Discipling with open hearts and homes
Local partners with Asia-CMS continue to introduce people to Jesus and help them grow in confidence as his disciples despite the difficult conditions created by the pandemic…
Our co-mission partner M and his team work in Northern India to develop leaders within unreached people groups, establish more house churches, disciple new believers with Bible studies and strengthen local believers through house visits and community support. He shares this testimony of a young man named R, whom he encountered during the course of his ministry this past quarter. At a time when there is so much hopelessness, this is a hopeful beacon for all of us.
A passionate dreamer
R is a passionate 23-year-old man who studies hard to achieve his dream of becoming an Indian Administrative Service officer, which is considered to be one of the top government jobs. He has three sisters and one brother. It was his older sister who shared the gospel with R; she became a believer through the church ministries that M belongs to. Nevertheless, R didn’t quite have a full understanding of Jesus and God.
One day, M was out trekking with his team and along the way, they had the memorable opportunity to share the gospel in every village they walked through. As they stopped at each village, they also had fellowship with families who already heard the gospel. The young leaders in that region usually do their best to follow up with those they reach out to during visits such as these.
A faithful servant
It was on that fortuitous day that M encountered the enthusiastic R in one of the last villages they trekked to. M and his team visited R and his family, listening to his experiences and why he wanted to become a government officer. The qualification needed to become an IAS officer is a stringent one that requires high intellect and even higher test scores; it certainly isn’t an easy path.
Nevertheless, it was a path that R was ready to walk on and has been painstakingly pursuing. R shared that he needs the internet and books to study, and he has to walk miles to get a strong connection on his phone. He also shared that he is a seeker and would like to know more about Jesus and the Bible.
M found him to be a nice young man with a gentle spirit and a helpful heart. M felt a nudge in his heart that he should help R in whatever way he could. So, M decided to go beyond just regular visitation and opened his home to R so he could stay and have a proper place to study with a stable internet connection.
Future potential
M believes in his heart that there need to be more Christian young officers in high government ranks who will support other believers and can be of great influence and help in church growth and standing up against persecution.
At that time, M didn’t have the chance to talk with his wife about the situation and his offer to R. But he prayed, and when he asked her later what she thought of the offer he had made, his wife did not hesitate; she gracefully accepted to have R stay with them.
R is currently settled in with M and his wife. They are using this time and opportunity to disciple him and train him to be a godly leader. R is studying hard for his exams next year. He is a promising and bright student, with a deep eagerness to learn.
Will you remember R in your prayers so that God continues to work in his life and prepares him to be baptized at the given time. Pray also for R’s faith to increase and be strengthened, as well as for the knowledge and wisdom to prepare for his top exams.
Please pray:
- for M and his family as they continue to disciple R
- for his ministry and team as a whole – as they continue to serve the needs of the people and communities around them
- for the leaders and believers out in the field – many are experiencing and going through depression during this time
Healing hearts and minds in Pakistan
Asia-CMS also shared the impact on two young women in Pakistan who have been studying with OTS, a theology distance learning school run by a local partner in Pakistan.
Z is a female student, who completed her BTh recently from OTS. She remarked, “I gained confidence through the OTS courses, and I realised I could now face critical and hard questions, and problems, without being upset, for the glory of God.” She added, “I want to serve my Lord in this hard context with a great passion and motivation to save many lives from the depths of sin and alienation.”
Another female OTS student from central Punjab has shared: “My complexion is dark; many of my schoolmates made fun of me and didn’t want to become my friend. I was emotionally very disturbed; I hated myself and wanted to kill myself.
But, when I read the course Me and My God, I read that God created human beings according to his image and I realised that I am also created in the image of God. I feel proud that I am the child of God.”
She now has begun the process of healing her mind and has begun to love herself, knowing and accepting herself as a child of God.
Pray for the OTS team and all those disciples who are growing as followers of Jesus despite often constrained circumstances in Pakistan
