God's Dream

About this book

A boy born with nothing. A GOD WHO HAD A PLAN.Elisha Chowtapalli was born into a poor Dalit Christian family in Gollanapalli, a small village in Andhra Pradesh, South India, without even basic facilities. No one recorded his birthday; a schoolteacher simply made one up. His parents were illiterate quarry laborers who earned about one U.S. dollar a day. His father and uncle had worked as bonded laborers from the ages of eleven and twelve. Home was a single mud room with a palm-leaf roof that let the monsoon rain pour in, and Elisha did his homework under a street light because the house had no electricity until he was nineteen.Yet he became the first in his family ever to go to school, carried there by the prayers and sacrifices of his grandmother, Annamma, a widow who worked the stone quarries and became a trusted leader of the village laborers.NOT MY STORY, BUT HISIn God's Dream, Elisha tells his own story, and he is quick to say it is not really about him. It is about the One who created him, called him, gave him a vision, and entrusted him with work in India. Told simply and warmly by a man who once failed English in school, this is an honest record of what God can do with empty hands.INSIDE THIS BOOKAcross thirteen chapters, you will walk with Elisha through: - A childhood of hunger, hard labor, and hope among the people India once called untouchable- The caste system and what it means for Dalit families today- Faith, conversion, Bible college, and answered prayer- A journey to a foreign land and the visions and dreams that set his course- The founding of LIGHT Home for orphaned and needy children- Betrayal, forgiveness, and an unfailing trust in God's provision- Planting faith, growing light, and finding spiritual support along the way- God's miraculous provisions and the joy of sharing testimonies with othersA VISION THAT KEEPS GROWINGWhat began with one young man's prayer grew into an English medium school, a tailoring training program, feeding the hungry, WakeUp Ministry, Light Bible School, new churches, and Promise Bags. Elisha describes rural healthcare for pregnant mothers and the building of Light Hospital, where at-risk moms can safely deliver their babies. Under the banner We Treat, God Heals, he shows how practical care and faith walk together.THE CHILDREN WHO ARE STILL WAITINGElisha does not look away from the hard realities. He writes of a tale of two Indias, of child begging and child labor, and of the struggles Dalit children still face in gaining access to education. He closes with the children's own dreams, a sponsorship plan, and personal testimonies from lives that have been changed.FOR EVERY READER WHO WANTS TO SEE GOD AT WORKGod's Dream is for anyone who loves a true underdog story, anyone who needs courage to step out in faith, and anyone with a heart for missions, orphans, and the poor. It is a powerful reminder that your story, his story, and our story are all part of the biggest story of all: God's story.Read it, and let God speak to you about the orphan, the poor, and the needy children of India, and about what you might do together to show them His love.