We want to thank God for helping us reach those living in the hills with the gospel of grace. We have been praying for our brothers in this area, and this much-awaited visit. Those who regularly labor there have been asking us to visit them, and the gospel work there. It was our desire to encourage them in their labor so my wife and I, along with both children, decided to start the journey. The days in India are hot, and the travel is very slow. The average speed of any vehicle going up in the hills is 20 kilometers per hour. By God’s grace, we covered almost 500 kilometers at this pace. Below is a review of our journey.
Day 1 in P______: We traveled about 90 kilometers from our place (taking about 5 hours) to reach the town of P_______. We experienced a great relief from the heat of the plains, as it was considerable cooler in the hills. Here we met with Mr. S______’s family (his wife and three children) and five others. We were able to look into the Bible together (Acts 2:42), with the particular focus on new discipleship. These saints were very thankful to God, and for the teachings they received from us.
From there, after walking about two more kilometers, we visited a brother who is planning on serving the Lord in this town. We met him and his family through one of our contacts. We prayed together, and I encouraged this brother to prayerfully labor for the Lord, with a commitment to live in this town long term, so that the church can be established and constantly encouraged.
Before leaving, we visited another family of five. This was the home of an older believer, who is having problems with his mind, and is currently on bed rest. We prayed for him, and counseled his family not to focus on physical healing, but rather, focus on the Healer of his soul. The great reality is that we will all die one day, in spite of any physical healing.
Day 2 in B________: We came to this village on the second day, and immediately visited a brother’s family. We spoke from the Bible on the topic of prayer, covering the purpose of prayer, before praying with them. We came back to have Bible study later that evening, ate dinner with them, and prayed with them once again. Please pray for this family. They have been through many hardships. Recently, their house was greatly damaged by rain and landslides. Praise the Lord we were able to spend time looking at the topic of persistent prayers. Luke 18:1-8 is a great encouragement, for truly, the Lord hears us when we come to Him.
Day 3 in J________: This was the first time in this village, even though we have been praying for it for almost two years now. It is a little farther away from our regularly visited places. We had tried to visit this place last year, but after going about 8 kilometers, we were unable to proceed any further due to heavy rainfall, and a broken road. By God’s grace, He enabled us to go into this village on this trip. We were encouraged to see at least 6-8 families gathering together. A few men and women gathered to listen to us, and then asked us to pray for them. I taught them from Acts 2:42. In this passage, we see new disciples being added to the church. They continued in the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. This gave evidence to their true discipleship. We were encouraged when they asked us to visit again, and tried to force us to spend the night with them. Unfortunately, we had to leave for another fellowship.
Day 4 in D_______: We came to this village after a two hour drive. This was a very tough journey. We then had to hike straight up the hill for about one hour. We had to stop several times for water breaks, and to renew ourselves with fresh air. Thank God, the villagers were awaiting our arrival. An older couple that was expecting us invited us into their house. We entered into their house by climbing up the wood steps. This was not an easy thing for us to do, for these steps were designed to protect the house from wild animals. We prayed, and then we began our Bible study in their home. Both the adults and children listened to us attentively. God showed us grace. That night, we took rest. We did our morning devotion in this village, ate breakfast, and left for another village.
Day 5 in T_______: This village is extremely religious. We met up with P______ and her husband there. This couple has been struggling with sickness, and believed that the gods have cursed them. They do not have any children, or peace in their hearts. However, there are signs of grace. For the last three months they have been reading the New Testament and learning the truth about God, salvation, and faith. It appears that they are beginning to trust the Lord. The physical healing need is still there, as she is unable to speak. She has been dumb for three years, but still understands all that is said to her. Please pray for her and her husband. Pray that their interest in the Lord’s Word would lead them to faith. May the Lord show His amazing grace to them.
Overall, even though we came close to several accidents, God was very gracious. The local brothers were so encouraging and helpful. They would carry our baggage and even catch the hand of our children in times of hard hikes. Even though we had a falling rock damage our car’s rear left window, God showed his mercy during this trip, bringing us safely home, and in good health.
Will you pray? Some of the villages having no witness at all, and others have one or two believing families that are in desperate need of regular teaching. There are simply not enough gospel workers to cover this area. Please pray for “the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers” (Luke 10:2). There is a great need for faithful workers, who desire to see this region brought to the Lord. Our hearts desire for this region is for a center to be built. This would provide the people of the hills a place to be taught, fellowship, and train for mission work. Please pray.
Lastly, I would say, the Living God is still moving among the people here. The gospel is still proving that it is the power of God to save sinners, even in the most remote and unreached regions. Praise be to God, for drawing souls into His kingdom, through the faithful witness and prayers of godly people around the globe.
Thank you for praying and supporting,
Bro. Ranjit and team
