Ministry of the Word to Anantnag, Kashmir

Anantnag, a business and trading center of Kashmir Valley, was our next destination for the spreading and sowing the seed of the word of God. This too was our first time to visit the city. The only contact we had was just a phone number from one of our contacts from the previous visit to Jammu. 

As we drove down from Srinagar to Anantnag, the entire length of road was teeming with Indian army on duty, perhaps, on patrol as this region has been infested with terrorists. The old stories I heard about this city was frequent bomb blasts and terrorist attacks. What was reckoned as a dreaded place for long, I finally had the grace to visit and tread the same road-line that witnessed many attacks.  

We were welcomed by a brother who has been serving there for some twenty years. Later we visited a hospital run by a Christian group purely with  a mission goal of spreading the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Doctors and nurses with missionary mind have been laboring in that place and are also conducting Christian meeting within the hospital campus as well. This is the best way they could serve the local people with love by medical care and spiritual food supply. 

Later, we had a good while fellowship with a brother who is a doctor and a full time missionary. Both of them have a wonderful testimony of serving the Lord for twenty long years with hardly any visible fruit. But they were not discouraged, rather were full of hope that one day the Lord would bring in revival among the local people who were bound by religious bondages and the fear of backslashes from their orthodox community if they dared to believe into the Lord Jesus Christ. Despite this circumstance, the brothers faithfully met week by week, and though just the two families. And the doctor brother in his profession has prayed over many of the babies he helped to deliver, some thousands by the time we met, that they would one day be freed from all curses and bondages of the enemy to receive the new life in Christ Jesus. Despite all the challenges they have been facing, he was very clear in the burden he received from God and very determined to continue to serve as he has been doing so. It was a service with a strong faith of dare to do or die. Praise the Lord for such living testimony. 

We had fellowship at length especially on the matter of the church, as I felt the burden to share the vision concerning the church as the Body of Christ was their need. They both have been enjoying a wonderful normal Christian life experience, now the need is on the proper experience of the church life as the issue of a Christian life. As I sensed the need for more light on the church I gifted the doctor three books on the church. Furthermore, as he was so keen to know the word, I introduced the Recovery Version Bible which he immediately requested and purchased. After a wonderful experience of fellowship, we sang,  prayed, and worshipped the Lord together. Then, we bade adieu for the time being. 

This visit has left a deep impression on me at least in three matters: faithfully and patiently laboring with hope in a place wherever the Lord has sent and placed us, using every opportunity even in restricted place to serve the Lord in deeds to people if words could not be used, and be open to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Head of the Body and to the believers as the members of the Body. 

After such a meeting and fellowship I have a hope that the Lord would reveal Himself more to His chosen ones and recover His testimony in Anantnag.

Lord, hasten the day You will fully recover Your testimony in this city. Amen. 

Ministry of the Word to R S Pura, Jammu

Only a night before, the Lord gave us a contact for this town at India-Pakistan border. Though we knew nobody, the Lord arranged brothers as our guardian angels in this town. Just few kilometers away from the border we were given hospitality where we had fellowshipped with three different groups of Christian leaders and workers. 

The first one was with a school owner, who by faith had established his own school with the goal of preaching the gospel to the local people who are mostly unbelievers. As we introduced the ministry books we ministered specifically on the glorious church and the need for the believers growth in life to be the bride of Christ as we were already chosen to be the Lord's counterpart. The Lord enlightened them concerning the church through the ministry of the word. They were very touched and amened all that we ministered. Besides they took care of us and introduced us to other Christian leaders as well. 

We met with the believers and newly appointed Pastor of a small church established by the British in 1872.The congregation seemed to have been dwindling and dying. But we introduced the ministry books and encouraged them to go on with the Lord. We ministered on the all-inclusive Christ; expounding the unsearchable richness of Christ in an experiential way with personal testimonies based on  Deuteronomy 8:7-8 For Jehovah your God is bringing you to a good land, a land of waterbrooks, of springs and of fountains, flowing forth in valleys and in mountains; A land of wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees with oil and of honey;  

To a brother who was newly appointed to take care of the only Christian church with almost no congregation, we encouraged him to look to the Lord in prayer and gain people for Christ from scratch. Even I spoke to him in faith that if he would seek the Lord and labour sincerely and faithfully the Lord will bless him from zero to two hundreds believers. I gave a testimony of how the Lord saved my household through prayer and claiming the word of God,  Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household. This fellowship encouraged him a lot and increased his appetite for the ministry of the word. Though I gifted him "Life Lessons" and "New Believers Series", he still wanted to get more books. I allowed him to choose whatever he needed and he purchased the books. He seemed to be very seeking and hungry for the word. We only hope that the Lord would gain him for His move in this boarder area. 

The fellowship we had while introducing the ministry books was indeed the propagation of the word. The books are so rich that a chapter in any of the book could be a message. In fact, while introducing them, I always ended up ministering at length and in depth to the satisfaction and life supply to all who were with me. I myself enjoyed the ministry of the word. 

Praise the Lord for the distribution of the ministry of the word here in RSPura. One day I hope to see the Lord’s testimony being raised up through the ministry of the word that have been distributed. 

Ministry of the Word to Srinagar, Kashmir

The Lord has burdened us to venture into this land for the ministry of the word. We have been praying for this and even attempted once in our previous trip, but due to the political turmoil we could not make it. But this time everything indeed worked together for good; for the spread of the ministry of the word into this land. 

As burdened by the Lord we started our journey from Leh in the afternoon by road. On the way as I considered our schedule in Srinagar with no schedule fixed, for a while, I was a little concerned. I did try to call people whom I knew and even texted a brother for prearrangement. But nothing worked, besides, I was completely out of mobile range as the route we took was on a remote location with no connectivity. At the moment, the Lord comforted me that He had made all the arrangements and that I would witness His work when I arrive there. 

The next day early morning we arrived at Srinagar. A sister from Leh who was so touched by the ministry of the word we ministered at Leh on Christian life gave me her sister's number. When I contacted her she gave me a Pastor's number who later became the key person, who then gave us hospitality in this city. We were accommodated at his guest house and as we fellowshipped over breakfast he invited us to minister the word on the Lord's day. 

On my first visit to Srinagar, Kashmir, the Lord opened the door in the only Christian protestant church for the ministry of the word. I prayed and ministered the word as the Lord burdened me. The Lord's speaking was on "God's Plan and Creation of Man" and the need to love one another as God is love. After the meeting we had fellowship with different believers. One most prominent meeting was with a young brother, an engineering student, who loves the Lord. I encouraged him to love the Lord more by testifying of the blessing and importance of loving the Lord when one is young with my personal testimony and that of others. 

We also met with a school Principal, a Headmaster and a Lecturer, and fellowshipped at length the importance of the proper understanding of the word of God for growth and transformation in the divine life. 

The most touching meeting was with a brother who gave up his government job and came to Srinagar to serve the Lord by faith. Though he has been serving for more than one and half decade he has not really brought even one local person to the Lord. The strict religious environment is one of the main reasons for hard ground for the gospel. But I was very much impressed by his burden, patience, and hope in the Lord. After listening to him I had the burden to share on 1 Timothy 2:4 Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the full knowledge of the truth. He was so glad for the word; He testified that this described exactly his burden in his service to the Lord in this religious and dry land. We then became so close and dear to one another as Christian brothers. He wanted the ministry books so much that I gifted him few books and he purchased some too. The Lord indeed has a way to manifest His chosen ones.

Praise the Lord for His initiation in this city for His testimony! May the Lord gain and bless Kashmir, especially the capital city, Srinagar, and raise up His testimony!

Ministry of the Word in Leh Ladakh

With no contact and no idea about this city except that we were burdened by the Lord to visit this city, I personally kept the matter aloof yet in prayer for over three weeks, though my fellow co-working brothers have brought the matter for fellowship again and again. My simple response was, "we'll pray and plan." 

This uncertainty brought me to pray and pray, at times in fasting, and struggled with the Lord much in prayer. I even mentioned the burden to my wife and even prayed in our family prayer. Then a little light dawned, and I became clear of the day I should consider to start the journey, keeping in view the places and time duration of the entire trip. 

Even when the date for setting off became clear I still had no contact at all. Though I even tried through various channels to get contact nothing came to fruition until we, a brother and I, prayed together, then by faith decided to go ahead and booked our flight ticket. The night before we actually left for Leh, a brother from Leh was introduced to me and he made arrangements for us in Leh. Just in time... Praise the Lord! 

At 11,500ft above sea level, we landed in a guest house owned by the relative of a brother who became our key contact. He came to fellowship with us in the hotel where I introduced the ministry literature to him. He then became friendly and our brotherly fellowship began from then on. 

Due to high altitude we were advised to rest as our body needed adaptation to the environment to avoid any unprecedented health situation; we took good rest. Breathlessness due to low oxygen was bypassed after few hours of bed rest. 

Later, in the afternoon, we had a meeting with the Principal and Christian staff of a mission school, where I released my burden on the all-inclusive Christ. All the staff were very impressed and many of them purchased the ministry books and the New Testament Recovery Version. And in the evening we had time of fellowship with the pastor of the only church in the city, the Moravian Church, established in 1885 by the Moravian missionaries. We fellowshipped at length on various points of truth of the Bible; on truth, life practices, and church related matters too.

The next day, our local brother took us to various tourist spots and drove us around the city, and took us to his house for a lovefeast lunch. And in the afternoon, a meeting was arranged at the meeting hall of the church. 

The Lord's speaking was on "the Christian life" with various supporting verses in the Bible. As I ministered with scriptural verses on being born-anew and growth in Christian life, the believers received with much hunger and thirst for the Word. Three of them kept recording all that I ministered on their smartphones. I was not distracted but exercised my spirit to minister the word as the Lord led me. After the meeting, some came to testify of the blessing they received through the ministry of the word. One sister especially expressed her thankfulness in the Lord’s arrangement and enquired our next plan. When I told her that we would be heading for Srinagar and that we had no contact there, she gave her number and her relative's number. She even enquired if she could invite me for their next year summer conference as she is the president of the women society of the church there. The will of the Lord be done. 

Our meeting before we left the city was the climax of the visit to this Buddhist dominated city of Leh. Deep within, I have the faith that the Lord has sown the seed of the kingdom into this city, and one day we will see the Lord's testimony in Leh Ladakh. 

Lord, bless the seekers and saints of this city and gain Your testimony! 

Worthy Woman

Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above corals. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. 

And the law of kindness is on her tongue. She watches closely over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: Many daughters have done worthily, But you surpass them all. Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman who fears Jehovah, she will be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.  Proverbs 31:10-31

The Lord has been speaking to me these portion of the Bible again and again these days. Everytime I read and studied theses verses, the Lord confirmed to me that I have found the worthy women for me, my beloved wife. She has been such a wonder woman who has transformed my lifestyle in a very positive way: health-wise, both in the body and in the spirit. Every time I considered about my marriage life and family life, I feel very blessed to be blessed with such a sister from Taiwan to be my match. Thank God that He has blessed me with such a wife! I have many reasons to say and testify to this after more than eleven years of our marriage life and now being blessed with three children. 

This year I happened to travel more for the ministry, and my wife was absolutely one with me. She bore all the burden of the family in my absence and the Lord has graced her as well. I have the full confidence in the Lord and in my wife that the Lord would be with her to take care of all our family needs. Though I wished to be always with her to bear the same burden, my official responsibility as serving ones in the ministry of the word led me to travel places, especially new places, where the ministry has never been to. While at home we have regular family prayer, and while on the move still we have family prayer over the phone. One thing I reckoned a great blessing is, the oneness for the Lord's move in our family life. She never opposes anything related to the ministry or the Lord's work, instead she supports me and has always been one with me in prayer and in burden. Praise the Lord for such a worthy women!

Often when I travel, many untoward incidents would happen at home. Persons, matters, or things would cause some troubles in my absence. But the Lord has been gracing her all this while to bear them all and handle them all. Right from taking care of the family need, children schooling, household management and even coping up with problems that arises day to day. Sometimes children who needs discipline or at times some cousins who needs shepherding, she handles them all with the Lord's covering and blessing. Praise the Lord for such a worthy woman! 

Time and again I have been discovering many little secrets of my wife's virtues that have not been so obvious. But living together with her over a decade I have discovered to my joy that she has many hidden virtues that have been manifested one by one in course of time. Even many people wonders how I could travel so frequently with three children back home with a "foreigner" wife. My simply reply has always been, the Lord is so gracious to us, and especially my wife that she has the grace and the wisdom to take care of the family matters even when I travel. In fact, I used to tell people, my wife is more Indian than me in many aspects. The Lord has prepared her for India! And I testify to this truth. 

This portion of the word, Proverbs 31:10-31, is the blessing I have received from the Lord. And thanks be to my in-laws who bore and brought up such a wonder woman for me and for God's economy. In fact, they are my in-the-Lord more than just being in-law. 

In many ways she is so simple and sweet; frank and pure. She is the woman that I actually used to pray for, before my marriage. Thank God, the Lord answered my prayer and blessed me with what I need. 

Now, as I read the Bible, Proverbs 31:10-31, again the Lord impressed me deeply of what I have been blessed with, therefore, I wrote this blessing concerning my beloved and blessed wife, my worthy woman, and my wonder woman.

"Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above corals. The heart of her husband trusts in her." I have found her for the Lord has blessed me. Praise the Lord! 

Lamka Revisited

Though I just visited Lamka, a brother had invited me for a lovefeast lunch. I deemed it best to visit him as I was so burdened for him. To me, he was a special case, I felt he needed a special fellowship and shepherding.

For some reason this brother could not really enjoy the Lord and had fallen into an extra-marital relationship. None had approved of it, and he also left the church life. His own family were dead against it as it was anti-social and anti-biblical too. Yet, when a brother had fallen what should one do?

Yes, it was condemnable. But the fallen brother need to be restored! How can such one be restored if no one is burdened to visit and shepherd him? As his family members has been praying for his recovery, I believe the Lord gave me the opportunity to visit and shepherd him.

I visited him in his house where I shared the importance of seeking the Lord in prayer, and the need to touch the Lord in spirit and through the word of God. We prayed together and enjoyed the meal he prepared. This was all that I could do. The rest, I leave it to the God of recovery to recover him fully back to a normal Christian life and church life.

I also did spend hours of fellowship with his wife in his father's house. It was mostly of listening to what our sister had to say as she needed someone to pour her burden out to. I encouraged her to turn to the Lord more, in prayer, in the word, and also in fellowship with the saints as the church. I do believe the Lord would cause every situation to turn things upright and fully recover her family.

To me this fellowship with the brother and sister separately in a way of shepherding was worth all the time and energy spent. One day, I will witness the recovery of this family, and also the recovery for their normal Christian life in a normal church life.

Brothers and Friends Reunion