Ruthamma is a young woman who lived in an unbearable situation before she came to the Phoebe Home for Girls.   She grew up in a poor Hindu family in Raichur, about 250 miles north of Bangalore.  Her parents worked as day laborers.  At some point Ruthamma’s mother heard the Gospel message and came to Christ. She also led the children to the Lord. This made Ruthamma’s father very angry, and he began to beat her mother.  Her father’s family even attempted to use witchcraft against the children and their mother.

Finally her father abandoned the family.  Soon afterward Ruthamma’s mother became very ill.  She continued to try to work every day, but the children also had to work.  They would go to school two days a week and work the other days.

But they continued to pray and seek the Lord’s help.  After a few years Ruthamma’s father returned to the family.  But he had become an alcoholic and drug addict.  He did not work and caused many problems in the family.

Through the Lord’s guidance Ruthamma heard about the Phoebe Home, and she longed to go there to live and receive training so that she could help her family out of their dire poverty.  She had to work, go without food and save money for a long time in order to buy her bus ticket, but finally Ruthamma came to the Phoebe Home.

Now that she is there, Ruthamma says she is happy and peaceful.  She says, “It feels like heaven to me!  But I worry about my family.  Please pray for my family.”