Vegetable garden

Towards becoming self sufficient - More details below

About

How the charity started and overview - Chairman Kumar writes

See also timeline at the end of page

On the 26th January 2001 there was a severe earthquake the Gujarat region of India.

A Pastor from that region wrote to our prayer group in England asking for prayers and help. In particular, he told us about a poor area where a Pastor Samuel was killed as a result of the earthquake, but his young wife (Rachel Jyothi) and their two little sons survived. Being extremely poor, she had no resources to care for her children and wanted to die.

We prayed. In the course of praying and asking what to do, I felt God said I should help this woman.

As my resources were limited my initial thoughts were that I was not able to help. Then the words came to my mind to "go in the strength you have , I will help You."

That is how all this started, by simply saying yes to God's call on my life in this situation. I went out to India to meet this woman, and so the story (and the charity) starts. Since then I have been to India more than 25 times to oversea and support the work.

So we started in 2001 with a group of children in the Andhra Pradesh region who were fainting due to hunger. Initially we only had a few hundred pounds, but we prayed for God to confirm this work by sending willing and caring people to support and help to set up a charity.

This came by the way of a few who wanted to do accounts work and register the charity. So in 2003 the charity was registered as "New Life in Christ Ministries International," although it is now referred to as "I love to change in general terms"

Below is a brief summary of the children's homes the charity has run:-

New Life in Andhra Pradesh - 2002 to 2008, maximum 100 children

New life in Hunsur, Karnataka - 2005 to 2009, maximum 20 children

New life in West Godhavari - 2008 to 2021, maximum 50 children - Run by Ravi

New Life in Marteru - 2021 to present, 20 children - Run by Ravi

Following our initial beginnings in the Andhra Pradesh region we started a children's home for 20 children in Hunsur, where we built a small church. Following this, the initial widow Rachel Jyothi wanted to start helping young girls who had no work and were bored at home. Rachel Jyothi encouraged these girls to pray and read the Bible. This changed their outlook. We began to help related schools with basic things like pencils, notebooks, erasers, sharpeners and text books for the poor. These bored young girls and the village started to honour Rachel Jyothi in many ways for the changes that came about.

As the charity began to grow we had people help by organising fund raising events, through sponsored walks, coffee and cake gatherings, school parents coming to see their children run a race to raise funds for it etc. The generosity of people was very overwhelming, some after 20 years are still faithfully supporting us. This has changed the lives and destiny of many children.

Please check out our Donate page where you can donate on-line.

Over the years many hundreds of children we have supported have passed O levels and A levels. Many of these children have gone on to get degrees in arts, science, commerce and engineering and one even went on to do his Master's in microbiology despite being disabled by polio.

We supported Ravi's wife to do a degree in arts and drama. She is excellent in teaching arts and crafts to the girls, also choregraphing dances for Christmas celebrations along with other activities to outreach the general public to learn about Jesus.

We had to close up the homes in Hunsur due to lack of passionate caring and loving people to look after the needy children. We now have 20 children in Marteru where there is a house mother and a manager in charge of them. There is huge problem with getting buildings to rent as they are very expensive.

Miracle of miracles, Ravi's wife got a plot of land at very subsidised rate and we have built a place for Ravi's family to live (see below). Other floors will be used as a prayer hall and for housing children when completed.

Building work

Current (2023) building work to build a home for Ravi and his family, a home for the children and a prayer hall.

Overall aims of the charity and progress

The charity has always focused on providing a safe, loving and Godly home with free accommodation, food, clothes and education for children who have been rejected, are disabled, from a single parent home, are chronically ill and generally in desperate need.

Children's homes now and in the past have a "House Mother" to show love for all, manage the children's needs and helping them know the love of God. So growing up to know that they are loved, cared for irrespective of any caste, creed or religion, they belong too.

However, the charity has got involved with many other things over the years. Please read on to learn more.

Growing crops

We have recently leased a plot of agricultural land to grow organic vegetables and fruits. The children have been encouraged by this, to see their needs being taken care of by the best of vegetables and fruits. We are looking to acquire a plot of land for growing fruits and vegetables on a long term basis.

Feeding the poor

We have been feeding the widows for a long time. This work has proved very beneficial and we look forward to seeing how it can benefit the community by having willing volunteers to help others. Please see some videos on Ravi's page.

Health camps

We have conducted many health camps to help people with conditions such as cataracts, diabetes and high blood pressure. Free eye glasses have been distributed.

Wells

Since 2001 we have dug over a dozen wells to provide water, in particular for the poor and disabled. One such well is providing drinking water for 50 families in the village and another is providing drinking water to over 500 school children.

Building projects

Since 2001 we have built 7 prayer halls, 5 churches and 2 homes in different areas for different groups of people.

Christian outreach

We have conducted outreach events to share the love of Christ with about 12 to 15 thousand people. Many people have found Faith in Christ.

Future goals

Get our own building to house about 50 children.
Buildings to include workshops for trades such as carpentry, bricklaying, plastering, plumbing and electricians.
An arts training centre to harness talent to design greeting cards, jewellery from beads and more.
Drill more bore wells.
Provide food for the very poor locally.
Start local income generating business to cause the charity to prosper.
Work to become self sufficient.
Help HIV infected people get treatment and train them in IT skills. In the past this was tried for a group of 47 girls, all of whom are now employed.

Timeline of some key events

2001 - First visit to the Andhra Pradesh region of India in February of 2001 to to visit the widow Rachel Joythi and her 2 toddlers. Started supporting her regularly from personal funds.

2002 - Visit Rachel to see a plot to build a church. See the home of children in Narsapur. These children were starving and fainting on the way to school. The school had a government order to shut it down. We raised some funds to save the school.

2003 - Work was registered as a charity "New Life in Christ Ministries International" but now genrally referred to as "I love to change."

2003 - Built some huts in Tamil Nadu as prayer halls and started a tailoring school with 5 Sewing machines which is still running. Three open wells dug for forest people.

2004 - Started building the children's home in Narsapur and drilled 2 bore wells.

2005 - Built a church for 250 people in Hunsur in Karnataka state. Outreach evangelistic meeting for over 1,200 people.

2006 - Christian outreach event with over 15,000 people attending it every day for 3 days. Ten people came from the UK with Kumar to preach and teach.

2007 - Built a church for Rachel and a home for a pastor in Bhimavaram. Also had an evangelistic outreach to which two leaders from World prayer centre came along with Victor Lorenzo and others. Between 10 -12 thousand attended it every day for 3 days. Two more bore wells drilled.

2008 - Built a home for a Romani gypsy believer in Nagamangala in Karnataka state. Built a church for the daughter of David Raju. Closed up works in Narsapur and moved to Marteru. Drilled 2 more bore wells.

2009 - Extended the church in Hunsur to facilitate 1,200 people and had a Christian outreach event for 2,000 people. Drilled a bore well for an evangelist with arthritis who was fetching water from 100 yards away.

2010 - Drilled a bore well for a elderly disabled widow from which over 50 families and 500 school children drink the sweetest water in the area.

2011 - Drilled a bore well for a poor pastor in Tanaku.

2012 - Extended the church in Hunsur to house 2,000 people . Christian outreach for over 3,000 people.

2013 - Christian outreach in West Godhavari for 3,000 people and health camps

2014 - Helped HIV infected girls get training in IT skills.

2015 - First wedding of one of the children from our home who was disabled called Mararaju. Christian Outreach with a local pastor for over 2,500. Drilled a bore well for disabled family in Nidenvoleu.

2016 - Wedding of another child from the home who was disabled by polio but completed an MSc in microbiology.

2017 - First wedding of a girl who was with us for over 10 years called Pavani.

2018 - Bore well drilled for the poor who work on salt flats.

2019 - Wedding of two more girls.

2020 - Wedding of a girl who graduated from college with a nursing degree. She got involved in feeding slum dwellers during COVID-19 shut down.

2021 - Re-roofing of Abundant life church in Badva village.

2021 - Started building a house which ultimately will house Ravi and his family, the children and have a prayer hall. Leased a plot of land for organic farming of vegetables and fruits near the children's home.

2022 - Ground floor of above house is completed and Ravi and his family have moved, saving the rent for the charity.

2023 - Negotiating a 49 year lease of the above building. The building will be owned by Ravi but leased to charity for 49 years.