Right Hand Ministries
RHM: PO Box 12385 Oklahoma City, OK 73157 rhmhope1@gmail.com
|
|
|
Bittersweet Days
February Update
Dear RHM Friends,
Praise the Lord! We praise GOD for His endless provision for the different needs which He's called us to meet via this ministry. Please remember, when we say "RHM does this or that", I fully understand that RHM is nothing more than Christ Himself reaching out to broken lives through His Body. RHM consists of many people working together to do His work here on earth: supporters, intercessors, brothers & sisters working on the admin side, ministers working in the field, etc. Any minister who's boasting about all that he or she is accomplishing for the kingdom of GOD doesn't yet have a revelation that one person by himself can do nothing apart from the grace of GOD, or apart from the Body of Christ. If you are supporting, praying, or doing any of the "hands on" ministry of RHM, you also are a part.
Now for the "bitter": as you will see in the photos below, one of the most heart-wrenching losses I've ever witnessed took place less than 2 weeks ago, as one of the HOPE School children lost her Daddy in a motorcycle accident. As the Lord leads, we hope to be a part of His love toward these 2 school girls in the near future (the other sister also in the HOPE School previously). May this assistance be a tool to bring this family closer to Christ.
2nd tragic loss recently: Just one day before the above death of the girls' Dad, one of the girls in Brother Hanock's girls home died (Hanock a pastor friend of mine, he and his wife from Holland running Mephibosheth Ministries, the home usually called House of Joy). We had asked you to pray for this girl, Megana, a few weeks earlier, as she was suffering much with asthma which made it very difficult for her to breath, and also with a fever and coughing. Megana (about 12 or 13 years old) had a severe curvature of the spine and other internal problems which obstructed the proper functioning of her lungs. She died while with her father in a nearby village. Such a sad loss for this girls home.
A 3rd loss which is close to our hearts (other losses recently, people we're acquainted with, but not so close as these 3) is the passing of HOPE's widow, Subbamma. She lived in HOPE since at least 2009, her relatives all Hindu and not interested in caring for her, especially after she came to JESUS and took baptism after her husband died many years ago. She was a prayerful woman who loved to read her Bible, and very helpful around HOPE. She was a blessing to many. We miss her, but are thankful for the eternal comfort which is there for all who love Him.
Some good news: the elderly sister who has suffered so much the last year or two, Krupamma, having had both her legs amputated above the knee because of diabetes, and who suffered head injuries after her 3 wheel cycle was hit by a motorcycle jerk (who fled the scene), unexpectedly recovered in only a few days. Even the doctors were very surprised, as they didn't have much hope for her when seeing her pitiful condition. Please pray that, somehow the Lord can redeem this life which seems like such a useless and pathetic life to the eyes of the world. It's difficult for her to give much of a testimony with boldness & assurance when she and many others have prayed and prayed, yet still such sad events have happened in her life. May He fill her heart with a song in the midst of sorrow!
"Because the Lord has anointed Me...to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness..." Isaiah 61:1-3 (the ministry of our Lord JESUS and His Body)
We now have Brother Russel Baker (part of both the RHM and HOPE Boards) with us at HOPE. For some reason, we've had very few visitors over the last few years, but Russel has been able to come every year for many years now. The HOPE children, staff and school are always so happy to see him. Pray for his return journey to America, as he leaves India on the 14th, arriving back in Oklahoma on the 15th.
Another thing I've had strong in my heart recently, and which I'd like you to pray with us about: if you'll take time to read 2 Corinthians 9:8-12, we can see a Father Who doesn't want His children who are doing ministry to barely get by financially. That usually translates into not being able to do nearly as much ministry toward hurting people as we would like to do for His glory. Especially when the poor experience tragedy, there is an opportunity there to share the love of Christ, which could lead them closer to Him, or to their salvation if salvation is needed. For those who are willing to join with us in prayer, let's believe Him for that
"abundance for every good deed...being enriched in everything for all liberality...not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but overflowing through many thanksgivings unto GOD."
Please look at the photos below and read the captions, which gives a good picture of what the Lord has been doing since last month's update. Thank you always for your love, prayers and support! Bless you.
Brother Dan
|
|
|
ABOVE: About the end of January, one of our HOPE School girls, Pinky, her Dad died in a motorcycle accident. Pinky's in the 6th grade, her sister Preethi (now in 8th) also in the HOPE School previously. In this photo people are waiting for the Dad's body to be brought in from another city. I'm not sure I've ever seen so much brokenness and wailing before, hundreds of people gathered on the narrow street near their house (in India the body is usually brought to the person's house for viewing and prayer, then they take the body directly to the cemetery). The woman holding the other woman in the photo is the man's mother-in-law holding her daughter (his wife). The weeping man is the father-in-law. They are all looking down the road as the van is bringing his body to the home.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: The woman in black in the center of the photo is the man's wife (his name was Babu Rao), Pinky & Preethi's mother. Please pray for this family, that the Lord will comfort them and draw their hearts near to Himself. Pinky returned to the HOPE School today, 12 days after her father died.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Subbamma, who lived in HOPE for at least 10 years. She's been in bad health for quite some time, maybe 3 times within the last couple of years in very serious condition. She finally came to rest in January. We're thankful for her prayerful life, and for all the service she did for the children and around the HOPE home, even though she was weak. Surely she will have great rewards in eternity.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Brother Russel Baker has come to visit the HOPE home, arriving on the 7th of this month. At this writing, he is still with us, bringing much blessing to the children and ministry here. Here, he is with the 5th grade children in the HOPE School. Six of the girls are part of the HOPE girls home.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Russel with the HOPE School's LKG class (lower kindergarten). Cute little ones!
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Having a time of prayer for some HOPE School children during a recent birthday celebration in the school. Thanking Father GOD for the chance to impart seeds of life into these children's lives.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Ten girls in another part of India, part of another girls home RHM is helping to support. Here the girls are doing an action song, which means they're doing various signs and "actions" to depict what the words of the song are talking about.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: The precious girl on the left is Rupa. Here the girls are part of a little Scripture competition, each girl given 5 minutes to say as many Scriptures as they can. Rupa, at about 9 years old, said 22 Scriptures. One of the older girls said the most, saying around 40 Scriptures in her 5 minutes.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Eight beautiful HOPE children, all of them having birthdays either in October, November or December. Because of so many other activities, the monthly birthday celebration was a little late, being held in late December.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Little ones in HOPE sharing their greetings for Suvarna on her 15th birthday December 4th. Please pray for Suvarna, now studying in the 9th grade.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Five HOPE boys, along with Brother Peter's son Raju (left). Here they are with their new vehicles at the boys home. Brother Peter and his wife, Kushma, oversee the boys home.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: HOPE School's 6th and 7th graders writing some exams in late 2019. The boy most in the forefront usually gets the highest marks on the exams in the 7th grade, but HOPE's Iswarya (front right) is normally a close 2nd, always striving for 1st.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Moses from Subba Reddy Colony, part of the widows & elderly ministry there. He became very ill about one month ago, but is still hanging in there. He's not expected to live much longer, as he hasn't been conscious or eaten anything (except through a tube) for many days. It's always sad to watch them go, but we're not at all without hope because we have confidence about many of the elderly, that they are truly wanting to please our GOD.
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope." 1 Thessalonians 4:13
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: Rani is at the board, giving "tuition" (tutoring) to village and home children at the House of Joy, not far from HOPE. This is a completely different ministry than HOPE, called Mephiboseth Ministries. It's a girls home, also taking in some physically handicapped girls. Rani also is giving tuition to some of the children who are part of the neighboring village. We're giving her some monthly salary for helping with this home, but also conducting Sunday School in 2 different locations. Pray for her.
|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE: These children are all part of different Sunday School classes connected with El Bethel Ministries, which Brother Prasanth is a part of. Prasanth is also helping us with the widows & elderly ministry. Once a month they try to gather the children from all their local branch churches to have a meeting. Brother Bhaskara Rao (a children's minister whom RHM is giving some support to) is often a part of helping with the monthly meeting.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
ABOVE: Going back in time, this is HOPE's Angel (right, 8 years old) holding Elizabeth (maybe 2 at this time. No one knows her real birth date). Sravanth is standing at right, then 6 or 7 years old in early 2012. Now Angel is 16 and Elizabeth probably 10. Pray for these precious little ones who are part of the different homes we're connected with: HOPE's 37 (28 girls, 9 boys), House of Joy's 10 girls, and the other 10 girls in another part of India (photos above). Through RHM comes almost all the support for HOPE. RHM doesn't give any financial support directly to the House of Joy except by supporting the girl Rani, who is helping the children at HOJ. The other 10 girls are partly supported by RHM, but the majority of their care comes via another sponsoring ministry in America who funnels their money thru RHM. We also request you to remember the many children who have already gone out of these homes, that they would be faithful unto the Lord, inheriting the eternal salvation He so longs to give.
"For GOD has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord JESUS Christ,
Who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him."
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
|
|
|
|
|
"Whatever you do, do all things to the glory of GOD." 1 Corinthians 10:31 |
|
|
|