The Gospel of Peace

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Mrs. Heena, 30, a Muslim woman, became bedridden four years ago while giving birth to her younger son. She could not feel anything below the hip, and could not sit in a wheelchair for very long. Her husband, Ali, a banker by profession, took her to different hospitals and doctors where they did everything possible. After about 18 months they lost faith in modern medicine and began taking her to sorcerers and witch doctors. They did everything possible in accordance with their beliefs and practices, but her condition did not improve. They became hopeless, as the mental struggle grew worse. For Ali, fear and depression became a part of his life.

At this time, some of our house church leaders’ trainees were doing outreach in that area. On a Sunday afternoon, they knocked at Ali’s door. His parents opened the door, and two of our sisters shared the Gospel with them. When Ali’s parents mentioned Heena, our trainees asked permission to pray for her. Ali’s parents pointed to the room where Heena was laying. Together, our sisters shared with her about Jesus and His healing power. Since she was Muslim, she knew about “Isa Nabi” (Jesus, the prophet). Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, but they do not believe that he was divine or the son of God. The Quran describes the miracles Jesus performed, such as healing the sick and raising the dead, but does not ascribe these miracles to his divinity.

The Gospel Brings Healing

The two women shared that Jesus still heals and one of them shared her testimony of how Jesus healed her from back pain she had for a long time. This built Heena’s faith. They then laid their hands on her and began to pray. Heena was laying in the bed.  After about 10 minutes of prayer, Heena said to her husband “look at my toes! I’m moving my toes!” For four years she had been unable to feel or move her toes. With great joy and a grateful heart the women continued to pray. God in His mercy touched Heena, healed her and raised her from her bed. This miracle led Ali, Heena and Ali’s parents to receive Jesus into their life.

Heena Worshipping the LORD

The Gospel Brings Persecution

Heena, Ali and his parents began to attend the local church, where they truly fell in love with the Lord. Innocently, they began to share their testimony with other Muslims. Within a few weeks, they were under great pressure from the Muslim community. They were threatened with death if they didn’t stop going to church. Ali was fearful, but Heena continued her walk with the Lord. Her in-laws stood with her, and for the last several months they have been persecuted physically, emotionally and have suffered financial losses because of their love for the Lord.

Under tremendous pressure, Ali stopped coming to church, and tried to stop Heena and His parents. But they fearlessly followed the Lord. Heena decided to receive baptism. Somehow the Muslim clergy came to know about it and they tried to stop Heena and Ali’s parents. They even put pressure on Ali to divorce Heena. On Sunday, August 4th, our team was there to give baptism to 21 people, among them were Heena and Ali’s parents. After the baptism, when we got back in the church, Heena came to us and said “Ali called me on the phone and divorced me.” If a Muslim husband says the word “talak” three times to his wife, he has legally divorced her under Sharia law. We were shaken by the sudden development, but Ali’s parents stood with her and comforted her.

After the baptism service, we were preparing to take Holy Communion when we saw Ali coming to the church. He was not alone, but was accompanied by the Muslim clergy and other senior members of the Muslim community, around 12 men in all. Our local pastor politely went out and welcomed them. He told them that we were having Holy Communion, and invited them inside the church and offered them a seat. They came and sat in the church, and listened as one of our team explained the importance and seriousness of communion, and the suffering of Christ on the Cross.

House church in Heena’s village

The Gospel Brings Reconciliation

The Muslim clergy and the people who came with him were listening carefully. We continued with communion, and near the end of the service we asked Heena to give her testimony in front of everyone, including the 12 Muslim men. With great humility she shared her testimony of how Jesus healed her from 4 years of her disease, agony, pain and humiliation. After her testimony, we gave an invitation for anyone who wanted special prayer. At this invitation, 7 out of the 12 Muslim men came forward for prayer. As they came and knelt down in front of the church our team and the local pastor laid hands on them and prayed for them.

After the meeting, the Muslim clergy came and told us that he had not known what Isa (“Jesus”) had done for her. He continued “some people in our community misled us and we are sorry.” He then went to Heena and blessed her, saying “Isa (Jesus) will bless you,” and strictly told Ali to never divorce her. Then he called our leader to grasp Heena’s and Ali’s hands together and he told them “I tried to separate you, but now we together (pointing to our leader) are uniting you in the name of Isa (Jesus).” It was a touching moment for all of us.

As he was leaving he told me “I learned about Jesus in the Quran but today what I heard about Jesus touched my heart. I will go back and try to learn more about Jesus.”

Last month on Sunday, September 8th, we were in that church for another baptism service, and the church was full. People were sitting outside in the shade. Among them, we saw a lot of Muslim men and women who have started to come to the church because of the testimony of Heena.

Bible class among Muslim youth

As we left the village that afternoon, we saw the Muslim clergy, standing on the road waiting for a bus. We stopped the car and greeted him. He was so happy and said to us “since we met I have been learning more and more about “Isa” (Jesus). For the last few weeks during Friday prayers I have been teaching about Isa (Jesus). Your words have touched my life too.”

Help Us Share the Gospel

Will you help us continue sharing the Gospel in the darkest places of India? Psalm 119:105 says ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.’ You can share in the blessings! To find out how to contact us, and to read more inspiring and exciting testimonies of what God is doing among the unreached people groups of India.

With your help, the Gospel will be proclaimed, and you will be blessed, along with thousands of others!

Proclaiming the Gospel…

…until He comes,

October 2019 Letter

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Dear Partners and Friends,

Much of the world around us today lives in fear. Fear of financial failure; fear of dying; fear of things undermining our way of life; fear of sickness and disease; fear of others who don’t share our values; etc. Often we make decisions and choices from a posture of fear. We have faith in God, yet so often our daily life might not reflect that faith. Years ago I heard a saying “if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” More important, what kind of evidence would they find? We go to church regularly, read our Bible, but do our lives have any impact on the world around us?

Missionary, author, and apostolic leader Leif Hetland encourages us to see people around us not as problems, but rather as possibilities. Instead of focusing on their history, see their destiny. Instead of seeing the disgusting sinner, see the destined saint. Our brothers and sisters in India saw a family from a different religion, one that is often associated with violence and terrorism, not as problems, but as possibilities. They saw a hurting family that needed the healing touch of Our Savior. And instead of running the other way, they embraced the family with the love of Christ, and their love and faith released miraculous power in this family, that impacted the entire village.

Are you reaching out to people around you? How do you see people of other religions – as a problem or a possibility? Are you willing to release the love of Christ to people around you? God wants to use you just as he is using our Indian brothers and sisters. The next time you encounter someone from another faith, offer to pray for them in the name of Jesus, and watch what God does. He loves people more than we do, and He wants to reveal His love to them.

As you step out, share your testimonies with us so we can rejoice with you, and agree for God’s perfect plan to be carried out.

We overcome by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the word of our testimony. With your help, the Gospel will be proclaimed, the Kingdom of Heaven will be advanced, and you will be blessed! Our teams are actively working to advance God’s kingdom. For more inspiring and exciting testimonies, click the links on the right, and keep reading!

Blessings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus,

                        Thomas

Liberated To Liberate

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Last month our national leadership team was visiting one of our mission stations in one of the most anti-Christian states of India. Because of the sensitive nature of this, we can’t mention the name of the state. Believers in this state have been experiencing a lot of anti-Christian activities and persecution for the past few years. Many of our ministry brothers working in the state have been threatened, beaten up, and harassed. Some of them have even been falsely accused and put in prison. In spite of all this, God has enabled our missionary brothers to carry the message of the Gospel to the unreached tribal villages who, until now, have never had a chance to hear the Gospel. Over the last few years, the church has grown tremendously in what was once a tribal area. 

On their visit, they were really blessed to see how God is moving in the lives of the people in that spiritually darkened area. They had great joy in baptizing many people in different mission stations, and joining the new believers in worshiping the Lord and in fellowship. One Sunday morning, they traveled to a remote village. On the previous night, after the meeting, some of our people warned them not to go to that area, because recently the Hindu radicals had attacked some of our churches in that area. In addition, they are preventing our native brothers from going to home prayer meetings, and stopping our house church leaders from visiting believers in their homes. Despite the warning, our state coordinator felt that it was time for our national leaders to go and stand with the new believers and strengthen their faith. They agreed, and were on their way to the village for the Sunday meeting.

Seeds Planted, Seeds Sprouting 

It was a two hour drive on a bumpy, unpaved village road. As they drove, they passed through hundreds of villages. Five years ago, they traveled the same road, and at that time they asked one of our native church leaders, “are there any Christians in these villages?” The local church leader replied “these villages don’t have a single Christian, and most of them have never heard the Gospel.” For the past five years, we have focused on reaching this area. Several outreach teams have been sent here, and several times our teams have visited this area and conducted public Gospel meetings. Traveling the same road this year, our national leaders asked our local, native leader, who was again traveling with them, the same question “are there any Christians in these villages?” This time, he answered “just a few years ago there was not even a single Christian in this area, but now a good number of villages have regular weekly prayer meetings. Most of the villages have one or more families who attend a house church service in a nearby village.” As they traveled, they thanked God for all He has done, in drawing hundreds of people to Himself!  

It Only Takes One Seed 

It all began with one woman named Sandya (not her real name). Some of our leaders have known her for 20 years. In 1998, a 22-year-old woman was brought to a small meeting in a remote village by her parents and a relative. During the meeting she became violent, attacking her parents and making loud noises. It was a memorable night. Because of her loud, violent actions, hundreds of village people gathered outside the meeting, curious as to what was happening. Our pastors and a small group of believers who were present gathered around her, laid hands on her, and prayed for her. In front of hundreds of unbelievers, God’s power fell on her, and in His mercy He delivered her from the evil spirits that had been tormenting her. Then they continued the meeting, during which she sat quietly and attentively the entire time. All the villagers who had been drawn by the commotion also sat and heard the Gospel, possibly for the first time. When they gave the altar call, the young woman was the first one to respond, followed by many of the villagers. Later our pastors came to know that she had been brought to that meeting from another remote village, six hours away, because the family said there was not a single Christian or church in their home area.

The Seed Multiplies

Later she was married to one of our missionaries Gagan (again, not his real name), and they moved to this unreached area. They started to reach the villages with the message of the Gospel. They faced lots of hardship and persecution, but our God kept them safe and used them for His glory. Through their hard work and with the support of our partners, hundreds of people have come to know the Lord, and are now being discipled within a local house church. In this area alone, they have trained up more than 49 men and women through our leadership training program to lead the local house churches. 

Seed Time Leads to Harvest 

As our national and state leaders approached the remote village the sky was cloudy, but their spirits were bright with anticipation. They were led to the side of the village where, filling a rice field, they saw more than 500 people, standing and worshiping the Lord Jesus under a large tent suspended by a metal framework. A team of young native brothers and sisters were leading worship in their native language. When they saw our team approaching the field, the people gave a great shout of “Hallelujah!” They received a heroic welcome as they joined their worship service. All the songs were in the native tribal language, and although our mission leaders did not understand the meaning, still they joined them in worshipping the One True God, Our Lord Almighty! They said their hearts were filled with joy, knowing these were the same people who worshiped evil spirits and stone-carved  idols for generations. Now they have come to the marvelous light of the Gospel, worshiping the Living God in Spirit and in Truth. 

After worship it was time for a testimony. A man between 45 and 50 years old stood and shared. “My wife was mentally ill for eight years. We have taken her to every hospital that would treat her. Most of the time we have had to put chains on her or lock her in a room. For the past 8 years our lives were a living hell. My four children suffered a lot physically, mentally and financially. My oldest daughter tried to commit suicide three months ago. Since then, doctors have diagnosed all my children as suffering from deep depression. They advised us to send my wife to a mental sanitarium, and keep her away from my children. But I didn’t want to send her. I longed for another solution. 

Two months ago my son, who is 12 years old, came and told me that his friend’s family goes to a prayer meeting every week. He said that many people come there and they pray for them and get delivered. The following Sunday I brought my wife here, along with my four children. We brought her in with her hands and legs chained, and we found a place to sit in the back. My son saw his friend, but other than that, we didn’t recognize anyone. During worship my wife made a lot of noise so a few women came and laid their hands on my wife and prayed for her in a very small voice.” (Sandya and some other sisters in the church) 

The man continued. “My wife became quiet and fell on the ground. Worship continued, and after ten minutes she opened her eyes and looked at us. I realized she was no longer the woman we brought in chains! I saw my loving and caring wife whom I married, and who lived with me eight years ago. The Lord Jesus has shown compassion on me and my children and healed and delivered my wife from every mental disorder! After the service that day, Pastor Gagan and Sandya asked us to unchain her, and we did. For the last two months our lives have been normal! Our Lord has wiped away our tears, the joy of the Lord has filled our heart, and laughter has filled our home!” 

He then asked his wife and children to stand in front of the people. They stood, a young woman and her four young children who were liberated from deep depression, into the abundant life that our Lord Jesus has  promised to us. I can assure you that everyone who sat there in the tent has a similar testimony to share, how they were delivered, or liberated from the bondage of sin. Our leaders were so blessed to be there and see the wonderful work of the Lord. 

Help Us Shine the Light

Will you help us continue shining the Light of the Gospel in the darkest places of India? Psalm 119:105 says ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.’ You can share in the blessings! To find out how to contact us, and to read more inspiring and exciting testimonies of what God is doing among the unreached people groups of India, click the links on the right, and keep reading!

With your help, the Gospel will be proclaimed, and you will be blessed, along with thousands of others!
Proclaiming the Gospel…
…until He comes,

September 2019 Letter

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Dear Partners and Friends,

The national holiday for September is Labor Day here in the USA, so it seems appropriate to mention that Jesus told His disciples “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2, NASB) Every month, we send out hundreds of laborers into the harvest fields of India, and the results are always encouraging. This month’s testimony is no different. One person is delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. That person becomes a light of the Gospel, and as a result, hundreds more are brought into God’s kingdom.

As we partner together with each of you, we know our labor is not in vain. One sows the seed, another waters, but God gives the increase. When you help us financially, you are helping to provide “seed” for the sower and also helping provide the “water” to help the seeds grow. You may not be able to travel, and even if you can travel you may never have the opportunity to visit the remote villages where our missionaries share the Gospel. But by partnering with us, you can have an eternal impact on these remote villages, and hundreds can come to faith in Jesus Christ as a result. Hundreds of lives can be changed, and hundreds of villages can be transformed.

Testimonies like we read about in this month’s newsletter are the reason we don’t give up. Whether we are tired or discouraged, it doesn’t matter, because people’s lives are changed for all eternity. Whenever you are discouraged in your own situation, call or write us and we will be glad to pray with you. Together we will labor to enter into the rest and peace that Christ offers us. Together we will see His kingdom come and His will be done on this earth.

God wants to speak to you, to encourage you. So keep reading His Word, and when He speaks, feel free to share it with us.

We overcome by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the word of our testimony. With your help, the Gospel will be proclaimed, the Kingdom of Heaven will be advanced, and you will be blessed! Our teams are actively working to advance God’s kingdom. For more inspiring and exciting testimonies, click the links on the right, and keep reading!

Blessings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus,

                        Thomas

August 2019 Letter

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Dear Partners and Friends,

The Apostle Paul’s exhortation to Timothy is as relevant today as it was when it was written: “Study to show yourself approved by God, a workman who need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, MEV)

We believe in training and discipling everyone who comes to faith through our ministry. That is why a large component of our yearly budget is conducting training programs for pastors and other church leaders, both men and women. We are experiencing some growing pains. The number of churches we oversee is rapidly growing, and we are having some difficulty raising up trained leaders. Sometimes our “normal” way of running a training center doesn’t meet the needs of the local community. So we adapt.

We have to constantly rely on the Lord, trusting His Holy Spirit to speak to us, to lead and guide us. As we listen to Him, he shows us where and how to change to meet the current needs in our lives. In the midst of change, let’s make sure we keep Jesus at the center of our lives, our work, and our ministry. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.” (Matthew 6:33, MEV)

Like the pastors, evangelists, and missionaries, let’s make sure we are trained in the things of the Spirit. I have a tendency that, once I have read a scripture I think I “know” it and don’t need to read it again. But I am trying to retrain myself and break this attitude, because every time we read the Word of God, He reveals something new to our minds and our spirits. Even if we have read a passage a hundred times, there is still something new and fresh that God wants to speak to us. So keep reading, and keep listening. And if you have an encouraging word, or a prayer request, feel free to share it with us.

We overcome by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the word of our testimony. With your help, the Gospel will be proclaimed, the Kingdom of Heaven will be advanced, and you will be blessed! Our teams are actively working to advance God’s kingdom. For more inspiring and exciting testimonies, click the links on the left, and keep reading!

Blessings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus,

                        Thomas

Desperate Need For Training

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Brother Anand is from a remote mountain village and from a traditional Buddhist family. When he was in college he suffered serious depression, and had to be admitted in the hospital for a few months. In the hospital, someone handed him a Gospel of John booklet. Through that booklet, he came to know the Lord, and began to attend a prayer group in the college. He met regularly with a few young Christians, most of them from different religious backgrounds, just like him. God in His mercy delivered him from depression and gave him very good fellowship in the prayer group. Just like the young person who gave him the Gospel tract, Anand was also used by our Lord to draw many young people to salvation. Soon, the Lord gave him a burden to share Jesus with his own people in the mountains. In response to this call, he went back to his own village.

Today, two years later, Anand is a fulltime evangelist. Every day he climbs the mountains, walking their steep, rugged trails trying to reach the unreached villages, going into communities where the name of Christ has never been heard. Through his witness thousands have heard the Gospel, and hundreds of people in the mountains have found salvation through Jesus Christ. In April of 2018, Pastor R* traveled to some mountain villages and visited some of the prayer groups that Anand has started. He had fellowship with them, meeting as they do in small groups in different villages.

When he visited with Anand, R* asked him, “What is the biggest hindrance for new believers in this area, as they try to grow in the Lord?” Anand told him “Though many are coming to Jesus, these new believers struggle to grow in their faith. They gather faithfully every week in small groups, but it is almost impossible for me to come to every prayer group every week. So we have to rely on local leadership. With their limited Bible knowledge, these leaders tend to repeat variations on a few favorite ideas, week after week. There are very few resources available, at the local level, for the leaders to grow up in Christ. And because local leaders are not equipped to teach Christ’s commandments, believers are not being effectively transformed or discipled.”

R* was more than happy to share about our local leadership training program. By taking into consideration the needs of this specific local community, we modified our typical training program. Instead of having one lecture day per week for 40 weeks, we scheduled blocks of training. Each block was one full week of all-day Bible training, spaced out at three month intervals. We held this training in Anand’s village, which is in a central location among the other villages, where people could easily come.

In May 2018 we sent out a team of instructors to start the program. Like we planned it, our brothers went and conducted one week of Bible training every three months. As our team of teachers led the training program, more than 28 leaders, representing both prayer groups and house churches from remote mountain villages, faithfully attended the training. This past April (2019) they completed the training to effectively teach and lead their congregations. In an informal setting, they had the opportunity to learn, study and practice biblical interpretation in a small group, similar to the small congregations they have been trying to lead.

Last week R* was in Anand’s area for a baptism service, and to help teach a Bible class for the new trainees. He met many of last year’s trainees who had successfully completed the training. They were very thankful, saying “This training has changed our lives! Now we read the Bible systematically, make note of what God speaks to us and share with the people. The Holy Spirit is ministering through those words to the hearts of the people. Many new people have started coming to our meetings and we have even started new prayer groups in different villages. We never thought that we could teach from God’s Word so effectively!”

Though Bible schools exist in big cities in the region, most of these mountain prayer group leaders have never been to the city and will never have the opportunity to go to Bible school. In addition, their responsibility to their families prevents them from attending regular Bible college. They say these week-long Bible studies are a blessing to them and give them a refreshing experience in their lives. We also find the village churches are growing so quickly that we can’t keep up with the number of native leaders needed. Week-long Bible classes held in strategically located areas fulfill a great need. We are training them to do what they are already doing, but in a better and more Biblical way.

By your prayers and sacrificial giving, we have trained more than 4,000 men and women to be house church leaders and prayer group leaders in the unreached villages. Some of them are now mission leaders, pastors, or evangelists, leading thousands of people to the Lord and reaching the unreached people groups.

This year we have 16 training centers with 507 men and women going through the training program. We need your continued prayers and financial support to train up these men and women.

Help Us Shine the Light

Will you help us continue shining the Light of the Gospel in the darkest places of India? Psalm 119:105 says ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.’ You can share in the blessings! To find out how to contact us, and to read more inspiring and exciting testimonies of what God is doing among the unreached people groups of India, click the links on the right, and keep reading!

With your help, the Gospel will be proclaimed, and you will be blessed, along with thousands of others!
Proclaiming the Gospel…
…until He comes,

July 2019 Letter

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The Right Thing

Dear Partners and Friends,

As I reflect on the stories in this month’s newsletter, I can’t help but think of a quote from Stephen Covey, the well-known business consultant who told us about seven habits that would help us be more effective. He said “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Understanding what is important, and then striving to keep that “main thing” always in focus. Gary Keller (of Keller-Williams) spoke about the “one thing,” about narrowing your focus on that which is your most important activity. But long before Stephen or Gary, Jesus said it best: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.” (Matthew 6:33, MEV)

It’s not enough to focus on one thing, or to keep that one thing in place; we have to know and be convinced that the “one thing” is the right thing. The young men whose stories are featured in this month’s newsletter understand this. They have come to realize that the most important thing they can put their energy toward is sharing the Gospel, and specifically, sharing the Gospel with those who have never heard.

How can you and I stay focused? How can we be sure we are doing “the right main thing?” By immersing ourselves in the Word of God. His Word is a light to our path, and a lamp to our feet. His Word is what we hide in our hearts. His Word is the plumb line by which all other things are measured and compared. Feed on His Word, and then go and live your life accordingly. Share His Word with others around you, so they can come to know our Wonderful Savior.

If you need prayer, contact us. We would love to agree with you for God’s answer in your life. Just ask, and believe, and you will receive (Mark 11:24). And as He answers your prayers, please send us your testimony so we can rejoice with you. If you would like to partner with us, again, contact us. Our teams are actively working to advance God’s kingdom. For more inspiring and exciting testimonies, visit our home page.

We overcome by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the word of our testimony. The more people who receive this newsletter, the more hearts will be touched, and the more God will provide for our missionaries. With your help, the Gospel will be proclaimed, the Kingdom of Heaven will be advanced, and you will be blessed!

Blessings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus,

                        Thomas

Casting The Vision For Missions

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As we approach the end of Summer Outreach 2019, we look back in amazement on what God has accomplished. Eighty-six young men joined us for the four-month outreach, coming from different Indian states, different cultures, different languages and family backgrounds. They all joined together for one goal: “reach the unreached with the message of the Gospel”. Young men between the ages of 18 and 28, who once walked in the world, according to the world, living for worldly pleasure, seeking to please their flesh, and spiritually blind.

But God in His great mercy sent the message of the Gospel into their lives. Someone loved them enough to share this glorious message, and it transformed their lives, their way of thinking, and their character. Now they are trying to live according to God’s Word; trying to please the Master who laid His life down for them. They now want to become carriers of that glorious Gospel message to people who have never heard.

The purpose of our Summer Outreach program is not only reaching the unreached and starting prayer groups, but also casting the vision, burden, and importance of reaching the unreached to the younger generation. Before joining the outreach team these young men had a knowledge of missions, or were involved in local mission work around their church, but they had never experienced pioneer mission work. On the unreached mission field, there are no comforts of home, no friends or family nearby, a totally different culture, and a totally different lifestyle. Here, they have only one goal—reaching the lost.

The Vision Grows

Recently R* was in state where he was invited to meet with around 120 native missionaries who are involved in ministry in small tribal villages. The leader of that group is a young man in his thirties and a former Summer Outreach team member. He now leads 120 missionaries reaching this unreached people group. The young man said “Even before I joined the Summer Outreach team, I wanted to serve the Lord. But I had no idea in what capacity. During the outreach work, God gave me the vision and burden to reach the people around me who are perishing. I came back to my own people and started reaching the unreached people with the message of the Gospel. Since then, we have started more than 800 prayer groups and house churches in the surrounding counties around my home.” (emphasis mine)

Children hearing the Gospel message
Children responding to the Gospel!

Counting the Cost

V* is from a wealthy, Hindu high-caste family. In his own words “My family members have served as the temple priests in my village for many generations. My father is the current priest, and from childhood onward he has trained me to be the next priest in the temple. When I was 18, they sent me to learn Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language in which all Hindu scriptures are written). While studying (at a famous university) someone gave me a copy of the Gospel of John. That small book drew me to Jesus, and I soon gave my life to Him. When my family learned of my new faith, they rejected me and I was thrown out of my own home. My own father tried to poison me and kill me, but God in His mercy saved me from death. I was even more determined, and dedicated my life to the Lord’s service. Last February I joined the Summer Outreach team, and they sent me to a remote area to minister in one of the unreached people groups. Coming from a high-caste family, living among the “untouchables” was almost unbearable, but the Lord gave me endurance and His love with which I could love them. I felt Christ’s compassion for thousands of young men and women who lived in sin and idol worship, not knowing the only true Savior who can save them.

Together with the other team members, I shared the Gospel with people in 64 villages. Until now, they had lived under the curse of idol worship and in darkness. We experienced the joy of leading hundreds of people to the Lord, and started 24 prayer groups. The four-month outreach program has opened my eyes and transformed my life. It has given me a clear vision and goal, and built my faith in the Lord. My life goal has become this: share the Gospel with those who have never heard.” (emphasis mine)

How Will They Hear?

S* was a Summer Outreach team member in Bihar. “I would often hear the word ‘unreached’ but I never really understood what it meant until I went to the first village with the outreach team and asked people ‘do you know Jesus?’ I asked hundreds of people I met in the village, but I did not get even one positive answer. No one in any of the villages we visited knew Jesus, or even knew about Him. I felt very small. I finally realized the meaning of Romans 10:12-15 ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?’ I knew believing in Jesus was important, but I finally realized that, in order to believe, someone needs to hear, in order to hear, someone needs to preach, in order to preach someone needs to be sent, and finally, in order to be sent, someone needs to be willing to go! (emphasis mine) I praise the Lord I was willing to come for the outreach, and that you sent me to the unreached villages in Bihar. I shared the Gospel, thousands of people heard, and many believed in Jesus. As I return to Bible College to complete my studies, I rejoice in the Lord for the opportunity to reach thousands of families with the message of the Gospel, lead many to the Lord, and start hundreds of prayer groups in the unreached villages. I feel very encouraged   and spiritually edified. Knowing the importance and the urgency of sharing the Gospel to the unreached people has changed my priorities of life. Today I feel honored to be a part of the group mentioned in Romans 10:15 ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.’”

The Beautiful Feet

Thousands of young men have been a part of our Summer Outreach team over the past 20 years. They have become some of the finest pastors, evangelists, and mission leaders who have caught the vision of reaching the unreached in different states of India. When we travel to different places, they come up and shake our hands and tell us they were part of an outreach team, and how that experience has changed their lives, and given them a vision for reaching unreached people groups.

Help Us Shine the Light

Will you help us continue shining the Light of the Gospel in the darkest places of India? You can share in the blessings! To find out how you can help, or to have more inspiring and exciting stories delivered to your inbox, click on one of the links below. With your help, the Gospel will be proclaimed, and you will be blessed, along with thousands of others!

Join us in Proclaiming the Gospel…

                         …until He comes,

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The Light Overcomes Darkness

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One of the primary initiatives of our ministry is to raise up indigenous native leaders among unreached people groups to lead house churches in their own languages. By God’s grace, the hard work of our brothers and sisters, and the prayers and financial support of our partners, we were able to complete this year’s leadership training program. In 14 different training centers in different states, 389 men and women, students from all walks of life, completed the training program. Our leadership team crisscrossed northern India from one training center to another for the graduation ceremonies. We give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for the impact of the training program on the unreached community in India.

We are training up native people in their own culture and empowering them to share the Gospel to their own community or village. By God’s grace these trainees are impacting, touching, and transforming hundreds of lives.

Called to Those Sitting In Darkness

Almost 7 years ago, Brother Aman and wife, along with their two children, came to one of our leaders and told him they wanted to move from the mission station where they had been working for 5 years, and go to a new, unreached village in Punjab. They had established a very good church, with more than 120 baptized believers, and had even built a church building. Our leader felt it was a foolish decision. He tried to explain to them the advantage of their present mission station, and all the disadvantages of starting a new mission station. But they were convinced that the Lord wanted them to leave their established mission station and go the unreached people group. We gave them three months of time to pray about it, saying “if you still feel the same way, we can think about it.” Meanwhile, we asked them to ask the Lord where He wanted to send them.After three months, they came back and told us they were sure, convinced that the Lord was asking them to move to an unreached village. They had heard about this unreached area through one of their relatives, which was 200 miles away from their established station. As soon as they could, they moved to the village, which was a well known haven for drug addiction, drug trafficking, alcoholism and witchcraft. Local authorities knew that 80% of the youth in that area were addicted to drugs or alcohol. The women in the families had resorted to all kinds of witchcraft, in an attempt to free their husbands or sons from their addictions. Spiritually speaking, the area was in total darkness.

It was into this spiritually dark place that Aman and his family moved, renting a house in the village. The very first day, their house was broken into, and clothes and important documents were stolen. A year and a half after moving to that area, we visited Aman and his family. They shared their disappointment with us. They had worked hard for 18 months, sharing the gospel in the village, but people had only mocked, ridiculed, and persecuted them in return. They had to endure many health issues and financial struggles. We encouraged them to continue to trust God and continue the good work they were doing. We also encouraged them to start prayer walking in the village.

The Light Has Dawned

It has been 7 seven years now, of hard work and sacrifice, and God has honored their faithfulness. More than 175 people from that area have come to know the Lord and have been delivered. Men who had been under the influence of drugs for many years, and women who had been involved in witchcraft for many years, have all been set free by the power of the gospel! Last year we started a training center in that area, and 22 men and women completed the program. Last month, our team was in that village for their graduation, and more than 250 people from that area attended the graduation ceremony.

Light Comes to the Land of Shadows

There is a remote area in the state of Rajasthan where a particular community lives, where they practice all kinds of pagan worship, including animal sacrifices. Violence is a way of life for these people, and until four years ago, no one there had ever heard the gospel. It was then that one of our outreach teams reached that area and began sharing the gospel. They told about Jesus, and prayed for everyone they met. God, in His mercy, healed many from sickness and delivered many from evil spirits. Our brothers started prayer groups in many of the villages. When it was time for the outreach team to leave, one young man decided to stay behind. God put in his heart a vision to continue to minister to that community. This young man was 23 years old, came from a good family and was accustomed to having all the comforts of life, but he decided to stay back in a remote village among people who live without any modern conveniences or comforts. He is his parents’ only son, and they were very upset by his decision. They tried everything they could to bring him back home, but this young man continued ministering among the tribal people. For the past 4 years, the Lord has blessed his efforts. A year ago he told us that they had 21 prayer groups. He said “it is almost impossible for me to reach every prayer group every week.” We asked him to start a training center in that area, and, glory to God, 26 men and women enrolled! Some of them had not yet been baptized. Usually we will not allow unbaptized people to attend the training, but for this center we made an exception. Last month our team was in that area for their graduation ceremony. After the graduation we had a baptism service, where 48 people (including 11 of the trainees) were given baptism.

Good News to the Poor

Many of you will remember the story of Pawan and his daughters and their slum ministry that we published a few month ago. Through Pawan and his daughters’ ministry to the underprivileged slum people, hundreds of people came forward, accepted Jesus as their personal Savior and received baptism. Of these, 23 men and women who had been delivered from witchcraft and idol worship attended one of our training centers (in Pawan’s house) for over a year. This April, they completed the training, and we had a graduation ceremony for them. As part of their practical training, these trainees did outreach in different slums. Through their outreach, many have come to faith in Christ, and they have started prayer groups in the slums. Just last week, 68 people received baptism because of the outreach of these trainees!

Will you help us continue shining the Light of the Gospel in the darkest places of India? Will you invest in the Great Harvest that Jesus spoke of, and is now taking place? You can share in the blessings! To find out how, just click one of the links below. Our missionaries will be blessed, and you will too!

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June 2019 Letter

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Shine your Light!

Dear Partners and Friends,

It’s a simple law of physics – light overcomes darkness. Darkness can seem powerful and frightening, until the smallest light is lit, and immediately darkness must retreat. Even the gloomiest shadows are no match for the smallest flicker of light from a candle or a small flashlight.

So it is with the Gospel. A single person, committed to Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, can transform an entire area engulfed in darkness. These are the stories in this month’s newsletter. One family moving into an unreached village. One young man who gives up his life of comfort to live in a tribal village. And these are just a few of the many stories we have heard among our outreach teams.

Do you feel outnumbered? Insignificant? The darkness around you is no match for the light within. If you have given your life to Christ, if He has filled you with His Spirit and His Power, as someone has said, God plus you equals a majority. When you fill your heart and mind with God’s Word, and then act on it, responding to the leading of the Holy Spirit, you can have a lasting impact on the people around you. You can bring the Kingdom of Heaven into the earth realm. You can change your neighborhood, your city.

Start shining your light in your area of influence, among the people you live with, the people you work with. Where there is discouragement, bring hope. Where there is pain and sorrow, bring the love of Christ in prayer. And watch what God will do. He is no respecter of persons. What He has done for others, He will do for you. Just ask, and believe, and you will receive. And as He answers your prayers, please send us your testimony so we can rejoice with you.

As I said last month, our mission work is limited, not by the willingness of our teams, but by the amount of funds we receive from our partners. Our teams are ready and willing to work. Will you help us to equip them? This month I am asking specifically, if you know of missions-minded people who have never heard of Exciting Word, please share this letter with them.

Please don’t feel pressured to give. If you are able to help, go to the Donate page. If you aren’t able to help this month, please pray. Your prayers are extremely important. And please share this newsletter with as many believers as you are able. Copy it, send them to our website, do whatever you can do to get the word out. We overcome by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the word of our testimony. The more people who receive this newsletter, the more hearts will be touched, and the more God will provide for our missionaries. Without your help, we could do nothing to promote the Gospel.

Blessings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus,

Thomas