0:00:02 > 0:00:0521st-century Britain.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09A country where traditional church attendance is plummeting.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Society is becoming so saturated in secularism,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16Christianity is now becoming like a second-class subject.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18If you put a leaflet through the door
0:00:18 > 0:00:20saying there was going to be a fight on Monday,
0:00:20 > 0:00:21everybody would turn up.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25But if there's the word "church" or "holy"...straight away, no.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27But it wasn't always the case.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32The 19th century was a golden age for Christianity,
0:00:32 > 0:00:34and Britain exported that faith,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36despatching missionaries across the world,
0:00:36 > 0:00:38to places where today,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40belief is booming.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Jesus is walking among you all.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- That we should be saved! - Amen.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46Now, reversing those journeys,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49three idealistic Christians are coming here on their own missions.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52I have come with a lot of hope and a lot of faith.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55But is modern Britain ready for them?
0:00:55 > 0:00:59- If you believe God, something can happen.- Moses could be standing there himself,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and I still don't think they would go into a church.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06The atmosphere was very tense. There was no peace about it.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08And can their distinctive missionary styles
0:01:08 > 0:01:10rejuvenate failing church communities?
0:01:10 > 0:01:15He's hoping to fill a church, but people just aren't interested.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Great missionary work needs to be done.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22In Mumbai, India,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Kshama Jayaraj runs a church that is thriving.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28But will her animated form of worship
0:01:28 > 0:01:30help fill the empty pews
0:01:30 > 0:01:32in Shankill, Belfast?
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Heavenly Father, each day is a gift from you.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Northern Ireland was birthplace to missionary Amy Carmichael,
0:01:41 > 0:01:46who worked in India for 50 years, helping vulnerable young children.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Kshama wants to explore Amy's remarkable life story,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53to help fulfil her own UK mission.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Looking at this place, being where Amy Carmichael grew up,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00I am so encouraged and inspired by this visit over here.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03But are the people ready for her message?
0:02:04 > 0:02:06God is loving and kind.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08He loves everyone, he loves you.
0:02:08 > 0:02:09I don't believe in God.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12And can she help break down the old barriers of prejudice?
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Nobody is going to ask whether you are A group or B group.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19They know we're not from there. They're going to start something.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Christianity reached India in 52 AD,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34when Thomas the Apostle brought it to the state of Kerala.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36It is now India's third largest religion,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38with 24 million followers.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44In Mumbai, the House of Prayer is a Christian church,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48founded by 42-year-old teacher, Kshama Jayaraj,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50and her husband, Thomas.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54- Heavenly Father, I pray, your Grace. - Yes, Lord.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Here, they mix pop music and dance with prayer,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00and it's proving a hit with teenagers.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07The house caters to a lot of young people.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11We began with two and what I see today is 100.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16MUSIC PLAYS
0:03:20 > 0:03:23People need to be saved.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25They need to be told there is a Saviour.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29For me, preaching the gospel is not an option.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31It is a command.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35She's a spiritual mother,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37she's a friend, she's a sister.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43She comes, when at the point of time we need her, she is there.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46She's got this ability of connecting to people
0:03:46 > 0:03:48of different age groups, different cultures,
0:03:48 > 0:03:50so there is no barrier there.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Kshama wants to bring some of her successful ideas
0:03:54 > 0:03:56she's using in the House of Prayer,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58to Belfast, home of her heroine,
0:03:58 > 0:04:02inspirational missionary Amy Carmichael.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05Belfast has changed a lot
0:04:05 > 0:04:10since Amy started her missionary work here in the mid-1880s.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12It's still a city full of churches,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15but although religion is important culturally,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17church attendance is at an all-time low.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20God answers prayer,
0:04:20 > 0:04:21but his answer can be one of three -
0:04:21 > 0:04:23No,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26slow, or go.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Kshama will base herself at the Townsend Street Presbyterian Church
0:04:31 > 0:04:34in the Shankill area, where Amy first began her work.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37The minister at the church is Reverend Jack Lamb,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40who has been preaching here for 16 years.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I'm so looking forward to meeting Kshama,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48and I am excited about what might happen
0:04:48 > 0:04:49during the next couple of weeks.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I'm quite sure she's in for a culture shock.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56There's a big difference between Mumbai and the Shankill Road.
0:05:01 > 0:05:02Before leaving India,
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Kshama is taking a trip to the southern province of Tamil Nadu,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09to visit the legacy of Amy Carmichael.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20A devout Presbyterian from a wealthy Irish family,
0:05:20 > 0:05:2428-year-old Amy arrived in India in 1895.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30In 1901, she founded the Dohnavur Fellowship
0:05:30 > 0:05:33to care for orphaned or abused children.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Today, there are 145 children in the Dohnavur community,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42which has a hospital and a school.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Amy is celebrated in India as a social reformer,
0:05:48 > 0:05:50due to her pioneering work
0:05:50 > 0:05:54protecting vulnerable young Indian girls.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Her biggest battle was against the Hindu practice of devadasi,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00where young girls were given away by their families,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02to serve in Hindu temples.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06For many, this meant a life of prostitution and abuse.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Amy rescued hundreds of these children
0:06:09 > 0:06:11and, thanks in part to her efforts,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14the practice of devadasi is now outlawed.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Classroom is going on here. Which subject?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21I admire Amy Carmichael,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25because she got into one of the most difficult areas
0:06:25 > 0:06:27of saving little girls
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and she went into the thick of the battle,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and I admire Amy Carmichael for her boldness.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38Thank you, dear. Thank you. Thank you.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42APPLAUSE
0:06:42 > 0:06:45Two of the children she rescued in her later years
0:06:45 > 0:06:47are Nessa and Sura,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49who still live at Dohnavur.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51I adored her.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Even hero-worshipped her as I grew up.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56She's such a lovely,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58perfect mother
0:06:58 > 0:07:03and embraced everyone who came to her.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07She would just cuddle everyone.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09She said that our aim should be
0:07:09 > 0:07:11to lead people to Christ.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14That should be our motive always.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Amy remained in India for 56 years
0:07:17 > 0:07:21until her death in 1951, aged 83.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Her grave is marked by a stone birdbath
0:07:24 > 0:07:28with the simple inscription, "Amma", meaning "mother",
0:07:28 > 0:07:30the name given to her by the children.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36I wouldn't believe that somebody could even want a grave like this,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38with just a birdbath and a tree.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41This is the first time I have seen a grave like this.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45I've not even done 2% of what Amy has done,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48but this visit has put something in my heart.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Now, Kshama is embarking on her own mission.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58She's going to Northern Ireland, home of Amy Carmichael.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59For Kshama, this is a big step,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02as it will be her first visit to the UK.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04It takes courage and risks to travel.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Going to a strange place, a different culture,
0:08:06 > 0:08:10and you've got to go and convince them that I am your friend.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13It's a challenge and Amy had that in her.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16In Belfast, she wants to follow Amy's example
0:08:16 > 0:08:19and help the youngest members of the community.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Just as Amy Carmichael was a blessing to the children and the youth,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27I want to go to Belfast to talk to the youth, to talk to the children.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Yes, there are clashes over there,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32but whether Catholics or Protestants,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36they all need a personal relationship with Jesus.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- OK.- Praise the Lord. - Praise the Lord.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Belfast. Capital of Northern Ireland.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09It's a city with a rich commercial and industrial heritage,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12and the past has left its mark on the landscape.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I don't know, but I get this feeling
0:09:14 > 0:09:16that it is a very homely place,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20pleasant, very attractive,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22with old architecture...
0:09:22 > 0:09:24But I like this place.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Kshama's first impressions might be favourable,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29but behind the facades and shops,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32there remain lingering religious resentments.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36After Irish independence in 1921,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39six counties in the North remained within the UK.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42There has been tension since between Protestants,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44loyal to Britain,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and the Irish nationalist Catholics.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Although religious divisions persist,
0:09:50 > 0:09:54the numbers of people actually going to church is in steep decline.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Kshama hopes to ignite the faith in the younger generation,
0:09:59 > 0:10:00who represent the future.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07During her visit, she will be staying with Elizabeth McClean,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11who attends Townsend Church, where Kshama is going to be based.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13- Nice to see you, you're welcome. - Thank you.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15I'm sure you're quite tired after all your travelling?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- Tired, but I'm happy.- Good, good.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21We'll just have a relaxing evening.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'My mission is going to be challenging.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25'It's going to be one day at a time.'
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Tomorrow we start, so I have a lot of excitement,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33just waiting for what's in store for me in Belfast.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37'And I am grateful to God for the example of Amy Carmichael.'
0:10:38 > 0:10:42The Townsend Presbyterian Church
0:10:42 > 0:10:44is in the Shankill area,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47where Amy first began her missionary work.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49It's a beautiful church.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54"Glory to God in the highest."
0:10:54 > 0:10:57And on earth, peace, goodwill towards men.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58- Good morning.- Kshama!
0:10:58 > 0:11:01- I have been waiting so long for this.- I have been waiting...
0:11:01 > 0:11:06- The day has arrived. I hope that you have a wonderful time with us.- Yes.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09There are about 40 churches, all Protestant, in this area.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11In Amy's time, they were full.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Today, just 15% of people attend a service once a month,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and an increasingly ageing congregation do.
0:11:18 > 0:11:2260 years ago, coming to church on a Sunday
0:11:22 > 0:11:26would have been an opportunity for an evening out or a morning out
0:11:26 > 0:11:29as well as coming to worship God.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Whereas nowadays, you can stay in bed,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34get up and watch the television...
0:11:34 > 0:11:36there are so many other activities,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39to take away the attention of people.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44The lady, whose name is Kshama, has arrived,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47and I would like, right at the outset of this service,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50to find out a bit more about Kshama for myself.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Kshama, could you be brave enough to come and join me
0:11:53 > 0:11:54for a minute or two?
0:11:54 > 0:11:59Four generations ago, my great grandfather,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02who was the son of a temple priest,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06went to one of the holy rivers of India,
0:12:06 > 0:12:10and there was a missionary sitting on the river bank,
0:12:10 > 0:12:15and that is why today my family knows the Lord Jesus,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19and I believe the same Jesus is going to fill every chair
0:12:19 > 0:12:23in Townsend Presbyterian with young people,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25and people who need to know him.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30So I have come with a lot of hope and a lot of faith. Thank you.
0:12:30 > 0:12:36CONGREGATION SING
0:12:36 > 0:12:38There weren't many people in the church,
0:12:38 > 0:12:44and I do feel that if young people got into the church today,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47we would have to re-evaluate our service.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It couldn't be like the one it was today.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52It was very formal today.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Probably, we'd have to introduce some contemporary songs,
0:12:55 > 0:12:59some loud music, some jumpy music... just get them in.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03- It was lovely, you speaking this morning.- Thank you so much.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06- You were lovely. You got very emotional, but you were lovely. - I'm sorry.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10- No, don't be sorry! - I couldn't control myself. - It was very meaningful.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18Belfast's recent history has been a turbulent one.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23In the early 1970s, sectarian tension erupted into violence.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25Three decades of vicious conflict ensued,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28involving republican and loyalist paramilitaries,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30and the British Army.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36These have been momentous years for the people in Belfast.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39From over 30 years of conflict,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42we are now, please God,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46coming into a time where we are going to see
0:13:46 > 0:13:48far less violence,
0:13:48 > 0:13:53and we are going to see a future in which people will work together,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and the future generations will not have the pains
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and the sorrows of the past.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02So you're on the road which links the two areas?
0:14:02 > 0:14:07Yes. Townsend Street links the loyalist Shankill area
0:14:07 > 0:14:09with the nationalist Falls area.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Despite the ceasefire agreement in 1997,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17there are still barriers in parts of Belfast,
0:14:17 > 0:14:20separating Protestant and Catholic communities.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22They are known as peace walls.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25This looks like a war zone, to be honest, Reverend Jack.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Sadly, you are quite right in describing it that way.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a child,
0:14:32 > 0:14:37growing up in one of the houses just opposite this wall and looking at it
0:14:37 > 0:14:42and asking your mum or dad, "What's on the other side of the wall?"
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I say to myself, the Berlin Wall's come down,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50and yet this fence is still here.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53But was there so much need for it to be...?
0:14:53 > 0:14:54Well, there was a felt need.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58I long for the day when this fence comes down.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03The wall was put up
0:15:03 > 0:15:06to prevent violence on the borders between the two communities.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11Even today, every evening the gates giving access are closed.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Union flags mark out the fiercely Protestant Shankill area.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22In a land where there were so many missionaries,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26I wouldn't expect a division like this.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Catholics and Protestants are names given by people, not by Jesus.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It's not mentioned in the Bible at all.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35I just hope that this will break down these dividing walls,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39and people will come together under the name Jesus.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42And not under any other name.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Kshama's keen to get going with her mission,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50to get the young people of Belfast back into church.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53And she's using her own secret weapon.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58These puppets have come from India.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01They had different names back in Bombay,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05but we've renamed them Annie and Johnny.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07The puppets are going to become friends
0:16:07 > 0:16:09with the little children in Belfast.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Whose story is in the Bible?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- Jesus. - Jesus.- Loves you.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24Back in India, Kshama's puppets are a big hit with young children.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- Jesus loves you so much.- So much.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- All so much.- So much.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32But will they have the same effect on the streets of Belfast?
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Oh, my God!
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I have come to tell you a story that Jesus loves you.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Have you heard of that?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I heard it in Sunday school.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Understood the power of Jesus Christ?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It was fun just to be with them.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58What I saw is that children all over the world are the same.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01They long for a hug, they long for a kiss,
0:17:01 > 0:17:02they long for the love of God.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06Who's going to wear this? Ah! Come!
0:17:06 > 0:17:09To engage with the older children,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Kshama is getting them to act out stories about Jesus.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16All you have to do is ask Jesus to come into your heart.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Are you ready to do that?
0:17:19 > 0:17:22But Kshama is particularly keen to reach out
0:17:22 > 0:17:24to the teenage members of the local community.
0:17:26 > 0:17:3015-year-old Curtis is just the sort of teenager
0:17:30 > 0:17:32she wants to bring into the church.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Hello, Curtis. Good morning. How are you?
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Two years ago, he was expelled from school.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41They thought I always messed about.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44They kept blaming me for stuff that I didn't do. So I just went mad.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48- So which year did you drop out of school?- Fourth year.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50And since then, what have you been doing?
0:17:50 > 0:17:51Nothing. Sitting in the house.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Kshama wants to persuade Curtis
0:17:53 > 0:17:56that the Bible can help him get back on track.
0:17:56 > 0:18:01You were wondering, how could a book help you to be successful?
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Curtis, I think it will start making a difference.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08- Do you have a Bible with you?- No. - Can I get one for you?- No.- Any time?
0:18:08 > 0:18:13- Because if you start...- Can't read. I'll not be able to read the Bible.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16It is a very easy one. No? Then I will read it for you.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18God is loving and kind.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20He loves everyone, he loves you.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23He wants you to grow up to be happy and strong.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25It makes God sad when you get hurt or things go wrong.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29If you feel that things have gone wrong, Curtis, in your life,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I'm going to begin to pray for you, and things are going to change.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Nothing went wrong, it's all right.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36This Sunday evening, I am going to speak
0:18:36 > 0:18:40at the Townsend Presbyterian church. 7pm.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44- I'll not be up at that time. - My invitation to you...
0:18:44 > 0:18:467pm to 8pm. Just one hour.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I don't believe in God.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51But He believes in you.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Kshama's enthusiasm for her faith
0:18:53 > 0:18:56doesn't seem to be translating that well.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02I think she really does believe in God and all, but I don't.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05She thinks that I was meant to.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06But I don't.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I believe that the world was man-made.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Because how can he just throw a lot of houses down?
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Road, water, everything.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21How could a person who is not alive going to make stuff like this?
0:19:21 > 0:19:22Never.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Like Curtis, many teens in the UK
0:19:27 > 0:19:31feel Christianity has no relevance to their everyday lives.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33They have other things to worry about,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36such as education, relationships and community.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Some have even greater concerns.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44The UK has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in Western Europe
0:19:44 > 0:19:49and in Belfast, teenagers are responsible for nearly one in 12 births.
0:19:49 > 0:19:55To understand more, Kshama has arranged to meet 17-year-old Vicky
0:19:55 > 0:19:56and her son, Joshua.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Well, hello!
0:19:59 > 0:20:02He is one year old!
0:20:05 > 0:20:08You were probably how old when you...?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10- I was 15 when I got pregnant.- OK.
0:20:11 > 0:20:18Are there many people you know who are teenagers and have little babies?
0:20:18 > 0:20:22There is quite a few people that have babies as teenagers, yeah.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24I had a certain group of friends at school
0:20:24 > 0:20:26and a couple of them have got babies now, yeah.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31The school did not educate you all before, like when you were 13,
0:20:31 > 0:20:3514, and tell you that things could happen
0:20:35 > 0:20:38and that you needed to be wise and take precautions?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41There was an optional sex education class,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43but my mum didn't allow me to take it.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- Oh.- So...
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- And do you wish you had taken it?- And now we've got Joshua.
0:20:49 > 0:20:50We've got Joshua!
0:20:50 > 0:20:56How did you manage going to school and taking care of all your needs?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59It was difficult trying to get up in the mornings to go to school
0:20:59 > 0:21:01because I had him inside me as well.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Difficult staying in school
0:21:03 > 0:21:05because I had really bad morning sickness and everything.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I left school quite a bit.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Tell me something about your family, Vicky. Who do you stay with?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16I've basically not got a lot of family over here
0:21:16 > 0:21:19because they all live in Manchester now.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24That's quite difficult, because we don't see my mum any more.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26- She's moved to Canada.- Oh.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30It was with the young girls of Shankill
0:21:30 > 0:21:35that a teenage Amy Carmichael started her missionary work.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37On the walls of one of the old mills,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Kshama has found a tribute to Amy.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52In the late 1800s, Belfast was the world's biggest linen producer,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55employing thousands of girls in the local mills.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Working long hours for little pay, they were poor and badly educated.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Amy held Sunday morning classes to help them improve their lives.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12I've read in Amy Carmichael's biography about the shawlies,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15the mill workers, the girls with the shawls.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Look at her.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21She's a simple girl, made to work like an adult,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23when she hasn't yet reached adulthood.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Somewhere, there's a lost childhood in that face.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Many of the mill girls felt
0:22:29 > 0:22:32they weren't dressed smartly enough for formal church services.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Amy wanted to do something to help them.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Still only 22 years old,
0:22:38 > 0:22:40she purchased derelict land with money given to her
0:22:40 > 0:22:45by a wealthy family friend and three months later, in January 1889,
0:22:45 > 0:22:49a building was officially opened for the mill workers to worship in.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52It was called the Welcome Hall and it's still a working church today.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59The current minister is Pastor Jonathan Clarke.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Very pleased to meet you,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03lovely to have you here at the Welcome Evangelical church.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06The building has been modernised over the years.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09The original Welcome Hall had a tin roof.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11It used to be called the Tin Tabernacle
0:23:11 > 0:23:13back in Amy Carmichael's day.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Some of these girls would have been going to work at 14 years of age
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and they would have been working maybe 12 hours a day,
0:23:20 > 0:23:2314 hours a day, and they worked in very poor conditions.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26They would have worked maybe without shoes on their feet.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Amy had a real social conscience.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- She had a wonderful empathy for people.- Empathy...
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Yes, there was a spiritual attachment.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Yes, she had her prayer meetings, she had her evangelistic meetings,
0:23:37 > 0:23:43but she also had the social, practical context as well to the work.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46She had sewing classes, where she would have learnt girls how to sew.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- Right here in this place? - Yeah, in this place.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51She actually had education nights
0:23:51 > 0:23:54where she learnt some of these girls how to read and write.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57She didn't ever think about marriage, do you know?
0:23:57 > 0:24:00I think she considered it but then she realised that, you know...
0:24:00 > 0:24:03- Her call was different. - Her call was different.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05She was to live the life of a single woman.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10I've come to Belfast to retrace the steps of this lovely missionary.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Even my being here has spoken to me a lot,
0:24:13 > 0:24:19that God and his grace will help me raise up many Amy Carmichaels
0:24:19 > 0:24:24to go from here, to bring the gospel to many people.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30Amy Carmichael's secret was to tailor her Christianity
0:24:30 > 0:24:33to the needs of the congregation. Kshama wants to do this shame.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37She has ideas about how to make Reverend Jack's church
0:24:37 > 0:24:39more appealing to youngsters.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43- I want them to come to a contemporary service.- Using the more modern hymns?
0:24:43 > 0:24:45- Modern hymns.- I'm happy with that.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46It will be a little noisy
0:24:46 > 0:24:49but probably more attractive for the youngsters.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50OK, well, let's give it a go!
0:24:50 > 0:24:53Maybe what we could do, Kshama, is we could get you to preach.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- How about getting you to preach this Sunday evening?- Oh, I'd love that.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01For many years, Reverend Jack's congregation has been declining.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06Today, sometimes as few as 25 will attend a service.
0:25:06 > 0:25:07It is a tiny congregation
0:25:07 > 0:25:12when you consider that this building would still seat 1,100 people
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and in the 1950s, it was seating 1,100 people.
0:25:16 > 0:25:21The other thing we've got to face up to is the dramatic decline
0:25:21 > 0:25:26in the available numbers of people in the Shankill area,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28because during the '50s, the population of this area
0:25:28 > 0:25:33would have been topping 79,000 in the Shankill area.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Now, it's down to something like 29,000,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39so we've got a smaller number of people to draw on.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Kshama wants to reverse the trend
0:25:44 > 0:25:47of Reverend Jack's falling attendance and the next day,
0:25:47 > 0:25:52she's back on the street to drum up support for her first church service.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Hi, Darcy!
0:25:55 > 0:26:00I need girls to wear flowers, girls to give out flowers.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03She's brought Jack along to help.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05A young service with young people...
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Kshama is truly a breath of fresh air.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12I never dreamt that she would be so full of enthusiasm.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15In fact, she's a whirlwind of energy and dynamism.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I think this is actually a challenge to myself.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Maybe I should be taking a leaf out of Kshama's book
0:26:22 > 0:26:25and being a bit more upfront, but more public.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28I don't feel that I have won them over yet.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I am worried that the ones who said they'd come might just probably have
0:26:31 > 0:26:36something more interesting to do, but I hope and I pray that some will.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47In India, Kshama's church has focused on a more relaxed approach
0:26:47 > 0:26:49to bring in a younger congregation.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56It's a tactic that has been hugely successful.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58She's hoping this more approachable style
0:26:58 > 0:27:01will also appeal to the young in Shankill.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06But like the rest of the UK, Shankill on a Sunday
0:27:06 > 0:27:08is no longer just about church.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14From sport to car boot sales,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17there are many other activities competing for people's time.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26But Kshama's enthusiasm for her mission has had the desired effect.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29A number of the children she met on the streets have turned up
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- and are getting involved. - Thank you very much.- Lovely!
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- Thank you.- Oh, wow! - Thank you so much.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Amy Carmichael thought the church should embrace everyone
0:27:39 > 0:27:41and Kshama's using Amy's "come one, come all" approach
0:27:41 > 0:27:44to make people feel at home.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Welcome, each and every one of you.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Why don't you look your neighbour in the eye and say, "I welcome you."
0:27:52 > 0:27:58Shake hands with them and say, "Well, good you came to church."
0:28:00 > 0:28:03To keep the younger children involved,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Kshama's made some flags for them to wave and introduced new songs.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10It's an idea she's brought from her own church in India.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11# So good
0:28:11 > 0:28:15# God is so good
0:28:15 > 0:28:17# God is so good
0:28:17 > 0:28:21# He's so good to me...
0:28:21 > 0:28:23The church isn't full, but it's a start.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26# Jesus Christ said
0:28:26 > 0:28:28# He took my sin
0:28:28 > 0:28:31# He's so good to me. #
0:28:32 > 0:28:33We'll give a hand to Jesus.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35APPLAUSE
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Well, I was thrilled that so many children came along
0:28:41 > 0:28:46because Kshama had worked so hard, knocking doors, talking to children,
0:28:46 > 0:28:50running round the estate and we must have had easily 20 children
0:28:50 > 0:28:54in that church this evening and 20 children who have never,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57some of them, been in that church building at all before.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59So that was tremendous.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02Reverend Jack might be pleased with the numbers,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06but Kshama is disappointed more teenagers didn't come.
0:29:06 > 0:29:11Well, there were, if I actually count on my fingers, four teenagers.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13I thought it would be easier.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15I thought I'd get this congregation of people
0:29:15 > 0:29:19who would the next Sunday, go and get youth,
0:29:19 > 0:29:22and I'd be talking to 65 to 75 youth who would say,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24"Wow, terrific!"
0:29:24 > 0:29:28And I really thought it would be easy.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36So far, Kshama's mission hasn't gone as well as she'd hoped.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Looking for strength and inspiration from her heroine,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42she's come to Millisle, 20 miles east of Belfast.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46It's the place where Amy lived as a child.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- Good morning, sir. - Good morning.- I'm Kshama.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58I need to know, where is the church where Amy Carmichael was...?
0:29:58 > 0:30:03- Over there. - Oh, right there. OK. Thank you.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05Shore Road...
0:30:08 > 0:30:13Amy was born here in 1867, the eldest of seven children.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Her father, David, was a wealthy mill owner
0:30:16 > 0:30:18and a great philanthropist.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20The family built the first schoolhouse
0:30:20 > 0:30:24used by the town's children and the adult mill workers.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31And that's the church over there, where David Carmichael
0:30:31 > 0:30:37and his family, that is Amy's dad, would worship every Sunday -
0:30:37 > 0:30:40the Millisle and Ballycopeland Presbyterian Church.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46I'm sure Amy Carmichael must have come to collect seashells.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49She must have heard the sound of the sea.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53And that's what made her a lover of nature.
0:30:53 > 0:31:00It makes me relive how she must have spent her childhood,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03just running along the beach with the wind in her hair,
0:31:03 > 0:31:04with the gulls in the sky.
0:31:04 > 0:31:11Although Amy's home has long since gone, a family house still stands.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13This is Amy's uncle's house.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17Probably, she played around in this garden.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25When their business could no longer compete with flour mills in America,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28the Carmichael family sold up and in 1888,
0:31:28 > 0:31:31moved to Belfast to start a new enterprise.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36Coming to Millisle has given Kshama a chance to reflect
0:31:36 > 0:31:39on how her mission is going.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41Things have been tough.
0:31:41 > 0:31:46It's not been exactly how I expected it to go or I wanted it to go.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50But I've moved on and just looking at this place and being here,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52where Amy Carmichael grew up,
0:31:52 > 0:31:57I am so encouraged and inspired by this visit over here.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00My mission in Belfast is going to continue
0:32:00 > 0:32:02with greater hope and enthusiasm.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10# She slipped into the night and she was gone... #
0:32:10 > 0:32:13Kshama's halfway through her time in Belfast.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16With renewed energy, she's continuing her mission
0:32:16 > 0:32:20to introduce more teenagers to Christianity.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23She's been invited to a youth centre in the Shankill,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27which offers a safe place for youngsters to hang out.
0:32:27 > 0:32:33Ruth Pettigrew left her job as deaconess at the Townsend Street Church to run the centre.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37I needed to come out of the church and go into community,
0:32:37 > 0:32:41because for a lot of people here, the churches are irrelevant.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44They perceived the churches as not caring,
0:32:44 > 0:32:48the church doesn't understand, the church doesn't really want them,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50and we could have all kinds of programs
0:32:50 > 0:32:51but they just weren't coming in.
0:32:51 > 0:32:58Ruth is a Christian but she doesn't believe in preaching to the kids who come to her centre.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00She's advised Kshama that she must first win their trust
0:33:00 > 0:33:03before she discusses her faith with them.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07I have hardly seen 16, 17, 18 around,
0:33:07 > 0:33:10but I saw them around Ruth today at the community centre.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12I like the way people connect to her.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14A bunch of boys and said "Hi, Ruth,"
0:33:14 > 0:33:17and they started talking to her.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Hi, boys, welcome.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Kshama has taken Ruth's advice.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Instead of preaching, she's engaging the boys
0:33:27 > 0:33:29by introducing them to Indian cookery.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32- Can you cut the garlic?- Me? - Yeah, so I'll fry...
0:33:32 > 0:33:37In the UK, 45% of 16 to 24-year-olds have never attended church.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42- The seeds are spicy? - The seeds are VERY spicy.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45- I'll eat that in one bite, no sweat.- Go for it.- Oh, I can't.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47- No, don't!- You do it.- No, no, no.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50- You go half and I'll go half. - No, no, I'm not going half!
0:33:50 > 0:33:52What about I go half and you go half?
0:33:52 > 0:33:54- No, it's very spicy. Don't try it. - I'll eat that bit, right?
0:33:54 > 0:33:58I don't know why he's doing this. Give him sugar in his mouth.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Holy BLEEP!
0:34:02 > 0:34:05- Is that warm? - HE MUMBLES
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Please drink water!
0:34:09 > 0:34:12I am happy. I'm just so happy and delighted.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16My mission is to tell young boys and young girls that Jesus loves them
0:34:16 > 0:34:19in any which way I can connect.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23And it's not me just trying to connect to give the gospel,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25it's making good friends.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27Do you not eat them with rice or chips, no?
0:34:27 > 0:34:30- Chips?- Rice.- Rice and curry.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33Kshama's experience at the youth centre has taught her
0:34:33 > 0:34:38that she needs to understand and connect more with the community
0:34:38 > 0:34:40before offering spiritual help,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43just like Amy Carmichael did at her mission in southern India.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47She's come to the home of teenage mum, Vicky,
0:34:47 > 0:34:50to see if there's anything she can do to help.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55This time, she's also meeting 16-year-old Ben, Joshua's father.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Ben, when you found out that
0:35:00 > 0:35:03you were going to get a little baby on its way,
0:35:03 > 0:35:08what were your emotions and what did you go through?
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Well, at first it was more a shock.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14We'd been arguing a lot,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18so we'd stopped talking for quite a while
0:35:18 > 0:35:22then when he came along, that was it.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Started talking again.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Do you want some time where both of you go out?
0:35:28 > 0:35:30I can take care of him.
0:35:30 > 0:35:36- I'll be more than happy babysitting your young one.- Yeah.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38No, I'm not going to lift them. You play with this one.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42I feel as if here is a young girl who has lost her youth.
0:35:42 > 0:35:47She was made into a mother, she was made into a caregiver
0:35:47 > 0:35:50when she's too young for it.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54We can't point a finger at any three of them.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59We have to extend hands of help and hands of compassion.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Kshama wants to show Vicky and Ben
0:36:05 > 0:36:08that there's more to Christianity than church services
0:36:08 > 0:36:12and has offered them respite from their day-to-day lives.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16She's treating the teenagers to a day out.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21She'll be responsible for looking after Joshua so they can spend time together.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Some people will take time to know Jesus
0:36:27 > 0:36:31but your practical help will be that one thing which will draw them.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34You may be the only gospel some people will ever read.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38They may not read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John but when they see you,
0:36:38 > 0:36:39they can see Christ.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42With Kshama looking after their baby,
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Ben and Vicky have been able to spend quality time together.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49We'd never like be able to hold hands and walk together or anything
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- and we are doing it now, so it's really weird. - And she's taking him away.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54Come back!
0:36:56 > 0:36:58But like Amy Carmichael, in India,
0:36:58 > 0:37:02the practical help goes hand-in-hand with the spiritual
0:37:02 > 0:37:05and Kshama has a proposition.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10Ben and Vicky, I've been praying for Joshua
0:37:10 > 0:37:13and also thinking that if it's fine with you all,
0:37:13 > 0:37:17can we just bless Joshua
0:37:17 > 0:37:22and bless him for the future and all that God has plans for him?
0:37:22 > 0:37:26- I don't mind. - I think it's quite good.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28We could have it in the Townsend Street Church,
0:37:28 > 0:37:32because that's the place I know and I could take permission,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36so that we could have your friends or your family
0:37:36 > 0:37:40and people whom we love who care for him.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43I think it's a great idea. It would be really nice.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Yeah, I think it's a really good idea to get him blessed.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48It's nothing that we've ever thought of, really,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51but we did think about getting him christened
0:37:51 > 0:37:53and this isn't getting him christened
0:37:53 > 0:37:55but it's like getting christened.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58She said, like, it's not Catholic or Protestant,
0:37:58 > 0:38:02so that's OK because we're not religious people, are we?
0:38:02 > 0:38:04I'm not a very churchy person.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07- Definitely not.- Definitely not.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12The very fact that they both said yes is a beautiful beginning
0:38:12 > 0:38:15where Christ is invited into their home.
0:38:15 > 0:38:19Kshama's approach of going out into the community
0:38:19 > 0:38:21to introduce people to the church is directly inspired
0:38:21 > 0:38:25by the work of the Victorian missionaries.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Amy Carmichael was an advocate of this approach.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31In India, she worked with a group of female Christians,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34known as the Starry Cluster.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37They would travel for days at a time to reach remote villages
0:38:37 > 0:38:40to offer help and spread the word.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45In Belfast, Reverend Jack is enthusiastic about this approach.
0:38:45 > 0:38:51I think that one of the key things that Kshama has taught us is the importance of listening,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54especially listening to young people,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58because they're at the stage in their lives where they feel misunderstood.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01They feel that nobody cares sometimes,
0:39:01 > 0:39:06nobody understands what they're thinking and how they're feeling.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Kshama has brought home
0:39:09 > 0:39:13that listening is as important as talking.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25The reminders of Northern Ireland's turbulent history
0:39:25 > 0:39:30are to be found in the murals which adorn Belfast's walls.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Many of them honour paramilitary figures killed during the Troubles.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41I see so many murals and they all have a message,
0:39:41 > 0:39:45but some of them have these soldiers in black
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and sometimes the message is quite unnerving.
0:39:48 > 0:39:49Believe it or not,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53the ones that you see now are a lot more positive than they used to be.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56- They're not about religion, it's about many other things.- Oh, yeah.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59The same murals are in the nationalist area?
0:39:59 > 0:40:00- Same...?- I mean, same kind?
0:40:00 > 0:40:05Same kind of thing, just to sort of intimidate people and go,
0:40:05 > 0:40:06"Be very afraid."
0:40:08 > 0:40:09To further her mission,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Kshama plans to paint a mural with a more positive message.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17- I want to get a message of peace across.- OK.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22The message of the love of Christ and the peace of Christ on this
0:40:22 > 0:40:25big wall with colours, with writing
0:40:25 > 0:40:27and so whoever passes by can see it.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Sure! But what are you going to put on?
0:40:32 > 0:40:36- You need to be careful in how you portray this, OK?- OK.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40So you need to choose something that's going to be eye-catching,
0:40:40 > 0:40:44get the message across but without preaching at them.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Share the word of God, tell the truth, but don't preach at them.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54A peace mural might seem a small thing,
0:40:54 > 0:40:58but Kshama's taken Amy Carmichael's philosophy as her inspiration.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01She was only a girl of 17.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03We find her on her own initiative
0:41:03 > 0:41:09visiting the streets behind College Gardens on Sunday afternoons,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12gathering children around her and bringing them
0:41:12 > 0:41:15back to her own home for a children's meeting.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19I have been inspired by what Amy Carmichael started.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21She started with very simple things.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24She didn't start with a great pompous meeting,
0:41:24 > 0:41:28she began with prayer and she began with children.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30She started small and she ended big.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35So we start simple, we start small, and God gives us the victory.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Amy also believed you should care for people
0:41:40 > 0:41:42regardless of their background.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45She fought against the caste system in India
0:41:45 > 0:41:48by treating everyone as equal.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Kshama wants to do the same in Belfast
0:41:50 > 0:41:54by bringing different sides of the community together.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58She's keen to get youngsters from all sides of the divide
0:41:58 > 0:41:59to help paint her mural.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02For the first time since she's been in Belfast,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Kshama is taking a trip to one of the predominantly Catholic parts of the city.
0:42:05 > 0:42:10The Falls Road is less than a mile away from the Shankill,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12but for many, it's a world apart.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16To be on the Nationalist side, for me, doesn't make any difference.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20The same people, same smiles, same Northern Irish accent
0:42:20 > 0:42:23only, of course, a wee bit of difference.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27The placards and the nameplates are in the Irish language also.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Human beings are the same.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31It's only ideologies and philosophies that divide
0:42:31 > 0:42:34and men that divide people from each other.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38# In the name of love... #
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Despite the wall that divides them,
0:42:40 > 0:42:44the pressures and fears that teenage girls face here
0:42:44 > 0:42:47are much the same as those of girls from the Shankill.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49Kshama is visiting the Falls Women's Centre,
0:42:49 > 0:42:53which runs classes in parenting and sexual health.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57First of all, genital warts. I'll just read yous all the facts.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59They're caused by a virus
0:42:59 > 0:43:02and it's easily passed from one person to another by sexual contact.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05- Can babies not get it? - I'm going to pass round the last one now, which is syphilis.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09It can harm the bones and the nervous system
0:43:09 > 0:43:11and it will eventually lead to death.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Having kept preaching under wraps
0:43:13 > 0:43:15with the boys at the Shankill Youth Centre,
0:43:15 > 0:43:19here, Kshama can't resist giving spiritual advice to the girls.
0:43:20 > 0:43:21Hi, girls.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25What I want to say after I had this wonderful session with you all
0:43:25 > 0:43:29is that God made one man for one woman.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32I'm not saying don't have fun, you know.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Sex is lovely when there is marriage,
0:43:34 > 0:43:38when there is commitment, when there is faithfulness.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41How much His heart will break if you mess up your lives.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43APPLAUSE
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Did you get offended with what I shared with you all?
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Some of the things you said
0:43:50 > 0:43:54about God making one guy for one girl was good,
0:43:54 > 0:43:58but not about the only having one sexual partner
0:43:58 > 0:44:00for the rest of your life.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02I think that would be a bit hard to do.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07Kshama may seem out of step with the girls' way of life,
0:44:07 > 0:44:11but she wants them to join her when she paints her mural.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14- You have to come to the Townsend. - Where's that?
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Outreach, on the Shankill.
0:44:16 > 0:44:21- Outreach centre. Is it fine with you?- Um...
0:44:23 > 0:44:27It's just us and we're in a Protestant place, like,
0:44:27 > 0:44:28but we're Catholics.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31But that's fine, that's perfectly fine.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35Nobody is going to ask whether you are A group or B group.
0:44:35 > 0:44:36No, the people know. They know.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39They know by our names and the way we talk.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41And they'll know that we are Catholics.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43But you talk the same way as they talk.
0:44:43 > 0:44:49Everybody knows what Catholics and what Protestants are, so...
0:44:49 > 0:44:51We never be in the Shankill Road or nothing,
0:44:51 > 0:44:53so like, they know that we're not from there
0:44:53 > 0:44:55because they've never, ever seen us over there,
0:44:55 > 0:44:57so they're obviously going to start something.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59Kshama hopes the girls will conquer their fears
0:44:59 > 0:45:03and visit the Shankill for the first time,
0:45:03 > 0:45:06but she's realising how deep the divisions run.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09Before I came to Belfast, I thought,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12I'm going to one united country, one united city.
0:45:12 > 0:45:14When I came here, I was very surprised.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18It was youngsters divided, children divided, adults divided
0:45:18 > 0:45:23into two groups on the basis of politics, religion and nationality.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26So many barriers have to be just broken down,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29just to be friends with them.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35Amy Carmichael had her own barriers to break down.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39She would often come into conflict with the local Hindu community
0:45:39 > 0:45:43and in 1914, faced imprisonment when accused of kidnapping a child
0:45:43 > 0:45:45she was trying to rescue.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47But she worked hard to be accepted
0:45:47 > 0:45:50and found ingenious ways to blend in.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54She would put coffee on her arms
0:45:54 > 0:45:56to darken her fair skin
0:45:56 > 0:45:59and she would wear a sari
0:45:59 > 0:46:03so that the villagers would identify with her.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06And if she could be so bold in those days,
0:46:06 > 0:46:10I think I could wear a tracksuit and start heeding my mural.
0:46:12 > 0:46:17The mural will be painted on one of the community centre walls.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21Yeah, yeah, that's good. Taking shape as it goes.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23The occasion is to be a celebration for the community
0:46:23 > 0:46:25and a lot has to be done.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27No, you're right coming down like this.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30It's four o'clock and I'm getting worried,
0:46:30 > 0:46:32because the buntings aren't up, the balloons aren't up,
0:46:32 > 0:46:36the mic system's not there and we haven't painted our mural.
0:46:36 > 0:46:41- Should I put Amy Carmichael in small writing, joint hand?- Yeah, yeah.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44- I thought we were drawing pictures, right.- Well, we were...
0:46:44 > 0:46:48Kshama seems to have finally made a breakthrough with the teenagers,
0:46:48 > 0:46:52successfully getting them involved with a Christian project.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58'I'm very happy that this mural will be a message.'
0:46:58 > 0:47:01It's got a very colloquial slogan - "What's the craic?"
0:47:01 > 0:47:05That is, "What's happening? What's the happening thing in Belfast?"
0:47:05 > 0:47:10We'll have, in a beautiful banner, his name, Jesus.
0:47:10 > 0:47:15# If you wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna have someone to talk to... #
0:47:15 > 0:47:18Three of the Catholic girls Kshama met at the Falls Women's Centre
0:47:18 > 0:47:22have been brave enough to come to help paint the mural.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25It's their first time in the Shankill
0:47:25 > 0:47:28and it's been a huge step for them
0:47:28 > 0:47:30to come to such a staunchly Protestant place.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Kshama's perseverance has helped persuade them to cross the divide.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38When I saw the girls from the Falls and the youngsters
0:47:38 > 0:47:43from the Shankill painting the mural together, that broke the ice.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48It was a message of love, a message of Jesus being a friend to all.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52It was that togetherness that didn't allow them
0:47:52 > 0:47:57to feel scared or threatened by each other's company.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00- You having fun, Aisling?- Yeah.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07Michelangelo probably had it as difficult as this,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10but it's shaping up. I'm thrilled, I'm thrilled.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15With everybody lending a hand to get things ready,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18Kshama's hopes for community spirit seem to be paying off.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25You're in charge of the spoons. You sit here.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31Included on the mural are some of Amy Carmichael's words...
0:48:38 > 0:48:40Amy started writing in the last years of her life,
0:48:40 > 0:48:43when she was bedridden after a serious fall.
0:48:43 > 0:48:47She had 37 books published, many of which are still in print today.
0:48:47 > 0:48:52I just need five minutes of your precious time.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57I'm from a country which is not a Christian country
0:48:57 > 0:49:02but somebody from the British Isles came to my country
0:49:02 > 0:49:04and told us about the Lord Jesus.
0:49:04 > 0:49:08I want you to all enjoy his love and his peace
0:49:08 > 0:49:10and give yourself a big clap.
0:49:10 > 0:49:12APPLAUSE
0:49:15 > 0:49:19In her own small way, Kshama has succeeded in bringing
0:49:19 > 0:49:23back from India Amy's missionary zeal and her ideal of embracing
0:49:23 > 0:49:27and supporting younger members of the community.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30# Sha la la la la la la La la da dah de dah... #
0:49:30 > 0:49:33That was a very positive thing.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36I have never experienced a road come alive.
0:49:36 > 0:49:42For me, it was a very big thing that on the road of Belfast,
0:49:42 > 0:49:45the name of Jesus is being glorified.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51- Did you enjoy the curry? - Yeah, yeah, it was really nice.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55- And did you enjoy coming? - Yeah, it was brilliant.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58- Was there anything to worry about? - No.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00- Did you see that "friend to all?" - Yes.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04Jesus is the one who loves both sides.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08He loves you very much and he has a great plan for your life.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12Bless you, girls. Thanks very much for coming.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15- You enjoyed coming?- Yeah.- And you've left your mark on the Shankill,
0:50:15 > 0:50:20you tell them that when you go home. Isn't that terrific?
0:50:23 > 0:50:27Before Kshama's mission finishes, she's making one more visit
0:50:27 > 0:50:32to the home of teenage mum, Vicky, ahead of baby Joshua's blessing.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39- Hi, Vicky.- Hello, Kshama. Hello.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41I have a gift for you, Vicky.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47This is the Bible.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Talking about Jesus,
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Jesus bore our sins in his body.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56On the tree means on the cross,
0:50:56 > 0:51:00so that we may not sin and live for righteousness.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03When you read these, you will be encouraged
0:51:03 > 0:51:06because when you are encouraged, you'll be happy
0:51:06 > 0:51:09and a happy mother makes a happy child.
0:51:09 > 0:51:10How do you feel?
0:51:12 > 0:51:16I like that you've given me a Bible, cos now I can read it
0:51:16 > 0:51:17and it can help me.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Bye.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22- God bless you, and remember that. - Yes.
0:51:26 > 0:51:30She is really religious, but she's like a good religious person
0:51:30 > 0:51:33because she's not full on all the time.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37She is some of the time, yeah, I'm not saying that she's not at all
0:51:37 > 0:51:40because she is sometimes, but not...
0:51:40 > 0:51:44Most of the time she's OK and she's fun and she's a good person.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52It's Kshama's final day at Townsend Street Church.
0:51:54 > 0:51:55Nathan and Nathan!
0:51:55 > 0:51:58Today is a special service to bless baby Joshua.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02Some of the teenagers who helped Kshama paint the mural
0:52:02 > 0:52:05have come to decorate the church.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Ben and Vicky have invited their families
0:52:12 > 0:52:14to celebrate Joshua's blessing.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25Today is also Kshama's last opportunity
0:52:25 > 0:52:27to fill the pews with young faces.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32What are you doing, Nathan?
0:52:32 > 0:52:35He's welcoming you in his own unique way. He's giving you five.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38That's how you say hi in the church.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46This is a special service, not just for Kshama,
0:52:46 > 0:52:51it's also a very special service for this little boy here, called Joshua.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56Let us start our service this evening
0:52:56 > 0:52:59by speaking to God in prayer. Let us pray.
0:53:00 > 0:53:06Heavenly Father, even as my arms are embracing Ben and Vicky and little Joshua,
0:53:06 > 0:53:11it is our prayer that he will come to know Jesus Christ
0:53:11 > 0:53:15as his Lord and saviour and forever friend. Amen.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18And now, I want the congregation
0:53:18 > 0:53:22to just stretch out their hand to bless this boy.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26The Lord bless you and keep you, Joshua.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29The Lord give you strength and health.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33May you be a blessing to your parents and to your family.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35I thought that was quite outstanding,
0:53:35 > 0:53:40the way in which Kshama was able to speak to a couple
0:53:40 > 0:53:44who clearly have little contact with the church and yet,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48they have a desire for the best for this child of theirs, Joshua.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51It's wonderful they've chosen the name Joshua, of course,
0:53:51 > 0:53:55which is the Old Testament name for Jesus - saviour.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57I feel Vicky had peace in her heart.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01She has done her best in giving Joshua over to Jesus.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07And Jesus is faithful. He'll make Joshua into a success story.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11I wanted the song from Westlife, You Raise Me Up.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15It's a very popular song, but it's a very calming song.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Kshama's success in India is built upon making the church
0:54:20 > 0:54:22feel modern and relevant to the young.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26Her mission to do the same in Townsend Street has proved difficult
0:54:26 > 0:54:29but in only two weeks, she has succeeded in filling
0:54:29 > 0:54:33many of the once empty pews with younger people.
0:54:33 > 0:54:35I want to ask you, is there somebody here
0:54:35 > 0:54:37who has never been afraid of anything?
0:54:37 > 0:54:43But I want you to come up in front, just write one fear.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Come, Kirsty, come. Write a fear.
0:54:46 > 0:54:51# You raise me up so I can stand on mountains
0:54:51 > 0:54:54# You raise me up...
0:54:54 > 0:54:55She wants to show the youngsters
0:54:55 > 0:54:59that the church is ready to listen to their worries
0:54:59 > 0:55:01and understand their needs.
0:55:01 > 0:55:08# I am strong when I am on your shoulders
0:55:08 > 0:55:16# You raise me up to more than I can be. #
0:55:23 > 0:55:26I was scared of so many things in my life.
0:55:26 > 0:55:31As a teenager in college, as a student in high school
0:55:31 > 0:55:35and as a young lady wondering, who am I going to get married to?
0:55:35 > 0:55:41I was so scared, but when I found Jesus, my fears were dealt with.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43What does Jesus say?
0:55:43 > 0:55:47"I am with you, do not be afraid."
0:55:52 > 0:55:55I thought it was going to be with, like, holy water and all that.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59No, Kshama said there was not going to be any water involved.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Well, I didn't know, because you didn't tell me.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05It was fun and it was nice and it was our family together
0:56:05 > 0:56:09and Joshua was getting blessed and it was just nice.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13Bye, Ruby! Bye, Vicky!
0:56:13 > 0:56:16Before she leaves Belfast, Kshama has invited the teens
0:56:16 > 0:56:18and children to sign their names on the mural
0:56:18 > 0:56:23so they will always remember their part in its creation.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25I met youngsters in Belfast,
0:56:25 > 0:56:27youngsters not very different from those in India.
0:56:27 > 0:56:30The challenges, the loneliness, the rejection,
0:56:30 > 0:56:32the emotions are the same
0:56:32 > 0:56:35and I've been able to introduce the Lord Jesus in their own way.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38I feel very emotional, I feel like crying,
0:56:38 > 0:56:43because I know I'm going to leave people I have received so much from.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51I remember Amy Carmichael, when she left Belfast,
0:56:51 > 0:56:54she left her shawlies, she left her mill workers
0:56:54 > 0:56:57but the mission continues, and I'm going to do the same thing.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04She's got the measure of this area.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06She knows how to speak to people
0:57:06 > 0:57:11and yet she does not compromise on the message that she has brought.
0:57:11 > 0:57:14The message that Amy Carmichael took out to India,
0:57:14 > 0:57:16Kshama has brought it back to the Shankill.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd