April 2011

India's tiger of poverty is hurting 456 million people

Indian Tiger

APRIL 2011 Shutterstock/Neelsky

Shutterstock/Jan S

This picture tells how a rickshaw man is used to "run all day" pulling customers, other men and women in his rickshaw. That's his full time job! Rickshaw men are one of the hardest working people and also poorest in the whole of India. This man never had the opportunity of attending an english speaking high school otherwise he would not be pulling a rickshaw. It's our chance now to help some others to go to high school and have a better life.

456 million Indians live under the poverty line of $1.25 a day "I read under the dim light of a kerosene lamp. I am what I am today because of education." Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh Every Home for Christ

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On this land we will build a high school

for India's Poor From the desk of Eric Leach My beloved EHC friend, Please let me explain, in you helping to buy this land you are helping very poor people whose children have no real future. You will know this when I tell you students in the Every Home for Christ primary school look great in their uniforms but they live in houses that are so desperately poor as pictured on the next page.

They live in mud houses with mud floors and thatched leaves for a roof or in a one room concrete house and usually no bathroom, just a bucket of water with a cup to throw water over themselves while standing outside to have a bath. These young people have no chance of a better life without our help!

The fathers of many of the children in the Every Home for Christ schools earn $30 -$50 a month, not a week! And many mothers do hard work too, digging in the fields as pictured below. Poverty is really poverty!

These families have no chance to send their children to a high standard english speaking high school in India. It is too expensive and without good high school english the generation of children now in the Every Home for Christ schools will not get a "good" job. They will be doomed to work under the global poverty line of $1.25 a day. While the India economy is growing, still 456 million people in India live under the poverty line. Everything you do in helping these poor students to get out of their miserable existence by providing for them a high school education will enable them to have a better life, a life they could never have imagined without your help.

On this land we will build a high school but right now we have a - lot - of - pressure to buy. Just 4 years ago we were offered land for $40,000 and at the time we delayed because we did not have money available and we let it go not knowing the cost of the land would sky rocket to $170,000 in just 4 years with the owner now telling us he is giving us the land too cheap! So we are pressured to buy now. $100,000 has already been donated by Every Home for Christ supporters, God's wonderful people, but still $70,000 is needed.

$70,000 Pray for the man in the white in the photo as he is the owner. Pray God will help us to do "His will" in purchasing the land. If you can help we will be very, very grateful. Whatever gift you can afford will be greatly appreciated. Please see the gift slip enclosed. May God guide you.

Please and Thank you. Thank you so much

Eric Leach Executive Director

Know God is not forgetful to reward you! Jesus said "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." Matthew 10:42 yes , woe is me if I do not preach the "Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for Gospel! For if I do this willingly, "I have a great is your "reward in heaven..." reward." 1 Corinthians 9:16-17 Matthew 5:11-12 "What is my reward then?" 1 Corinthians 9:18 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your "reward is great in heaven". "Let no one cheat you "of your reward." Colossians 2:8 Luke 6:23 "And whatever you do, work at it with all your "Take heed that you do not do your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward since you know that you will receive an from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1 inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Colossians 3:23-24 "For whoever gives you a cup of water "For the Scripture says:- you shall not muzzle to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, an ox while it treads out the grain, and the labourer is worthy of his wages." 1 Timothy he will by no means lose his reward." 5:18 "But love your enemies, do good, and "For you had compassion on me in my lend hoping for nothing in return, and chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering your reward will be great". Luke 6:35 of your goods, knowing that you have a better "For the son of man will come in the and an enduring possession for yourselves in glory of His father with His angels, and heaven. Therefore, do not cast away your then "He will reward each" according to confidence, which has great reward." His works. Matthew 16:27 Hebrews 10:34-36 "And behold, I am coming quickly and my "But without faith it is impossible to please reward is with me, to give to everyone Him, for he who comes to God must believe according to his work." Revelation 22:12-13 that He is, and that He is a rewarder for those

Apostle Paul said "Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour." 1 Corinthians 3:8

who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Apostle John said "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for but that we may receive a full reward." 2 John vs 8

"If anyone's work which he has built on it "The nations were angry, and your wrath endures, "he will receive a reward". 1 has come, and the time of the dead, that Corinthians 3:14 they should be judged, and that you should "For if I preach the Gospel, I have nothing "reward your servants the prophets, and to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; the saints." Revelation 11:18 - Arthur Kelly 7

VISITING EVERY HOME IN INDIA WITH GOSPEL LITERATURE

A total of 1.23 billion people live in 28 states and seven Union Territories in India. India has 5,400 districts, 5,161 towns and over six million villages. India’s population consists of 80.5 percent Hindu, 13.4 percent Muslim and 2.3 percent Christian. Those remaining adhere to other religions. India has 4,635 people groups, speaking more than 1,652 languages and over 3,000 dialects, with a literacy rate of 65 percent. Every Home for Christ’s ministry in India began in 1964. EHC teams share the Gospel using literature in 14 individual languages. We have covered the entire nation with the Gospel twice and are in the process of our third coverage. Over ten million individuals have completed Bible courses and the EHC ministry has planted 27,030 Christ Groups. The EHC India team consists of 12 regional offices, three directors, 11 managers, 298 field staff, and 56 office staff.

N, NE India Maharashtra and Goa Andhra Pradesh Gujarat Uttar Pradesh NW India Karnataka Kerala Tamil Nadu Orrissa, W. Bengal Creative Access (1)

EHC India Harvest Historical 2010 Homes Reached..................1,740,322 .....262,853,128 Literature Distributed.......3,727,082 .....511,828,884 Responses................................ 116,413 ..........8,998,634 Christ Groups...................................205 ................27,030

Under EHC’s seasonal advances we selected 20 cities throughout India and evangelise these areas during the seasonal outreach months, typically Easter, summer and Christmas. The uniqueness of these specialized projects is that we have come to realize we are not experiencing any severe opposition. This, we believe, is God’s favour and mercy. Churches are being challenged to get involved and more are engaging

with EHC, prayerfully, financially and individually as they assist us with the home-to-home evangelism. Hindi-speaking Christ Group leaders were trained in two training sessions last year. The first session was in January 2010 in Jaipur, where more than 20 leaders from six states received training and instruction. The second was in Lucknow, where more than 33 leaders from another six

states were trained. Those trained were added to our national teams that go out two by two. Each team of two then trains 48 other Christ Group leaders every month. Each month EHC India equips 1,248 Christ Group leaders to properly shepherd the growing harvest in India and multiply the ministry. It is an honour to provide this report to EHC family and friends. Kindly pray that EHC India will be able to reach more homes and disciple more new believers. Pray for the health and safety of all our teams who are daily going home to home. - Samuel Hilel Lal

Prayer and Compassion By Dick Eastman the EHC International President

William Carey is often referred to as "the father of modern missions." A brilliant youth with a promising future, Carey was moved by God in his early years with a passion that changed the course of mission history. Working as a shoe cobbler's assistant in eighteenth century England, young Carey is said to have saved discarded scraps of shoe leather from which he fashioned a makeshift globe. Hours spent in a local library with the best maps of the then known world gave Carey enough insight to sketch in ink the outlines of the continents and countries on his crude globe.

tearful prayers poured over the nations of the world, including his primary love India. In fact, I firmly believe Carey's prayers for India are still being answered today through the ministry of Every Home for Christ and others that have tackled the massive challenge of reaching India's millions with the Gospel. William Carey's legacy of tears is truely bearing fruit today in India and around the world through the army of believers who make up our EHC family. William Carey is a model intercessor for thousands of EHC prayer warriors who shed tears for the nations as they pray over the EHC World Prayer map.

Decades later, it was said that Carey's tears of intercession during those early years literally blurred the outlines of the nations I thank the Lord for your love and on his handmade globe. They ultimately gave rise to his calling to become a pioneer commitment to the EHC vision of reaching every home in every nation with the missionary to distant India. Gospel. Let's continue William Carey's Did Carey's tears make a difference? Some legacy of tears by covering the nations with might question the missionary's prayer as well as the giving of our resources evangelism effectiveness - seven years to ensure that every soul has at least one transpired before he saw his first convert. opportunity to receive Christ's precious But I believe his greatest contribution to offer of salvation. the evangelisation of India was those

They will need a high school in the future.

Sri Lanka Every Home for Christ Celebrates 40th Anniversary The start of Every Home Crusade/ Every home for Christ began a new era in Sri Lanka. I never would have imagined that I would be the initiator of this ministry in Sri Lanka. It all began in 1968 during the missionary convention at South India Biblical Seminary where I was a final year student. Dr. B.A.Prabakar, National Director for India Every Home Crusade, was the speaker at this convention. He met with me and wanted to talk about the work of Every Home Crusade, India. At that time I was aware of many ministries and organisations in India, and talking about India EHC did not seem to be very important. I wanted to be courteous, so I listened to what Dr. Prabakar had to say about EHC work in India. At the end of the conversation he asked whether I would be interested in initiating Every Home Crusade work in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and wanted me to seriously pray about it. He knew that I would graduate that year. Probably he was led by the Lord to talk to me about this work. My intention was to return to Sri Lanka to be engaged in Church work and to promote a Vacation Bible School ministry. On my return to Sri Lanka I began to work with my church and joined the staff at Christ Church, Galle Face. As I began to work in the church I realised that my ministry was not going to be confined to within the four walls of the church but that I wanted to do something that would impact the nation. In 1969 I was nominated to be secretary of the evangelism committee of the National Christian Council. One of the first tasks I had was to organise the first ever missionary convention. It was held in the month of September at St. Paul's Church, Milagiriya. Dr. Prabakar was one of the four speakers at this convention. One evening, after the service, Dr. Prabakar wanted to talk to me about the Every Home Crusade ministry. It was that meeting that he challenged me about reaching the maximum number of people in Sri Lanka with the Gospel of Christ. Furthermore, he asked me if I knew of any organisations in Sri Lanka at that time that were committed to this task. It began to dawn on my heart, as the spirit of the Lord spoke to me, that I should take up this challenge to reach the maximum number of people through house to house outreach work. That evening, whilst I was praying and contemplating the possibility of reaching the maximum number of people with the Gospel, God gave me no choice but to take up the challenge. The following morning when I met Dr. Prabakar, I told him that I had made my mind to do one thing - that until my last breath I will do all I can to reach as many people as possible for Jesus Christ in Sri Lanka. He took this as my commitment to the Every Home Crusade ministry and conveyed this to Dr. Jack McAllister the founder of World Literature Crusade (WLC) now Every Home for Christ. A few weeks later, lo and behold, I received a letter with warm greetings welcoming me as a co-worker of WLC and EHC to reach the people for Christ. In turn, I conveyed this information to my vicar at Christ Church, the Rev Peter Vaughan. He was not surprised as he knew that my heart was more inclined to evangelistic work than pastoral work. Hence he encouraged me to go ahead to do the necessary to launch Every Home Crusade work in Sri Lanka. I also conveyed the same information to

Sam & Regina Thevabalasingham on EHC Israel Tour 2010 my bishop, the late Harold de Zoysa. At this time he told me that I could come back at any time I felt like returning to pastoral work. After almost one year of preparation, on 15 November 1970, the work of EHC was launched. I was inducted as the National director for EHC by the same bishop at Christ Church during a special service, in the presence of Dr. Prabakar, Dr. Jack McAllister and many others. As I said before, a new era for large-scale evangelism, souls winning and church planting was born. As we celebrate the 40th anniversary, my wife and I have every reason to thank God for His means and grace that have guided us thus far. These 40 years have been years in which we have experienced the love and concern of the Christian community, together with their friendship and respect. The Lord has moulded me into the kind of man He wanted me to be and He has not finished with me yet. The Lord has also given me the opportunity and privilege to mentor many young people who have come in contact with me and worked with me as pioneer crusaders and evangelists, people who have become grateful servants and have touched the lives of many in Sri Lanka. Many of these young people are now pastors responsible for ministry within and outside the church. Some of them have become dynamic evangelists, souls winners, church planters and Bible teachers. Even as we celebrate this 40th Anniversary I am overjoyed and gratified by the fact that there are many who are ready to take the mantle into coming decades, to carry the banner of the Gospel. As for me, as long as I have breath, I will serve my Master, and I will share the Good News of salvation with everyone with whom I come into contact. My friends, I thank you for your prayers, your love and your partnership during these 40 years that have enabled me and my wife to do this work of taking the Gospel to every home in our beloved Mother Lanka. May the Lord bless the church and may the Lord bless our Mother Lanka. Dr. Sam Thevabalasingham Executive Director Sri Lanka EHC

Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from Deuteronomy & Joshua For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading programme these chapters are in brackets.

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

APRIL, 2011

PSALM 122:6 AND THE WORLD.

ERIC LEACH - Pray for Eric in his executive responsibilities of vision, planning and working with God in raising funds. Pray God for the high school land in India. Funds are short, pray all funds will be available "on time". Pray every day for great sucess in Deuteronomy 28 God's work. (Leviticus 8-10)

NICARAGUA - Pop 5,800,000 Map 181. Pray for the necessary finances to repair EHC’s ministry vehicle. Also pray that doors remain open in Villa Sandino for evangelism. Praise God for the many pastors in Masaya who have joined EHC to reach that city — a unity not seen in years. Joshua 3 (Numbers 11-15)

RUSSIA - Pop 139,700,000 Map 104. Pray for the results of evangelism in the Tunkinskiy District and for open hearts in eastern Siberia, BANGLADESH - . Pop 155,600,000 Map 130. Please where a New Testament in the Buryat language will be pray for healing for the widow of EHC’s former National given to new believers. Joshua 4 (Numbers 16-19) Director Deepa Adhikary as she was diagnosed with a CAMERON - Pop 19,900,000 Map 24. serious illness. Praise the Lord for the opportunity to present the Please ask God to grant wisdom and stability Gospel in many dialects via television and radio. EHC’s National to 29 new Christ Group leaders recently Director, Daniel Sarkar, will be handling the responses in the trained under EHC’s follow-up and discipleship program days ahead Deuteronomy 29 (Leviticus 11-14) and to protect all team members during this heavy HUNGARY- Pop 9,900,000 Map 77. Please pray flooding season. Joshua 5 (Numbers 20-24)) that the message of love and peace of Jesus Christ CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - Pop. will be a source of hope for many in the town of 4,500,000 Map 25. Pray for the inhabitants Tatarszentgyorgy, where there has been violence against of Nambélé District who make their the Roma people. Deuteronomy 30 (Leviticus 15-16) existence from farming but who are suffering from lack AARON MOORE - Overseas of clean water. Praise God for the cooperation between Projects Manager. Pray for Aaron the Evangelical Church in Kouango and EHC’s ministry who has just returned home after teams. This cooperative fellowship is very encouraging. visiting Africa, the EHC Togo Medical Joshua 6 (Numbers 25-27) Clinic, the Malawi and Zambia food, MADAGASCAR - Pop 19,900,000 Map 4. farming, mosquito nets and wells projects. Pray for finances to print needed Pray for good health, God's will and discipleship material and for the wisdom in his overseas leadership. construction of storage containers to hold this material. Deuteronomy 31 (Leviticus 17-22) Praise God for open doors among schools, where many SLOVAKIA - Pop 5,400,000 Map 79. Please pray children have opened their hearts to Jesus. Joshua 7 for good results for EHC’s gospel outreach in the (Numbers 28-31) town of Trencin. Praise God for receptivity of those who live in this area and continue to uphold teams. ROMANIA - Pop 20,900,000 Map 76. Pray Deuteronomy 32 (Leviticus 23-27) for the results of evangelism efforts to the city of Oltenia, where booklets were SOUTH AFRICA - Pop. 50,300,000 Map. 1. One of distributed house to house, as well as to orphanages and EHC’s partnering churches asks prayer for provision homes for the elderly. The response has been very of a tent large enough to seat 1,500 people. . encouraging and many are enrolling in EHC’s Bible Deuteronomy 33 (Numbers 1-4) correspondence course to learn more about Jesus. ARMENIA - Pop 3,100,000 Map 102. Pray for EHC Joshua 8 (Numbers 32-36) activity in Nagorno Karahakh, where spreading PHILIPPINES - Pop 91,500,000 Map 167. the Gospel is not easy and at times dangerous. Praise the Lord for homes reached in Ilocos Joshua 1 (Numbers 5-7) and Sorsogon where volcanic activity has

6 7 8

BELGIUM - Pop 10,500,000 Map 85. Pray for EHC teams as they work to share the Gospel in the towns of Edegem, Hove, and Kontich, as well as a newly launched outreach in the Brussels Capital region. Joshua 2 (Numbers 8-10)

made the hearts of the people more open to the Gospel. Praise Him also for all the team members involved in the distribution and evangelistic outreach that they would minister to the needs of the people. Joshua 9 (Deuteronomy 1-4)

ROB INNES - Pray for Rob who has had concer ts throughout New Zealand raising funds for mosquito nets and the Christchurch Earthquake. He has been diagnosed with bladder cancer. Pray for his complete healing. Joshua 10 (Deuteronomy 5-8)

THAILAND - Pop. 67,900,000 Map 134. Praise God for the more than 40,000 families who received the Gospel in the last month. Thanks, also, to the Lord for the numerous schools that partnered with EHC by using gospel booklets for both adults and children in their Christmas programs. Joshua 11 (Deuteronomy 9-11)

ZAMBIA - Pop. 13,200,000 Map 14. Praise God for a new church planted in Bauleni. Pray that God will provide the leadership for this new church. Ask God to give mobility for EHC outreach teams involved in medical ministry to hospitals and clinics. Joshua 12 (Deuteronomy 12-18)

BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA -Pop 3,800,000 Map 69. Pray for EHC evangelism teams as they conduct outreach in areas where a majority of Croats live: Jankovici, Meljanac, Orasje, Ovcarevo, Paklarevo, and Kraljevice. Ask God to completely heal the hurts of the past. Joshua 13 (Deuteronomy 19-26)

CREATIVE ACCESS #9 - Pray for healing for those affected by the terrorist attack on a church. Pray also for protection and safety of all those working to spread the Gospel. Joshua 14 (Deuteronomy 27-30)

CZECH REPUBLIC - Pop 10,300,000 Map 80. Pray for the results of 30,000 families reached in North Moravia. Praise God for the positive responses received so far with requests for more information, offers to help with follow-up work, and even financial gifts. Joshua 15 (Deuteronomy 31-34)

CREATIVE ACCESS #15 - Pray for six Discipleship Training Conferences scheduled during the next year and for those working on translating the materials into multiple languages. Please pray for unity among the Christian leaders within the capital city. Joshua 18 (Joshua 6-8)

TOGO - Pop. 6,800,000 Map 37. Few people in the Savanna Region of Togo have been attending Christ Group meetings because it is harvest season when the livelihood of the families depends on their paying attention to their crops. Please ask God to strengthen their faith and help them through the harvesting. Joshua 19 (Joshua 9-12)

CREATIVE ACCESS #21 - There are many intellectuals within the country who have returned from their studies overseas and are more open-minded and contemplative. As a result EHC’s gospel messages are in great demand. Please pray for this continuing need and opportunity. Joshua 20 (Joshua 13-17)

MYANMAR - Pop 50,100,000 Map 133. Praise God for EHC’s outreach to an entire Muslim village in the Ayeyarwaddy Division where 83 villages and 21,837 households were taken a gospel message as a result of this outreach. Pray the Holy Spirit would move on the hearts of these people. Joshua 21 (Joshua 18-21)

SWITZERLAND - Pop 7,600,000 Map 61. EHC Switzerland asks prayer for the production of a basic Bible course in the Sierre language. Although the number of individuals who speak this language is relatively small, it would be a benefit and generate further interest in the Gospel. Joshua 22 (Joshua 22-24)

BURUNDI - Pop 8,500,000 Map 18. Please ask God to provide gospel literature in the Kirundi language—especially Bibles and New Testaments. Also, ask Him to bless the outreach to 50,000 people with the Gospel message in Ngozi Kirundo. Joshua 23 (Judges 1-3)

NEPAL - Pop 29,200,000 Map 131. Praise God for the completion of all 13 lessons of EHC’s EASTER GOOD FRIDAY - Thank God discipleship curriculum, “Be Fruitful and Christ died for us. Joshua 16 (Psalm 91) Multiply.” Pray for the 150 Christ Group members who were recently trained to teach this curriculum to other MALI - Pop 13,300,000 Map 48. Pray that Christ Group leaders. Praise God for the provision of three God will deliver the village of Bema from motorcycles. Joshua 24 (Judges 4-5) darkness and prepare them for light as EHC teams work to evangelize in this area. Pray, also, for wisdom request and send it to us in the enclosed for EHC’s National Director Elise Dabou as he prepares a envelope and we will pray for you. strategy for 2011 outreaches. Joshua 17 (Joshua 1-5)

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