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Years ago, The Salvation Army helped establish a missionary church in India—a place where faith took root and a community began to flourish. Over time, that humble church became a spiritual home for many, offering worship, connection and care.
But as the years passed, the building began to deteriorate. Cracks formed, the structure weakened—yet the faith of the people never did.
This congregation, made up of beautiful, giving individuals, continued to serve. They worshiped faithfully and took care of one another, making sure no one went without. Every month, they filled baskets with food to share with families in need, embodying God’s love in both word and action.
Now, thanks to the continued mission of The Salvation Army and the generosity of donors, their church has been rebuilt—a beautiful, welcoming space where worship can thrive once again.
This is more than a story of bricks and mortar. It’s a story of enduring faith, community service and hope that stands strong through every generation.
Below is a transcript of the video edited for readability.
Joy John: Kerala is known as “God’s Own Country.” Small-scale farming is very common here. The climate is very suitable for farming, and it’s the main source of income for the people here.
Before I was born, my parents experienced a lot of hardship and difficulty. It was during that period that The Salvation Army came to the Panniyode area. They first established a school here and worship services started to be held.
The main reason why people love The Salvation Army is this church gave our people, our people who were considered as slaves, a great opportunity to come to the Lord’s presence.
They sang, prayed, and testified. It was also a great opportunity for them to use their talents, especially music, which attracted others the most.
The concept of the Love Basket ministry started during the COVID pandemic. Most of the families were struggling, and to help those families, we started this ministry.
Our Home League members took the first step. We started collecting one food item from each family, dependent on what they could give. By collecting items from many families, it becomes a big basket of food, and we distribute it to one person, one family per month. And it continues, again and again.
Our old church building was in a very bad state. The roof would leak when it rained, making it impossible to sit inside. We were not financially able to build a new church.
Once we learned we’d be receiving funding for reconstruction, our whole congregation decided to help rebuild the church together. I was here throughout the entire construction process, never missing a day.
If you were to ask me what my role in this project was, I’d say I didn’t have a role alone, the whole church had the role. Everyone worked together with the same mind.
It’s impossible to describe our feelings when we started worshipping in the new building. There are no words to express our happiness. This love we have received is impossible to describe.
Our poverty and suffering was temporary, and more than that, the joy we are now experiencing is a direct result of the work done in the past. We believe God has granted us this new beginning.
This is a great blessing that will last for generations. We will never forget this kindness. We will always pray for those who helped us build this church.
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