For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
Psalm 16:10
Dear brothers at HeartCry,
It is with immense joy do we write to you for all the innumerable blessings the Lord has showered upon us since we wrote to you last time. Once again we express our deepest thanks to you for extending HeartCry’s partnership with us. We praise God for in His providence that He made our paths cross for His glory. We look forward to working along with the brothers from HeartCry to train missionaries and to learn many more invaluable lessons in the ministry of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the 31st March 2013, which was Easter Sunday, we praised God as I was able to baptize Brother Ramesh before the service commenced. What immense joy it gives you when a sinner repents of his sins and comes to Christ for cleansing and gets himself baptized! The congregation witnessed his baptism.
Brother Ramesh is a school teacher, is married and has a son. He has been attending our Local Reformed Baptist Church since two years. How we thank the Lord for the penetrating power of the Word of God which caused a jolt that was needed in his life. So, please pray for Brother Ramesh that he may be a mighty witness for our Lord in the days to come.
We praise God that the number of people attending our local church has been increased. 50 to 60 people have been coming to the church. As much as it is encouraging to see the numbers growing, it is also our humble prayer that the Lord may in His grace confront every single individual with the Gospel and convert them.
The Sunday School Ministry
The Sunday School ministry is also being blessed. We get 40 to 50 children for the Sunday School. Three teachers including my wife sweat it out to help them with their homework from their schools during the week-days and share with them the Good News on every Lord’s Day. As a result of this, a couple of Muslim girls are attending our church service. Please pray that the Lord may speak to them and that they may stand for Christ in the days to come.
The Bible Training Institute
We praise God as He enabled us to start a part-time pastoral training course which will run for two years from the month of January 2013. Every month students gather for two days where we teach them Systematic Theology, Church History, Old Testament and New Testament Theology. My father Pastor Sunath, Bro Kiran, Bro Tom, and I share the teaching responsibilities; all of us are pastors and are like-minded brethren in doctrine. This course is designed to aid the village pastors to understand the doctrines of grace and its practical implications in their life, as well as in the church’s life. Sermon preparation and the church government will be dealt with as a part of Systematic Theology.
There are 16 students including our 8 village pastors that have enrolled in this programme. Our only aim is to support biblical churches being planted in every nook and corner of our area through our 2 year part-time course. So please pray for the BTI that may be a blessing to all those who attend it and may be extended to the fullest for His glory in this area.
The Village Ministry
HeartCry has started supporting five individuals including me. Bro Yesu Das, Bro Israel, Bro Yehoshua and Bro G Samuel and I are extremely grateful to the support that is being extended to us. We are going to have our next public Gospel meeting where Bro G Samuel is laboring. Please pray that the Lord might save some.
On 30th March 2013, we praised God that 6 women and 2 men were baptized from the congregation where our Brother Akkaiah ministers. The neighborhood where this village church is situated that was once steeped in spiritual apathy is now a witness to our Saviour. Please pray for the newly converted believers of this local church and also for Pastor Akkaiah.
Our Evangelistic Outreach
As part of our evangelistic outreach, we went to conduct the Gospel meeting in a remote village which was more than 100 kilometers away from our home on 25th March 2013. This is where our Brother Yesu Das is working. We praised God for the ministry of the Holy Spirit that night for many listened to the Gospel very intently. Now it is our prayer that many may come to the Lord to receive Him as their Saviour. Please pray for Brother Yesu Das who is a pastor and also who has enrolled in our training programme.
Medical Aid
On March 1st 2013, we were able to go to a place to encourage the church with the Word of God and to help them with free diagnosis and free distribution of the medicine. My father’s sister, Dr. A., is helping us with the medical ministry.
There is a lot of sickness in India because people are poor and the government’s medical services are substandard most of the time. Who can cure all the sickness? Only God is powerful enough to cure them. Please pray for the number of people suffers from various diseases. Most of them are body pains, gastric problems, being anemic, chest pain, bad eyesight, etc. So we offered them free diagnosis and free distribution of the medicine. Pray for the sick people and more so for their conversions. We are also to conduct a medical camp in another village during this summer.
Prayer Requests
1) Our church sanctuary is a bit too small and unable to hold more than 60 people. We need to have a bigger sanctuary. Please pray.
2) Please pray for the ministry in N_________, the next town, where we have started the church planting ministry in November 2012. Every Sunday evening, we are conducting evening service. So far we are getting 10 to 15 people. Please pray that the Lord may convert them.
3) Please pray for the Bible Training Institute, for the teachers, and for the students.
4) Please pray for two graduate youth camps we are planning conduct in May 2013, one in V_______ and the other in N_________.
5) Please pray for me, for my father Pastor Sunath, and for Brother Johnson our elder.
Family-wise, my son and daughter are growing fast and are very skillful at distracting me from the work! My wife Vijaya is doing well. Many thanks for your prayers.
In His Service,
Sandeep K.