The story of Josephine Maria Rose, the start of a prolife journey

As told to me by the Prolifers of Bangalore Jesus Youth -

This is the story of Josephine Maria Rose and Angel that touched the lives of prolifers of Bangalore and the story of how a journey of miracles, miracles of life started in the Prolife Ministry of Bangalore.

It all started on 23 November 2007, Friday evening, with a call from a Nursing Student studying at a Nursing home in a village about 60 km from Bangalore. In this nursing home there was a premature female child, born at 22.5 weeks and weighing 560g. The mother of the child did not want the child and the hospital didn’t know what to do with the child.

The little baby needed extra care for survival and the parents were not willing to bear any more burden. The prolife team called up the doctors at the Nursing Home and they were happy to give the permission to take the child, provided we were ready to give an undertaking, assuming full responsibility of the child. They also wanted a consent letter from the parents that they do not want to take any further responsibility, we agreed.

Four of us prolifers, including a husband and wife, left Bangalore by taxi and reached the nursing home at 12 midnight. The child was placed on the bed near the mother, and she was not even looking at her. The child was alive and occasionally crying out. The parents of the child already had two children and they did not want a third girl child. It was probably a failed abortion. The parents were only too willing to give a letter in writing given the baby’s responsibility to us.

After completing the formalities, we took the little child. The lady among us received the precious child, covered her with the only warm cloth that we had and set off for Bangalore in the taxi itself. Early morning on Saturday at 4 A.M we reached St. Johns Hospital, Bangalore.

Everyone whom we had met while going to collect the baby was of the opinion that there is very little chance of her survival. The doctors at St. Johns also were of the same opinion. The only chance was for her to be put on the ventilator. We agreed to bear the expenses and they immediately moved the child to Neonatal ICU. The chances of her survival were slim, but we felt that her life was too precious to let go so easily. She was on ventilator for two days and we prolifers kept vigil outside the NICU. All we could do was to pray. On Sunday (25th November 2007) night 11.40 pm, she had a cardiac arrest and our little angel went back into the arms of her loving heavenly Father.

She was taken to the cemetery and provided a Christian burial. There were 6 of us by her grave side to say our final byes. Some of us had called her Maria, some others among us named her Josephine. The Sisters who gave her baptism named her Rose. She was the first life that the Lord had placed into our care. She is like our firstborn. We were all deeply sad in our hearts, but we know that we have given our best for this little one of our God whom no one else wanted. And we know that she is in the lap of Jesus and that she knows each one of us by name. We also know that we can raise to her our needs and she will speak on our behalf to Jesus and today she is a powerful intercessor for our ministry. We consider her as our patron saint. We call her Josephine Maria Rose. And that is the point from where the Prolife Ministry of Bangalore blossomed. Certainly our little angel was hard at work in heaven.

The life support systems etc in the hospital were expensive and if someone were to ask us what would you do if there were many other children who asked our support, we do not know the answer. We just did what we felt was right in the eyes of God and we know that what we have done for this little baby, we have done for Christ. We pray that as you read this, you will make a resolution to stand up in defense of every life that is in danger of being snuffed out, in all circumstances.

Website of Bangalore JY Prolife Ministry : http://www.prolifearmy.org/

Tracing the footsteps of Christ in Bangalore JY Prolife Misnistry

Dear all,
I have been a mute witness to the amazing ways in which our Lord Jesus has worked through the JY Bangalore Prolife ministry. Only thing I have known about the JY Prolife ministry is that they are a faithful and committed group. They were never a group of extra ordinary, visible, magnetic group of people. But on the other hand a group of prayerful, consistent, people with zeal for the call Lord had given them and who did their bit faithfully. And I have heard from them the wonderful miracles that our lord worked through them. Till now our lord has given the group 16/17 adopted children. Little lives that Christ the savior protected from the hands that were poised to snuff them out. Also the numerous lives that Christ touched through them, changed for ever from being destroyers of lives to protectors of lives.

Here we start a new series, where we chronicle the miraculous ways of our Lord. Be a bit patient with us as we string them together slowly. God bless you.

Reach Out With Outreach!

Young people are known for their energy and zeal to reach out and change lives around them. Outreach, a secular non-political network of committed young people offers the right opportunity for young people to do that. Here on this network youth and youth workers from a variety of backgrounds have joined together to reach out to the under privileged in the society. Together, they present a challenge for young people around the globe to reach out to the needy and build a better world. To join the revolution, check out " http://www.outreachchildsupport.com "and reach out!

A few thoughts at the start of Lent

Another Lent has come by. As the usual practice on every lent, I prepared for the ritual of abstaining from non vegetarian food. It has been a ritual that has been part of my life from early adulthood that it is not so difficult a ritual and almost devoid of significance. This set me thinking on what this Lent should be for me.

The reading on Ash Wednesday started me off. I had read it many times, usually the scenes of temptations are the ones that catch my attention, but this time it was Jesus's retreat into to the desert. For Jesus, it was a time to start his public ministry and the spirit led him to the desert. In the silence and loneliness of the desert he communed with his father. He was strengthened by this time of 40 days in the desert for the ministry that he was about to start. So for me also the 40 days of lent became Gods invitation to be with him, so that I too may be strengthened for the year ahead for me. It became an invitation to be with Him and alone in his presence.

So at the start of this lent I accept his loving invitation to be in communion with him in the silence of my heart and the loneliness of my soul. As I enter this time of communion, like Jesus left companionship, the comforts of his home, the comforts of food and drink, so that he could be in complete communion with his father, I too, as I enter this beautiful time of retreating to Gods presence, leave behind all that would keep me away from this communion with God. My sins that would keep me away from him, my little habits that are not sinful in themselves, but would take away my time with God. I leave my little enjoyments as a humble sacrifice to my loving god and go in search of his love. I don't know how I will fare in the loneliness of the desert. I don't know how I will stay away from the allure of the my little "comforts". I don't know if I will be faithful to the search for his love. I don't even know how and where to search for him.

But I have decided to embark on the journey that this call entails. I know this is a journey that my God asks of me. I know he is looking forward to this time of communion, much more than my heart desires. So I leave all my "baggage" at the edge of the desert and go forth into the desert where I hope I will find my God and come back strengthened. Pray for me friends, my prayers and wishes are with you .. God bless ...

falling cyclestand or the wall(lent special)

"Temptations are for everyone but to fall for it, its one's own choice".This statement for me almost summarizes my own struggle with temptations. Does anyone of us want to do things which we dont like, definetly not but the thing with sin preceeded by its temptation is kind of interesting. I find game of cricket as a great illustration of temptation and sin especially after today's India's win against SouthAfrica at eden gardens, Kolkatta.Wondering how? Well I would see temptation like harbhajan's singh's tossed up ball appearing to the run hungry batsmen like a nice gift which deserves to be behind the boundary lines.So here comes temptation like a nice juicy tossed up delivery and our eyes light up although back of our mind after our intense bowling analysis previous night we may well know that it could be the wrong one (doosra) which could deceive you after pitching on the 22 yard track yet for the moments glory we go for it and all that we see after that is a happy harbhajan dancing with his team members and a person in white stading in the background lifting his ring finger.This illustration readily strikes my mind. We all dont want to sin or like any batsmen get out. One may like it or not , one may or may not be religious , one may or may not be God fearing but somehow our inherent nature feels bad when we do something wrong especially in our own sights and least to say in the sight of God definitely.So we know the consequence,we know the lure, and God has beautifully given us the power to make the choice.Only true love can give us the choice to choose not choose from the choice.Now I know why disciple John after all his experience with God just defined - God is Love.So the choice to be away from Sin is with us , temptations are almost constant but challenge is to put forward our resistance in the same measure.As I read somewhere today - "Temptations Correspond to Our Vulnerabilities........Good habits result from resisting these temptations".... So I feel lent is great blessing to convert our vulnerabilities to good habits through persistant resistance to temptations.Life is a long test match with such lure's and vulnerabilities either be a falling cyclestand or the wall. Choice is with us, with me.

My Valentine

"there isn't any valentine's day without a valentine

but this is i am my own valentinebecause u can't love anyone more than urse'f"
This is a copy paste of a chat with my friend. This is what she said (The grammar maybe a bit unconventional, as all chat usually is :) )
I thought of this, she said so because she didn't have a valentine, what would you and me have said, if we didn't have one? She is a non believer, its understandable when she says this.
I guess My Lord would be very sad, because HE is the only one who who has written a true love letter to us, John 15. This whole chapter is His expression of love to us. His ultimate expression being the Cross. Lets remember Him this Feb 14th with an even deeper love. Not the one that we express with cards or gifts but with our Life.

Is there anything too hard for me?"

Hi all!

Its been long since I posted on to "Discover". Well, I have been going through a little tough period for sometime now, without a job. Two days back I called up a dear Nun friend, "Sr. Mary" who used to be someone with whom I used to share a lot when I was confused or "down" during my college days. She was the animator of the JY in my place during that period. I called her to tell her to step up her prayers for me :)

She was talking to me when she suddenly said "Son, please read Jer 32:27" and claim it when praying. She told me this in Malayalam, I'm someone who is slightly weak in my vocabulary in Malayalam and I tried to translate the verse in English as soon as she kept the phone and found that I was not satisfied with my version of the translation. I was outside at the time, so didn't have the Bible with me to check out the English translation and then lo! I see a message pop in my mobile. Guess what? one of my JY frinds Denny has just sent me a message and it is Jer 32:27 and yeah in English :)

"I AM the Lord, the god of all mankind, is there anything too hard for me?" - Well! I don't doubt you my Lord, My God.

Friends, I don't think you should doubt either. There is nothing too hard for Him.