Partner Profile: 'Shining Stars' Lives Up to its Name

One of the simple ways to measure the effectiveness of a program is to ask one question: what would happen if that program did not exist? In the case of Shining Stars, it would mean that 400-500 children per day would not be ministered to, would not hear the hope of the Gospel, and would not have the opportunity to grow holistically in a Christ-centered environment.

Peter Wiig has been running the operation for the past seventeen years. He saw the need for a place for children to go after school – a place where kids could receive tutoring and discipleship, as well as develop their athletic and artistic abilities. In India, training in the arts is often neglected in favor of education in math and science. Each week, the centers work to develop youth in a variety of different arenas, focused on maturing and advancing the whole person. His fourteen centers in Hyderabad, India and the surrounding regions have been doing exactly that. 

CFCI-Asia has partnered with Shining Stars with the purpose of bringing hope to the children of India – an important demographic. One in sixteen people on the planet is an Indian child. The centers provide an opportunity for the Gospel to reach these children and, by extension, their families. The vast majority of the families involved with Shining Stars are Hindu. The centers provide a place where children can hear the Gospel and bring the light of Jesus to their loved ones. However, in order to gain a foothold in the neighborhood, they often have to begin by being quiet about their faith.

Through the program, there are stories like that of Moses. He started coming to one of the centers in the sixth grade, when the center was still pretty new. He excelled as a student in the center, returned as a volunteer, and ultimately, worked as a teacher there. He continued his own education, completing his MBA. Now, working for Amazon in India, he contributes financially to the centers and serves on the Board of Directors. Even with Moses's busy schedule, he still chooses to hang out at the centers, spending time with the children.

And there are countless other stories of the ways that God has ministered and moved in the region. Truly, God is transforming India, one little shining star at a time.

Peter Wiig is a long-term missionary in Hyderabad, India. He was the son of missionaries to India, though he attended Biola University and worked nine years in inner-city LA. He is married to Mercy and has three sons, Josiah, Stephen, and Caleb. Like his Facebook page by following this link. 

Written by: John Michael Den Hartog