three months’ worth of groceries! Even more amazing, Ganesh had taken off work to attend the conference and people even mocked them for it, since they were already one of the poorest families in the village. Yet God had a plan!
While traveling to the mountains for another conference, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. We belived for God to bless them with children, but I really didn’t want them to have to raise their kids in a makeshift walls. How cool would it be to be able to build them a house to raise and grow their family in that would have brick walls and a real roof!? That’s when we began to think and dream about building them a house!
My dad shared their story online, and when we got home, people immediately began wanting to partner with this vision of building Grace and Ganesh a home. I hadn’t even started fundraising yet! Then we eventually did do a fundraiser—and ya’ll blew us out of the water! Together, we raised everything needed to build Grace and Ganesh their home! Wow! Thank you so so much!
Not only that, but your generosity also covered the leveling of the ground to build a playground for our children.
We can’t thank you enough for partnering with us! Only God could of orchestrated their entire story and now all of you get to be a part of it! Now we ask you to continue praying for Grace and Ganesh—that God would bless them with children, and that their testimony would reach their whole village. We believe that as people see what God has done, many will come to know Jesus as their Savior.
Thank you for your prayers, your generosity, and your faith. None of this would be possible without you. All the glory goes to God!
Much love,
Mercy Tribe
