Healing the Brokenhearted
October 15, 2023 Update
Dear RHM Friends,
Greetings in the Name of our Precious Lord JESUS.
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalms 147:3
GOD is such a loving GOD. Why would He even care about our broken heart? But He reaches down into our broken situations and does an amazing work that only He can do. Only He can heal a broken heart. This is one of the primary goals for this ministry: not to gain a name for ourselves or for any other reason that might be selfish; but to be a small part of His Body on the earth, reaching out with His love to heal broken hearts. This is one of the most satisfying things in ministry: to see lives that were once broken and without hope, now walking in the joy of the Lord and the victory which He provided through Calvary. Praise the Lord!
Those we mentioned to you last month who were sick are now all doing better. He is faithful! There's a few more prayer requests for healing included in the captions below, some for physical healing, some for healing in their hearts. Thank you for your prayers!
Another prayer request for those of you who feel the calling to pray for the needs of this ministry in India: from the 14th to the 24th of this month is a Hindu festival which we usually call Dasara. Perhaps all of the children in our area, from nursery through 10th grade, are supposed to have holidays during these days. We have some special meetings scheduled during these days to minister to the children and youth. Please pray for His blessing and anointing upon these meetings, that the hearts of the young people will truly be impacted, that they will come closer to the Lord. Among the children who attend are some who come from non-Christian families, who know very little about Christ JESUS. Pray that the Lord will reveal Himself to their young hearts.
Our brothers and sisters in India are also praying about the situation taking place in Israel. Christians all over the world, although having different doctrinal viewpoints concerning Israel, are united together to pray for the Lord's favor and power to be revealed. Let's pray not only for the protection of Israel, but that the hearts of the people in Israel would somehow be turned more toward Him and their true Messiah.
Please scroll down for precious photos and captions of the work in India. There is much information within these captions about what the Lord is doing in India via this ministry and through your donations and prayers.
Bless you always for your prayers and support!
Brother Dan
"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." Galatians 6:10
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ABOVE: This boy, Samuel (about 20 years old), was riding a motorcycle with another boy on the back, going to a prayer meeting in another village. Samuel doesn't know what happened, but the boy on the back said that a man ran into the bike, apparently drunk and running to cross the road. The boy (maybe 18) was not hurt, but Samuel and the other man were unconscious for some hours. Praise the Lord that both woke up and are alive!
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ABOVE: This is Samuel 2 or 3 days after the accident. According to doctors, he fractured his shoulder and is needing an operation. He's still not able to talk normally, and he is not able to move his arm or leg normally (today I heard he is talking better). He's a nice boy and sincere believer. He was staying downstairs from where I usually stay when I'm in India, so I saw him almost daily. Especially pray about this: the night of the accident, the man's relatives went to the police station and filed a case against Samuel, saying that he was driving rashly. One Hindu leader in the community has joined with them to make problems. Folks, the local govt and police officials are often so corrupt, taking bribes and blinding their eyes to justice. Samuel is now with his parents, his father a truly poor pastor of a small village church, and his mother who is invalid and on the bed for years. They really need the Lord's favor. If anyone feels inclined to help Samuel and his family during this time, any amount is helpful.
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ABOVE: This is Brother John holding his little girl Madu, his son Moses below. They are looking at the body of the children's mother, Esther. She had seizures (presumably some form of epilepsy) as a child, but had not had any problem for many years (she died at about 40). In recent months they started up again. On September 25th she had a major seizure and her body died. Please pray for this broken family. Your donations help with Moses' education.
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ABOVE: This is a Sunday School class we sponsor in the small village of Nandayapalem, where Sister Esther's family lives (woman who died in above caption). The same 2 children in the above photo are here, Moses the boy with his arm up, and Madu the girl 2nd from the left.
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ABOVE: When we shared with you about a utility pole falling on Veni's house, a donor gave enough money to provide a new roof (they already had other leaks, so it was great timing). At the same time the parents (Hindus who are being drawn to Christ) took a loan to make other repairs to their home. It looks like a mess, but things are outside because of the work going on. Veni is the girl in the pink dress.
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ABOVE: We're helping this girl, Asha Jyothi (a teacher in the school where we are sponsoring the education of 22 children), with some dental work. She is a very fearful person, so it has taken a long time to progress with this treatment. Lord willing, she'll get some braces on her teeth soon.
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ABOVE: Precious children at a park we took them to a couple of months ago. The children on the left we are not connected with, but the 2 girls eating ice cream are Poojitha (left, one of 12 children in a tribal family) and Nafiya, who lives in a Muslim home next to one of the churches we work with. Behind them on the merry-go-round are Tanveer and his little sister Hashma, also from a Muslim family. Many Muslim and Hindu families allow their children to attend Sunday School or Christian activities, but as they get older they will usually stop them. Pray the Lord will touch these precious children's hearts.
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ABOVE: A bumper car ride is something most of our children will never experience outside of our involvement with them. We praise the Lord for the provision to take some children to a theme park where this girl, Akshaya (13) and others got to ride. Just learning to ride was quite a challenge for many of the children.
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ABOVE: These are 2 children that we have sometimes assisted with food or whatever they might have need of. Prem Kumari (girl on the left) is giving cake to her younger brother Vijay Babu on his birthday, the grandmother with them. Their mother committed suicide after the father abandoned the home when the boy was a baby. They now stay with their grandparents and great grandparents. Prem Kumari is deaf.
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ABOVE: Anusha, whom I have known since she was a little girl, lost her husband to leukemia this last March. They have one little boy, Jonathan (she calls him Jonah). Anusha is staying with her mother, and is asking us to pray for her future. She is a nurse, but because she and her mother are in a distant village, it is not easy to find work, and sometimes difficult with transportation. Your donations are giving some help for Anusha and Jonah on a monthly basis.
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ABOVE: This is a group of children and elderly in the village of Thunagunta. We have 6 widows and 2 other elderly we assist here. One widow is young, she and all 3 of her children in this photo (2 teenage girls and a younger boy). We give food to them on a monthly basis.
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ABOVE: Good to see children and adults worshipping the Lord! Most of the children in this meeting are being helped in some way via your donations. The brother in the front (on the left) is Marthababu, he and his wife Pavani working with the children fulltime, as do Brother Raju and his wife Pavani. I'm so thankful the Lord has given us people who are passionate for Him, but also having much love for the children. Praise the Lord!
Note: The tall boy on the left in the back is Samuel, the boy who was in the motorcycle accident.
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ABOVE: It looks like the power went off in Sister Sunitha's home, but they have some kind of charge light until the power comes on again. In most towns and villages, power cuts are a daily occurrence, sometimes a few times in one day. Sunitha is on the right with her children Srujan (the boy, 14) and Shainy (12). Brother Marthababu visits once a week, and is sharing the Word with them.
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ABOVE: Brother Raju is sharing with Jeevan (12) from a Bible storybook which Christmas funds provided for all the children's families last December. So far we have seen a major change in Jeevan over the last several months. He ran away from 2 different hostels (places where mostly poor parents send their children for food, shelter and education during the school year), and his mother could not control him. Now he's doing somewhat better with his mother (abandoned by Jeevan's father years ago), is regularly going to school, and is faithfully attending the prayer meetings, etc. Only by His grace!
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ABOVE: Cute Sunday School children in one of the villages where Brother Bhaskara Rao is helping us with children's ministry (not sure what game they are playing). He's conducting Sunday School classes in 5 different villages either one or 2 times a month. He is leading this particular meeting also, Spandana (the young woman in the back) usually leading this Sunday School class the other weeks.
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ABOVE: This is one of about 5 homes we visit where others in the neighborhood are also attending. This is the home of Akshaya, who has had serious health problems since a young age (she is leaning against the back pillar). We started visiting Akshaya, her younger sister and her mother (the father also occasionally there), but other neighbors also started coming, mostly children. The 10 children in the front in the photo are other children we work with who are from different places. The other 12 or more in the back are all relatives or neighbors of Akshaya. Please continue to pray for His Holy Spirit anointing.
"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." Zechariah 4:6
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"Whatever you do, do all things to the glory of GOD." 1 Corinthians 10:31 |
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