SERVE India

Dear friends,
We want to thank you for your partnership with us in bringing the Gospel to the unreached areas in India. Your prayers, concern, and support in serving the church in India is very crucial, thank you!
When I was in India it was quite a busy schedule with many meetings, planning, overseeing the church constructions, visiting the churches and other ministries. One of the things that I really enjoy is attending the baptism services. One Sunday my schedule changed suddenly so I had a chance to stop in and worship with one of our village churches. They had a baptism service already planned and there was such an excitement and joy in the congregation.
In a typical service the whole congregation joins in a march from the church to the river and they stop at each street corner, pray out loud for the families of the village, and for the welfare of the community. Once at the river the people who are getting baptized have a chance to share their story to all that have gathered of how God is at work in their lives.
I was so blessed to hear the story of an older couple, who were 63 years old, being baptized, and want to share it with you. The husband, Saynsi, shared, “I was shocked when my wife told me that she had asked Jesus into her life. Our whole life we had followed other gods. We didn’t know any different. My wife went to see her siblings in her hometown village. I warned her many times not to do anything with the family because of the disputes they had, but she went and had a big argument with her siblings and felt heartbroken.
Next to their house there was a church worship going on and she walked in there. She saw a really happy group of people really loving each other. After the singing she sat and heard the message. This was the first time she ever heard about Jesus. All her life she had always wanted to know the True God. As she heard about the life of Jesus, she felt that this was the God she wanted to follow. She prayed and asked God that if He was the True God that He would show her… and the tears began running down her cheeks. She was overwhelmed by the presence of God and she had never experienced anything like that before. The Pastor came and prayer for her and at that moment she believed in Jesus and gave her life to Him.
She kept thinking about it and came home as a different person and shared everything with me. The joy and forgiveness she felt towards the people that had hurt her made me want to check this out. So, I found out that there was a church in the village next to our village and we began attending. We have been coming and learning and praying and now I know that the Lord is the true God and Savior and we are so glad that He found us in our old age and gave us this new life and salvation. Thank You, Jesus, for saving us!”
Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost, He is at work, He is the same yesterday, today and forever, praise God!
Thank you, again, for your partnership with us! Thanks for keeping in prayer the requests we’ve included below.
In His Service, John

Pray requests:
Pray for our Pastors that have a burden to reach those who do not know the Lord. Please pray as they share with the many who have not ever heard the salvation message. God is raising up these brothers and sisters with passion to share the Good News. Pray that God’s grace and favor would be on them and that they will reflect His love to others in the midst of challenges, such as opposition and sometime persecution. Pray for the wisdom, peace & joy in their lives.
We praise God for His provision for the ministry where people are experiencing the love of God, especially the leprosy communities receiving food and care in the difficult months of summer.
Please continue to pray with us for those who are serving to file an application for our teacher training school, for wisdom and guidance and the cooperation of the Indian officials in their effort.