Dr. M.A. Thomas, one of the true Christian heroes of our times passed away yesterday. He brought the hope of life in Jesus Christ to millions of his countrymen in northern India through a ministry he named Hopegivers.

During Dr. Thomas' time on earth, he cared for thousands of orphans, trained tens of thousands of missionaries, hundreds of thousands of students, and planted thousands of churches. Yet he always seemed to have time for the least of these.

When I traveled with Dr. Thomas and his son Samuel through India a decade ago, I was amazed at the breadth and depth of the ministry he had established. The video below tells the story of a young boy who trusted Jesus and grew to become a missionary statesman and a man many knew simply as "Papa."

He may be gone from us, but he inspires us still.