INDIA
Below are the India prayer updates since the 1st of August 2021. February 14th Pastor Suraj*, Bihar India Good Morning! Here, the situation is getting better now and so Bihar Government has reopened schools and churches and everything! Praying for you all and for this year plans! Thanks! February 7th Priya* GATE director Saran* (her husband) is out of money for the night his father died. So please pray for his daddy’s last night expenses. He needs to pay for whole funeral. His brother is not having money. February 4th Priya* GATE director We are so sad. Saran*’s father passed away this evening. We are going now to Saran’s home town. Please pray for us and for Saran too. Saran is so upset and crying lot. February 1st Pastor Jairaj, India Director The court has adjoined the case to next week. Three problems we are facing now.1. Our global granite polishing brush company [which helps support the ministry] has to be shifted.2. Our living has to be shifted. I am living in [m son’s] house on ground floor with my wife.3. Our children home building activities like preschool and girls residence with Sunday evening service will have to shift. All the three buildings will be demolished along with 4000 houses will be demolished. Please pray that we can find the alternatives for these three. January 28th Pastor Jairaj, India Director By 2 pm, the court will again come together. There is a chance of declaration of the new order. The court has adjoined the case to 28.01.2022. Please pray. January 27th Pastor Jairaj, India Director The court is ordered the 4000 families in [our neighborhood] to vacate their houses. Among these houses, our orphan home Building, [my son’s] house, [my other son’s] brush company is there. Please pray. We are in big crisis. People are making big agitation. By 2 pm, the court will again come together. There is a chance of declaration of the new order. The court has adjoined the case to 28.01.2022. Please pray. January 19th Pastor Suraj*, Bihar India Today newspaper says that according to Labour Department there are 207 Million people became unemployed in India. This will lead to hunger, poverty and all other evils. January 10th Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan India Praise the Lord. In this new year I share with you the good news. Almost 40 people accepted Jesus Christ and took water Baptism on 9 Jan 22.Please pray for our new believers they will be growing in faith. January 5th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar India Warm New Year Greetings to you in Jesus’ glorious name! We had a great Christmas season with reaching hundreds of unreached people with the Gospel. We conducted altogether ten Gospel Meetings during this period and finally the Christmas celebration on 25 December in our church having two meetings, one with 250 adults and the second one with 350 children. We also distributed Bibles and New Testaments to the participants. After Christmas, the cold weather has increased and the temperature has gone below up to 5 degrees centigrade in Bihar with cloudy and foggy weather. Here poor people are exposed to the cold weather and so are suffering a lot! We three also got cold and have been sick but now are getting better. Upon that, due to rising COVID cases in India and in Bihar, the Government has enforced lockdown with night curfew. Now the churches, schools and public places are totally closed except some necessary shops at daytime only are opened. We are going to start once again our online church meetings. Please pray for these conditions as the demands of blankets and other supports are upcoming! Thanks a lot for your love and concerns! December 26th: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan India Yesterday we had Gospel meeting. All glory to God. Please pray for our children ministry. Pastor Suraj*, Bihar India We had a wonderful Christmas programs in our church with two services- one with 250 adults at 11 am and the second with 350 children. Thanks! Merry Christmas to all! December 20th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar India Good Morning! This December season we have been busy in Christmas Outreach & in conducting Gospel Meetings in different places. This week also at six more places to go and then Christmas Celebration with hundreds of adults and children. Please pray for these programs. Thereafter we will try to go on holidays for a few days. Thanks a lot for your prayers and concerns! December 18th: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan Many many thanks for your love and support. Really I thank God for heared my prayer. December 16th: Pastor Jairaj*, India director Feeling much better. Thank you for your prayers. December 15th: Pastor Jairaj*, India director Thank you for the extra funds during this time.We will work as per the direction.We wish you a merry Christmas and a blessed new year. December 13th: Pastor Jairaj*, India director Please pray for me. I am also having cough and fever but not seriously. I went to the hospital and taking medicine 3 times a day. Fever is under control. I go for walking from yesterday. 90% normal. Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan India Thank you so much for your prayers and help us. Really, I am very thankful. Really I am getting power inside. Yes, Amen. Many many thanks. We are slowly getting up. December 3rd: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan India I am very sorry to tell you my son is passed way and enter in glory. I am completely broken now. I lost my beloved son. I am deeply broken. But what I do. Please continue to pray for my family. December 2nd: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan India Thank you; today little recoveryBatter them yesterday. December 1st: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan India Please pray my son – an accident.Please pray for him. Accident by motor bikeNow in operation Please pray I have not money to pay the bills. Head injury.Last time suffered in covid. November 29th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar, India Everything (for the discipleship trainings) was done at our Church campus only- Training, Food & Accommodation and Baptisms. It’s getting colder here, now minimum 12 C. We hired Beds, Blankets and Crockeries, Cooks, helpers, Trainers etc. Also provided Travel Allowance to all the participants. Thanks a lot for your support! November 28th: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan, India Thank you for your support to we will run this training (tailoring) center and women are getting good training . May God will more bless you and all team November 25th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar, India We have given Water Baptisms to Thirty people, all from Hinduism and Islam. November 22nd: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar, India Dear Friends,We have started the Discipleship programs today which will go for two more days. Thanks. November 20th: Pastor Suraj, Bihar, India I have got the full amount of 1000 in my hand for the upcoming discipleship program.Thanks a lot!I will update you on the program.Blessings! Suraj* November 15th: Priya*, GATE Director I covered two gypsies centre (with flood relief materials). But it is possible you can help another two centres. They lost everything. Please pray for them. They don’t even have houses to stay. At least I love to help with blankets and bread. November 10th: Pastor Jairaj*, India director Woman, Kishori*, from [nearby region in Tamil Nadu] is under cancer treatment. Any possibility to get some help.Please pray for them. She is undergoing treatment in the Government hospital, but traveling and food with some special medicine may cost 200 usd per month I think. Now from my church I give only Rs.200 ($3) per week + some help from the local friends. Her daughter is coming to the church regularly. She receives the help from us. Her daughter has to take care of her mother, otherwise she was working as a store keeper in a school. Kishori has Stomach cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy treatment. November 8th: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan We have plan to buy land for mission canter. We have time to buy this land only one month. Total cost 18 Lacks rupees and all ready 3 lacks rupees we gave advance now we need 15 lacks rupees. So we are praying for this Amount. Right time God will upon door for us.In Dollars this is almost $20000.00 that we need.We requested you please pray and how God help you please help us for glory of God. November 7th: Priya*, GATE director Chennai city full of water please pray. I am helping the gypsies family to save the people and stuffs inside the home November 3rd: Pastor Jairaj, India director My Andaman trip is postponed for some reasons in Andaman.Please pray for usThank you. I think it is Covid related. Message from one of the Andaman co ordinators: My family members are in fever since last 15 daysPlease pray. November 2nd: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan director We are good here with your prayers support. Ministry work is growing up day by day with yours prayers. We need more prayers to overcome our problems. As per you know we are living in rented home last 22 years and now house owner want to sold this house and we have no other place to stay and doing ministry. We are praying and planting to buy land for mission canter and build their own house for residential and church and training canter also so please humbly requested you pray for our needs to buy land very soon and start new house .Actually this area is Efected by any Christian forces and through our ministry many new people come to christ Every months and they are looking me to how will give problem, so have only one point for rented home. But I believe God is with us and he will care us. October 30th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar Warm Greetings to you in Jesus’ glorious name! Thanks a lot for your prayers and concerns for this discipleship & baptismal programs [we have been planning]. This will certainly help to plant new churches in unreached areas and among unreached people groups. We initially planned it for the third week of November but it depends upon the fund’s arrival. We are in continuous touch with the new believers there. Praying for you all and for your funds raising efforts. Blessings! Suraj* October 27th: Priya*, India I went to Saran’s* home town to see his father. Please pray his health. He is 75. He has fever. October 19th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar Thanks to all of you for providing us Bibles and which is resulting in people coming to the Lord and ready to take water baptism. The Bibles distributions have been completed. October 14th: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan Please pray for us we are needed buy the land for mission canter at [nearby] town where we are living in rented home.So please humbly requested to all my HB brother and sister please pray and try to help me to I will buy land for multi purpose works like children home and Bible training and others and residence home for us.We hope God will make way for us with your valuable prayer. October 12th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar Warm Greetings to you in Jesus’ glorious name! Since we have shared the Love of Christ through our Relief works in some places of Bihar during COVID-19 and Flood and therefore now some of the people are ready to follow Jesus Christ and requested water baptism. As for now, I have got 25 names from Hindu and Muslim backgrounds as well. For their deep relationship with Christ and for their better understanding of the Scriptures and Christian life, we are planning to conduct a three full-day Discipleship program on our campus before their Baptismal service. Altogether more than 50 people will be participants. They will come from their respective places to [the city] and attend this program. For this program, we seek support towards their three days Meal, Accommodation, Travel Fares, Speaker arrangements, etc. We will be doing this program in November 2021 and in [our city] due to their safety also as these days the persecutions are increasing. Altogether, we are expecting about $2000/- (Two thousand US dollars) of expenses. I, therefore, request you to pray about it and if possible, please support this great cause. This will help us to start churches in some new areas. Actually, in these last days, the ministry of evangelism and church planting must be supported properly to fulfill the mandate of our Lord. Thanks a lot! Suraj* October 6th: Pastor Jairaj*, India Director I am going to Andaman on November 9th to 12th 2021 for conducting a conference for 50 pastors on Christian leader and his family lifeAnd also teaching in our Bible school. October 3rd: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar India More Bible Distributions mostly among Muslim Seekers & Believers. Actually because of our relief works and reaching the people with the love of Christ, now many from Muslims and Hindus are ready to follow Christ and ready to take Water Baptism. So there is need of arranging Discipleship programs for 3-4 days and then give baptism. September 30th: Pas. Suraj, Bihar, India Praise the Lord! With the given funds of $1500 we prepared 60 Food Ration Packets and transported by truck to the flood affected areas and distributed them among 60 Victimised Families. This includes Muslims, Hindus and Christians! Thanks a lot for the Support and Prayers! September 19th: Priya*, GATE Director We have successfully installed the one water pump at the gypsy colony. The children are so happy. This water pump will help so many families; they will be able to fetch water here for drinking, cleaning, and bathing here. Thank you and [church who supported project] for helping this gypsy colony at this time. September 14th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar, India Today another pastor & family were helped with one month food ration. Thanks! September 13th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar, India Bible Distributions – Today we went to a small town, and conducted a Meeting of Believers and shared the Importance and Blessings of the Word of God and thereafter distributed Bibles with Mask & Snacks. Thanks. We have also given some Bibles to Believers from Muslim Community. We have not taken photos of all but a few due to their security reasons. Thanks. September 6th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar, India The situation at flood affected districts are getting worse due to heavy discharge of water from Nepal and mountainous areas to Bihar. In one district only, recently ten thousand houses in lower areas were drowned. Many rivers are flooding and crossed the red or danger levels. Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan, India Many people blessed through this meeting* and Received new believers. Thank you for your love and prayers support. *Special meeting on September 5 50 people accepted Jesus Christ and 26 took water Baptism. August 31st: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar, India As I had earlier informed that besides COVID-19 now Bihar is facing severe floods and till now 16 districts of Bihar and nearly 8.5 million people are affected by the floods, which can last till September 2020. People are compelled to migrate and have to go through a lot of sufferings like house drowned, agricultural fields with harvest destroyed, cattle died, job loss, a family member died, hunger, thirst, no electricity, continual rains, etc. I am getting regular phone calls from Pastors and Leaders of affected areas for help. So, we are earnestly praying for some generous funds so that these people could be helped and relieved with some provisions of Dry Food Ration, Water Bottles, Plastic Covering, and needed medicines. I have herewith attached a short report: PATNA: The flood situation in Bihar remained grim in Bihar where over 8.5 Million people across 16 districts were affected of 130 Blocks, the Disaster Management Department said. Flood-related deaths increased to 77. The highest 31 casualties were registered in Darbhanga district, followed by twenty six in Muzaffarpur, fourteen in West Champaran and two each in Saran, Siwan and Khagaria districts. It said that about 5.5 Million people have been evacuated so far by 26 teams of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force.Meanwhile, the Ganga continued to flow above the danger mark at three places in the state — Gandhi ghat and Hathidah in Patna and Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district, the Water Resources Department said. The water level of the Ganga is witnessing a rising trend in Buxar, Patna Digha, Gandhi ghat, Hathidah and Kahalgaon while it has remained steady at Munger and Bhagalpur. Major rivers which are flowing above the danger level at several places in the state include the Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra and the Khiroi. The 16-flood affected districts are Patna, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Champaran, Khagaria, Saran, Samastipur, Siwan, Madhubani, Madhepura and Saharsa. Floodwaters have entered homes in Bishunpur village of Darbhanga district, forcing people to wade through waist-deep water, even as they try and salvage their valuables.“We witness flood every year, but this year all records have been broken,” a resident of the village said. Similarly, many people in Mabbi village of the district and some from the adjoining areas have come out to live on the streets, as portions of their houses have been washed away in the deluge. PATNA: The Ganga water level has crossed the danger mark substantially in the state, causing concern to the people living in the lower areas of the towns like Patna, Bhagalpur and Munger, as also in the Gangetic basin in the eastern Bihar districts of Khagaria and Katihar. The flood fear in the Gangetic basin has become acute. Further, moderate rainfall is expected till August 31. (Ganga water level rises and inundates Rajapur Pul areas in Patna) On Monday, the Ganga was flowing 31cm above the danger level at Buxar, 41cm above the red mark at Digha and 98cm above at Gandhi Ghat in Patna town, as well as 88cm at Hathidah in Patna district. The water level was also rising all along its downstream, including at Munger and Bhagalpur, and was flowing 71cm above the danger level at Kahalgaon, around 50km west of Farakka. The flood problem in the Ganga basin in Bihar is likely to accentuate in the next couple of days.Further, the catchment areas of several north Bihar rivers lying both in Nepal and Bihar – like of Kosi, Gandak, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Kamla and Mahananda — are expected to receive moderate rainfall (15mm to 64mm) up to August 31. Similar rainfall forecast has also been made with regard to south Bihar districts, where the catchment areas of rivers like Punpun and Sone also lie. On Monday, the flood bulletin issued by the state water resources department (WRD) said the water levels of both Sone and Punpun were rising. Thanks a lot for your prayers and concerns for us and Bihar. Best Regards! Suraj* Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan, India Praise the lord. Please pray for our coming spacial meeting on 5 September 2021 August 26th: Pastor Suraj*, Bihar, India Praise the Lord! Today I have traveled to Pastor Nimesh’s* (who was badly beaten earlier this year by radical Hindus) place at the border of Nepal and met him and his coworkers and gave him1. Cash for his medical expenses2. A new mobile phone3. Food ration4. Bibles for his believers5. His four coworkers also got food rations and some cash support. Thanks a lot! This area, as well as thirteen other districts of Bihar, is badly affected by flood and about 4 million people are affected and suffering. So I request to help in this regard if possible. Thanks! August 16th: Priya*, head of GATE (Gypsy and Tribal Empowerment) “This summer, with your help, we were able to provide 7 gypsy colonies with food relief total. The total number of families was around 1,300 helped this summer. Each family has around 2-4 people in it. We delivered rice bags and also food relief packets which included multivitamin tablets, 5 masks, hand sanitizer, chili powder, oil, garlic, 2 types of dahl, salt, turmeric powder, wheat flour, cinnamon, and mustard – our everyday staples. Thank you and praise God for the funds you were able to send to us here which were able to give help to these 7 gypsy colonies.” August 15th: Pastor Thomas*, Rajasthan India: Thank you for your love and prayers and support us. [It was the inauguration of a tailoring center for women]. August 10th: Pastor Suraj*, India Thanks a lot for help for Pastor Nimesh* and others [who were beaten and persecuted]. This is a great help during such terrible time.A LOT OF THANKS and APPRECIATION! Thanks for your prayers for Bihar! Recently only COVID cases have come down and now flood started.At present in our state Covid cases are under control but may rise up as it is increasing in other states due to travelling and migration.Blessings! August 9th: Pastor Suraj*, India Hi, please pray as now Patna and 13 other districts are in flood red alert and already some areas are flooding and people are migrating from their villages to safer places besides continual rains are going on. Thanks!