It was on this day October 22, 1999 that I and Preeti first time stepped into Bihar. I still remember that evening when our train reached Patna 18 hours late. I was working in Saudi Arabia and was on leave. God spoke to me to enter into full time ministry few years before that when I was teaching in MG University and was waiting for that opportunity. When Preeti got her new job she was a kind of settled in Chennai in her old job and was staying with her parents. When she got the new job though the posting was to Patna the bank itself asked her to send a request and go to Mumbai since Patna was not known to be a good city especially for a lady officer. But that time God reminded me that God is sending us to this new place and I shared with Preeti about God’s plan and she obeyed. As I was in Patna, a city of crime, corruption and filth, God spoke to me again to stay here and by the grace of God I obeyed. After many years only I destroyed the air ticket I had for my trip back to my job in Saudi.
15 years are over. God raised 15 village worship gatherings in 2000 to 1500 now. God helped us to train 1000 new believers and seekers with some kind of Bible training every year since 2008. When we came we were alone. God gave us two kids, Yovel and Deborah and then another 100 plus kids who are in our children homes. I studied in a pallikoodam back at Mallapally. God used us to start 100 plus free pallikoodams (schools) where Bible study is the first subject and all those who attend learn Bible for the first time along with other subjects. In 2000 around 30 of our coworkers and family members together attended the workers convention. In 2014 there were1200 plus participants and most of them were new believers who became evangelists with their families. God increased the work in 15 villages in two districts to 1000 plus villages or hamlets in 40 plus districts and all this work focusing unreached villages or urban colonies where Christ was never preached in the last 2000 years. God gave us excellent friends inside and outside the mission fields like you. God made us go through fire and water like situation but nothing harmed us to the extent of we losing our passion for mission.
We would miss the best for our life if we would miss Bihar. We miss many things while in Bihar though. The other day Preeti told me about Yovel’s Home Science Teachers comment to her when she went for the Parent Teacher Meet. She said to Preeti ‘Yovel is so fond of his father. As I asked the children to make a picture of the family, yovel was looking very sad. Upon asking he told me; I am so fond of my father and I am most attached to him, but he is away and I see him only once in a while.’ It’s really painful to know that your children miss you so much. If one is away for a job so that they can make money and take some gifts for the children or make a fat bank balance for the kids, it’s understandable. But why am I doing this work like this? I thank God for my kids, though I do not give them anything material they are proud of their evangelist father and they want to do the same work.
Today morning (23rd Oct) in our devotion we read Hebrews chapter 13 and it is written in 12 to 14 verses ‘Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate, Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.’ What an encouragement and what an amazing call and what a great hope!!
The vision God put in our heart is to train and send 100,000 believers who came to the faith so that they will reach others and 1000s of new Churches will be planted in unreached India. This is our Godly goal for 2020. We request you to stand with this goal so that we can reach this Nation India within our generation. Most number of unreached people groups and villages in the world are in this county. Central India is the hardest ground. We must break it through prayer and moving to that place. South must move to the North and that is the key for Indian Evangelism. That is our dream as we finish our 15th year in the graveyard of missions. What a privilege.
Thank you Lord, Thank you Church, Thank you Friends.
(abynewbihar@gmail.com)
