Current Leadership: Our Directors
President & Vice President of Mercy Smiles International: On their very first tour to India, they encountered a remarkable journey filled with vibrant experiences. As they often say, the experience was an overwhelming rollercoaster of emotions, diverse cultures, and stunning sights. They were warmly greeted by hundreds of eager children, dedicated pastors, their loving families, and devoted believers in homes, under tents, and in extremely remote areas and mountain tops, which were accessible only by extremely poor and challenging roads. The love, appreciation, and gratitude exhibited by these individuals, alongside the fervent desire to see us and engage in worship while feeling the unconditional love of God, was genuinely something that touched our hearts on numerous occasions. The innocent smiles of the children from all of our children’s homes, along with the deep reverence, unwavering faith, heartfelt worship, and profound love for the Lord observed from the believers during various meetings were simply powerful and profoundly inspiring.
The journey to create begun in the year, 1974 by Bro. Linn and the dream was passed on to our most beloved, Gods servants, Bro. Norm and Karen Knudsen.
Responding with childlike faith in 1975, Bro. Norm and Sis. Karen, prayed for Jesus to fill them with His love and Holy Spirit. Two years later, they sold their Minnesota dream ranch and Norm gave up his dream job. With their seven children, they moved to St. Louis to attend Bible School. Six months later they were walking the dusty streets of India, touched by Jesus with a new vision to reach 1 million helpless orphans, destitute widows and the lost with the love of Jesus. Norm and Karen Knudsen have served in missions for over 40 years until the sad passing of our beloved Bro. Norm, on 25th of March, 2017.
Since then. Sis. Karen Knudsen, who is fondly called Mom by everyone in the Mercy Smiles family has carried along the baton and is serving to run even further and reach greater heights through sheer faith, believe and burden for the poor and lost.
Bro. Norm and Sis. Karen Knudsen, the Founders of Mercy Smiles.