Global Partners Spotlight: India
Recently the Global Partners Team received a report from the Kumar family describing in detail the many things that God is doing to, through, and for the Brethren Church in India.
Rev. Nirmala Prasanth Kumar, Rev. Dr. K. Prasanth Kumar, their son Rev. Dr. K.Sudhir Kumar and his wife Mrs. K. Latha Sudhir Kumar give thanks with a grateful heart to our mighty Father in Heaven for His sustaining grace all through the past year of their Ministry. They continue to thank God for bestowing another year of abundant harvest that is enthralling. They are reaching the unreached with their powerful testimonies and prayers.
The good Lord has proven that He is much bigger than the world He created. Through their prayerful personal efforts, the Kumars, the Brethren Pastors and the Brethren Evangelists in the cities and in the villages could reach a grand total of 14,811 baptized Brethren in India. This year, 353 new believers were baptized through the Brethren Churches by the Kumars as well as by the village pastors.
At Rajahmundry Brethren Church, every month a Fasting Prayer Meeting is conducted on the Saturday evening before a communion Sunday. Every Friday the Healing Prayers are conducted in Rajahmundry Brethren Church. Many non-Christians are coming to the saving grace of Jesus through these healing prayers. Prasanth offers special prayers for them and the good Lord answers in a very special way.
At Visakhapatnam Brethren Church, the 15th of August, 2014, the 2nd of October, 2014, and the 26th of January, 2015 were observed as the “Days of Prayer”. The people came to the Throne of His Grace and prayed for dire needs. Sudhir and Latha Kumar are helping the people to grow strong in their prayer lives.
On the National Holiday of August 15, 2014 and 2015 the Youth Revival and Retreat was conducted by Nirmala Kumar in Rajahmundry Brethren Church. Four hundred young men and women attended in 2014 and this year over 550 young people attended. They were so blessed and experienced life changing messages, inspiring praise and worship, spiritual skits and so forth. It was a wonderful harvest of young souls.
At the Brethren Orphanage another 80 poor and needy children were added this year. They were provided food, a home, education, the gospel and medical care. Here are just a couple of their stories that bring home the reality that so many are living with and the great opportunity that Christ has blessed the Brethren Church in India with in being His hands, feet and voice to a lost world.
Out of the 80 new children was a young boy named Gummadi Dorababu and his sister, Gummadi Priyanka. Their parents are suffering in prison with life imprisonment.
Durga Prasad is a poor, young boy who is totally handicapped but he graduated from school with flying colors. Nirmala Kumar has enrolled him in a vocational college to become a graduate of computer technology. This will help him to obtain a job for his livelihood. Another orphan girl, Bhavani, was trained in Free Sewing Training School and presented with a new Sewing Machine. Last year she graduated from school and this year Nirmala Kumar has enrolled her, for two years, in the vocational college with a specialization in computer technology. The impact that lost lives receive through the Brethren Home for the children is enormous and will change their stories not only for the days ahead, but through Christ, for generations yet to come.
November will be a busy time in India as Linda and Keith Immell will be visiting the Kumars and the ministries throughout the country of India. They will be joined for a time by Gene & Sue McConahay. Please ask God to keep them safe on their journey and throughout their time in India.
With prayers,
In His Love and Grace,
Nirmala