Pearls of Great Price

Jim Gordon, long-time supporter of Calcutta Mercy, recounts his recent visit to Calcutta, India:

It was January 2015, and I found myself in Calcutta, India visiting Calcutta Mercy's ministries. I got to see the city church, hospital, Teacher's Training College, and rural Mercy Schools. 

I learned many things, but perhaps the most impactful lesson came from India's children, who blessed me in more ways than I thought possible.  I met the sweetest kids who are so smart, inquisitive, eager to learn, and hungry for love.

These weren't your typical neighborhood children. Many came from backgrounds where they have not been shown the love of God, nor taught how important they are in His eyes. Some were orphans and others cast away by their community and families because of an eye or lip deformity. 

When I spent time with and cared for these children, I learned why God puts His Spirit within us. Not only does it birth us as sons of God; it also shines brightly in us to change the world for Jesus. As I stepped forth in the grace and power of the Spirit, the children could see and experience the wondrous love of Jesus.

I video recorded my entire trip and have watched it over and over again. Each time my heart breaks for those children. And each time I am blessed by them. A visit to Calcutta, India will change anybody's life. India's children are Jesus' "pearls of great price." I encourage you to go visit and be blessed by all their pretty, smiling faces.

Begin Here: FEED

July 2015 Newsletter

Give Differently

June 2015 Newsletter

STRAPPED FOR CASH?

GIVE DIFFERENTLY

Now you can support Calcutta Mercy by giving any non-cash items, such as your car, phone, stocks, jewelry, and more. We partner with iDonate to pick up your donated items and turn them into cash to feed, educate, and medically assist the poor of Calcutta.

Giving Is Easy:

1. Determine the items you would like to donate

2. Donate your items at: www.calcuttamercy.org/donate-now

3. iDonate will pick up, receipt, and turn your items into cash for Calcutta Mercy

In Her Eyes

May 2015 Newsletter

IN HER EYES

Calcutta Mercy provides free care through 14 Mercy Clinics and a general hospital.

We have a dispensary at Shishu Bhavan, a Calcutta suburb, where patients line up and we provide
medication.  We see children with scarring skin rashes and fathers weary with hunger and disease.  We see three-years-olds no bigger than six-month-olds, whose mothers could not get enough food or vitamins when pregnant.  Diagnosis: severe malnutrition.  Clinical treatment: vitamins and milk.

Animals and trash line the streets surrounding Shishu Bhavan.  The smell of rotting garbage and human waste hits your face so strong you have to hold your breath.  The people living amid the heaps are called the Untouchables.  Of the four levels of India’s caste system, the Untouchables are ranked so low, they do not have a level.  They are considered nothing. Zero.

Today, outside the clinic, there is a woman sitting upon broken concrete with her two children.  She has bright blue eyes that look stunning against her dark skin.  She smiles at volunteers and motions to her children’s stomachs.  She is in need of love, help, and hope. 

Can you see yourself in her eyes?

When you dare to see yourself in the eyes of someone considered the lowest of the low, you dare to let God pull the platform of your status and wealth out from under your feet.  Pride evaporates.  The ground is made level.  Any walls between you and the other crumble, and love rises in its place.

To see yourself in her eyes is Christ’s daring call to be a servant - to touch an untouchable and let love conquer all inhibitions and fears.  It is to see more similarities than differences, knowing you both are in equal need of the same Savior. What a privilege to be his hands and feet to the least of these in India.

Beautiful: A Volunteer's Story

April 2015 Newsletter

BEAUTIFUL

A VOLUNTEER'S STORY

“When the chaplain spoke of pain, I saw beauty.”

It was early in the morning at Mercy Hospital in Calcutta.  Barbra, a Calcutta Mercy volunteer, listened in on the staff devotional as the chaplain began a detailed description of the wounds Jesus endured at the cross.  The Scriptures say he was marred beyond human semblance. There was no beauty in his face, and his friends and family could hardly recognize him.  “But to those who knew the truth about Jesus and the meaning behind His wounds, his place there on the cross would have been the most beautiful sight,” the chaplain advocated.  Behold, this was the Son of God.  In his pain, we see compassion and love.  At the cross, we see redemption.

The following day, Barbra was invited to watch a cleft palate surgery.  Dressed head to toe in mask and scrubs, nurses led her into the Operating Theatre where a six-month-old girl with a gaping cleft lip lay sedated on a table.  A nurse squeezed an Ambu bag to maintain the baby’s breathing, while a doctor began his delicate task.  Barbra watched as tissue was cut, separated, moved, and stitched back together.  She could utter only one response,

"Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful."

Barbra beheld the blood and torn flesh and saw beauty. “I understood I was witnessing a miracle.  Where there was disfigurement, there was redemption.  Hope saturated every tear and mend.  The presence of Jesus was all around,” she described.  

Jesus died, was buried, and rose again.  How beautiful the wounds the Savior of the world endured for us. How beautiful the love poured out at the cross, our debt paid in full.  What joy this Easter to know his wounds mean our healing and his resurrection, our eternal life.

Handicaps and disfigurements like cleft lips are considered a curse in India. Calcutta Mercy surgeons perform two to four surgeries of this kind every day, made possible by donations given to Calcutta Mercy and Smile Train. $500 a month pays for one surgery, inclusive of follow-up care. To mend a child’s smile, complete and return the form below or go to: www.calcuttamercy.org/donate

 

Strategic 3

March 2015 Newsletter

STRATEGIC 3

EMPOWERING WOMEN, EMPOWERING INDIA
International Women's Day

March 8th is International Women’s Day when we honor the contributions of women worldwide and bring awareness to their struggles where there exists inequality and oppression. Calcutta Mercy empowers women in India through our School of Nursing and College of Nursing.

OUR STRATEGY

#1 Women are generally not afforded equal rights in India. Many are denied an education by their families and receive unequal treatment in the home and work place. We are fighting discrimination by educating women and raising their status in society.

#2 We enroll young women from disadvantaged backgrounds so that they can rise above poverty, enjoy a rewarding career in health care, and support their families with a lucrative wage.

#3 There is a current shortage of one million nurses in India. Our College of Nursing helps meet this shortage by preparing women for more advanced and specialized roles in hospitals.

$250 a month supports one nursing student. To become a monthly sponsor, complete and return the form below or go to www.calcuttamercy.org/donate

A Miracle in Calcutta

February 2015 Newsletter

SURPRISED BY FRIENDSHIP

A MIRACLE IN CALCUTTA

January 12th, 2015, Founder of Calcutta Mercy, Huldah Buntain, entered the lobby doors of Calcutta Mercy Hospital eager to spend the day with patients. It’s hard to believe this 173-bed hospital has been around since 1977 and despite the years, Huldah can still name every person who works there.

One ICU patient named Ms. Silva was one of the earliest members of the church where Pastor Mark Buntain had preached until his passing. Every Sunday, she would run to Huldah and hand her an envelope with her tithe. It was her way of rejoicing in another week of God’s provision.  

Huldah’s excitement to see Ms. Silva quickly turned to sadness as she learned from a nurse that she had not been responsive for over a month. Huldah walked to her bedside and placed her hand on Ms. Silva’s head. With a gentle voice, she said, “It’s me, Huldah, Do you know who I am?”

Suddenly, Ms. Silva opened her eyes wide and started kicking from beneath the sheet. She recognized Huldah’s voice and kicked wildly as if to say, “I know you!”

Doctors and nurses gathered at the scene, completely shocked that Ms. Silva responded, and continued responding with her movement. “Let’s pray,” Huldah urged. Ms. Silva closed her eyes in agreement and received a prayer for healing.

Calcutta Mercy witnessed a miracle in the making that day. Amid the annual planning of the year’s goals to deliver compassionate care, the Lord illustrated that relationships are equally important. What a great reminder and a great start to 2015.

We Did It!

January 2015 Newsletter

RAISE YOUR GLASSES

We Did It!

Your generous giving, prayers, and encouragement resulted in the full funding of our
food, education, and medical ministries in 2014.

In 2014:

We made 3,120,000 meals for the poor and malnourished.
10,000 daily found relief from hunger.

We supported 100+ schools in 11 states of India.
32,000 students have a hope and future.

We treated 100,000 patients in our hospital and clinics.
40,000 never saw a medical bill.

It is no small thing when you give to Calcutta Mercy. Every dollar changes lives. Thank you for a great year.

 

Peace On Earth, Hope For All

December 2014 Newsletter

Peace On Earth, Hope For All

From our heart to yours,
wishing you a most blessed Christmas
and happy New Year.

GIVE A GIFT OF HOPE THIS CHRISTMAS

Feed the Hungry
Educate a Child
Medically Assist a Family

www.calcuttamercy.org/donate

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM CALCUTTA

MINISTRY NEWS: In January, we celebrated the 50th Golden Anniversary of our first school that commenced in January 1964 with 230 students. How grateful we are now that we have 32,000 students in over 100 schools. We also celebrated the construction of the new Buntain Theological College, fundraised by Brother Sam Johnson of Priority One Ministries. June 4th, I stood with pastors and hospital staff at my husband Mark’s grave. It was hard to believe that it has been 25 years since he left us so suddenly, but I am grateful that his vision for Calcutta and the 11 states where we have fast growing ministries under national leadership has become a reality.

FAMILY NEWS: I am grateful for BONNIE AND JIM for their involvement in our hospital and compassionate ministries. I am happy my younger daughter, MAUREEN, came with Bonnie for the Golden Anniversary school celebrations last January. My grandsons have been a blessing to the ministry. MARK is working alongside Bonnie with her Calcutta projects. DANIEL & MICHAELA have their own media business in California and have blessed us with their talents. Michaela is finishing her doctoral studies at Fuller Theological Seminary.  PAUL is in his second year as a resident doctor in the large Boston City Hospital, and his wife KATELYN is proceeding with her doctorate in Public Health at Boston University. They share a real burden for medical ministries in Calcutta.  

WITH GRATEFUL THANKS for your faithful monthly donations and for the kindness of pastors and churches where I was privileged to speak this year. I am also grateful to PASTOR IVAN AND SHEILA SATYAVARATA for their wonderful leadership in Calcutta, to SANJAY PRASAD and his wife RUHI for their efficient hospital leadership, to our CM President RANDY VALIMONT and wonderful staff for their continued hard work and support, and to Taryn Saxton and Nancy Gibson who facilitate my work, travel, and speaking engagements.

This year on October 6th marked 60 years since we landed in Calcutta for what we thought was one year of evangelistic ministry, but God had different plans for our lives.  

On behalf of Jim, Bonnie, myself, and all of our family, we wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas and blessed New Year.

LOVE AND APPRECIATION,

Huldah Buntain
Founder, Calcutta Mercy

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO OUR CALCUTTA MERCY FAMILY!

I don’t know about you, but I am counting down the days to Christmas. Besides the festive parties, warm fires, and lots of quality family time, we get to remember and celebrate the day the Lord come down to earth, to bring us back to God. What a wonder. What a gift. Joy to the world, indeed!

This year has been a great blessing for the ministry in Calcutta as we’ve seen our ministries fully funded and transforming many hearts and lives. At our hospital and clinics, we treated 40,000 more patients, free-of-charge. Many of these were children with debilitating cleft palates who are now able to breathe easy and smile big; children with dangerous heart deformities who can now anticipate many more years of life instead of just months; and children with thalassemia and leukemia who have confidently returned to school, with the assurance of monthly blood transfusions.

Meanwhile, our feeding program continues to feed thousands a day, and our schools are expanding further into 11 states of India, most notably our Mercy Schools that educate young impoverished children in highly-illiterate village communities.

Suffice it to say, God continues to be faithful to the work he began here 60 years ago. Because of Him and the hearts He moves to give and serve, it is like Christmas all-year-round in Calcutta. Thank you for the part you’ve played this year in the ministry. We remember you with joy this season and pray you have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

For the Children,

Randy Valimont
President, Calcutta Mercy

Biggest Birthday Ever

October 2014 Newsletter

Let's Give Aunty Her Biggest Birthday Ever!

Coming up on November 21st, Calcutta Mercy’s founder, Aunty Huldah Buntain, turns 90!
We cannot think of a better way to celebrate her birthday than by asking friends and supporters to send in birthday wishes and favorite memories that we will combine in a memorable scrapbook.

Please send your birthday cards or special notes to:   P.O. Box S, Griffin, GA 30224
   Alternatively, e-mail your birthday wish to:   danielle@calcuttamercy.org

Give The Perfect Gift

We would love to be able to tell Aunty that a total of $25,000 was given to the poor in Calcutta in honor of her 90th birthday. To donate, return the enclosed response card or visit www.calcuttamercy.org/donate.

900 people who give $9 for feeding

90 people who give $90 for education

9 people who give $900 for medical

Join us in making this a birthday she'll never forget!