Vacation Bible Schools

Continuing with our vision of training young children to become passionate followers of Jesus, we are conducting Vacation Bible Schools for children across many of the churches.  In one region alone, we are doing this for over 40 churches.  With trained staff to impart Christian values, we are teaching them songs, scriptures and also Bible stories. 

We are now working on producing our third Hindi Christian video album for children.  The songs have been recorded and now the final editing is to be done.  We need your prayers as we seek to create new media resources for children.

The next one is scheduled to be conducted in Udaipur from the 12-16th of June.  Needing your prayers for the same.

Prayer Drive

As the Indian heat continues to rise unabated amidst the chaos in the political world, we had a team of five young men crisscrossing the state of Rajasthan, praying for each and every district and sub districts.

With day temperatures soaring above 43 degrees, most of the driving was confined to early mornings and late nights.  Every place they went to, they prayed over the land and the people, met kids on the street, taught them songs and shared the love of Jesus. They had a few near escapes from accidents and also miraculous provisions of shelter, food and other provisions.

Meetings were conducted wherever there were believers.  "We never had a prayer meeting in our house since we came here.  This is the first meeting and we are very refreshed with this fellowship, " said a family who had been posted as a government nurse in a remote village for the past one year.

Heat From Within and Without

As the Indian heat continues to rise unabated amidst the chaos in the political world, God and his people are at work in the highways and the byways.  Neither the summer, nor their surroundings is stopping them.  As I write this, I am in awe of again both, God and his men!  I had the privilege of meeting one of our missionary working in Rajasthan.  To put things into perspective, he lives in such a remote location that he has to walk two hours to reach the highway and then take a bus for an hour to reach the nearest city.

But he is not daunted.  He has been faithfully serving the Lord in that region for over two decades now.  But then he had the guts to believe that one day God will allow him to build a church building in this remote place. Where would the materials come from?  How would they be hauled?  He had no answers but he kept praying and believing.  He had to wait long, but he did not give up hope.  

Recently we were able to help him build a small church building in this remote location and I got to witness it personally.  I was once again amazed at the passion they have to love Jesus and to hear his Word.  He ministers in six villages and he is training his oldest son to help him.  “I am happy to do whatever I can to serve Jesus” said his older son when I asked him about his involvement in serving the people."I don't have  any formal training but I join him to pray for people," he continued.   I walked away from that place thanking God for using ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

This was a passionate man and his passionate family.  Thank you for helping us to help them.   Keep praying and keep giving.

Even The Stops Are Ordained By The Lord

“Pastor, can you come in the end of May to be with us and spend a few days with us?” This was the call that I received earlier in the year to come and spend time with our missionaries and trainees from the forest area of southern Chattisgarh. With my heart always wanting to equip and encourage, I prayerfully confirmed my arrival.

I was aware of the tense situation that was there in that region, with a separatist group trying to gain power by forced killings and terrorist attacks.  But every time that I had gone in, God had miraculously protected me and so I felt confident.  Besides, the vibrant ministry and the leadership would definitely be helped, I thought to myself.

Having travelled long, we were hardly 200 kms from our actual destination when God asked me to stay back and meet the believers in another town.  I did not like the idea at first but then I obeyed and met the believers and pastor in this town and we had a wonderful time with God and his people. 

After the meeting, as we went to a small hut for dinner, I watched the news and I was shocked.  There had been a terrorist attack in the region and 29 people were ambushed and killed on the road.  And where did this take place?  Very close to the road that we would have taken.  I kept staring at the news and thinking of how God stopped me from going to that region.  I was not happy then, but I knew better now.

We don’t lay claim to anything except your prayers and the grace of God.  It is important that we do the will of God, but it is more important to keep listening to him every step of our assignment.  As was famously written on George Muller’s Bible, next to Psalm 37:23, “The stops too are ordained by the Lord.”