Every week, children in the Strong Families Program in India attend story classes at the inner city community center. Recently, they studied the parable of the persistent widow in which a woman needs justice against her adversary and through persistent prayer, receives it. A teen who was present for the lesson held on to the parable as she left the class and went into her school week.

“She loves pets,” shared Sampath Burla, Back2Back staff. “She had a small cat as a pet and it passed unexpectedly one day; she was devastated, but recalled the story she’d learned the week prior and took the perspective of the persistent widow to heart.”

The teen prayed over the pet she lost, asking for healing for her loss, and in just a few weeks, she saw her prayer was heard when she found four cats who had no home. Following this experience, she realized just how powerful being in communication is. She has a renewed sense of confidence and is eager to share her story with others.

Spiritual growth like this is only possible through advocacy, sponsorship, and the presence of safe adults who impact change.