May 9, 2023 Update
Dear RHM Friends,
Greetings in the Name of our Precious Lord JESUS.
Summer is here in India. Today's forecast in this area (about noon) said it was 94 degrees, but "feels like 109" (I guess that's the heat index). But He really gave us some beautiful days when we took many children on a trip to Chennai a few days ago. When it would normally be 100 or more, it was only 90 or less! That was such a blessing, especially considering we had all these children with us. Pray for us, especially for the elderly, these days, as the temps are rising. Today in Chennai it "feels like 115".
Four of 5 people we asked you to pray for in the April update are doing fine at this time, healing well. But sadly, the one whom I didn't share her name, her body has died of the cancer that ravaged her body so quickly. We have sadness because we, especially her family, will miss her so much, but joy knowing she has been promoted to glory. I knew her well enough to believe confidently that she was a very faithful and Godly young woman. Praise the Lord for the precious Truth of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18!
Pray for the ministry among the children while they are on summer holidays. Most of the students (at every level) are now on holidays at least until the 2nd week of June. So there's some extra meetings planned, as well as a VBS and some excursions. Lord willing, we will also be able to visit some children (and their families) who are not normally available during the school year because they are staying in hostels or out of town. Pray for Brother Wesley (a pastor who has been part of our ministry for several years) and his family, his daughter Blessy getting married on the 17th of this month. She's a nice girl. My understanding is that her soon-to-be husband has joined with his father in fulltime ministry, and Blessy (who is well educated and working a job) will also be involved in ministry. May the Lord be glorified through this union. So many of the marriages here are more like business agreements, and there's much pain down the line. But the parents and children who are truly praying for GOD's will and not their own, these unions will have His blessing upon them.
Please scroll down for precious photos & 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: Sister Karimun about to take baptism, 3 different pastors and Brother Raju out in the water with her (the Bay of Bengal). Karimun's husband left her several years ago. She has a 14 year old boy, Johnbasha, whom the Lord has us helping with education. Karimun's extended family is Muslim. After her husband left, her son stays with her and her daughter stays with another family, strongly indoctrinating her in the Islamic faith. Pray for her daughter; the Lord has done some miracles recently, enabling this 17 year old girl to hear the Gospel. Her heart seems to be very open, but she lives in a situation where it is very difficult to get a Bible or express her desire to learn about JESUS.
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ABOVE: Kavya (7), saying memorization Scriptures, the other children waiting their turn during last month's gathering of children, elderly and others whom we work with. Kavya is part of a broken family, the parents not stable with the Lord, but Kavya and her 8 year old sister very much like to come to church and Sunday School. One of the girls in this photo lives in the hut in the background, one of 11 children.
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ABOVE: Chandramma, part of our widows program for several years. The little addon to her home in the background is actually a kitchen. We recently strengthened this kitchen with corner pillars and asbestos sheets for the roof. We thank GOD for the ability to help some of the elderly with their house repairs.
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ABOVE: Aparanjani in front of the bathrooms recently repaired via your donations. When she was only 24 years old, her husband left her, having no children. She was suicidal, but the Lord spoke to her through a brother prophetically that He had a work for her to do for Him. She eventually resumed her mother's pastoral ministry after her mother was promoted to glory.
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ABOVE: Just 5 days ago we were in this train station, waiting for our train to go to the big city of Chennai on the east coast of India. Akshaya and Blessy are sitting to the left and Soniya and Divya standing to the right, 4 of 15 girls and 7 adults who went on this trip.
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ABOVE: Our group who went to Chennai. Only 2 of these 15 girls have both parents together in the home. It was a great time of bonding with these precious girls. Please pray for them. Here we are in front of a church, the site called The Little Mount, supposedly where Thomas (one of the Lord's disciples) hid in a cave when unbelievers in India were trying to kill him.
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ABOVE: Tradition says that Thomas was speared to death in this place we visited called St. Thomas Mount, a famous tourist spot in Chennai. Nageena and Pinky are in the photo (13 and 15).
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ABOVE: Morning and evening we had devotions, singing, sharing the Word with the girls, and praying together. This is Brother Raju with the group while singing and praising the Lord.
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ABOVE: This is Marina Beach in Chennai. Because it is a naturally sandy beach, it qualifies as the 2nd longest urban beach in the world, approximately 8 miles long (internet info varies). The average width of the beach is about 980 feet, making it an unusually large beach, famous for its vast number of shops that sell food and various items. This photo was taken while we were near the top of a lighthouse.
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ABOVE: The girls had a blast going into the water at Marina Beach. Because the slope quickly goes down into deeper waters, we couldn't actually go into the water (one internet source says that almost 5 people die each month because of not taking necessary precautions, or not understanding the strong undercurrents). We would just go near to the water and wait for the waves to come in. I think only 2 of the children had ever been to Chennai before. If you knew the backgrounds and brokenness of many of these children, you would better understand the value of the smiles and laughter on their faces.
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ABOVE: Esther, Sister Mary (who is such a blessing for the girls, helping us with Sunday School and tutoring classes), Divya, Chandrika, Akshaya, Martha, Navya, & Blessy in a beautiful part of a park we visited.
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ABOVE: Srikanth (don't worry, he's not as mean as he might look), Teja and their baby girl, Susanna. At the end of church service recently, we had the first "baby feeding" for Susanna. She was given rice for the first time, having entered into her 6th month since birth, a common tradition in this part of India.
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ABOVE: Brother Marthababu sharing the Word with some elderly in the village of Chinthayapalem (3 widows, a widower, and one married woman). Marthababu and his wife Pavani are conducting literacy classes in this village and at least 4 other villages, and usually sharing from the Bible before or after the classes.
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ABOVE: Brother Hanock is praying for one widow, Shivangi (bottom right), her twin girls Mary and Martha, and her daughter-in-law Chandrika (standing in the doorway). Hanock, who also has a children's home, helps us with several widows and a few families, distributing food, meds or monthly financial support.
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ABOVE: Brother Raju is sharing with some children in a town called Ponnur. Nearly half of these children are ones we work with regularly, the rest of them part of a tutoring class that takes place next door to this home. When Raju comes, the tutoring teacher sometimes gives the children permission to join with our time of singing, prayer and Bible stories.
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ABOVE: This photo is taken just to the right of the kitchen of Chandramma (a previous photo in this update). Chandramma's daughter to her right was abandoned 2 years ago, she and her 2 little children staying with her mother. We've had some disappointment in this village, as it once had a thriving Sunday School class. But because of the spiritual instability of some of the believers in this village, the children were scattered (mostly Hindu). The 2 girls in the violet or lavender dresses are orphans, and were bonding with us very nicely, and learning about JESUS. But now their grandmother (probably because of the opposition of Hindu relatives) is currently not allowing these little ones to come to our meetings. Pray for the Lord's favor continually with the people, so that they can seek and receive from Him freely.
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"Whatever you do, do all things to the glory of GOD." 1 Corinthians 10:31 |
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