10 years ago, 300 formerly enslaved families gathered in a village called Shivnagar, Nepal, when bonded labour was abolished in their country. They were finally free, but they had no money, no education and no healthcare. Their future remained bleak.

Uma and her daughter Puspa were one of these families, released from their master when Puspa was just two. Alone, with her husband working in India, Uma had to borrow from neighbours just to feed her child.

Their circumstances were dire and, just three Christmases ago, Uma was taken ill with a fever. She describes her condition as so debilitating that she was unable to lift herself up out of bed. Because there are no medical facilities in the village and it is too expensive to get treatment in Tikapur, most illnesses remain undiagnosed in Shivnagar.

When Puspa heard carol singers walking by, she begged her mother to let them in and pray for her, as she had heard that Christians could heal people. Uma let them in, and told them, “If this works, I will follow Jesus”. Led by Pastor Madan, the carol singers from the nearby church came in, and prayed over Uma’s sick body, and when they left, Uma threw the blankets off - she had been healed. That was her first Christmas, and on Christmas Day she joined her local church in Tikapur.

Church and community mobilisation – the process of awakening the church and mobilising them to work with and support their community – is a passion that drives Pastor Madan to reach out to the many communities of former slaves that surround his church.

“Christmas reminds us of God’s love,” Pastor Madan says, “because he loved us first, and we must love our neighbour”. Sagoal, Tearfund’s partner organisation in Nepal, is working with Tikapur church to reach out to their local community to demonstrate God’s love.

Sagoal has helped Tikapur church start the ‘Love Your Neighbour’ scheme, which gave Uma a piglet. When she sold the pig, she bought two piglets, and gave one to a neighbour. Today, Uma has a livelihood so that she can provide food, education and healthcare to her daughter.

This is just one example of how churches are changing lives, in Nepal and all over the world. Churches are reaching into their local communities, to give them a hand up, not a hand out, and see lives transformed for good.  We see it in Wales, in the UK, and in countries far away too.

And now you can follow the story of one community, like the one in Nepal.  For £20 a month you’ll see poor communities changed beyond recognition before your eyes – demonstrating that your money and prayers are being put to work where they are needed most. You can choose to journey with a community in Africa, Asia or Latin America, and watch stories unfold. Month by month, you’ll receive emails and prayer updates from your chosen community. Every three months, we’ll send you a short film so you can see the transformation for yourself.

Not only can you invest in the very best work of the local church worldwide, but you can follow and share the journeys of real people experiencing real transformation. See for yourself how you can be a part of it. www.seeforyourself.org