Happy CHRISTmas!
December 22, 2023 Update
Dear RHM Friends,
Greetings in the Name of our Precious Lord JESUS.
"For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For GOD did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17
"Happy Christmas" is the normal greeting at Christmas time among the believers in the area of India where we do ministry. Even the Hindus and other unbelievers will use that greeting at times. Considering the fact that mankind was already lost and destined for hell, there was no need for the Father to send His Son into the world to condemn it. It was already condemned because of the sin in our hearts. We praise Him forevermore because of His great plan of salvation, and His great rescue (way of escape), which He made available through the Blood of His precious Son. Hallelujah!
We are very thankful for the Lord's provision over the last couple of months! We asked you to pray about this year's Christmas Project, and He very quickly met that need! We asked you to pray about helping us with relief funds after Cyclone Michaung hit our part of India, and very quickly that need was met! We have been asking you to pray for our widows & elderly ministry, which has taken a severe hit financially, losing our main sponsor for 2024. We need perhaps a total of $35,000 to be able to continue with the elderly ministry as is, not needing to make anymore cuts during the coming year. So far over $19,000 of extra donations have come for that ministry. Praise the Lord! Without going into detail for security reasons, we have had another need on the administration side for the last few years. Just a month or so ago, the Lord met this admin need! Deserving nothing, yet receiving so much from our loving Father! His mercy indeed is everlasting, so we should be praising Him forever as well.
Please pray about helping us with an end of the year donation, which will help us so much as we move into 2024. The Lord has blessed us with some extra funds within the last week or two, for which we are so thankful! As I mention in a photo caption below, all of our Indian brothers and sisters who are helping us implement this ministry to the children, families, widows and elderly are doing this ministry as a sacrifice unto the Lord. All of them have good talents, and could be pursuing jobs and making much more money than what they are making as they do this ministry. So we're planning to give them some pay hike, which will hopefully help them continue doing the ministry without constant worries about financial needs.
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. I encourage all of us to keep CHRIST as the focus of what "Christmas" is supposed to be about. As I observe the secularization of Christmas in our American society, surely it must grieve the heart of our Father and Lord JESUS. As I walked through a large dept store this week, I was amazed at the many aisles devoted to "Christmas", and yet couldn't find the Name of JESUS anywhere. May you have a blessed and Happy Christmas as you remember the CHRIST Who is the Reason for the Season.
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: Bro. Prasanth (right) is with precious people from a small village located near one of the churches where he does ministry. We've been reaching out to these families for a few years now. Only 3 of the women faithfully come to the church services (2 of them not in the photo), and some of the children attend the meetings or Sunday School occasionally. This photo was taken after giving them some needed clothes. Because their huts are leaking, and much water came inside their huts at the ground level during Cyclone Michaung, they lost some of their clothes, and we're planning to do some repairs to their huts. There's 16 in this photo, but a total of 23 villagers we are helping. Pray that they can understand the Father's love for them through these physical helps.
"You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O GOD." Psalms 68:10 |
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ABOVE: Unusual situation, but the woman here is one of 2 wives, both of them together having about 12 children (some now married and elsewhere). These children, other than the baby, often attend our meetings and Sunday School. The wife is not able to attend because of the restrictions of her husband. Their hut also was badly damaged by the cyclone. We're repairing or rebuilding the hut (not sure at this point), and giving them food and clothing.
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ABOVE: Sister Naomi (one of our widows) has been in the hospital for days, having had one of her toes amputated. This is the 2nd toe on the same foot that's been removed. The first was removed in early 2021 on the same day, and in the same hospital, that her husband died. Both suffered from diabetes, and she is still suffering. Please pray for Naomi.
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ABOVE: This was the condition of her foot before the larger toe was amputated. Although it is so sad, we praise the Lord that all that swelling and infection seems to be better now.
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ABOVE: All these are on our widows & elderly list, except for Sister Jhansi, the young woman on the left. Jhansi was a nurse for many years, loves the Lord and loves these people, and is now working with them on a fulltime basis. We are very thankful for her.
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ABOVE: More widows and elderly (one younger one here is a single mother, not a widow; and another one is the wife of a man on our list who has major kidney problems). All of them, and those in the previous photo, had just received new Christmas clothes.
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ABOVE: Brother Prasanth with some of the boys we work with after giving them Christmas clothes. Some of the children we (through your donations for Christmas) gave 2 pairs of clothes, according to their need level. The young man next to Prasanth is receiving clothes for his young wife, who was inside the church singing while this photo was taken.
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ABOVE: Young girls receiving Christmas clothes, all of these girls from 3 or 4 different towns and villages where we're doing ministry.
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ABOVE: On the same day we did Christmas clothes distribution, we had this meeting inside the church there. We are very thankful for a good turnout. For those who didn't make it to the meeting, they will receive their clothes when Brother Raju and others visit their homes this month.
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ABOVE: This is a Christmas "staff meeting" for those who are helping to implement the ministry there in India. Brother Raju (taking this photo), his wife Pavani, Marthababu and his wife Pavani are working fulltime with the children. Sister Jhansi and Bro. Wesley (standing and sharing the Word) work with the widows and elderly in their respective areas. Sister Mary also works with the children, and Bro. Prasanth is involved in all of it. We thank GOD for all these precious workers in the Lord. None of them have high salaries, so I can say honestly that all of them are doing this ministry from a sacrificial and loving heart, for the Lord and for the people.
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ABOVE: Abhinaya (12, left) is singing during an outdoor Christmas meeting beside her home, her parents and sister also there. There's not a lot of people in the photo, so it's likely that it is early in the meeting, more people coming later. We asked you to pray for Abhinaya more than a month ago. She has some thyroid problem, so has been getting different sicknesses often. I think the Lord has heard our prayers, as she seems to be more stable in recent weeks.
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ABOVE: Since late July we have been taking attendance of the children, whether or not they are regularly attending our weekly meetings. Of the 30 or more children who regularly attend, only this 7 year old girl, Kavya, has attended all 21 meetings. Even if she doesn't feel well, she wants to attend. This is Bro. Benjamin (a pastor and Bro. Prasanth's father) giving her a gift for her perfect attendance.
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ABOVE: These 4 girls, (right to left) Soniya, Veni, Sowmya and her younger sister Sreeya, attended 20 out of the 21 meetings and are also receiving prizes. Sister Dayamani (a pastor's wife) is giving the gift to Soniya. Soniya is Kavya's older sister, and also had perfect attendance until she became very sick and wasn't able to attend a couple of weeks ago. We're very thankful for these children! Two of our boys, and 2 more girls, also received gifts for attending 19 of 21 meetings. We're trying in the Lord to encourage the children to come to prayers (church services) every time they have opportunity.
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ABOVE: This is little Nafiya, who turned 12 only a week ago. Two days after her birthday, she was walking on the road and was hit by a careless motorcycle driver. It's obvious she hit her face on the ground, and we are so thankful she is alive! Pray for Nafiya, a sweet girl, but part of a very volatile Muslim family. She occasionally attends Sunday School, goes with us on excursions and regularly attends Sister Mary's after-school tutoring class.
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ABOVE: Bro. Marthababu with children in a recent house gathering. Precious children!
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ABOVE: The girl's name is Mani; not sure the boy's name. Their marriage just occurred on the 18th of this month. We have helped Mani with medication for severe headaches that she has had for years. Her father died when she was a young girl, and it is thought that the headaches developed as a result of much crying over a period of years. Her mother and grandmother both are widows, and have little roadside shops selling trinket-type items. They are a poor family, and have taken loans to help pay for marriage expenses. Acutally, the boy's family paid for the marriage in his city, and Mani's family paid for the "reception" in their town (taking loans), which took place on the 20th. We are planning as a ministry to contribute about $1,200 to help them. If anyone feels inclined of the Lord to help with the marriage expenses, please designate your donation "for Mani".
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"Whatever you do, do all things to the glory of GOD." 1 Corinthians 10:31 |
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