Seeing the Invisible

Millions of people pass through Howrah train station in Kolkota, India, but there is an invisible life that few travelers actually see. Around 200 orphaned children live at the train station, huffing glue to suppress their appetites and living a violent, tragic, almost animalistic lifestyle.

Most of the kids have no idea how they even got there. They have no choice but to live cruel lives of survival. Some die from rolling off of rooftops in their sleep to 100+ feet below. Many fall on train tracks getting cut literally into pieces, while others are murdered by other boys in fits of rage.

The night before we arrived at the station, two boys became disoriented after huffing too much glue on a train. They fell onto the tracks of the express train coming from the opposite direction and were killed instantly.

The children collect bottles around the train station to make money. Three bottles = 1 rupee. With this money they buy mostly glue, but some food as well. The girls at the train station seem to have it the worst. They seek out the older boys who have more money and offer themselves for glue or for basic survival needs.

They also marry very young, around 12, to gain some feeling of protection. One girl that I spent some time with, Najne, was only 15 and had already had four or 5 five miscarriages. She would get pregnant and then huff so much glue during each pregnancy she would lose the baby. Even while we were there spending time with them, the children would be pouring glue onto clothes. I don’t even know if they know how to hide it.

While all this is happening in the Howrah train station where literally millions pass through every day, these children remain unseen. They are among the “untouchables” of the Indian caste system, and most people wouldn’t even acknowledge their existence, because surely it was karma that put these children in that place to begin with. The tragic stories of the kids don’t even make the local paper. They are unseen, unheard, and unloved – they are voiceless. Though they are unseen and unloved by people, God saw them and loved them, and created a plan.

Life Connection ministries was started by a Indian Christian missions family who felt called to Kolkata and didn’t even know why. Through obedience in following, Jesus led them straight to Howrah Station and to the children there. The ministry started two years ago, and has nine full-time staff members, all of whom are family members.

They go to the station three days a week to spend time with the kids, loving on them and doing whatever they can to win their trust and respect. Two days a week, the ministry invites the children into their ministry house to bathe them, give them new clothing, shave their heads (most have a bad case of lice,) feed them, play with them and teach them about Jesus.

Progress is slowly being made. When I was there, there were 10 kids living with Life Connection. These boys told the staff that they didn’t want to go back to their lives at the train station, so they have taken in these boys full time. There was one more boy added in the week that I was there. We helped to teach these boys not only more about Jesus and the love of God, but also English, math and writing.

It was such a privilege and honor to get to work with this ministry, and during my time spent with them God worked so much in my heart. As I learned to lay down my rights, comforts and needs for these beautiful children, they won my heart over completely.

Now if you knew me, you would know what a huge deal that is. Let’s just say I’m not a kid lover. But these children were some of the most beautiful, giving and loving children that I had ever met. They wound up being the highlight of my day and a source of great joy.

There were a few in particular that I so badly wanted to take home with me. I wanted to save them from their lives, but I don’t believe that’s what God has planned for them. Their ministry will be most likely right there in India. What powerful testimonies they will one day have! They will be a generation of world changers. You don’t grow up in that kind of a life, find God, and then become mediocre about Jesus and what He has done for your life.

I long to raise awareness for this ministry. The stories I could tell about the staff members and their financial struggle breaks my heart. The church in India is very small and poor, so support is minimal at best, and these workers give their whole lives and hearts to this cause. They work seven days a week to care for these boys with no breaks or holidays.

They are fueled by volunteers, but there the field is plentiful and the workers are far too few. Nabin, our contact and leader of Life Connection, even asked if I would come back and work with them full time. I promised that I would at least raise awareness for their cause and do what I could, and I don’t want to break that promise. The contacts that we were with would sleep whenever they could get a chance. On the trains, buses, taxis, whenever they weren’t moving. All in all, they know and I know that God is good and that He will provide because this all was His will and plan in the first place. I am giving back in the form of my art. What will you give?

To help Life Connection, Kellie Linder is donating 50% of her art sales to this family to sow into their ministry and what God has called them to do. She also has contact information for Life Connection for those who are interested in giving, or going to India to volunteer.