N O V E M B E R
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Vision Challenge: The Call to Fish in Macedonia The way of the Lord is beyond any of our understanding. He leads us in ways we thought we could never walk in and takes us to destinations we thought were unreachable. The Lord’s grand plan is often manifested through unusual and unexpected means. He claims his glory by taking the willing believer down the road in the school of faith.
The call of Paul and Silas after their ministry across Lystra to Mysia, to come to Macedonia was also the least expected. Through a vision of a man calling out for help, Paul’s charted course was altered by the Lord. But we understand through the passage (Acts 16), that Paul sought the will of God and upon hearing the call, took to the road reaching first in Phillipi and preaching The Bible has so many examples from the good news. the old and new testaments of how the Lord has called his children to the There are ministries across the world impossible. From Joseph in the well, to a that have started as Paul did on hearing fugitive Moses in the desert and an the Macedonian call. These ministries uncertain Jeremiah, they would all testify have experienced the faithfulness of that God’s purposes are difficult to God’s calling and seen his glory in the comprehend in the moment but is always fruit of the ministry. glorified in the climax.
Our previous issues through this year of 2010 have reported on several ministries across the world and in all of them, the Macedonian call is so evident!
The Vision challenge for this month of December 2010 is to hear that call to the mission of the Gospel. As Paul did in obedience, and unlike Jonah who went to Tarshish, let us submit ourselves to the burden the Lord has placed upon our hearts! [1]
Mission Challenge: Mission Pakhanjore The Mission challenge for the month of November focuses on the ministry of Bro. Thomas Joseph and Bro. Samson Ninan in Pakhanjore and surrounding villages in the tribal belt of Chhattisgarh, India. In 1993, both Bro. Thomas Joseph (Lancy) and Bro. Samson Ninan were led by the Lord to leave their secular jobs to serve the Lord full time. They did not know where they were headed but they waited patiently for God to open the right doors. In 1994, a follow-up Gospel outreach program led them to Pakhanjore - an area within Chattisgarh which was initially established by the Indian government as a camp for refugees displaced from East Pakistan. These refugees were people whom nobody wanted; they were poor; the area was relatively inaccessible, it lacked basic facilities. To top this, many of the areas were infested by Naxalites (a fundamental communist group which actively pursues the path of violence and extortion). The Lord stirred these 2 brothers to stay back and minister to the physical and spiritual needs of Pakhanjore. In 1998, Bro. Samson married Priney who was raised in the UAE. During her dental studies, she had made a decision to serve the Lord in a remote unreached area and she was very excited to play her part in the ministry. She is also the only qualified oncall dentist in Pakhanjore. Bro. Lancy and family moved from Pakhanjore in 2001 to nearby Kurrenar, and then expanded the ministry to Irpaaar where a school (Jeevan Jyoti School) is established. Today there are four worship
Previous Issues
groups consisting of local believers - about 50 in the church at Pakanjore, 20 in Erumagarh, around 15 at Kureenar and twenty at Irpanar.
These brothers have initiated various programs aimed at the mental, spiritual and academic development of the children of head loaders and daily wage laborers. About 20 children receive tuitions daily, before and after school for six days a week. Along with this, they are given instruction from the Bible and two meals a day. This program was conducted for two years. This year it has been temporarily suspended for lack of space and committed teachers. An English medium School, Life Academy, based on CBSE syllabus has been started this year with 7 committed teachers. Evangelistic Bible classes are held once a week for each class. Bible Clubs for children are held at three villages.
SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS: The residents in Pakhanjore and the surrounding villages do not have proper access to healthcare facilities and the need for Christian doctors is very urgent to meet not only the the physical but also the spiritual needs of Pakhanjore. The newly started school needs committed teachers not just for secular teaching but also to counsel and snach a few from doom's way. Naxallism is another factor that hinders people from coming here but the brothers firmly believe that the Lord will open ways to share the gospel with them as well.
Bro. Thomas Joseph
Bro. Samson Ninan
Jeevan Jyoti School
The submission of these brethren and their families to God's will are truly encouraging. Let us uphold this ministry in prayer.
January - Uyghurs of Kazhakstan February -Rescue the perishing..Care for the dying March- The Good News to the Islamic world April - The Nation of Argentina for the Lord May- Reaching Home with the Good News June- Reach out to those behind bars July- Wining the battle for the mind August- And from every tribe, people and language • September- And God Loves Burma Too! • October- To the lost child in the street • • • • • • • •
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Children at Life Academy
PAKHANJORE - GETTING THERE
Pakhanjore is about 280 kms from Nagpur. Nagpur has an international airport and Pakhanjore is over 6 hours from Nagpur by car. By train you can come to Durg station and Durg is on the Mumbai Howrah route (5hours travel), Pakhanjore is 200kms from Durg that is 4 hrs by car or 7 hrs by public transport.