Greetings from Messiah Missions Nanjangud in our Masters’ loving name who said, “Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then comes harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:35.
Your recent drafts regarding some verses were of great encouragement to us. We are working in evangelism and soul winning. Our precious and loving Lord went to Samaria, the Land of abomination, just to win souls from there. Midday and hot sun and remote areas, all adverse facts that did not stop Him; he did not go there to start a school or to construct a hospital for teaching the Word of God and healing the sick.
Karnataka has 29,025 villages and almost 705 of them have never heard the Gospel. There are people in the hamlets which did not hear the name of Jesus even once in their lifetime. “For whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved [but] how can shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except a preacher be sent? As it is written how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of Peace? And bring glad tidings of good things!
Evangelism
So the people which are call to preach the gospel should go and preach the good news of peace and salvation. We in Karnataka are proud to be in Messiah Missions which gives the work of good news of salvation as priority number one. We used to go out and reache very often into interior villages and distribute salvation tracts and booklets, as well as to visit houses of the sick and the needy preach standing on the open air and conduct mini crusades.
This month God enabled us to visit a place called Nettatre in Thoravalli area and distribute salvation tracts and booklets there.
Priya’s parents asked to pray for their daughter which is struck with palsy and we have offered prayers for this lettle girl. Basavayya, Mahadevamma, Hema, siddhamma and some others requested us to pray for them. One family had been saved from this village. They have got a piece of land of 600 square feet and we prayed for the Lord to help them to construct a small house there. They are living in a rented house here and they will be relieved from the monthly rent of 1000 rupees.
Regarding grown up children coming to ministry, I know MESSIAH MISSION is not an asylum for the Pastors children. But if the son or daughter wants to come and take up a ministry when it grows he or she should be given chance because he would be involved in the ministry previously and he knows and wants to grow with his father [good if heavenly father]’s ministry.
Women and Children
The ministry of women and children is very different. We cannot go and mingle with young girls very often especially in India where suspicion is on the male for talking with a woman who is single. That is why I thought to hand over the responsibiliy to a spirit-filled, saved, baptised and experienced in similar ministry.
I would like to hear your valuable counsel in this matter. I have drafted an agreement also with this purpose in mind. I will send the draft to you and if affirmative we can sign with Hephzibah because you are providing valuable machines and people of god has given us from their hard earned money sacrificially. Every penny is valuable. However, she did not demand any remuneration so far neither John Roy which goes to the work site early in the morning and works with the masons and helpers, cures the cement concrete and brings the needed materials to the site.
Women’s Ministry Meeting
The Women’s ministries office bearers came together for a lunch recently and the new team as follows:
International Patron: Johanna Ray Madame
Women’s Ministry President: Sister Kanakamma Ramesh
Secretary: Mrs. Hephzibah
Treasurer: Mrs. Asha Sidharaju
Joint Secretary: Mrs. Jayamma Santhosh
Member: Leela Kantharaju
It is resolved that:
- Every month a meeting should be organised and the next meeting should be in Mysore Mrs. Kanakamma’s Place.
- The main ministry women can do is praying for the Messiah Missions International and various ministries done by our co-workers.
- An offering should be collected monthly which will be used for the widows’ work.
- Young widows are directed to stand on their legs by selling fruits and vegetables, bangles or joining Factory jobs. We have cared them up til they found suitable survival arrangements.
- Fasting prayers should be conducted in every one of our churches.
- Our members should take care of their own families and should be good home makers before we do out door and evangelism works.
The meeting thanked Messiah Missions International for the continual support rendered towards the Messiah Missions of India and resolved to pray for them every day and in every fasting prayer.
NEW PASTORS WORKING WITH MESSIAH MISSIONS
Please find below the testimonies of Pastors who are fully supported by Messiah Missions Ministries in India.
Rev. Samuel Smiles went to college and he was asked to clean the rooms. He cleaned the rooms three times and the third time with theodorant. Later, he became used by God to write Dictionary of English. Writing, drafting and doing the ministry is not to be fed. Every time we write a testimony of a worker we get more light in his background, salvation experience, present life, ministry life-gifts and results, future ambitions in the ministry, etc.
Pastor Anand and family reside and work in Malavalli working under Messiah Missions. He is a self starter and go getter. He has a church and lives in rented house for which he pays rs 1000 for rent. He does not have a registration and name so he joined with us from november last year. He has wife and his church is growing. No vehicle for this gentle man even a cycle so brother Rame Gowda helps him with his pulsar bike to reach believers places. Rame Gowda is the man behind construction of the church building when his wife Shaarada Was healed from demon possession.
Pastor Paily Ails is from a christian family and is working under Messiah Missions as well. He is married and lives with his wife and a daughter; another daughter is married. He is working in Kadakola, Padiharathara and Hosahalli villages. He has a Hero Honda motor cycle; he is an ambitious man of God and a zeal to reach new people for Christ.
He says, “I know the Scriptures from my early childhood but I needed some thing more, which is being a born again experience. Once I attended a gospel meeting and was saved when I received Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord of my Life. I married a Christian girl which loves the Lord Jesus Christ. We were doing the ministry but due to bad financial management I had severe loans and escaped from my village. My son also left for Tamil Nadu. Somehow I heard about Pastor John Madhan Mohan and approached him for help. He sat with me and gave me good counselling about how a child of God should not borrow loans and money advances: “The just shall live by faith and the contented man God will reward with blessings.” He prayed for me and great peace came to my mind.
I was astonished to see such a Senior Pastor share food with down trodden people not having a car of his own spending time with believers and seekers and always happy in the Lord Jesus Christ. I have seen pastors only with long faces loving speech only if we give money on hand. This is a new experience to me. Like Apostle Peter I told him, “I will live and continue ministry with you and Messiah Missions.” He said, “no problem we have chances but let us make your family on the rails.” He telephoned to my wife and talked to her. Now after a month I find my wife in happy mood and my daughter also. My son is in communication with me. I am pastoring Padinharethara church now. Please pray for me. I have my own two wheeler, hero Honda splendor. I thank God for renewing me through problems and thus meeting this Man of God. I am proud that I have fellowship of Messiah Missions International.
Pastor Suresh Chethalayam is also working under Messiah Missions, pastoring Chethalayam church which has 30 believers. Six persons were saved and baptised recently. Services are in Nayaka language, this dialect has no letters or New Testament, no song books either. It is a kind of Kannada language of these hill tribe people. Pastor Suresh has a wife and two studying children.
Chethalayam church was founded in 2008; there are 2 widows under their care, no orphans are presently under the care of the church because of the strict rules of the government. He only inaugurated our tailoring school recently and he is helped with 2500 rupees monthly: 1000 rupees for the house rent and 1500 for the living. There is persecution in this area. Recently 2 other ministers were attacked by communal hindus and they are in the hospital under treatment. Pastor Suresh was beaten 2 times in 2009.
Suresh was born in a tribal village to a tribal family living in the western ghats, they are called the Chola Naickas. His parents followed the Hindu customs even though the Tribals are not Hindus. They are animists, they believe in spirits that come and take them to forests for blessing or for curse. They cultivate in the forest wet lands but when the harvest comes if they get something out of the mouth of Elephants and deers they are lucky. They however can not kill and eat wild animals theough they are free to live in the forests.
Suresh had lost his father so his mother cared for him; he did not get an education but he knew how to write and read. He had an accident when he came to the town Sultan Battery. While in the Hospital, he learned of the gospel:
“I got a Bible to read. There was a proverb here which goes, “Christians taught for reading and Communists gave their propagnda for New Readers.” But in my life the Communists taught me how to read and write but the Christians gave me the Holy Bible to read. I read it and understood all people are sinners; they themselves cannot go to heaven but need a Savior. There is no name given on Earth except Jesus Christ, who gave His Life and Blood as a propitiation for our sins. Whosoever believes in Hims shall not perish but will have an everlasting life.”
He was saved and afterward he was baptised. The Lord called him to ministry and he went for Bible Training Course for two years. He came to Nanjangud town in 2007 and joined Messiah Missions India. He was sent to Chethalayam and a church was established. He does not have a bike. He is paid 1000/- for his house, living allowance is paid 1500/- since all the costs are skyward our co-workers suffer for meeting both ends together. His ambition is to win many tribal people to Jesus Chrsit’s Kingdom.
Messiah Missions has been supporting Pastor Suresh Chethalayam for the past 40 months. That means this is the fourth year. I used to visit him at least every 2nd month. His wife Mini Suresh had some heart ailment and you all prayed for her last year. She is fine and in good health and she gained 10 kilograms weight to herself also. They have 2 sons. One Brother Sam is in 12th Standard (we say 10+2 here) and the other one is in 5th Standard. He lives in a rented house paying 1000/= rupees per month.
“I am proud that I belong to an International Missionary Agency. I am getting good support for the house rent and also for the survival. Believers also help me with rice, vegetables and offerings. My two sons are studying in school. My problem is with house; we have to move frequently because of worshiping place. Some anti-Christian people are threatening me to beat me if I preach Christ but I will preach Christ Jesus is the Lord and Messiah even unto death. All the glory to God. I take this opportunity to thank all the people who are supporting me and Messiah Missions India for the furtherance of the saturation of the gospel in unreached areas like this tribal belt.”
Eight people are ready for baptism and we may baptise this month or next month.
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While I am typing this mail, I received ten printed books of “Finding a Balance in World Missions” in good condition. It is handy in size, legible for reading, and standard in printing. I am sure our people will like this book and all my prayers to the Lord of Hosts is professing Christians should understand the contents, and Evangelists should be benefitted through this book.
Now believers arrived we are having fasting prayer up to Saturday. I will go and pray with them, will come back to send some more e-mails in the evening.
Your loving brother in Christ,
John Madhan Mohan
Messiah Missions India – Nanjangud
FEB
2013
