Prayer Points
". . . You will make me full of joy in Your presence."
Acts 2:28
WWPSP Mission News
Issue 57 - December 2007
Overflowing with Joy
Paul and Sarah recently has the opportunity to travel to India. Here they share their thoughts and experiences from their trip.
As we approached the orphanage the sense of joy was overwhelming. These children who seemingly have nothing in life are so full of joy within, the joy of the Lord is more certainly their strength.
We were so happy to see how healthy and happy these 84 children were and were so pleased to meet them all. The resounding sound of "Auntie, Auntie! Uncle, Uncle!" is still fresh in our minds as the children all rushed to greet us.
Having missed a nights sleep due to switching five and a half hours ahead to India time, the tiredness began to kick in after we had been served a lovely curry and rice lunch. This didn't last long though, as the children came to find us. Balloons were next on the agenda, which caused great excitement among the children, proving that children are happy with simple things.
The children proceeded to entertain us with some dance programmes they had been busy preparing and put us to shame with their scripture recitals. Reading the word and prayer is a big part of these children's lives and we noticed how the Indian people really do walk in the spirit daily and continually call upon the name of the Lord.
On Sunday we traveled to Pastor Johnson's church in Yelchanahalli, two and a half hours from the orphanage, near the city of bangalore. It was a slow start out of the orphanage, as it had been raining and the autorickshaw that took us up to the road got stuck in the mud! A big push sorted it and off we went.
The presence of God was very real at the church and even though we didn't speak the language, there was a unity in the spirit. Paul preached the word and we had good fellowship with the church believers after the service.
Hosur was our next stop for an evening meeting at Pastor Selvin's church, around one hour from Yelchanahalli. Paul gave a message to the youth fellowship and we had a great time of encouragement here. All of the children in the church, one by one, came a presented us with red roses until we had a bunch full!
Monday we traveled back to the orphanage to see the children. We observed them in their classrooms and were impressed with all the work they do. The importance of education is very real in India and the children at the orphanage have a busy schedule from 9 am to 4 pm at school as well as an hour before and after school of homework and chores to do. Many children who get good qualifications can go on to study IT and healthcare, the two main growing industries in India.
We taught the children some new songs and had a great sing song class by class and the language barrier seemed to drift into insignificance.
Govindapalli and Panchapalli were the next stops, to visit these rural churches and encourage the believers there. Paul gave a message at Govindapalli and Pastor Johnson prayed for people. There are many children in this church and it is a very poor area. Pastor Abraham has a good outreach helping people in the village.
Panchapalli was a very remote area and the church was no more than a hut with no windows or light. Already the church has outgrown the building. They have the land to rebuild the church but not the finance. Pastor Balchandran gets a mix of people coming to the church, all very poor and many from a Sri Lankan colony a few miles down the road who settled there after the Tsunami devastated many of their villages. We gave a word of encouragement to the people who have many sick children due to the severe poverty they live in.
By Tuesday our time of visiting the mission work was nearly complete before we had to travel down to Coimbatore to visit some friends. This wasn't our final goodbye, thought, as the following Sunday we met up with Pastor Johnson again in Pondicherry, where they started a church after the Tsunami. Pastor Christober has a growing, thriving church who have again outgrown their building with around 125 believers. They also have three church plants in the rural tribal areas.
Pondicherry is a city of constraints, with the poor area on one wide of the city and the affluent French colony that has settled on the other side. It is a strong Hindu area and many Hindu's come and sit on seats outside the church to listen. We preached a gospel message here and prayed for people afterwards who wanted to be used and blessed by God. The people were so on fire for God and we had such a time of refreshment and anointing here, which was a great note to finish the trip on.
Watch this space for further anecdotes, tales and pictures of our trip to India!
Testimony Time: Pastor Johnson
Ministering in Yelchanahalli
Pastor Johnson lives in Yelchanahalli, outside the city of Bangalore, with his wife, Thankam. He was born in a place called Sankarankovil, three hours south of Bangalore, on the coast.
He didn't come from a wealthy background, but growing up he had two friends that were rich. They all used to go around together and Pastor Johnson used to get to go to grand places with them.
When he became an adult he worked for one of them. His friend was doing well, and they planned to build a glass factory in Hosur in 1962, which was his reason for traveling to Hosur.
Pastor Johnson enquired about land and starting a glass factory, but the local authorities kept putting a block on their plans, which he did not understand. He later came to realize that his wasn't God's plan for him and God didn't allow this idea to be fulfilled.
He went back to Bangalore after getting nowhere with the factory plans. It was at this time that he went to a church in Bangalore and became a Christian. After salvation, he stopped working for his friend and decided to do the Lord's work.
Pastor Johnson went back to Hosur and he was shocked because there were not many people there. He asked God, "Where are all the people?" and he found out that most of them had dies because of a Cholera epidemic in the 60's.
"I prayed to God to turn this place around and God has answered my prayers, " he said. Hosur is a busy place now with lots of people. Pastor Johnson spent some years in Hosur and then God led him to start the WWPWP Mission in 1987 and then led him to the land in Kachuvadi where the orphanage was built. The ministry has expanded and is still going strong.
Welcome from Paul and Sarah
In the last month we have been very busy, having a last minute visit to India to see Pastor Johnson, the orphanage, and the mission work. We had wanted to Travel to India for some time but didn't have the finance and had the children to look after. We had prayed about it and then, out of the blue, the church provided the finance for one ticket to India and my parents provided the finance for the second ticket and offered to look after our children for 12 days! This was totally unexpected.
When we arrived in India we learned how a lady in Pastor Johnson's church had a vision one year earlier of us coming to India. It was a great time of blessing and encouragement for them and us. God is in everything we do.
God does not want us to be discouraged but wants to encourage us. Whatever you need of whatever problem you have, God is the answer. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He is interested in you.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord, "For as the heaven are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, My thoughts higher than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9
Prayer Points
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."
Matthew 21:22
- The Staff and Pastors Wages
- A Vehicle for the Orphanage
- Beds and Mattresses for the Children
- The Prayer Tower/WWPSP Mission Headquarters
- The Pondicherry House to be Completed
- Computer for the Orphanage
News in Brief
STAFF turnover at the orphanage is high because they are receiving insufficient wages. A teacher at the orphanage should receive between £20-£30 per month, depending on their experience. The same problem exists for the pastors, who should also receive an average of £30 minimum per month.
CHILDREN at the orphanage currently have to sleep on a mat on the floor and ideally need a mattress. A good mattress in India will cost £15 per child.
A VEHICLE for the orphanage is needed as they only have an autorickshaw, given to them recently. This vehicle is a great help for short distances, but in the bad weather has problems on the dirt tracks. At present, they have to travel long distances either by bus on on foot.
Sponsor a Child
The Saint Thomas Orphanage provides a home and an education for children who come from broken homes. Many have lost one or both parents and have been living in poverty.
The orphanage is a haven for these children, giving them hope. Just £12.50 per month will feed, clothe, and provide schooling for a child.
If you would like to make a difference in one of these orphans lives, then please respond today.
Sponsor a Pastor
Pastors are ministering in over 10 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu and many of these areas are strong Hindu areas and extremely poor areas. Many have church plants which brings the total number of WWPSP Mission churches to 20.
Wages are a problem for these pastors. A minimum wage they should be receiving ranges from as low as £30 per month to as high as £50 per month. If you would like to sponsor a pastor, then please respond today.