Staff
Victoria Samuel
- victoria.samuel@wordmadeflesh.org
- Country
- India-Chennai
Victoria was born in 1950 to a Christian family, and was raised by a single mother after her father passed away when Victoria was only 2. At the age of 3, she was severely infected with smallpox. It was so serious that her family had lost hope of her survival. Victoria knows that the Lord spared her life because He had a purpose and plan for her. When she was 6, she nearly drowned in a pond. Again, the Lord spared her life because He had a purpose for her.
When she was 16, she received the Lord as her personal Savior while attending a youth camp. But one more time her strength was tested, when at the age of 20, Victoria was dragged into the sea by a huge wave. Again her life was spared, and on that very same night she surrendered to living her life for Jesus and serving Him all the days of her life. Victoria earned her BA in History in 1973, and then began volunteering with the Good News Club. From that point on she dedicated her life to working with children.
Patrick was born in 1946, at the southern end of the Indian Peninsula. He was raised by loving Christian parents, and was greatly influenced by his father's willingness to serve God and share His message with the church. Patrick completely opened his heart to the Lord when he was 23, and at the age of 24, he felt the Lord calling him to serve among children. As he served in ministry to children, God gave him the verse; "I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish and neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:28. In 1973, while he was working as a clerk, he earned his U.S. Diploma for Child Evangelism. In 1974, he began serving the Lord as full time staff with Child Evangelism Fellowship.
In 1975, Patrick and Victoria were married. They served the Lord together by evangelizing children through conducting weekly meetings, retreats, camps, and puppet shows. God began to give them a burden for the abandoned children who were of the poorest of the poor. The Lord, who gave them this burden, was faithful to find a way for it to be fulfilled. In 1994, they met with Shane Clark and Chris Heuertz and felt led to join Word Made Flesh. Patrick and Victoria serve in Chennai, India as the Director of Children's Ministry and the Care Home Administrator of the Home of Happiness.