Right Hand Ministries
RHM: PO Box 12385 Oklahoma City, OK 73157 rhmforhim@gmail.com
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India Ravaged by Covid
May 12, 2021 Update
Dear RHM Friends,
Greetings in the Name of our Precious Lord JESUS.
As many of you have probably heard, there has been a major outbreak of Covid in recent weeks. With all the media hype and hidden agendas of the media and politicians these days, we don't always know what is true and what is not. But I can honestly say that this has been a legitimate outbreak of major proportions. From what we have seen all over the area where we do ministry, this is not just affecting the elderly with preexisting conditions. We are personally acquainted with younger people also who have died.
During the 2020 lockdown time, we knew of very few cases of Covid in the areas where we are involved with the people, but now it seems that almost every street in many locations have people who are suffering with Covid, many having died. Our friend, Brother Hanock, his sister-in-law died of Covid a few days ago. Brother Peter (worked at the HOPE boys home, whom we were previously affiliated with), his Dad's body died with Covid several days ago. The current accountant at HOPE has Covid now. One of the HOPE school teachers (also a van driver) has Covid, but is recovering. A lawyer (also friend), his brother just died 2 or 3 days ago, about 50 years old or younger. There are others in photos below who either passed away with Covid, or currently have it. The girl Rani (in one of the photos below), at least 10 of her church members currently have Covid, although their church has not been meeting together for a few weeks now; their keyboard player passed away. The examples and heartbreak goes on and on.
We also need your prayers in regard to how to practically carry on with helping the people during this time. The people in general are fearful of any "outsiders" coming into their community, and certainly not their homes. Again most of the churches have shut down, perhaps all of the schools. Of the many villages where we were doing "Sunday School", most of them don't want anyone coming into their village at this time, and they won't send their children to any meetings. There's currently a curfew all through our area of activity, no one allowed out except from 6am to 12noon each day (other than for emergency reasons). So as you can imagine, trying to go and share the Word with anyone these days is difficult. If they are the recipient of any kind of monetary or physical blessing, they are willing to take a risk in order to receive those things. But if there is nothing to give to them, they aren't wanting to take any risks. We can understand why: most of the people have been touched these days, either having a family member, neighbor or other acquaintance who has died with Covid within the last few weeks.
I so wish I could be with them at this time, but am so thankful for faithful brothers who are very willing to take risks so that the love of Christ can be seen through their lives (3 of them have had the first vaccination, but none have had the 2nd yet). At the same time, they are enduring criticism from many others who claim that these brothers are making risks for others. When the love of GOD burns within us, do we stay inside our homes while people have so much suffering, fear, and some who are going to hell? Who knows when and if these calamities will pass by? The Lord knows our hearts, and surely He will reward these brothers one Day.
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 15:58
Thank you always for your love, prayers and support! Scroll down to see some of what the Lord is doing through your giving & prayers. Bless you.
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: After suffering for months with out-of-control diabetes, TB and pneumonia (actually, we trust her doctors' reports about as much as we can trust the Biden administration), our little Joy's body was laid to rest on April 19th. Thanks so much to many of you who have prayed many times for this precious 13 year old. We will miss her precious smiles, and I already miss her wanting to regularly do video calls with me, but we will surely see her again. Continue to pray for her brokenhearted parents (in photo), Joy being their only child.
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ABOVE: The man highlighted is Sathya Kumar, the Daddy of this family. He died with Covid about 2 or 3 weeks ago. To add to their grief, his mother and wife were shocked to learn that he had taken many debts, which they have now inherited. Pray for this broken family, his wife's name Sunitha, and his children Sujan (maybe 13 yr old boy) and Shiny (11). His mother's name is Sathya Vedhamma.
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ABOVE: This couple has been on our RHM elderly list, part of Brother Wesley's church (Wesley overseeing the widows & elderly ministry in his area of India). The man, Seshagiri, died of Covid a week or 2 ago. Pray for the comfort of this wife, Ananda Lakshmi. We don't know if she got Covid, but she seems to be okay.
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ABOVE: Another woman on our RHM elderly list, Vijaya Lakshmi, got Covid but is recovering. Praise the Lord! She has had polio since she was a small child, but can slowly get around, going to Brother Wesley's church for years. He and his church members have done a great job in making sure she has food and all other needs met, as she never married and has no children.
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ABOVE: The precious little woman on the right is one of our widows, Pullamma, sister to Laban, the pastor who is sitting (Bro. Wesley standing). Pullamma suddenly had very serious issues with her blood pressure and passed away a few days ago. It's difficult to know what is Covid-related and what is not, as many were not tested. But we do know that there has been a major rise of illnesses and deaths recently, both of those who were tested positive for Covid, and those who seem to be suffering from other causes.
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ABOVE: Another one whose body died just a few days ago is Eswaramma, a widow from one of Brother Prasanth's churches in Karlapalem, and part of our widows & elderly ministry (all widows & widowers being sponsored by World Challenge funds via RHM). She had suffered from a severe case of asthma. |
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ABOVE: Over the next 5 or 6 photos, you can see how Covid is indirectly affecting the people, and our ability to help them in these days. The young lady sitting is Suvarthamma, along with her instructor. Suvarthamma has been part of the tailoring project which World Challenge sponsored via RHM for 12 young women wanting to learn the tailoring skills, most of them single mothers. Suvarthamma needs another month or 2 of training before trying to earn some income, but with Covid her village is currently locked down. Most likely her instruction will stop for weeks or months until the people have less fear of Covid in their area. |
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ABOVE: Brother Bhaskara Rao doing children's ministry in the tribal village of Madala Narayana. He is trying to continue doing some children's ministry (supported by RHM) wherever villagers will allow him in, but most villages these days are not wanting any "outsiders" into their village. Pray for all the beautiful children (many or most of them from non-Christian homes), as it may be quite a while before these meetings can return to normal.
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ABOVE: This mother is Nagendramma with her 2 boys, Jonebabu and Jaison (the little guy). Her husband was an alcoholic and very abusive to her, causing her some health problems. He fell twice, hitting his head, and died last October, leaving her with huge debt. Because of depression and bad health, she hasn't been working since his death. Now with the Covid outbreak, there pretty much isn't any work for her to do. The boys are at home, most all the schools & colleges closed for now.
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ABOVE: In late March or early April a new literacy class had started in the village of Sathya Narayana (2 of our widows also joining, along with some others whom we're ministering to). Brother Raju has done such a good work with gathering the 8-12 villagers who have been attending, doing the class with them, but also sharing and praying with them. The literacy classes also have been suspended for a time.
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ABOVE: Before this latest outbreak of Covid, Rani (sitting in the chair) was very faithful, whether it be 2 children or 20, to conduct Sunday School in her village, and to give daily academic tutoring for the local children there. Here, the girl on the right, Hemalatha, is answering some questions from the story which Rani has told (I think). The Sunday School and tutoring has stopped until the parents feel more comfortable to send the children outside the home.
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ABOVE: Kamalamma, one of our widows from PB Palem, broke her leg in March, I believe getting hit by a hit-and-run motorcycle driver. Sadly, this is much too common among the elderly, getting hit by careless bike riders as they are trying to walk on the road or cross the street.
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ABOVE: The girl is 10 year old Sai Bhavya, with her grandmother, Aruna. Sai Bhavya's mother (because of many conflicts with her husband) set herself on fire when Bhavya was about 2 months old, dying a month later. The Dad left the children with grandparents, he himself dying of mouth cancer when Bhavya was about 4. One boy was eventually left with a grandparent on the Dad's side of the family, while Bhavya has remained with Sister Aruna. The Lord has us helping Bhavya with education, food, whatever she has need of.
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ABOVE: On a brighter note, a girl whom I've known for many years, Teja, got married to this young man, Srikanth, on her birthday, April 15th. She says "Thank you" to all those who donated in her behalf so that they could have a nice wedding and reception. I'm so happy she was able to marry into a nice, Godly family. While I'm thinking about it, we assisted a girl named Anusha last November; she also has expressed many thanks to those of you who helped her.
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ABOVE: We love to see some joy on the children's faces, especially considering their poverty and broken backgrounds. This is little Bhavya (different than the Sai Bhavya above, both of them living in the same city of Ponnur). She turned 8 in January. Her parents both died of AIDS when she was a baby, now staying with her grandmother (part of the widows & elderly ministry). Her old bicycle (too small for her) had worn out, so the Lord provided her with another one. She was SO HAPPY when a friend of ours unexpectedly showed up at their home with this bicycle.
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ABOVE: Brother Wesley has been doing ministry in a tribal village called Anandapuram ("village of joy", although there is very little real joy there). RHM has helped some, but mostly with his own money he is slowly building a church in that village. Pray for fruitful ministry, many challenges to deal with: the people migrating here and there for work, out of the village for months; girls being married at 12 to 14 years old, etc. It requires much patience and endurance to see lasting fruit in these villages.
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"Whatever you do, do all things to the glory of GOD." 1 Corinthians 10:31 |
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