Hope's Nest Orphanage - Putting the Lonely in Family

"To the fatherless he is a father. To the widow he is a champion friend. The lonely he makes part of a family." Psalm 68:6 

There’s a place in southern India where Psalm 68 is coming alive—a home where God is setting the lonely in families. It’s the story He’s writing through our sister "S" and the 56 children cared for at Hope’s Nest. 

Birthed out of God’s redemptive heart, Hope’s Nest began in 2022 with a simple, dangerous prayer: “God, start this work in me first. How can I help?” And like so many revivals around the world, this one began with one woman in her own community who refused to look away from brokenness. 

Many children run the streets of India, seen as almost non human—often denied education, exploited, or cast aside. “Dalits” are the group long viewed as the lowest in India’s caste system, labeled “untouchable” and pushed to the margins of society with little access to education, dignity, or opportunity. "S" understood this world. She was born into it herself. 

To read more about the caste system in south Asia click HERE! 

S was the daughter of a prostitute—just like many of the children now in her care. She grew up with the same vulnerabilities they face today: hunger, instability, and the constant risk of being trafficked. She knew what it felt like to be unprotected. So when God changed her story—placing her in a loving family, raising her into a wise, faithful mother, and surrounding her with believers who saw her dignity—she carried that redemption like a holy fire. 

And when children began showing up around her and her husband’s small house, "S" responded the only way she knew: she fed them, welcomed them, and called them by name. What began as a few meals soon became something far more. 

Many of the children now say Hope’s Nest feels like the “house of the birds.” S is like a mother bird—bringing food, protection, and provision to little ones who once had none. She feeds them well, watches over them fiercely, and often says she would sacrifice her own life to care for them. When she shared this with me, I immediately thought of Matthew 6:26, where Jesus invites us to look at the birds and see God’s faithful provision. 

Today, 56 children call her “Mommy,” supported by six caretakers and two cooks. "S" is frugal, brilliant, and fiercely compassionate. Even on the phone, it was clear she believes God will sustain whatever He builds. 

Through local connections, she manages to feed a child for just $25 a month. 

Part of this strategy includes giving seeds and animals to families in their church community; when the produce and meat are harvested, Hope’s Nest buys directly from them—providing meaningful income to families who otherwise wouldn’t have work, and ensuring high-quality food for the children. 

 Hope’s Nest sits at the edge of a village where Dalit children, once dismissed as “untouchable,” are becoming sons and daughters. Through steady love, daily care, and the dignity of being truly seen, "S" is giving these children a future their birth status tried to deny. 

She is freely giving what she freely received. 

Nandu’s Story 

One of those children is a little girl named Nandu. Her mother had left her life of prostitution and begun again with a new husband, but tragedy hit hard—he was killed in a car accident while traveling. Soon after, her mother was hospitalized with Hepatitis B and left with nowhere to go. Because of her past, her family had long rejected her. 

Nandu was brought to Hope’s Nest, and when she learned the truth about her mother’s past, she found something she never expected: safety. Deep, steady safety. Siri and her team wrapped her in the kind of love that heals. And as they cared for Nandu, her mother began visiting the home. For the first time, she was surrounded by dignity instead of shame. In that place of mercy, she encountered Jesus. And surrendered her life to Him! PRAISE JESUS. 

This is generational redemption. This is revival beginning in one home, one mother, one child at a time. 

How You Can Pray 

• Pray for S, who is due any day with her third baby—asking God to surround her with strength, protection, and peace as she pours out her life for these children. 

UPDATE: S delivered a healthy baby girl. Praise God!

• Pray for the children already in the home and the ones still arriving—that God would provide every bed, every meal, every uniform, and every resource needed to feed, love, and send them to school. 

• Pray for provision and expansion, that Hope’s Nest would never have to turn a child away and that God would multiply their capacity to care for “the last and the least.” 

May this home continue to shine as a picture of God’s heart—setting the lonely in families and rewriting generational stories with His love. 

A Church in Every Village, 

Carissa Taylor & the Glory Project Team