Once again Children of Faith welcomed visitors. This time it was professional videographers Aaron and Hap. They spent a week at the Home to capture stories that will be shared at Children of Faith’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. They were excited to get to know the children and find out what makes our work so transformative. Here is their story…
Visiting and Videoing at Children of Faith
by Hap Eid
The old Christian monks in Ireland had a special word for places where the beauty and goodness of God felt particularly palpable.
They called them “thin places.” The word “thin” was in reference to the barrier between Heaven and Earth at that particular location. At a “thin place,” God felt especially near and it seemed as though Heaven had indeed arrived to Earth. These places were seen as sacred and holy for communing with God. The phrase was not intended to be a firm doctrinal statement, but simply put some language to remarkable spiritual experiences one encounters in life’s journey.
After spending a week at Children of Faith, filming nearly every aspect of their organization, I think it is one of these “thin places.” The emotional and spiritual health of the ministry, the creative imagination of the leadership, the generosity of the Indian people—all of it is marked by a vibrant presence of the Holy Spirit.
My name is Harrison (though most call me “Hap”), and I was invited by my friend, Aaron Bowman, to help produce 4 videos to tell the story of Children of Faith. We work in video production as freelancers and have partnered on several projects, but for both of us this was one of our favorite projects.
Here is an overview of what we filmed:
- 14 interviews of children, their families, staff, teachers, and more.
- A full day of school at the Children of Faith campus
- College students of Children of Faith at Vignan University
- Home life at the villages of several children
- Sunday services at 2 churches
In addition to filming, we had incredible meals and conversations with Rosie and Anand, traveled around the region to villages (one of which washed our feet upon our arrival), we played and danced with children, and so much more. At the end of it all, we were filled with gratitude for all we experienced. A major “shout out” to Rosie and Anand for continuously supporting Aaron and I in our production schedule. They were unbelievably helpful!
I was most encouraged by Children of Faith’s mission to impart dignity to all people as image bearers. In a society largely driven by the caste system and karma, and which devalues women, this stance was clearly radical.
There was a story we heard repeated by many girls we met which shocked us: upon being born, their family was upset with them for not being male. The way they were fundamentally created was seen as a problem. In fact, one child had to be saved from her father as a baby because he tried to kill her for being a girl.
This is the complete inversion of our Lord fashioning the world and calling his creation “very good.”
We watched Children of Faith confront these harmful social structures with full integrity of speech and action. Rather than merely telling others they are loved by God, the organization is structured to show them this reality in the totality of their being. During our time, we observed the children receiving holistic care through physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual nourishment, and listening to them describe their transformations was remarkable. So, even while there were repeated stories of hardship, the stories of hope we encountered were more powerful.
We interviewed one college student at Children of Faith, Ganesh, who had arrived as a shy, isolated orphan, but who has become a confident young man about to start a career in mechanical engineering. Alongside receiving a quality education to prepare him for a full career, Children of Faith has given Ganesh a genuine experience of belonging in their community. He received years of much-needed faithful care and attention as a young child, which gave him a foundation of acceptance and security. Now as a young adult, he is building this same foundation in the other young children at the organization.
It is not just the children who receive this holistic communication of Christ’s love though. The teachers, staff, and families receive it as well, whether they are professing Christians or not. Showing others Christ’s love is a fundamental operating principle which permeates every facet of Children of Faith’s work.
Through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, Children of Faith has created a “thin place” where the Kingdom of God is breaking into India in the midst of immense darkness.
It starts with breaking into the lives of the children, but from our interviews we were able to witness its expansion into the children’s families, communities, and subsequent generations. Moreover, their embodiment of God’s Kingdom remains distinctly Indian in its expression.
Even though they confront hurtful cultural norms around them, they maintain their identity as Indians through celebrating and embracing the cultural practices which reflect God’s character.
Though the trip is over, Aaron and I now have the privilege of editing together the stories of the individuals we filmed. We currently are at our computers, sifting through the two terabytes of footage we captured and savoring the beautiful experiences from our time at Children of Faith. Projects like these truly feel sacred when the folks you interview share so courageously and vulnerably. It is an honor to be invited to tell such stories, and we are praying for the Spirit to empower us to tell them with the same honor and authenticity in return.
Thank you, Children of Faith, Rosie, Anand, and all of our new friends, for reflecting God’s love and character so clearly to Aaron and I during our time with you. We hope to see you again and cannot wait to put you all in the spotlight in our upcoming videos.
Love,
Hap and Aaron
Children of Faith has been transforming lives for 20 years!
Don’t miss the chance to see this close up look at the work of Children of Faith. We’ll be sharing this special video to transport you to our home in Visakhapatnam, India and meet the children. Join us May 10th in Walnut Creek, California to see for yourself how we are transforming lives as we share our accomplishments of the past 20 years and our dreams for the future.
