One Million Arrows Vision
I first met M.A. "Papa" Thomas in Kota, India, in 2007, where he began rescuing orphaned and abandoned children off the streets in the late 70s, providing food, shelter, love, education, and the opportunity for a relationship with Jesus through the ministry of Hopegivers International »
In India, it is estimated that there are approximately 80 million orphaned and abandoned children. This troubled Papa deeply. One day he was reading Psalm 127:3-5, where all children are described as a legacy—arrows in the hands of a mighty man—not just one's own children. He asked God to show him how he might help restore many more children on the streets of India, the "throw-aways" of society, to the earthly and heavenly purposes for which they were intended. At the same time, he wondered what could be done about the approximately 600,000 cities and villages in India that had never heard the Gospel.
It was then that God gave him the vision of gathering one million orphaned and abandoned children, sharpening them as "arrows for God," and launching them to start one million churches in the these communities of India who had never heard the name of Jesus. He has been faithfully working toward the vision since, and today he has launched 16,000 orphan arrows as ambassadors of Christ into India, and planted 21,000 churches.
After spending several days with Papa, he expressed that he had been praying for many years that God would send him someone to communicate his exciting vision, because he believes the arrows of all countries are the means in our times of fulfilling the Great Commission. He handed this baton to me—a humbling commission!
Two years later, One Million Arrows: Raising Your Children to Change the World, engages Western families in Papa's universal vision of raising their own children as effective arrows, and also encourages families to invest in other arrows being shaped in our own country as well as arrows in other countries being shaped and sent through the many discipling orphan ministries worldwide.
All proceeds from One Million Arrows have been designated for international orphan ministry. Orphan ministries and churches can purchase One Million Arrows at cost and use them for awareness, fund raising, and to engage the hearts of families in their ministry for the long-term investment.
Recently completed and now available: Hands that Hold the World
Read the inspiring biography of Dr. M.A. Thomas, the man whose love and faith has changed hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide. Download the free printable PDF today and be transformed by his life and story!
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