intercedemagazine fall2015 web

“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours” (John 17:9 NKJV).

I often feel like I live in two worlds. One is Canada. Despite our problems here, all is relatively well. We have abundance of all things material and we still have much freedom to proclaim the Everlasting Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The other world I live in is the avalanche of communications we receive from the brethren from some of the most difficult, poor and oppressed nations on earth. Every day I am reading about the heroic efforts of the Lord’s people in these nations. A recent letter I received from Gabriel Barau in northern Nigeria, illustrates my point. He writes:

“Beloved pray for me. Yesterday we spent eight hours at a refugee camp with over 7,000 displaced persons. I wept. Many of the children are without parents. The parents who are either dead or missing were over 300. We had clothes, rice, biscuits, salt, sugar, soap, tin food, many other items worth about $8,000. Brethren, it was like a drop of water in the sea. More than 5,000 refugees gave their lives to Christ when we showed the Jesus’ film in the night. We distributed 340 Hausa Bibles and also 70 Treasure Audio Bibles in Hausa. Dear Church, people in these parts are being terrorized by Boko Haram and are dying like rats.

If the resources of the church cannot be used to save men and women now both spiritually and physically then there is no use for the church to have resources. The condition is deadly. You cannot pass through these camps without shedding tears.”

Every letter we receive from the brethren in many nations is a request: Pray for Us! Jesus Himself in John reminded us that He is interceding for all of us who are His blood-bought children.

We can be encouraged that Jesus said, “I pray for them”.

Editorial

James Eagles, President

RIGHT: Bangladeshi missionary Ajit Paul prays to the Lord for new believers who are ready for baptism.

inFocusINDIA, NEPAL AND BANGLADESH

“Beloved, pray for me.”

2 INTERCEDE Fall 2015

Jesus is Interceding for Us (Romans 8:26,27,34)—as the scriptures reminds us, Jesus is interceding often for us and through us, so we, being used of the Lord who lives in us, are reminded to also PRAY FOR THEM without ceasing. This is because your prayers and those of the Lord who lives in us by His Holy Spirit are being heard and are being answered!

What an unspeakable gift! That is why this information is being shared with you. So that you, too, might pray, might intercede, might stand in the gap for your brethren around the world who so desperately need our prayers of intercession.

In the pages of this issue, three ongoing issues are being brought to our attention that require our intervention and our prayers for the work of God in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. One is reaching the lost and the unreached tribes to hear and receive the Gospel, whether Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist, and another is to alleviate the suffering of those who have suffered through

this terrible earthquake in Nepal and the other is to “remember the poor” as Paul said—by our intercessions and the grace of giving.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,” (Eph 6:10 KJV). His might is given to us by the Holy Spirit to Intercede for others.

“Beloved, pray for me.” “I pray for them.”


ABOVE: Go Ministries leader Gabriel Barau speaks to a large group of people at a camp for Internally Displaced People in Nigeria.

Every day I am reading about the heroic efforts of

the Lord’s people in these nations.

www.IDOP.ca

Fall 2015 INTERCEDE 3

Supporters SPEAKWhat a privilege working

together to spread the Good News! God bless you all! I am always amazed at the dedication of those indigenous missionaries, and rejoice about how God is blessing all their hard work. Blessings on them all!

~ From Hilda in Manitoba

Please note that Church of the Way is very proud to be a supporter of Intercede International.

~ From Dawn in Manitoba

Every morning before breakfast I have my Quiet Time with the Lord, and I pray through all the requests on your prayer calendar. May God bless you and the Intercede ministry in a mighty way.

~ From Ruth in Ontario

ONE OF OUR MINISTRY PARTNERS IN CANADA.

Intercede is happy to partner with CMI by distributing creation

literature to Ministry partners around the world.

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Table of Contents

FRONT COVER:Five women prepare to be baptized by Orissa Follow-Up missionaries in India.

EDITORIAL

inFocus: India, Nepal and Bangladesh

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE: INFOCUS: INDIA, NEPAL AND BANGLADESH

Missionaries Proclaim Gospel Boldly in Bangladesh

Missionaries Sacrifice to Help Nepal Earthquake Survivors

Successful Outreach to India’s Cities and Tribal Villages

Ministry Rescues People From Poverty and Spiritual Darkness

58 Years of Faithfulness

Preaching and Ministering to the Poorest in Mumbai

A Great Harvest of Souls in Orissa, India

Persistent Missionaries Gain Ground In ‘Missionary Graveyard’

MISSION INSPIRATIONS

Libertadores

INTERCEDE NEWS SERVICE

Nigerian Mission Leader Inspires Canadian Christians

Hope Amid Carnage in Middle East

WORLD HARVEST

Ukraine: Thousands of Bibles, Thousands of Saved Souls

Philippines: Bible Training Institute’s 12th Year Begins

Pakistan: Raising New Readers Of Gospel

Kenya: Many Women and Youth Healed and Revived

MINISTRY PROFILE

About Intercede International

Upcoming Events


A PUBLICATION OF INTERCEDE INTERNATIONAL

EDITOR IN CHIEF: James S. Eagles

M ANAGING EDITOR: Alan Doerksen

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EMAIL US [email protected]

Although Christians are a tiny minority in Bangladesh, indigenous missionaries partnered with Intercede

International are proclaiming the Gospel boldly in that nation and reaching many tribes through such means as evangelism, medical work and film translation.

Timothy Debnath, founder of the Indigenous Mission of Bangladesh, departed to be with the Lord in 2002. In one of his books called Christ Caught in Crisis Here he stated: “The time is now to do the work of the Lord before His year ends and the day of the Lord dawns.” Pastor Debnath was greatly disturbed in his heart about the defeated state of the churches in the country, and cried out to the Lord for His divine intervention. He would be glad nowadays to see the ongoing change in the church and how his prayers, vision and mission are becoming a reality spearheaded by his widow, Elizabeth, and Louis Biswas—one of his closest disciples.

b y E L I U D H E R R E R A a n d A L A N D O E R K S E N

Missionaries Proclain GOSPEL BOLDLY

in Bangladesh


ABOVE: IMB’s Maya Paul (right) shares the Gospel with people in Parbotipur village.

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Bangladesh is located on the northern coast of the Bay of Bengal and is surrounded by India, with a small border with Myanmar. Out of 166,000,000 people most are Muslims and only about 0.4 percent are Christians.

Currently, IMB has 22 missionaries distributed through the country. The ministry has identified and is reaching out to 17 people groups, such as Mandai, Bormon, Santal, Pahan and Khumi. These tribes are mostly from Hindu or Buddhist background. One IMB missionary reaches out particularly to Muslims.

These warriors of the faith have to contend with many obstacles and barriers in a predominantly religious society. Persecution is a major challenge—it can come from radicals, or even one’s own family.

Lack of funds to more effectively carry out the task of evangelism is a big barrier for these missionaries. Pastors and evangelists alike work long hours to support their families—and after the daily hard work, they manage to find time and strength to do the labour of the Master.

Church Planting is the HeartPlanting churches among the many tribal groups

of the nations is at the heart of this ministry. During a visit by Intercede staff to a village, around 35 people were baptized in a pond located in a rice plantation. These men and women were publicly making a bold statement of their faith in Christ, in spite of the consequences that this testimony could bring upon them. In a recent report, IMB informed Intercede that one of the men who got baptized then suffered an attack and ended up in the hospital. His body was badly injured, but his faith remained intact.

When some Bangladeshis receive Jesus as their Saviour and become Christians they lose some social advantages. For instance, new Christians in North Amlitala cannot collect drinking water from that area. Therefore, some new believers secretly inform IMB missionaries that they want to accept Jesus as their Saviour.

Medical ReliefDr. Ajit Paul is a medical doctor and a

missionary. In his clinic he treats people from physical sickness, but also shares with them medicine for the soul. In his “free time” Dr. Paul visits people in different villages of the area and conducts medical clinics with the purpose of gaining the confidence of the inhabitants. Once friendship is established, he preaches the Word of God, and many are healed both physically and spiritually. Dr. Paul travels by motorcycle (provided with help from Intercede’s supporters) to visit these villages, and carries with him the basic instruments of his profession and the little provision of medicine that he can get from his practice and his church offerings.

In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Paul trains and helps other pastors and missionaries in north Bengal and pastors his own congregation. He could evangelize and carry on a mobile medical clinic if he had a blood pressure machine, stethoscopes, weigh scale, medical bag, microscope, syringes, routine medical equipment and medicines. A better-equipped mobile clinic would do wonders in Paul’s ministry—but in the meantime he will continue reaching out to hundreds of souls in the Naogaon district of Bangladesh. As a village doctor Pastor Ajit Paul and his wife, Maya Paul, are taking care of IMB’s Free Health Care Project.

Maya serves as a Gospel worker and a coaching teacher of IMB’s Adult Literacy program at Bhogorat village in Naogaon district. There are

RIGHT: IMB’s Dr. Ajit Paul gives free medical attention to the people of Parbotipur village.


30 or more women from different people groups getting the opportunity to learn to read and write through this program. Maya also visits different villages with her husband and preaches the Gospel among different tribal and Hindu women.

Recently, Dr. Paul visited several villages, to preach and give the locals medical care and advice about how they can live safely and cleanly both physically and spiritually. “They were surprised to hear like this talk because they know only about physical safety and cleanliness but not spiritually,” reported IMB. “Ajit Paul told them that he can save their body from diseases, not their soul, but the Lord Jesus can save both their body and soul. When they heard this they were very impressed and made decisions to receive the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and take baptism to save their soul. About 65 Santal, Pahan and Oraon people are getting ready to take baptism soon. All praises to our only Lord.”

Here is a testimony of healing that happened through this ministry: “One man named Romesh Murmu from Talpara, age 48, his left side was paralyzed, and for about one month he could not walk,” writes one IMB missionary. Dr. Paul and two other IMB missionaries visited that man in August 2008. “When we heard about him and his sickness we went to his house and prayed for him. We stretched our hands on his head and handed him over to the Lord Jesus for his permanent recovery. One month later, while I visited alone at Talpara, I saw him. He is walking and everybody told me about him that after that prayer he was able to walk again in the Lord Jesus’ name.”

IMB also runs adult literacy programs and wants to publish the Bible and tracts in different tribal languages.

In financing these projects the ministry intends to promote self-sufficiency among the people and in that way provide a better life for them. Canadian supporters of Intercede have helped to get these projects going.

Children Have a Pivotal PlaceChildren’s education is another main goal for

the ministry. The illiteracy rate in the country is very high. The vision is to build more Christian schools. Currently, IMB is running four tuition-free Primary Schools in four communities, providing education to about 200 children.

“Children have a pivotal place in Christ’s ministry,” writes one of IMB’s leaders. “Our Lord says God’s Kingdom is for people like them. It is also His command that children should get all the

time open access to come to Him to be ministered to. This truth makes it an imperative for IMB to obey the Master’s command by fulfilling His ministry for the kids.”

Child sponsorship is one of the IMB programs to let children receive the love and care of Creator God. This program aims to help children to grow in godly living through Biblical and Christian education and training.

Film TranslationIn recent years, IMB started working

among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and neighbouring India. Most Rohingyas are Sunni Muslims.

“We were praying to the Lord to translate and dub the ‘Jesus’ film into the Rohingya language, because 98 percent of Rohingya people are illiterate so they cannot read or write,” reports IMB’s Louis Biswas. “Besides, most of the people in this world like to watch movies, and the Rohingya people, too. That is why we want to translate and dub the ‘Jesus’ film into Rohingya and distribute the CD among them so that they may understand well and we can reach the Gospel among them easily.”

IMB missionaries are grateful to Intercede prayer partners who have provided several thousand dollars to get this project started. The script was translated by September 2014. IMB needs another $8,900 to complete this project.

Thank the Lord for the many ways IMB missionaries are touching the lives of Bangladeshis. Please continue to intercede for these faithful servants of God.

For more information and bimonthly Intercede Field Praise Reports, contact Intercede mentioning this Intercede project code: 710IMB—01-29

ABOVE: A team of people work on a translation of the Jesus film into the Rohingya language.


Since a devastating earthquake and strong aftershocks struck Nepal in late April—killing

9,000 people and injuring more than 23,000—three indigenous ministries partnered with Intercede have been doing their best to help many earthquake survivors recover from the disaster. One missionary couple even sacrificed their 25th wedding anniversary in order to help out people in need. So far, generous Intercede prayer partners have given more than $47,000 for Nepal Earthquake Relief.

“On June 24 was our 25th Anniversary,” reported Evangelical Christian Fellowship leaders Sundar and Sareeta recently. “We had many things in our mind about how we were going to celebrate. Actually we are not so much interested in celebrating birthdays or anniversaries. But for 25, we had some good and better plans—but God had the best.

“Then we got a call that we had to be at the church at 8 a.m. to evaluate and thank God for the relief work we were doing. We had reached to 13 districts and 6,500 people and built two schools.

“Then we got back home to meet three groups from three regions about how we

are going to provide metal tin roofs. We got a call to meet a friend in

another district to discuss to go to see the new area where no

one has reached since it’s on a hilltop. Then we met

another friend who gave some love gifts

to use for needy areas.

Missionaries SACRIFICE to HELP Nepal Earthquake Survivors


b y A L A N D O E R K S E N

BELOW: Nepalis observe some of the destruction left by recent earthquakes.


“At 3 p.m. we got back home, had a quick Nepali tea and two pastors were waiting to take us to the north side of Kathmandu, where 17 houses had fallen totally down including pastor’s house and small chicken farm. But a small church building was still standing in the midst of it. Praise the Lord!

“We tried to go little further to see more but the road was totally blocked, so we drove back.

“We got home at 7:30 p.m. and fixed Korean noodles for dinner. Oh yes! I [Sareeta] and some church ladies are on 40 days of fasting and praying for nation so I take a very light dinner (of well-cooked mixed vegetable soup only). I believe this is the best celebration of our 25th Anniversary. Praise the Lord!”

In the weeks following the major earthquake, Sareeta reported to Intercede stories of how ECF’s missionaries have been helping out survivors.

“The house of Pastor Paul from evangelical Ashish church, Phikuri is totally gone,” she wrote. “He used to live with his family and 12 children that he was taking care to send them school. The house was built with mud, wood and a tin roof. He personally sold some good land and received some funds from ECF and built a two-storey building for the church. Now since the earthquake, the wall is gone while they were having a service. The inside walls where stones were patched have come down. The next house is leaning on the wall of the church. The pastor was preaching on the signs of last days and encouraging people to repent. There were 250 people on that day. Nineteen children were under the rubble, five injured badly, with broken hands

and feet, and 12 were brought to a hospital for checking.

“I asked the response of Pastor on this situation: He believes it is a warning from God, as he was preaching from Matthew 24 on that day. That particular day three believers who stayed back home were buried under rubble. We need to repent as the body of Christ.

“Right now he is involved meeting with people, helping, volunteering and doing whatever way he can.” Amazingly 500 household got packets of rice from some people from India when Sundar and Sareeta were not there. The community was surprised, even church people. “It was like an angel,” reported Sareeta. “He testified that there are already 50 newcomers coming to Christ after this incident. Praise the Lord!

“Going to our girls’ home was another scenario. The road had collapsed, but thank God the local people were trying to build it so I was able to walk and Sundar took the bike. Our girls’ home was vacant and children were sleeping under plastic but had shifted to the next house (meant for learning skills), and the aftershocks terrified them. The dorm parents were so good, they were trying to make them busy by doing other activities like sewing, art, dance, a movie, kitchen, garden. Two girls were still crying, complaining of stomach aches and not eating, so they were cared for by them. I did one therapy beside prayer: giving dolls and talking to them about their fear.”

Nepal is a country where to be a Christian means to expect persecution. But even so, ECF is serving the Lord boldly there. Organized in 1987, ECF is an active fellowship of more than 135 Nepali churches, many of which meet in homes.

FAR LEFT: ECF missionary Sareeta helps distribute grain to Nepali earthquake survivors, who will need to walk for hours carrying these supplies.

ABOVE RIGHT: ECF has given this tin roof to a group of Chepang people.


New assemblies are being added regularly. Some house fellowships have only 20 believers, while some larger congregations number about 600.

ECF works with almost 101 different tribal groups, with 92 ethnic languages. ECF also runs five children’s homes, several schools, and a women’s ministry of more than 300 cell groups—which meet daily to intercede for the nations of the world.

More than 175 church-planting missionaries work with ECF to reach out to Nepali-speaking communities—not only in Nepal but also in India, Bhutan, Malaysia and Myanmar.

The primary ministry of ECF is planting new churches and discipling believers. Native missionaries are sent out to unreached tribes living in isolated villages high in the Himalayas.

Earthquake Aftermath: Helping Many

Missionaries with Gospel Outreach Centre have been able to help a good number of earthquake survivors with relief supplies. “With your offering, we were able to give: Rice: 3,390 kilograms directly; Lentils: 210 kilograms directly; Cooking oil: 210 litres; Salt: 300 kg; Spices: 20 kg; Tarpaulins: to 280 families; Mats: to 200 families. Basic medicines, soaps, surgical masks to many,” reports that mission’s leaders.

“In one of the first villages we visited where we have a partner church, the first improvised tent the faithful built, with the best tarpaulin they had, was their tent of worship to fellowship with one another and worship the Lord. These believers were filled with joy just to meet with us. Our visit and fellowship was enough to boost their morale in their time of distress and need.

“We are surprised by the resilience and thankfulness expressed by the people we have been able to serve. Almost every person we have talked to mourned the loss of life, but rarely did they lament the loss of their homes. They are living in makeshift tents made out of plastic sheets, but they are thankful that they were spared. Our prayer is that they will come to know the One Who gives eternal life,” declare GOC’s Resham and Sita.

GLOW, a social charity wing of GOC, has focused on helping out women affected by the disaster. “The ladies at GLOW

training centre were already working long hours before the second earthquake on May, 12, preparing sanitary pads, petticoats and gowns for women and trousers, jumpers and swaddling clothes” for babies, reports Sita. “Earlier we reached the affected people with emergency food aid and tarpaulins. This is a great need to address during this time. We are using all our resources to do all that we can to help those in need.

“We at GLOW’s training centre provide sewing and tailoring training for widows, single and poor women. The centre is in Pokhara, 200km west from Kathmandu. Our aim is to: provide vocational training to under-privileged women, which will enable them to earn their living and help them to stand on their own feet.”

Home Study: An Unstoppable Strategy

Much of GOC’s ministry focuses on discipling and training new Christians. Founder Resham realized early on that getting to some areas personally to share the Gospel was difficult and dangerous. Sharing Christ in remote areas could still bring arrests by local authorities. So he and his wife, Sita, decided on a new strategy: offering home Bible study courses by mail through their ministry.

Sending information “on request” did not violate Nepal’s anti-conversion laws. Correspondence courses could reach individuals in remote places and convey their message quietly.

In 1991 indigenous GOC Gospel workers all across Nepal began distributing information about the home Bible study course. GOC sent out millions of invitations to subscribe to the “Home Study Course,” sometimes at great risk.

The results were phenomenal. Since 1991, at least 35,000 have successfully completed the course. Those who complete the course receive one copy of the New Testament.

Thousands of these students have received different types of

training courses after completing the Bible correspondence course,

including: Community Based Discipleship Training, One-week Discipleship Training, Two-week Advanced Discipleship Training, and Leadership skills training.

RIGHT: A woman carries home her portion of grain supplied by ECF.


Sometimes, GOC sends out follow-up Gospel teams to provide fellowship, teaching and baptism to groups of believers and seekers who have taken the courses in locations all over Nepal. This is an encouragement to believers, and strengthens them with Biblical teaching.

GOC also sends out a mobile film team that has shown the life of Jesus to nearly 200,000 people. Several bookstalls and a bookstore make GOC’s Christian literature available for believers and inquirers.

Relief Team From India

“We have been hit severely by the earthquake,” reported Himalaya Crusade’s Sabrina Sodemba in late April. HIC is based in northeastern India, close to the eastern border of Nepal. “You have been aware that Nepal has been badly hit but the quake is severe in our area nonetheless. This has never happened before so there is much tension and fright all around. People have left their homes and are spending nights on the open ground.

“In Nepal we have contacted our churches in the area and they have reported safety. But the conditions are severe and people need help. Relief is being supplied and is not yet sufficient. It is not possible to visit the area due to closed transportation. Only emergency transportation is allowed. Himalaya Crusade will not move back from extending help. We are connecting to our workers for more information.

“Should there be more help and relief materials required, we need to come forward to extend all help to our neighbouring country. Especially Nepal has always been in the heart of Himalaya Crusade.

“Also matters are not improving on our own end. With the regular aftershocks and tremors, a lot of damages are being done in our own hills. We need prayers for Nepal and India in this northeast belt, especially as we are receiving more reports of damage in our area.”

Himalaya Crusade has organized a relief team for Nepal taking basic supplies to the people in need. “We welcome prayer partners and sponsors to join

hands with us in this relief work,” writes Sodemba. To help earthquake survivors, HIC is raising

support for and sending in supplies such as: bags of rice, plastic sheets, blankets, cooking oil and water bottles. The mission is focusing its relief work on four areas of Nepal that were hit by the earthquake: Dhading, Kathmandu, Sindupalchok and Gorkha. Himalaya Crusade relief team will take supplies collected from all the donors and sponsors to the

unreached villages of these regions.

Himalaya Crusade works in a region difficult for several reasons: opposition to Christianity from other religions, restrictions on Christianity from local governments, and challenging travel conditions in the rugged Himalayas.

Himalaya Crusade was registered in 1970, but founder

Subhang Sodemba began evangelizing and planting churches long before that. Since Sodemba’s death in 2001, his wife Rev. Ruth Sodemba has been directing the ministry, but now, her son Joseph Sodemba has been made the new leader of the ministry.

Even though they were located in an area where mountainous terrain makes travel difficult and dangerous, by the year 2000 the ministry had grown to include about 250 Gospel workers (including more than 170 Gospel workers in Nepal), 128 churches, a children’s home, several elementary schools, a Bible school and a weekly evangelistic radio program.

HIC holds regular leadership seminars for pastors, evangelists and female workers. The ministry also operates Himalaya Theological College, in Salugarah, India. HIC aims to equip its leaders fully in mind, body and spirit.

HIC focuses its work on the seven sister states of northeast India, as well as Nepal and Bhutan.

This ministry acts quickly to help many people affected by such disasters as earthquakes, landslides and fires.

Please continue to intercede for the missionaries of these three ministries as they meet the needs of earthquake survivors and spiritually needy people in Nepal and northeastern India.

For more information and bimonthly Intercede Field Praise Reports, contact Intercede mentioning these Intercede project codes: 675HIC-01-29, 702ECF-01-29, 702GOC-01-29.

LEFT: Boys unload rice provided by Gospel Outreach Centre.


For more than 50 years, indigenous missionaries with India Christian Ministries

have been reaching out successfully to both the cities and the isolated tribes of India with the Gospel. Today, ICM has more than 290 missionaries scattered throughout the nine districts of the Tamil-speaking area of southern India. The work has spread to northern India as well, and now includes a total of 338 churches, with more than 27,000 members. Many of the churches have been planted in areas where there has never been a witness to the Gospel—especially in the central and northern areas of India.

Job and Ruth Gnanaprakasam started ICM in 1957, and worked together for decades until Ruth’s passing on to glory in 2005. Her dream was to serve the Lord until her last breath, and she did exactly that. Her husband, Job, passed on to glory on March 31 of this year. Now their three sons—Peter, Andrew and David Prakasam—and their board lead the ministry.

This dynamic mission has been very successful in winning souls to Christ in the cities, villages and tribal areas in the state of Tamil Nadu and beyond. ICM’s strong city churches are very active for the Lord. The young people especially are very enthusiastic, witnessing on the streets and going door to door handing out tracts. ICM missionaries conduct crusades, preach in the open

air, visit jails, and pray for the sick in hospitals. The believers also reach out to children, mostly

Hindus, with stories about Jesus. Children’s work, a great door-opener to reaching parents for Christ, has resulted in numerous Sunday Schools in the cities as well as in branch churches. ICM’s children’s outreaches often draw the parents as well as the children to Christ. The city churches are self-supporting, but their resources are still too limited to support pioneer missionary work to remote tribal areas.

Most of India’s more than one billion people live in its 600,000 villages. Many of them have never heard the Gospel preached even once. They are simple folk who are quick to believe the stories of Jesus with child-like faith. Showing a Gospel film in a village attracts a crowd. After the film, workers preach the Gospel, and many receive the Lord. ICM’s film ministry is very active among the hill tribes and broadcast deep in the villages where people do not venture to come to the cities.

For ICM missionaries, the most challenging people to reach with the Gospel are the hill tribes. They live in remote sections of the wilderness, wear little clothing, and fear or distrust outsiders. Yet ICM’s missionaries are successfully communicating Christ’s love to them by giving them food, used clothing and other help. ICM missionaries have now taken the Gospel to more



Successful Outreach to India's CITIES AND TRIBAL VILLAGES

ABOVE: Joyful children at India Christian Ministries’ Bethel Christian School.


than 64 hill tribe areas. Among the hill tribes, ICM also runs a children’s home and a tailoring school. This ministry was pioneered by Ruth Gnanaprakasam and is now led by Mrs. Joy Prakasam.

Tsunami Relief, Children’s Homes

In December 2004, a devastating tsunami slammed into the east coast of India, killing many people. ICM missionaries quickly moved in to help tsunami survivors to rebuild their lives. To assist tsunami orphans and other children affected by the disaster, ICM built the Sirkali Children’s Home.

Intercede President James Eagles visited the Sirkali Children’s Home. It was a highlight for him, he reported, “not because of the tragedy, but because of the many miracles that happened later, as millions of people around the globe responded to the crisis. In Canada our Intercede constituency also helped, in a two-year period, donating more than $100,000 to the need—which was sent 100 percent in its entirety to Christian projects in India, Indonesia and Thailand. It was in India that $50,000 of these tsunami funds were provided to build and support the orphan children of the Sirkali Children’s Home. Twenty-eight children now are living full lives with Christian love, education and a place to call home. I had the immense honour of dedicating the building and the ministry to the Lord while I was there and the joy of seeing and meeting the children whose lives have been saved and transformed.”

ICM also maintains a children’s home caring for more than 100, with hundreds of other children assisted under a family assistance program. It operates a primary school, a middle school, and a high school for more than 100 students, and offers vocational training for adults and youth.

Loving the LepersICM also operates a home for widows and

a leprosy rehabilitation centre. Whether born high caste or low, lepers in India are considered outcasts. But ICM’s workers show them Christ’s compassion, and many come to the Lord. After much prayer and sacrifice, ICM purchased land for a community centre and worship hall for these stricken people. Formerly only beggars, the lepers now weave cloth. ICM gives them rice, soap, clothing, and teaches them the ways of God.

Training to be MissionariesICM operates three Bible institutes, including

one for men and one for women, preparing labourers for the harvest fields. To date, the Bible colleges have sent forth more than 300 trained Gospel workers who minister in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and English. Busy evangelizing during their schooling, they graduate fully ready to pioneer Gospel work wherever they will go. Practical evangelism and mission work are part of the curriculum. The colleges also offer extension and evening courses.

More than 100 workers need $50 to $100 or more per month so that they can devote themselves full-time to the Lord’s work. These workers are very dedicated but poor. Many have only one change of clothing, and walk everywhere, because they have no money for bicycles, cars, or even bus fares.

Testimony: Kalpana Got Salvation!

Here is a good-news story that ICM recently sent to Intercede: “Mrs. Kalpana belongs to a non-Christian family. She is newly married. They are staying in Senthamizh Nagar at Mylekal. We are conducting a care cell ministry next to their home. She heard all the prayers and worship of our care cell ministry. Whenever she heard, she felt peace and her inner mind rejoiced with that. Later on she also took part in a care cell ministry. Our eternal God’s love filled her mind and she felt very happy with that. Sister Joy also motivated her with Bible scriptures. One Sunday she came to church with her husband. During worship she was filled with the Holy Spirit. Now the newly married couple have been baptized and are now members of our church. Glory to God!”

Praise God for the work He is doing through the missionaries of India Christian Ministries.

www.IntercedeInternational.ca

For more information and bimonthly Intercede Field Praise Reports, contact Intercede mentioning this Intercede project code: 610ICM.



The meeting of a Niagara Region pastor and a young missionary from India some

years ago led to a connection between Intercede International and the indigenous ministry Good Samaritan India that has encouraged and blessed GSI in its ministry of rescuing people from poverty and spiritual darkness.

Joshua Daniel Adipi, founder and leader of GSI, studied at a Bible school in St. Catharines, Ontario, several years ago. That is when Thom Braun, pastor of New Hope Church Niagara, got to know him. “One of my colleagues introduced me to him. He said, ‘You’ve got to get to know this guy—he’s quite an amazing young man.’ So I got together with him, and developed a friendship. He invited me to come to India and do some preaching and meet with some pastors—and to preach at his wedding. So I took two brothers with me and we went over there.”

While in India several years ago, Braun and his friends visited one of GSI’s churches, in a city which “seemed like it was on one of the darkest places on the planet. Then the people started to arrive, and we had a worship service, and it was unbelievable how the presence of God was there. I didn’t understand a word of what anyone was saying, but I could sense that the light was breaking forth in that dark, dark part of the city.”

Child Labour ProblemBraun also witnessed children as young as 10

working in slate mines—for just 65 cents a day. “It just wrecked my heart, and we came back and said, ‘We have to do something to try to help these kids out of this.’ There’s no slavery in India, but the minimum age is 10 years old, and the minimum

wage is 30 rupees a day (65 cents)—which is enough to buy a bowl of rice. That’s pretty much like slavery.

“So as a result of that, we started, with Joshua, a few micro-finance businesses—some embroidery, some paper plates. From what I understand, those businesses made a big difference. But there’s a lot of need there.”

Braun recommended GSI to Intercede International. He is very grateful that Intercede has started a partnership with GSI. “It’s a huge answer of prayer to me that Intercede is willing to adopt these guys, and allow our church to come alongside. We’re very happy to support Intercede to oversee that. We see that as partnering completely, and taking a lot of weight and responsibility off our shoulders, because you guys are experts at it and we’re not. I partner with you guys to make sure it’s all done right.”

“When Christ touched my heart, I had only a single vision in my mind: to glorify Jesus,” explains Adipi. “So I have decided to serve the Lord. When I saw the people in this area, they are all in need of the Gospel, literacy and finance.” To help meet these needs, Adipi set up GSI in 1998.

Since then, GSI has established 30 small (with 30 to 80 members) churches, three medium (between 100 to 200 congregants) size churches and more than 40 youth groups across the state of Andhra Pradesh and in other parts of India. Most of the churches are running in private places or small huts or some shelters. GSI was able to build seven small church building. Twenty more congregations are looking for buildings which will cost thousands of dollars.

Ministry Rescues People From POVERTY & Spiritual DarknessABOVE: Slate mine workers, including some young children. GSI is working hard to improve the lives of such children.



GSI now has 20 full-time pastors and evangelists. The ministry has trained many pastors and Gospel workers at summer training camps. GSI also helps many poor people and orphans.

Ministry’s Key GoalsThe key goals of GSI are;

• To preach the Gospel and do outreach and church planting in rural, urban and tribal areas where there is no Gospel.

• To promote social and economic development, health, agriculture, technical training, culture and educational development activities in rural, urban and tribal areas.

• To uplift children who are living in miserable conditions, and fulfil the dreams of children who are not living in healthy conditions.

• To establish Bible colleges and ministry work among youth and children.

GSI’s missionaries mostly work with tribal people of Andhra Pradesh. Most orphan students in the mission’s care are from tribal backgrounds. These tribes include the Lambadi, Chenchu, Koya, Yerukala, Dasari and another 43 tribes. GSI is targeting all of these groups. “The people of Lambadi and Yerukala are open to the Word of God,” reports Adipi. “Others are very tough to accept Christ. So far, we have reached the above tribes with the education and self-employment programs. After that, we have been able to teach them the Gospel. More than 120 families turned to Christ in the past eight years of our work. More than 300 kids studied in our orphan home from 2005 to till now. Right now we have 24 tribal children studying and most of them are orphans or single parent kids.

“The best way to reach them is by giving medical help,” Adipi declares. “If we are able to start up some mobile clinic or permanent place to give medical help, in the next five years we will be able to [reach] the whole group very easily. But we need at least five doctors who want to serve the Lord with passion.

“Also, our team requires a four-wheel drive vehicle to travel to each place on a regular basis. So far we have been able to show the Jesus movie in all 56 villages. But that is happening only once a year. If we have a four-wheel drive vehicle, twice a month our team could be able to visit and encourage them in the Word of God.

“Whenever I see people who are dying without Christ in these tribes, my heart burns and I feel sad,” says Adipi. “I hope God will give us strength for the coming years to reach these people.”

Schools and OrphanagesGSI runs a school in Dhone that currently has

about 160 students, including 39 orphans. GSI has also started a new school and orphan home in Tarlu Padu. This school has 75 students, 27 of whom are orphans from GSI’s local orphan home. Both of these schools need your prayer and financial support.

Praise God that Intercede supporters have sent GSI most of the money needed to buy land for its new orphanage. GSI still needs $3,000 to buy the land, and $53,600 to build the orphanage.

“Our most important project is to build the Orphan Home in Tarlupadu, where 75 children are living,” reports Adipi. “After the construction, we would love to extend the number of children from 75 to 150 if God allows.

“Most of our Orphan Home children are from Hindu background and before they come to our place they live in horrible conditions. They were in idolatry, animal worship and having evil spirits. Now, our 75 children are in Christ and they spend much time in the Word of God. If you ask any child at our home, they will tell about Jesus and His Love for humanity. We teach them not only the education, but our foremost priority for the Gospel and missions work. We believe that our orphan home will produce missionaries within a few years of time and our children will carry the Word of God to the ends of the earth.

GSI also provides job-related training with sewing machines and plate-making machines.

Jayamma is a woman who got sewing training from GSI and says, “Now I can feed my family three times a day with healthy food, and I can send my kids to school rather than to slate mines. Thanks.”

David is a man who was trained by GSI to use a plate-making machine, and says, “Before 2009, I was worried about food and shelter. Now with the help of Good Samaritan India I am able to feed my family.”

Let us praise God for His work through this ministry and continue to intercede for its dedicated missionaries.

For more information and bimonthly Intercede Field Praise Reports, contact Intercede mentioning this Intercede project code: 620GSI-01-29

ABOVE: Sharada Bai, aged 16, lives at GSI’s New Hope Training Centre, near Tarlupadu, and is sponsored through Intercede. She graduated from Grade 10 with 85% marks. She says, “I am so thankful to all my supporters and especially Intercede International team. Without their help, I would not be able to reach this level. Today I am alive because of God and Intercede International supporting me to continue my future path.


For 58 years, Siloam Evangelical Fellowship’s missionaries have won thousands to Christ

through literature distribution, evangelism, and practical demonstrations of Christ’s love. This is despite the fact that SEF’s headquarters is in Karnataka—the state least receptive to the Gospel in South India.

Most Christians in Karnataka are concentrated in the southern part of that state. SEF focuses on reaching the cities and tribal people in the northern parts of the state. From their headquarters in Hubli City, SEF missionaries preach the Gospel across the entire Hubli region, consisting of more than 80 villages. The fellowship has a goal to reach every home in Karnataka with the Gospel within the next few years. They have also expanded their ministry into the neighbouring states.

SEF “is truly a miracle in the works,” reported Intercede President James Eagles after a visit to the ministry. “Their headquarters program ministries consist of a chapel, lending library, private Christian School up to Grade 5 and a home for needy children. Through several states SEF holds training conferences for pastors and missionaries who come from as far away as Andhra Pradesh. Twenty-five of these workers were on hand to meet with us while we were there. Altogether there are about 50 SEF ministers of the Gospel. These indigenous

missionaries are all actively engaged in church planting among the unreached. They shepherd their own congregations and also do missionary work by going into different villages and areas to evangelize and plant new congregations in the largely Hindu-dominated populations among which they labour.

“Dr. Buraga took us to minister to and pray with the people in a leprosy colony church founded by J. Buraga, and also to visit the children of lepers,

who cannot catch the disease,” explained Rev. Eagles. “Slowly but surely India is eradicating leprosy. The Government of India says that this will be the last generation in India to have the dreaded disease.”

Literature MinistrySEF workers distribute tracts

and Scripture portions through Gospel booths, reading rooms, and correspondence courses. In locations such as hospitals, schools, market places, train and

bus stations, SEF missionaries are there to bring the written Word of God to those lost without Christ. Letters, such as this one, arrive at ministry headquarters often:

“I saw your Bible showcase on the railway platform at Hubli station and read a Scripture portion. I received Christ as my Saviour. Please send me a Bible in the Marathi language.”

Gospel teams have made it a priority to distribute New Testaments among the college

RIGHT: SEF leader Dr. J. Buraga preaches to the Vangapadu Village Church congregation.


58 Years of FAITHFULNESS b y A L A N D O E R K S E N

SEF “is truly a

miracle in the works...

Their headquarters

program ministries

consist of a chapel,

lending library, private

Christian School up to

Grade 5 and a home for

needy children.”


and university students in the Hubli area. Many Hindu and Communist students ask for the Bibles, gaining their first exposure to the truth of the Gospel. In one such outreach 2,500 English New Testaments and 500 Telegu Bibles were needed to meet the demand. Limited resources, however, make it very difficult to supply all the requests for Bibles and Christian literature to people who are hungry to know Christ.

EvangelismSEF currently has more than 50 full-time

workers witnessing for the Lord through open air meetings, Bible classes, Sunday schools, home meetings, and youth rallies. These men and women often face persecution and hardships. One worker was poisoned by Hindus who opposed his ministry, but, praise God, he survived and continues his work. Fanatic Hindus often harass workers who try to preach the Gospel. It is not unusual for workers to have stones thrown at them as they are witnessing, but they forgive those responsible and pray for their persecutors. New converts see the dedication of SEF workers and are willing to face ostracism for the sake of Christ.

Many village churches have been established as a result of SEF missionaries’ perseverance. Due to the lack of places to meet, worship groups often conduct their meetings under trees or in bamboo huts. A small church for 100 believers can be constructed for $3,000 in villages and for $6,000 in the larger towns.

Over the past year, SEF missionaries worked to construct church buildings in the villages of Kotapadu and Vangapadu. These are now complete, thanks in part to generous donations from Intercede’s prayer partners,

Practical Demonstrations of God’s Love

As needs arise, Siloam Evangelical Fellowship missionaries show God’s love to people through practical help given in the name of Christ. Sometimes this is short-term help, such as

distributing food and clothing to victims of cyclones, floods, and earthquakes. Long-term projects, such as a tailoring institute, help the poor learn job skills so they can break the cycle of poverty. Ministry workers also operate two orphanages, each with 15 children, and a medical clinic.

SEF’s Children’s Home (orphanage) building at Hubli is still under construction, coming up slowly. “Up to now 60 percent of the work has been completed,” reported Rev. Buraga in June. “Through your gift sent last year we could do some work. Still it needs more than $10,000 for us to complete the work. Since the building material rates are increasing day to day in the market, we are looking unto the Lord for his grace and praying and fasting.

“So, I request you in the name of Christ to please pray with us and we desire your heartfelt co-operation in this building work to complete the work soon for the Lord’s glory.”

Workers in all of SEF’s ministries need prayer and financial support. Practical needs include finances for tracts, Bibles, bicycles, motorcycles, correspondence materials, building funds, and personal living expenses.

Thank you for your support of and prayers for this ministry. SEF leader Jesuratnam Buraga writes, “Your precious hands are encouraging us very much every time in the ministry and we praise God for His blessings. The Lord is blessing the Siloam ministries very richly for His own glory.”

Pray for God’s continued blessings on, provision for and protection of SEF’s missionaries and their families—as they serve the Lord faithfully.

ABOVE: Enthusiastic participants in an SEF Vacation Bible School.

“Your precious hands are encouraging us

very much every time in the ministry

and we praise God for His blessings...”

For more information and bimonthly Intercede Field Praise Reports, contact Intercede mentioning this Intercede project code: 630SEF-01-29.


“Our missionaries have sacrificed everything to preach the Gospel among the lost souls of Bombay,” says Jaya Thasiah, the founder and director of Intercede partner mission Bombay Revival Prayer Band. “God has blessed their labours with much fruit.” Amid the poverty and stench of the slums of Bombay (now known as Mumbai), BPB’s missionaries have been meeting the spiritual and physical needs of some of the poorest people of India since 1979.

Jaya was brought up in a Christian home in Tamil Nadu. She accepted Christ in 1956. When she married and moved to Mumbai, God gave her a tremendous burden for the city’s millions of lost souls. She prayed and witnessed, and God sent others with the same vision to join her. She started BPRB in 1979. Jaya and her husband lived in a modest Mumbai apartment for more than 50 years. Her husband, Samuel, passed on to glory In January 2009. However, her daughter Bethela and her husband, and an excellent Board are now helping her as the administrative directors of the ministry.

Since its beginnings, the ministry has started 10 churches in various slums of Mumbai. BRPB’s missionaries bravely preach Christ in the streets, conduct daily open-air meetings, distribute Gospel tracts, show evangelistic films, and hold small and large crusades. They also evangelize students, hospital patients, prostitutes and lepers. BRPB has a Bible institute, an orphanage and a primary school.

BRPB now supports eight pastors, 24 assistant pastors and missionaries, 10 intercessors, six teachers in primary school, nine staff in the

orphanage, and seven staff of the Bible institute and office. BRPB has expanded its outreach into other states of India such as Bihar, Orissa, Goa, and Andhra Pradesh. Students graduating from the Bible institute are sent to these states to pioneer new churches in unreached villages. In the past few years, BRPB missionaries have started nine new churches.

Facts About Mumbai Mumbai is one of the biggest cosmopolitan and

industrial cities on the western coast of India. It is also the economic capital of the country, with a population of 18.4 million. Christians comprise only 3.5 percent of the total population.

Bombay is sometimes referred to as “Bollywood,” because of its massive film industry. But the reality of life in Bombay is far from glitzy. Although Mumbai is the wealthiest city in India, with millionaires and billionaires, about 60 percent of the city’s population lives in the slums. It has the largest slums of India, and among the largest in all of Asia. The city is also infamous for its red-light district and flesh trade.

BRPB for years has worked to bring deliverance to young women caught up in the sex trade. Mumbai is estimated to have one of the largest cartels of prostitution in the world. Many young girls are tricked into this profession and brought to Bombay from different parts of India. A full-time dedicated staff worker takes the Gospel to the red light areas to serve among these girls—some of whom have expressed their desire to quit this profession.

ABOVE: A BRPB missionary baptizes a new believer named Gowardhan.


PREACHING AND MINSTERING TO THE Poorest in Mumbai



Slum MinistryThe people living in the slums of Mumbai

speak more than seven major languages. BRPB’s missionaries have dedicated their lives to working here and are residing in the slums in order to carry out the ministry effectively among slum dwellers. “God has given us the opportunity to proclaim to them the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, along with our social work program,” Thasiah asserts. “We pray that the seed sown will bring in a great harvest of souls in God’s time. As we look back, we are truly thankful to the Lord for His faithfulness to us these past years.”

BRPB holds mass open-air crusades in different areas of Mumbai to reach people of all languages and religions. Those saved are followed up and nurtured in Christ.

The mission does evangelization among the predominantly illiterate slum-dwellers through the open-air screening of the film “Daya Sagar.” This film features the life history of Jesus Christ in an understandable local language.

Sometimes BRPB’s missionaries face persecution. “Our missionary Pastor Dennis Joseph was sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with his fellow commuters while travelling on the local train,” reported Thasiah in a June Field Report. “He was roughed up and beaten up by some miscreants, and now he has much pain in his abdomen. This happened in April. He is now taking medical treatment. Please pray for his family and for his quick recovery.”

But this ministry has also seen lives transformed by the Lord. For example, Thasiah explained: “Brother Bhagwan was 70 years old. His whole family are devout Hindus from Maharashtra, and they live in Mumbai with their children, who are employed here. The Lord graciously saved his wife first, who was very sick and was healed and attending church. He, too, heard the Gospel and was convicted about his sinful life, and accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour. Recently he took water baptism by our Pastor P. Johnrose and he was happy in the Lord. Just after a week, he passed away and went to be with the Lord.”

Orphanage and School Transform Lives

Until recently, BRPB ran an orphanage with about 60 boys and girls in the slum area of Baiganwadi amid hazardous living conditions.

The new Shelter Ark Orphanage and school have been constructed on the outskirts of Bombay in Panvel to house these needy children and more. Six committed women look after the welfare of the children. BRPB also runs the Sharon English Medium School and a second school in the slums. The ministry plans to establish more such schools in slum areas.

“We are very thankful to you for your support and prayers for these orphan children,” writes Jaya’s daughter Bethela Gabriel, who works with the orphanage. “May the Lord bless you and every sponsor greatly, and may Intercede International be a great blessing to many more orphans and destitute children in every nation around the world.”

Sharon English School is now being upgraded to Grade 9, so there is need for extra classrooms, wooden benches and desks, tables, computers, blackboards, projector and screens.

“Please join us in praying for the school administration, Christian values to be imparted to the students and for trained teachers to join the school,” requests Gabriel. Many of the 250 students studying in the school, and their families, may have only this opportunity to hear the name of Jesus, to sing worship songs and to know Him—as all the villages surrounding the school are totally Hindu.

Here is a beautiful testimony Thasiah tells about an orphan boy named Rajkumar, aged 19, who was at the orphanage for the past 11 years: In July 2014, “he completed Grade 10 and after his exam results were declared, he was very happy that he passed with First Class marks. He then joined Junior College, left our Orphanage, and began to live with his old grandparents, who are devout Hindus. Within a few days, he felt very uncomfortable with their religious beliefs and openly declared that he would not follow their Hindu religion, but would follow Jesus Christ, and that if they would not accept him, then he would leave home. They graciously gave him the freedom to go to church and to choose Christ. Then Rajkumar contacted one of our BRPB Pastors who used to conduct service at the Boys’ Orphanage, and started attending his church. He gave his life to Jesus, and took water baptism in November 2014. He has committed his life to Jesus and wants to serve Jesus after he completes his graduation.”

Continued on p. 27...



A Great Harvest of Souls I N O R I S S A b y A L A N D O E R K S E N

Orissa Follow-Up, an indigenous ministry partnered with intercede based in Orissa

(Odisha) state, is seeing a great harvest of souls. In one recent year (2013), the ministry saw 2,000 people baptized and 236 house churches formed under its leadership.

Orissa Follow-Up is a pioneer evangelistic and church-planting ministry reaching some of the poorest tribal groups in Odisha (formerly known as Orissa), one of India’s poorest states. Thousands of people have been won to Christ through the work of OFU missionaries.

Rev. D. B. Hrudaya, a native Orissan of the Kui tribe, started OFU. After graduation from high school he joined the Communist party, then became a Hindu yogi. Dissatisfied, he completed studies in forestry and got a job in that field.

In 1974 he was intoxicated and waiting for a bus when two evangelists presented him with the message of salvation. God convicted him and he repented and yielded his life to the Lord.

Upon his conversion he lost his job and spent the next seven years working with Operation Mobilization India. The years of discipline and experience in missionary work effectively prepared Hrudaya to begin a ministry God placed on his heart, focusing not only on evangelism but also on follow-up, church planting and discipleship. He started OFU in 1986.

Reaching Many Tribal GroupsOrissa Follow-Up has at least 85 missionaries

who have planted hundreds of house churches among 25 people groups: the Ho, Santal, Mankidia, Bathudi, Bhumij, Kondh, Keuta, Dam, and Pana tribes, as well as Muslims, Dalits (untouchables within the Hindu caste system) and Brahmins (the highest Hindu caste). Only some of the OFU churches have buildings to meet in.

Recently, OFU missionaries have started reaching the Kaibarta people group. Currently, OFU runs 16 pre-school centres in the Baliapal region with 900 Dalit children—mostly Kaibartas. OFU plans to provide each student with a Bible, at a cost of $2.50 each.

The vision of Orissa Follow-Up is “Reach the Unreached People is Urgent” and “People Underprivileged are Urgent.”

Over time and several regions, the Lord is graciously enabling OFU to proclaim the Gospel to100,000 children, 10,000 youth, 3,000 women and 500,000 adults, wrote Hrudaya recently. “We are seriously endeavouring to reach our goal.

“In order to measure our goal, Soul-Harvesting Festivals are used as the yardsticks during the spring and summer time. We thank God for raising up ordinary young men and women who are becoming instruments in the hands of God

to spread the revival fire in the fields of their respective regions. In the festivals,

we focus on prayer evangelism, discipleship and Next Generation Ministries—to encourage and strengthen their faith.”

Solid Training Grounds

Since its inception in 1993, Orissa School of Education has become an instrument in

the Lord to serve the churches, mission leaders and people of

Orissa by committing itself to

BELOW: A new Orissa Follow-Up congregation in Manmathpur, India.


prepare Christian young men and women for establishing the Kingdom of God through effective evangelism and community transformation programs in Odisha.

OFU’s missionary training school has already graduated 315 students; 70 percent of these are involved in missionary work. OFU offers three-month discipleship training programs to seekers that examine the topic of salvation and gives seekers the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.

OFU conducts a Bible correspondence school, sending courses in both the Oriya and English languages to those who request them. From its inception it has sent courses to more than 150,000 seekers.

The ministry offers Seekers’ Camps four times a year for these correspondence students. Each camp hosts about 100 students, most from poor tribal areas. Generally 10 house churches are planted as a result of each camp, as students are won to Christ and taught the rudiments of faith. The cost per person is about $10 for food and study materials. With more funds, the ministry could hold more of these camps each year, producing an even greater harvest.

The mission also offers a training program for house church leaders, and a one-year training program that teaches 16 methods of how to plant a church.

Training and discipleship are vital to OFU leader Hrudaya. “Once I was studying the book of Hebrews, and there I learnt about the great witnesses and heroes of faith,” he explains. “That is very much an inspiration for me to continue to work with God on a daily basis. The Lord has inspired me to multiply the witnesses. All the believers have to be released to witness, wherever they go. It is also important for our pastor/evangelists not to just pastor the congregations, but to disciple others. We are converting pastors into trainers, disciple-makers. All the congregations we have we are converting into training centres.”

The Challenge of PersecutionOrissa has an anti-conversion bill, which has

been in place since 1967. “There is a right to proclamation – to practice the religion–but there is no such freedom to convert people,” says Hrudaya. “People who want to be converted have to apply to the district for permission—then they can be baptized or converted. That has been a difficulty or us. But by God’s grace we have been evangelizing, baptizing people.”

Persecution of Christians has sometimes been a very serious problem in Orissa. The death toll of Christians killed in communal anti-Christian riots in 2009 was more than 80 Christians and more than 5,000 homes of Christians were torched. Among those killed was OFU’s Pastor Akbar Digal, who was martyred for refusing to renounce his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev. Hrudaya took part in peace meetings and took initiatives to reopen of churches and to share Gospel in the Kandhamal district of Orissa.

“I am thankful to the Intercede International Family for your continuous prayer and financial support,” reported Rev. Hrudaya at that time. “We are also extremely thankful to you for providing the resources to take care of the food and clothing of 1,500 riot-affected families.”

Other evangelistic strategies include Jesus film showings. Many village dwellers have never seen a film before, so the impact of seeing Christ’s life and hearing the message of salvation in their own language is powerful.

Hrudaya felt led to start a children’s home for children orphaned by the super-cyclone that devastated Odisha state in 1999. More than 100,000 people died in that cyclone. Many women became widows, and many children were orphaned. So far the home has taken in at least 120 orphaned children from poor and underprivileged families. OFU is educating them and helping them grow spiritually.

“I thank God for your continued prayer and financial support for the work of the Gospel in this part of our country,” declares Hrudaya. “Your partnership has helped us to see significant results.”

Continue to intercede for the missionaries of Orissa Follow-Up as they work amid poverty and persecution.

ABOVE: Five OFU missionaries who have received bicycles from generous prayer partners.

For more information and a quarterly Field Report from this ministry, contact Intercede mentioning this project code: 640OFU-01-29.


Decades ago, God saved Rev. E. A. Abraham from the point of committing suicide and

then called him from southern to northern India as a missionary. In obedience to a heavenly vision, he traveled to Bihar, in the north—to work in a region known as ”the graveyard of foreign missionaries.” It took 10 years for Abraham to see the first convert, but last year ECF marked its 30th anniversary by celebrating the amazing work God has done through that mission.

In 1984 Abraham founded Emmanuel Christian Fellowship. Today the ministry has grown into a large family and spread out across more than five states of India. ECF is dedicated to bringing the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ to the 504 million people of North India. Intercede started a partnership with ECF in 2012.

ECF now has 110 missionaries working in the field with the strength of 735 house churches and 40 central churches. ECF missionaries strive to glorify God and aim to touch others through church planting, compassion ministry, medical camps, educational helps, child care projects, leadership training, self-employment training programs, emergency relief work and schools.

BELOW: ECF leaders ordain 10 new pastors.


Persistent Missionaries GAIN GROUND in

‘Missionary Graveyard’b y A L A N D O E R K S E N

RIGHT: Emmanuel Christian Fellowship founder Rev. E. A. Abraham (front right) prays for a woman to be healed.

ECF is committed to reaching the unreached. Special efforts are given to Pahariya, Rajabanshi and Musahar communities—each of which has more than 100,000 people without any Christian presence.

31 Years of Ministry: A Blessed Success

Last October, ECF held a four-day celebration of ECF’s 30th annual celebration in ECF’s ‘Vision City,’ Patna. “It was indeed a time of spiritual renewal for everyone present,” report Abraham. “Emphasis was laid on taking stock of our lives, while also enjoying fellowship with people and God.

“By God’s grace, through your prayer and support, ECF’s 30th annual thanksgiving celebration was a tremendous blessing and success. More than 1,000 people consisting staff and church representatives attended. We gave 20 motorcycles to 20 missionaries as planned.”

ECF’s TrainingUnder the leadership of Rev. Abraham, the

Emmanuel Group of Schools is growing. He founded the first school with one child at Siwan in 1986 with a vision to change the caste-bound and community-divided society. He found the medium of education to be a good tool to repair and transform society. Today there are five ECF schools with a total of 3,000 children.

ECF teachers impart value-based education to the children,


to guide and mould the future generation in the right direction.

Emmanuel Leadership Training Centre is a Missionary Training College that ECF established in 1996 and is based in Patna, Bihar. So far, 380 missionaries trained by ELTC have been actively involved in church planting in different states of India.

ECF also trained about 30 Vacation Bible teachers in 2014. As a result, Brother Anand and Sister Neelu (ECF’s Children and Youth Ministry Coordinators) were able to conduct hundreds of Vacation Bible School camps all around ECF’s mission fields. They reached more than 1,000 children during that summer vacation.

Vision City ECF’s Vision City is envisioned as a Training

Centre and Resource Centre for the churches in Patna, Bihar. This project will be completed in five phases and will be a centre for: Bible Training, Vocational Training, a Christian School for the poor and needy, and a Business Centre.

A great priority for ECF is the Bible Training Centre with a Church/Conference Hall, three classrooms, and dormitories for men and women, kitchen and dining hall. The remaining construction cost for this building is $135,000. ECF’s missionaries have raised about one-third of the cost and believe in God’s provision for the remainder in coming days.

Safe Drinking Water ProjectIn his book “Why Die Before Your Time?’—

which is available from Intercede—Abraham tells of a time when he was going home on a hot day after preaching in several villages. Being very thirsty, he stopped at a house and asked for a glass of water. The young man who answered the door asked, “To which caste do you belong?”

“I am a Christian, sir,” Abraham replied. The moment the young man heard this, he became furious.

“How dare you, a Christian, ask water from this house?” he exclaimed, with abusive language.

“Am I not a human being? I did not ask for anything more than plain water,” Abraham responded.

But the man became more enraged and threatened to kill him. Abraham fled for his life!

In India, more than 200 million people don’t have clean drinking water. Villagers of Bihar are facing serious problems in accessing safe

drinking water. The caste system and social status all prevent people from making use of the few water sources available in the villages. As a result of this situation, most of the time poor villagers are forced to bring water from faraway places. To remedy this situation and to help the poor villagers, ECF is instrumental in providing hand pumps to needy villages.

“We have adopted 16 villages to provide safe drinking water to the villagers. About 10,000 people are getting safe drinking water from the wells provided by ECF,” reports Abraham. You can join with ECF by sponsoring safe drinking water sources; $1,000 will help one village to have safe water. It will satisfy the thirst of hundreds of families and help them to know Christ as the living water.

Helping Destitute Women and Children

To encourage and empower widows and destitute women, ECF has started six Sewing Centres. This training prevents these unfortunate women from falling prey to the clutches of evil men, ECF explains. The women use their sewing skills to earn a decent living, thus helping them to lead independent and dignified lives. More than 100 women have come to the Lord through this project.

ECF has helped hundreds of villagers through literacy classes, health and hygiene classes and through counseling for specific life problems and through prayer. Some illiterate persons were transformed into dynamic preachers, organizers and leaders in their communities.

“We have adopted two villages of Siwan district,” explains Abraham. “Through this adoption, we are supporting 232 children below 12 years of age. We are providing [some] meals, providing for their educational needs, helping them to be healthy and hygienic, and teaching, modeling and challenging them to grow up as responsible citizens in society.”

ECF is also building an orphanage, which it started in April 2013.

“The entire ECF family is joining hearts together to express our gratitude towards our prayer partners and supporters for their valuable support to the ministry in Bihar and North India,” declares Abraham. “Your prayers, sacrificial support and encouragement have helped to complete our 30 years of ministry.”

Praise God for Rev. Abraham and his persistent fellow missionaries.

For more information and a quarterly Field Report from this ministry, contact Intercede mentioning this project code: 670ECF.


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