Project 013 - Light of Hope Mission, India

The ‘Light of Hope Mission’ in India is headed up by Pastor Pappy Daniel who came to know the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour at the age of 17. After graduating from high school, he attended a teacher’s training programme and became a public school teacher in India. Daniel taught in the regular school system for 8 years but then he felt the Lord calling him into full time Christian ministry. This resulted in him resigning his post before he set about witnessing and evangelising after equipping himself with gospel tracts. Daniel also distributed literature in the villages to tell the folk about new life in Jesus Christ. Daniel also began visiting houses door to door trying to reach people for Christ, one at a time.

As Daniel walked through the villages, sometimes with his family, they saw the abject poverty of the village children. It was often easy to count the children’s ribs and it was impossible not to notice their hyperextended bellies. The children were also without proper clothing due to the miserable living conditions of their parents. But no one seemed to care for these precious children, they were unable to obtain a proper basic education. This was the reason and the motivation for the ministry of Pappy Daniel that caused him to open a children’s home in Kerala at Cheppad in the Alleppey district not far from a famous tourist resort known as ‘The Lagoon Area.’

In addition to the children’s homes which currently look after 44 children (October 2020) is also a thriving church fellowship in Cheppad attended by between 150 to 200 people. This includes children who also meet for worship on Sundays and there are house groups in the poor villages where there are no church buildings at all.

Richard Norton the Director of Siloam Christian Ministries has enjoyed a long time contact with Pappy Daniel and after checking his references both in the UK as well as in India, Siloam is happy to recommend this project for financial support. Pappy Daniel is also experiencing difficulties with the Indian government. Many children who were originally from other States are no longer able to be cared for in his children’s homes because of government restrictions. Also, the government of India is not particularly sympathetic to Christian work so it is important that this ministry is overseen by an Indian national rather than by foreign outsiders who are often seen as missionaries trying to convert Hindus masses.

The project has been visited by Richard Norton personally as well as by a number of volunteers from Siloam and others with whom the organisation is in contact. Pappy Daniel occasionally itinerates in the UK so if you would like him to include your church or fellowship during his next visit, whenever that’s likely to be, then please send him an email and no doubt he will be pleased to include your church or fellowship in his next trip. Pappy Daniel’s accounts are available on request, please contact us by using the contact page.

Pappy Daniel and ‘The Light of Hope Mission’ embrace the same ideals of Siloam in that they use Christian social work and education as an expression of God’s love to the local community. Other outreaches include a feeding programme in Calcutta so this ministry is to be commended and recommended for financial and prayer support.

Unlike many in India who would call themselves ‘Christian’ or even claim to be ‘born Christian’ Pappy Daniel came from a Hindu background and understands the life-changing experience of becoming a ‘born again Christian.’ This caused him to lose contact with his family and invite hostility from his relatives but the Lord has blessed him richly even though sadly last year he lost his beloved wife Elsie after a long illness.

Over the past 4 years up to October 2020, Siloam supporters have provided £22,661 in financial support which Siloam believes has been put to good purposes and invested in many young lives in South India.

If you would like to receive Pappy Daniel’s newsletter which he periodically sends out, please advise us so we can add you to his email. Any gifts for ‘The Light of Hope Mission’ should be designated to project: 013 and these will be sent on to Pappy Daniel together with any ‘gift aid’ we can claim providing the donor is a ‘taxpayer.’ Please request a ‘gift aid’ declaration form if you haven’t already signed up.

The Light of Hope Mission’ prayer hall in Cheppad – Kerala.
This is the headquarters of the mission where Pappy Daniel resides
and where he also has his office. The ground floor is used as a
prayer hall and for church ministry.

Inside the prayer hall on a typical Sunday evening
showing a meeting in progress.

Helping disadvantaged boys to learn how to use a computer keyboard enables
them to be trained as computer operators. The boys do use computers
in their general studies at school but only for short periods because they have
to share with so many others. This facility offers extra computer tuition
after school hours.