Connections Archive

Linden Chuang/Kirsten Bolinger

The work of an Avondale College student mission club is transforming a school and touching lives in the Indian city where Buddha gained so-called enlightenment.

Over the past three years, One Mission has raised more than $30,000 for and encouraged teaching students to serve at the AoZora School for poor and orphaned children in Bodh Gaya.

Leader and senior lecturer in the Faculty of Education Andy Matthes returned at the end of July after almost three weeks at the school. He believes the visits have sparked an interest in Christianity. "People can't help but ask, 'Why are you doing this?' and we get the chance to tell them why. It's been wonderful to see the impact of the Holy Spirit in this place."

When this year's team of 22 students-11 study primary teaching at Avondale-painted the outside of AoZora's rented building, the director and his teachers were keen any signage identify the school as being Christian. It is now AoZora Adventist Academy, which includes a sister school in a nearby village, also in a rented building. "This represents their belief in the promise that Jesus is coming again soon," says Andy.

The close relationship between the One Mission team and the students and teachers at AoZora prompted an invitation to the director, Nikesh Sinha, and a local village teen, Sudhir Kumar, who now helps at the school, to visit Australia. Speaking during forum on Avondale's Lake Macquarie campus this past week (August 19), a recently baptised Sudhir said he first learned about Jesus this past year through the One Mission team members. "I liked listening about Jesus . . . and when Jesus came into my heart, I felt very happy," he said. "It was Jesus who opened the doors for me to come and see Australia."

Nikesh also expressed his thanks to the One Mission teams and said he hoped students would continue to visit the school.

AoZora is now planning to buy its own land and move out of its two rented locations. "The school found 1000 square metres in a perfect location, which will cost 30,000 Australian dollars," says Andy.

"This year's team went ahead in faith to make a deposit on this land with the hope that over the next six to eight months local church communities and One Mission supports can enable the full amount to be raised."

This would then lead the way for a fly'n'build team to construct a school building on the site allowing the 200 plus students from the two schools to have their own venue that could incorporate the ability to generate income to sustain the school in future years.