What a joy to be allowed to serve with our brethren in India in the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the planting of churches that hold forth the Word of Life in Christ Jesus and for the care & education of orphans! The work that we share is growing and bearing fruit to the glory of our Great God and Father.
We recently received emails from our director, Kantharao and his wife Minnie, concerning the trials of some of our church planting Pastors and their families. In one case the village elders excommunicated the family for leading people to Christ and because he wouldn't require his wife to wear the Hindu 'totto' (tattoo) on her forehead. The Pastor went to diligent prayer as the excommunication meant no one in the village would talk or have anything to do with them. This went on for a month and our friends stood firm in Jesus. At the end of the month the elders came and invited them to a marriage celebration in one of their homes. One of the converts in this same village refused to worship her recently deceased father-in-law and the rest of the family became very angry with her. They put a fence around her house and would not allow her to leave. She remained in the house, without sanitary facilities, night and day in prayer. A local politician came and removed the fence. The congregation there is full of the joy of the Lord and very loving and the village is feeling the effects of the deep and mighty workings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Another Pastor expressed a need for council as regards staying in a village where there has not been much fruit. We encouraged him to stay and 'dig around the tree, water it, fertilize it', and see how God would make His seed come to fruition. The Pastor's name is Yacob, his wife is Mary, their children Angel and Thomas and the village is Gangoram. Please pray for this young and devoted family.
After seeking the Lord we believe He would have send more church planters into the field, (we seek to give them $75 a month) and have highlighted fifty two major towns, in the poorest and most backward area of Andhra Pradesh State, that have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. We have trained pastors waiting who are willing and able to go into these fields. Throughout the State we have identified 3000 villages without Christian witness. Our Wordsower Pastors are committed to planting a viable Church in each one.
The Lord has honored the work of these devoted brethren, laboring in villages that do not have a Christian witness, with over seventy churches planted, hundreds of baptized converts to Christ, and many persecutions. Please pray for these dear brethren, their families, and the new believers in the churches. And pray for our new planters and the expanded effort to reach India for Christ.
My Father's House India is full. (It was very evident recently as eighteen children contracted chicken pox. Finding a place for them to be separated from the other children and praying that not all hundred and fifteen children would get it was, to say the least, traumatic. One child had complications and is slated for a surgical procedure.) We have to move in June. We, at this time, have nowhere to go. The staff and children are in prayer, believing that their heavenly Father knows their needs and will make provision for them. Land is expensive. Won't you please join us in prayer, with a willingness to be part of the answer should God direct?
We are so encouraged by the excitement and encouragement that Kantharao and Minnie have received as they visit our churches and see the love of Christ at work in the hearts of the believers. They see the needs and they see God working and their faith is greatly strengthened by the perseverance and joy of the persecuted saints in our churches. Praise God for His love and hope!
Thank you for standing with us and our Indian friends in this pure work of the Spirit of Jesus.
-Jason
