Chapter 9 · 2 min read · 2 min listen
Amma
“He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom.” — from Isaiah 40
Later in 1901, Amy, the Walkers, the women of the band and little Preena moved to Dohnavur, a village at the foot of blue mountains. Long before, Dohnavur had been started as a safe place for Christians who had been driven from their homes. Now it became a safe place for children.
More girls came, and from about 1904 babies came too. Some were brought by mothers who could not keep them. Some were in danger of being given away to temples. Amy could no longer travel with the band, so she stayed home to care for the children. Some people said she had stopped being a missionary and become a nursemaid! But Amy believed that caring for a child for Jesus’ sake was as holy as preaching.
The children called her Amma, which means “mother” in Tamil. Amy wanted Dohnavur to be a family, not an orphanage. Everyone wore Indian clothes, ate Indian food and spoke Tamil, and each child was given a Tamil name chosen with care. Indian Christian women called accals, which means “elder sisters,” looked after the children with love. And in this family nobody was counted higher or lower than anyone else. Everyone was a sister.
Preena, whom Amy nicknamed the Elf, was full of fun. She did not like polishing the brass water-pots, until she found that singing helped. She sang very loud, because, she said, “Satan doesn’t like hymns.” At bedtime she counted her sins on one hand and her blessings on the other.
Dohnavur never asked anyone for money. Amy told God what they needed, and gifts came. By 1913 there were about a hundred and thirty children in the family.
Jesus is like a shepherd who carries his lambs close to his heart. You are never too small for him to love, and he wants you to belong to his family.
Dear Jesus, thank you for carrying me close to your heart. Thank you for the people who look after me, and help me to love my family well. Amen.
Talk about it together
Ask the questions first — then tap one for a note for grown-ups.
What does “Amma” mean, and who called Amy by that name?
It means “mother” in Tamil. The children of Dohnavur called her Amma.
Why did the Elf sing so loudly while she polished the brass pots?
Because, she said, “Satan doesn’t like hymns.” Singing helped her do a job she did not enjoy.
Who are the people who look after you, and how can you thank them?
Any honest answer is good here. The chapter’s point is that Jesus carries us like a shepherd carries his lambs, and he gives us people to love and care for us.
Chapter 9 complete
Amma