Tragedy & Hardship
November 26, 2024 Update
Dear RHM Friends,
Greetings in the Name of our Precious Lord JESUS.
"Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful." Titus 3:14
As I shared in a blog post recently, the Lord quickly provided for the 2024 Christmas Project expenses, donors generously giving shortly after our November newsletter went out. Praise the Lord! If you still feel inclined to give for Christmas, please do so, and it will surely go to bless lives during this wonderful season.
Well, we mentioned "tragedy and hardship", which we all experience at various times in our lives. Let me share with you 2 things that have happened within the last couple of weeks among those we're involved with in India:
1. Bhavana (25) is a mother of 3 boys (9, 8 & 5 years old), regularly attending a Sunday School class which our Brother Bhaskara Rao helps with in the village of NTR Colony. Bhavana and her husband were in an auto rickshaw (3-wheel taxi) by the side of the road when it was suddenly hit by a large truck (maybe a 10-wheeler). Three people died, including Bhavana's husband. She was thrown from the auto, but only incurred minor injuries. From the video sent to me, it seems that the deceased were crushed within the auto. Bhavana is devastated, and has not been mentally sound until now. Please pray for the Lord's comfort in her heart and mind. Also, please pray about helping with either some monthly assistance (maybe $150 a month for the next several months to a year will help her carry on until she can get a job and become more stable), or with a one-time gift of any amount. She was a housewife, but will have to look for work once her mind, Lord willing in His mercy, is restored. They also had some loans, but we don't know all the details. Believers and others are helping some now. Bhavana came to the Lord as a teenager, and has been attending the church with her husband's parents, but her husband did not attend. Her own relatives are Hindus, and are trying to convince her to return to her native village. Brother Prasanth and other believers are trying to help her and encourage her to stay where she is, which would be so much better for her spiritual life. Please pray.
2. We have a boy named Sai (now 14) who we have been working with for at least a couple of years. His father is in and out of the home, not consistently providing for the needs of the mother, Sai and his sister. His sister is now in a children's home, but Sai is with the parents. His mother has some mental impairment (or demonic, we're not sure), and does strange things at times. I'm not sure how, but she somehow set her rental home on fire, and many of their things were burned up, including most of Sai's clothes. The landlord became very angry and will not allow the mother to stay in the home. Sai and his father are in the home while repairs are needing to be done. Please pray for Sai, a very friendly boy, but resisting the Lordship of Christ in his life. We're trusting for a breakthrough in the coming days. We are not asking for any donations for Sai's family, although you are free to give. We are helping with some more clothes for Sai, and I am waiting for more info in regard to any other needs that might be there. The mother is staying with her mother (Sai's grandmother).
Please see and read the photos & captions below. These captions always give you things that you can pray for, as well as rejoice with us for what the Lord is doing in the lives of our precious Indian friends.
Thank you ALWAYS for your love, prayers and support! Bless you, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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: Bhavana is the young woman at the head of her husband's deceased body. The wailing and brokenness at these funerals in India is difficult to bear.
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ABOVE: Bhavana and her 3 boys (left to right: Indrasena, Vikram and Karthim, 9, 5 and 8) after the Daddy's death.
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ABOVE: This is Sai (14), standing by the door of their rent home that was burned. He and his father are staying in the rent home.
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ABOVE: This is Brother Marthababu praying with Sai, his grandmother and his mother (closer to the TV) a few months ago.
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ABOVE: In the midst of so much pain in this world, at the same time there is also joy and hope. This little boy was recently born to Baji and Navya. If you remember, Baji is the young man who needed a liver transplant. He had the transplant, which was successful, Navya donating part of her liver to save the life of her husband. Pray for them, as the transplant cost more than $20,000, which was partially covered by the government, but most of it came through loans. Baji is trying to get an online job which he can do from his house because he still doesn't have total strength as he did before the liver problems. Family members and believers are helping them as much as they can.
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ABOVE: Brother Wesley is standing and sharing from the Bible during last year's Christmas staff meeting. From left, Jhansi works with the elderly, Mary works with the children, Pavani and her husband Raju (taking photo) lead the children's ministry, Pavani and her husband Marthababu (far right) also work with the children and their families, Wesley works with the elderly, and Prasanth is involved in all of it. Now his wife, Prasanthi, is helping with some administrative work. We praise the Lord for giving us sincere workers for the Lord!
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ABOVE: A few weeks ago there was a parents meeting, giving some counsel and instructions for the parents and grandparents of many of the children which we work with regularly. Since the children's ministry involves regularly visiting the children's homes, we are closely involved with the parents also, and the grandparents who are sometimes the main guardians of the children. We're trusting that this meeting was encouraging, informative and instructive for all who attended.
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ABOVE: While the parents were meeting in the church below, many of our children were also having a meeting in a room upstairs. About 60% of the children we work with are teens or in their early 20's.
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ABOVE: Sister Sandhya is in the middle, her 14 year old Akshaya to the left and 13 year old Abhinaya on the right. Your donations help with Akshaya's meds and nutritious food (slight mental impairment) and sometimes assisting with Abhinaya's health issues, as she has weak immunity. Their Daddy is alive, but also having health and other problems.
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ABOVE: This is Sister Pavani and her son Sathish (9). Her husband recently went to jail because of at least 2 murder cases which he might have been involved with, and it doesn't appear that he will get out anytime soon. They lost their home because of loans he had taken, so now Pavani, Sathish and the mother-in-law are staying in a different hut. RHM is assisting them during this difficult time. Pray for the Daddy's salvation. So many times he has been ministered to, but until going to jail he had not turned to the Lord. Pray his heart will soften during these days.
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ABOVE: Kethan (17) is with his niece Aradhya on her 4th birthday on the 21st of this month. Kethan is a gifted student with a tender heart for the Lord. Aradhya's home life is not stable, so we have helped them with a small amount of assistance.
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ABOVE: Sister Mary's tutoring class was thriving with many children until several months ago. At that time, the relatives she was staying with moved to another place, and we have struggled to find a place to conduct the classes each day. Besides that, Mary is on medication for tuberculosis. We praise the Lord that she is gradually getting better, and the tutoring class is rebuilding it's numbers, now meeting in a room above the church she attends. Please pray for Sister Mary, a very Godly young woman who has committed her life (she's single) to working with children.
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ABOVE: Brother Bhaskara Rao is sitting with some Sunday School children in the village of Chilakala Colony. This brother has been very faithful to work with us for several years, now helping us conduct Sunday School classes in 5 different villages.
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ABOVE: Soniya (right, 14), along with her sisters Divya and little Kavya (11 and 8) are giving cake to Prasanna on her 16th birthday in October. All are precious girls, and very faithful to attend our meetings and excursions whenever possible.
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ABOVE: From left, sisters Nandini, Mythilli and Nanditha (15, 11 & 13) are with their Daddy. This brother is one of our faithful auto rickshaw drivers, a very dangerous job because of so many bad drivers on the roads. He does this work fulltime, and for us helps with transporting children and adults to many of our meetings in various places. We're helping Nandini & Nanditha with their education.
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ABOVE: Brother Wesley (right) helps us with the widows & elderly ministry in his area, which is about 100 miles from where most of the rest of our ministry is located. He has about 40 elderly whom he visits regularly. Here he is in the village of Thunagunta with a few elderly, as well as a few children who joined in. One of the children is the daughter of Sister Latha, one of our young widows in this village. Brother Ratna Kumar, a pastor, is also sitting in on this meeting. Please continue to pray for sufficient funding for our widows & elderly ministry as we move into 2025.
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"Whatever you do, do all things to the glory of GOD." 1 Corinthians 10:31 |
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