Amelia Kate – Ambassador, Miracle School Ministries

Meet Ria*, her husband and four children. They are one of many families that Miracle Ministries pastors, feeds and educates, living on the brick kilns of Lahore, Pakistan. 

When the children left the home their mother was sitting quietly on the floor. It was sunny outside, and they played with their friends, kicking the dirt beneath their feet. After a few hours had passed the children returned home, but it was no longer their mother they saw, but a lifeless version of her, hung by her scarf from a bamboo pole on the roof. It had been four days since she had been able to provide a meal for her family, and today, on this day it had been too much. Ria* had taken her own life leaving behind four children and her husband. 

Due to an ongoing hunger crisis, circumstances for Christians worsen day by day. In Pakistan, citizens have been in a lockdown state since the crisis began last year, with previous records suggesting over 60% of the population will lose their ability to generate income.

For day to day workers like Ria and the brick kiln slaves, there is no back up. There is no government support and no way to find food for her children except through followers of Jesus caring for vulnerable people. From 2020, Anglican Aid’s partner Miracle Ministries has increased ration support across 25 brick kiln factories, providing food for over 1000 people. 

The hunger never ends, but your support through Anglican Aid can help to alleviate the most devastating effects of this crisis. Funding goes directly to distributing rations and supporting schools.

Critically, Anglican Aid’s support also provides an opportunity for people like Ria to know the true and lasting hope of Jesus by enabling pastors to continue their work. Last year, Ria came to know Jesus through one of the pastors that visited homes to deliver rations during the Hunger Crisis Campaign. Ria’s husband was baptised and has a great faith. Listen to these words that he shared the same day Ria died, in front of the village he stood and declared:

“I know she had faith in Jesus and that she is with the Lord now, and Lord I have faith in you and so give me strength to keep raising my four children. Whatever has happened she is in Christ now, she is resting in peace. I trust you Jesus”. 

Ria’s husband can grieve with a confident hope; he will see Ria again. 

However, he will not grieve alone. There are countless stories like Ria’s of mothers taking their own lives. The Miracle Pastors and Teachers are devastated but dedicated to improving the lives of families living on the brick kilns. This means funding education, sharing the Gospel, establishing access to clean water and providing medical care. 

Thank you for continuing to support the work of partners like Miracle through your contributions to Anglican Aid. Your partnership and prayer in this work continues to strengthen the ministry day by day. Angela, Miracle Co-Founder shared about the recent times of hardship;

“The word ‘difficult’ feels like nothing compared to the things we are experiencing. We don’t know how to debrief everyone, there are tears in everyone’s eyes. 

Please pray for our emotional health, though we are facing so many difficulties, the most important is our peace of mind and trust in God.”

Please join us as we pray for those affected by the hunger crisis in Pakistan. Pray for Miracle Ministries that God would strengthen them to continue reaching the most remote parts of the brick kilns; establishing them in their faith and ministering to their needs of food, water, and medical care. Ultimately we pray that the bonds of slavery would be broken, and this would bring glory to God. 

Consider how you might give to the ongoing work of Miracle. Without Anglican Aid’s support, families like Ria’s would not know the hope and peace that comes through knowing, believing and experiencing a relationship with Christ.

*names changed for safety

All donations to Anglican Aid for this project are tax deductible. In the case that a fundraising appeal has received sufficient donations, any surplus funds will be used for a similar activity or an activity in the same country.