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

Time With Family

Only once or twice in a year I could get to visit my family. And whenever I did too, most of my time was with the saints and new ones. This time the Lord gave me time to spend with my family solidly. At least thrice we sat together for discussion on family matters, and also for prayer. The most solid time was when we sat together one morning, and one night just before I left for Delhi.

The point of fellowship worth mentioning are as thus.

My dad wanted me to inherit a piece of land adjacent to our house which he purchased from my aunty some thirty years ago. As we were discussing the matter the Lord reminded me again and again of the word I spoke to my day in May 2003 when I decided to serve the Lord full time against the wishes of my mom and dad. Though I did not want to disobey them, I could not disobey my God either, who called me to serve on 1 Jan 2003 from the following verse.

Deuteronomy 10:12And now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God ask of you except that you fear Jehovah your God so that you would walk in all His ways and love Him and serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul;

Since I could not go against the Lord’s call, I spoke by faith to my parent, "Thank you for supporting me till today. From now on, I am serving the Lord and He will provide all my needs. If He blesses me I will share the blessings with you. But I will not receive anything from you from now on."

These words which I spoke by faith came ringing in my ears as my dad proposed to give me an inheritance. Then, I told all my family members, especially the key ones; dad, my younger brother, and elder sister, that I would not inherit the property. Further, I suggested that the three pieces of land be divided among my younger brother, elder sister, and youngest brother. After I made this proposal that I need not be considered for any family inheritance, but gave it to other siblings, such a peace and joy flooded me. I believed the Lord approved of what I spoke by faith. Even my entire family were very happy with my suggestion, otherwise they would never have gotten a property nor get their portion too. I was happy, and the whole family was happy too. I even said, if the Lord would wish me to possess a property He would definitely give me one at His time.

I further suggested that they can change the name of the property to the respective family members' names and settle things once for all.

I also fellowshipped about delivering my brother from his debt. To this effect, I enquired the amount and the detail of the debt that I promised to bail him out. Of course, with a condition that he would not enter into debt ever again. Only the Lord's mercy can fully deliver him so. Later, the Lord graced me to send the specified amount to deliver him from his debt. That was also the Lord's blessing and grace to me and my family.

All these fellowship were very sweet and I could sense the presence of the Lord. Especially I felt that the Lord's anointing was upon me when I said I would not inherit any family inheritance which was in line with the words I spoke by faith when the Lord called me to serve full time. It was a very wonderful fellowship.

May the Lord continue to bless our family for His testimony. It was a wonderful and blessed family time together indeed. 

Fellowship with In-Laws