December 2011 Newsletter
Report from Vijay
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Greetings to you in the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! By the grace of God we are doing fine and hope the same with you all. I am happy in contacting you all through this monthly newsletter and sharing some of the special events in our ministry during the month of December 2011 for your reference.
Year-End Baptism
You might know, we are supporting 13 missionaries through Light of Hope Mission, Maduraibranch, under my supervision (the Light of Hope Mission is supported by TEM). These ministers of God are working at various villages in four different districts (counties) of our State of Tamilnaduin, India. Some of them are working as pastors and based their ministry at a particular church planted by them or through our help at some villages in their districts. I visit them at regular intervals, and encourage them to grow more in the knowledge of God.
On December 04, 2011, I was invited to a place called Duraichamypuram to share the Lord’s message in their Sunday worship service. When the pastor told me that two men and two women were getting ready for their baptism, I called them for counseling after the regular service in the afternoon. When I found out that they have accepted our Lord Jesus as their Savior and have received the greatest gift of salvation in their lives, we took them to a river near a dam for baptism in the evening of the same day. The pastor had given them the baptism, and we all praised God for those four new souls.
The greatest news is that all four of them are from staunch Hindu families in those villages. They have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, and have come into the knowledge of God through the missionary work of Pastor Duraichamy, who is one of the missionaries supported by LHM for many years.
When I talked to one lady, I found out that she was a famous fortuneteller for many years, and has earned lot of money and fame through her deeds. Now she had accepted Lord Jesus as her Savior and had become a Christian. As we rejoice with that church, I believe that the heavens also have rejoiced with us that day. (I attach some photos taken during that occasion for your reference.) Kindly remember our village ministry in your prayers, and God should bring many such souls into His Kingdom in the new year.
Our Neighborhood Christmas Tree Celebration
Eight years ago we formed a Family Prayer Fellowship at our neighborhood at Pasumalai, the place where we live in Madurai. We have been conducting an open air gospel meeting on the second Saturday of every month, by inviting people from all religions irrespective of their caste, creed or religion. Usually 120–150 people attend our monthly prayer meeting and are blessed by it.
Every year during the month of December we celebrate Christmas by inviting many more people living around our neighborhood and share with them the message of Christmas and gifts. This year on December 10, 2011, there was a huge gathering of people, not less than 450, and we conducted the celebration in a grand manner. Our church pastor was invited to share the Christmas message, and many other Christmas programs were there for them to enjoy. At the end, we fed all of them with Christmas cakes and dinner.
We thank our God for His grace and mercies for us to be a witness in our neighborhood through this ministry for the past eight years. Praise the Lord! (Photos are attached for your reference.)
Christmas Celebration at Our Learning Centre
You might know, we have a chapel at our Learning Centre, and regular worship service is conducted every Sunday morning. As we minister at 18 villages around, starting from this year, we get 30–40 people from the surrounding areas, and the same was attended by our students and staff.
This year on December 11, 2011, we planned to celebrate Christmas along with our church congregation, hence we planned it in a different way. We invited all of them (80 in number), and offered them some Christmas programs for their knowledge and benefit. My wife Gigi was asked to deliver the Lord’s message on that day, which was a real blessing to all who attended. At the end, our students performed some songs, dances and a skit. Then we offered all of them a sumptuous lunch, which was enjoyed by all. Praise the Lord! (Photos are attached for your reference.)
Christmas Celebration at Another Church in Tirumangalam
For the past two years, I have been going over to Tirumangalam (nearest town–20 km) to conduct a bible study program on every second/third Sunday evening, when 25–30 believers of both sexes participate regularly. We finished studying the Gospel of John.
This year I was invited to deliver the Christmas message in their midst, hence I visited along with Gigi. It was a great gathering of more than 100 believers in a House Church, and had many interesting programs. I talked to them about ‘Immanuel’ and initiated the fact that our God is with us even now to take care of us. The program ended with a Christmas dinner and distribution of gifts. Praise the Lord! (Photos are attached for your reference.)
Conclusion
I shared with you all this information mainly for your reference and thank God for all His blessings through our ministry in India. The same is possible only through your regular prayers and financial support. Kindly uphold us with your regular prayers, and write to us when time permits. We are praying for you; have a blessed new year 2012.
Yours in His Service,
Vijay
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Baptism
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Christmas program
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Christmas program at Learning Center
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Neighborhood Christmas Program
