Most of the trees have shed their colorful leaves. Many are anticipating a truly thankful Thanksgiving. 2020 is closing in on hopefully a calmer 2021. We have much to be thankful for.
Our partners in India, Paul and Molly are truly thankful. Just a week ago Paul was diagnosed with COVID-19. This diagnosis in India sends electric-like impulses out through many of the aggressive and intense government agencies that are forcefully trying to keep the almost billion and a half Indian people isolated from a virus that could easily overwhelm such a densely populated county.
Paul has had to clandestinely get tested through a friend of a friend, with the pleading instructions to not report this test to any of the official channels. Paul’s plea was overwhelmed by the hidden bureaucracy that somehow sees all and knows all and tracked his virus testing.
Paul had to lock himself alone in their home in the city, while Molly and the kids remained at their rural village home. With gates padlocked, he turned out the lights so none of the bureaucrats could find him, and then hope that he remained strong enough to care for and feed himself while he recovered alone.
Many of Paul and Molly’s 23 children were very fearful that their “Daddy” was not going to be OK. When I spoke to Paul last, he was not at all enjoying his “quiet time” quarantined, but was rejoicing that God had spared him the severe symptoms of this ubiquitous virus.
Paul has lost multiple extended family members to the virus, he is very thankful that his exposure to the sickness has only cost him an isolated week of his time, some stealthy maneuvering through the aggressive government virus testing system and a few days of doing ministry via phone from his sick bed.
Paul agrees: God is so good.
David and Taru Kumar, also in India, are very excited and seeking God’s direction on expanding their slum ministry in Bangalore. Countless times they have passed this small slum of about 450 families jammed into a very small throwaway piece of land as they traversed their city.
It is situated between two heavily-traveled railroad tracks and a main thoroughfare for buses, trucks and cars in this city of 12.5 million people. David described one home he visited there. About 5 feet by 8 feet total, it was more shack than home.
The 5 by 8 living space served as the kitchen, dining room, bedroom and living room for six people who call this shed home. In this very poor and forgotten community, there were just 2 men’s outhouses and 2 women’s outhouses for the 450 families that live there.
But their biggest need is to know about a Savior who will redeem them and take them to live in the glory of His presence for all eternity. David and Taru are so very thankful that God may be opening the door and empowering them to pour God’s love and hope in another mass of poverty-stricken and spiritually needy people.
Casa Dorca, our children’s home in southern rural Romania, is overjoyed as we move into November. They were close to being depleted of the only funds that would provide for the abandoned children entrusted to them.
The European Union does little except to put unreasonable demands and expectations on Christian-run children’s homes that are almost impossible to satisfy. But God provided just in time as I shared last month.
This month the thing that brings the most joy to the leadership and children at Casa Dorca is they get to mobilize a Project Joseph feeding and outreach program in the rural Romanian countryside that touches those that have life challenges even worse than these orphans of Casa Dorca.
The fact that many of you helped us fund this outreach program is a blessing that is cause for celebration to the orphans who are very excited to go serve and feed others who have less than they do. If you want to help us continue this new outreach ministry, manned by the orphans themselves, we will gladly help Casa Dorca continue to expand their ministry outreach.
Please also pray with me as I have been presented with an open door to train pastors in a fiercely Muslim country located in Asia.
Until travel opens up and in hopeful anticipation of getting the go ahead from God, I hope to be training our currently in-country contact via Zoom online using the SALT material. If the Lord wills and provides, ITMI may be headed back into a highly persecuted country to train and develop Godly leaders!
In His Service,
