Heart of God Missions

India Thrives

2010-05-02T01:28:00.000-04:00

Our Pastors and congregations in India send their greetings! It always makes me smile when I get an e-mail or an “IM” from someone in India. They always begin with “Greetings in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ”, or something similar. I love it because it is a constant reminder of the cause that joins us and of our purpose. Our purpose, of course, is to represent Jesus Christ well and to help draw others to Him.

As many of you are aware, we do that in several ways in India. We have our School of the Bible, where our Director of Heart of God India prepares and trains our Pastors as a group. Our Pastors all come together in one place to worship, learn, pray, and encourage one another. This is a wonderful way for the Pastors to share amongst one another about themselves and their ministries, binding our group tightly together. Some of these Pastors travel a pretty good distance to get to our School of the Bible and there are many more Pastors wanting to join our group. This is a three day event, so the Pastors spend the night in the Church and we are blessed to feed them and provide some reimbursement for travel expense. We also provide a very small amount of financial support for each Pastor, so they are able to continue in their ministry efforts. Please pray for our School of the Bible and for these Pastors, their families and their ministries.

We are busily planning for our Director of Heart of God India to come to the US this fall. If you are interested in meeting with him or having him as a guest at your Church or ministry, please let me know. We are currently raising funds for his airfare. If you are able to contribute in anyway, please advise. I am hopeful that this Pastor will touch many hearts while he is here, make some friends and help others see what their calling in Christ might be.

Another one of our ministry efforts is our humanitarian and spiritual support of two leper colonies. One of our leper colonies has been under the care of our Lead Pastor since before I first began in India (1997 or 1998) and continues to lose and add more “members” of the colony each year. The other colony is fairly new, having been founded by Heart of God India last year. We provide a monthly rice supplement and occasional fruit and clothing for the lepers. There is always a great need in the colonies as our leper family becomes more disabled and special shoes and some treatments are needed. Shelter is important for the lepers, especially because they oftentimes can’t tend to their needs without proper digits or limbs, the heat is intense in the summer months and it is especially hot and painful to have to scoot themselves along the sun soaked soil. Please remember these most precious brothers and sisters as you pray.

Our orphanage is growing! Our children have been provided with an upcoming shelter, thank You, Lord! We are currently building a shelter to house the orphan children. This will enable the children to have a bathroom facility and give us a little room to accept a few more children. This project has been heavy on the heart of the Indians for sometime and we are so pleased that things are going well.

Evangelism is one of the most important things that Heart of God India does. Our Teams utilize every opportunity, be it natural disaster or Hindu holiday, to spread the gospel or testify of or demonstrate the love of God to their people. Our Team defies fear and goes into areas where the gospel has not been heard, where the people are difficult to reach, and where the terrain is dangerous to travel. God sent Jesus to save the whole world and our Indian Brothers and Sisters take this calling very seriously. In the next couple of months we will be launching a “Beggars Ministry”, similar to our domestic Inner City Ministry, wherein our Team goes directly to the streets and walks among and ministers to the homeless, diseased, and distraught there.

As you can see, there are MANY opportunities for ministry in India. Please watch for information about the assemblage of a US team to travel to minister in India in March of 2011. Please remember the Indian team as they minister in India and as the Director travels here this fall. Much prayer is needed for the people of India. If you feel led to contribute financially, you may do so here. One hundred percent of all donations to India go exactly where specified. We accept one-time donations or you may sponsor a Pastor, an orphan, the lepers on a monthly basis, or give toward an evangelistic outreach. The options are many and the need is great and the reward eternal.

Third Annual Christmas Contest

2008-11-23T19:56:00.001-05:00

It's getting late and we're sorry! But, we can't miss an opportunity to reach out to everyone with an invitation to participate in our Third Annual Christmas Story Contest.

The theme of this year’s Christmas newsletter is “Good News in Bethlehem”. Of course, we know WHO the Good News is … Yeshua, Jesus, the Christ, the Promised Messiah, the Redeemer, the King, the Lord of all! Setting aside any controversy about when the Messiah came to earth in the form of a tiny child, we’re asking you as a writer to share a story from your heart based on the theme “Good News in Bethlehem” and submit it to us no later than midnight on December 1st, only a few days from today.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Your story must be submitted via email to jan@journezine.com.

2. All entries must be received by midnight on December 1st.

3. Your entry (you may submit more than one) must be no less than 300 and no more than 750 words in length; please use a word-counter to help us stay within our limit. Any entry outside the word limit will be automatically disqualified.

4. Your story must be submitted IN THE BODY OF AN EMAIL—NOT AN ATTACHMENT! Please simply copy and paste your entry into the body of an email and send it to jan@journezine.com.

5. Because this is a Christian ministry, your entry must reflect Christian principles and somehow point to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

6. Because we are pressed for time, please help us by including the following information with your submission:

a. Full name

b. Mailing Address

c. Phone Number

d. Email Address

e. Short Bio (under 75 words) with a link to a picture if possible

f. Link to your website and/or blog

7. Finally, make sure your story (or stories) are edited and in publishable form.

By submitting your story, you confirm that you allow Heart of God International Ministries to use your story in their December newsletter to be mailed to all partners and friends of the ministry, to be displayed on the websites, and to be featured in the December issue of JournEzine if your story is chosen. Also you affirm that you release to Heart of God International Ministries the rights to use your story even if you have it copyrighted. Please only submit original material—any forwards or copied or plagiarized stories will automatically be rejected by us.

We have three independent judges who will read your story (or stories) anonymously; we will have removed your name and contact information before submitting the entries to them. We affirm there will be no favoritism—each entry will stand on its own merit.

Now for the good part … the PRIZES, and we’ve made it worth your while to enter! But, in order to keep this post down to a reasonable size, we have put the guidelines and the prizes on the website. Please click on this link for further information: CLICK HERE

We are excited to be able to up to TEN of the top entries in the December 2008 issue of JournEzine, as the judges recommend, primarily depending on the number of entries. But this means you will have to get your story or stories in quickly.

If you have any questions, get back with me as soon as you can. Please feel free to pass this invitation to participate along to your friends and colleagues. We look forward to hearing from you VERY, VERY SOON!

More Souls Added to the Kingdom

2008-10-25T08:15:00.005-04:00

The following is a letter we received from Pastor in India with some updates for September and October. Please keep him and the ministry in prayer as they face much opposition because of their powerful witness for Christ. Every day they live with the knowledge that their ministry may require them to give the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the Cross. Yet, every day they continue to minister the love of Jesus Christ to all who will hear. Our Pastor in India lives in a hostile area that is becoming more hostile as days pass. Yet, new churches are being built, new souls are being born in to the Kingdom of God, and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ prevails. Hallelujah! Read what Pastor says:

Dear sister,

Pastor D given the support you have sent for him. Still he is in the hospital waiting for the surgery. He thanked all the brothers and sisters of the Heart of God International. He could get some debt some money from lenders and sold away his old bicycle but still he needs some more money and waiting for that. Please remember him in your prayers.

Lepers were given rice and all the lepers have been praying for you and they are asking about the church construction. Please consider for that. If we cannot build a permanent building, it would be better provide a thatched roof so that they can continue worship under the thatched roof otherwise they will be discouraged in faith. Sister, it is an important need; please tell all the brothers and sisters for the construction of the church at least a temporary (which costs 15000 rupees).

Here I send you some pictures of outreach ministries, lepers support, pastors meeting, and Pastor D. Sister, we thank you so much for your most valuable prayers because we can share the Gospel in a village called K*** . It was totally of Hindu people who do not like Jesus and it is very difficult to share the Gospel among them. They don't allow preachers into their village to share the Gospel but by your prayers nearly 70 people attended and 4 people accepted Jesus as their Saviour. Praise the Lord. I send you those pictures also along with this email.

Convey our greetings to al the brothers and sisters those who are with you and working for the Kingdom of God. I will be waiting for your most valuable email.

Thanking you so much.

Most sincerely yours in Christ Jesus

Pastor

There is much left unsaid because of security reasons. Pray for Pastor, pray that support will continue to come in to fund the outreaches and daily ministry of Heart of God in India.

New Church Already Too Small

2008-10-04T17:59:00.001-04:00

This morning I talked with Pastor from India. He gave us some GREAT news!

As you may know, a new church was started in a remote tribal village and a pastor was appointed to minister to this brand new group of believers. Until the first part of September, this village had never been evangelized. In other words, not one of the residents of this particular village had ever heard the Name of Jesus. Pastor took a group of men through flooded rivers and over two mountains to reach this village, carrying their sound equipment, food, and other items in order to minister to this village. By the end of that evening, many had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior including the president of the village.

When Pastor told us about the needs in this village for a church, we immediately responded with a gift to cover the building of a church – a structure that provided a dirt floor and a thatched roof in the middle of an open field.

Just a few short weeks after the church was built, the Pastor has announced that the building they made for the church was not large enough. Already they had 23 adults, 15 youth and 34 children attending. Ten people are ready to "take baptisms." To "take baptism" in India is to make public confession of faith while denouncing Hinduism and committing their lives to Christ.

We praise God for this quick growth! God is doing a quick work in these last days.

If you would like to be involved in building more churches in tribal areas where the Gospel has never been preached, contact us and learn how you can make a very small investment while providing a place where new Christians can assemble to learn and grow. What an opportunity to be the Body, unified and sharing with one another!

What an awesome God we serve!

_________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

"If I Die, Please Take Care of My Family"

2008-09-26T18:14:00.001-04:00

This morning I had the blessed opportunity to chat with Pastor in India. He wanted to enlist our prayers for the persecuted church in India; we've shared with you details of what is happening in previous posts. However, the terrorism continues to escalate. Pastor related to me that he has now been targeted because of the work of Heart of God in India in the tribal areas. Many people are denouncing Hinduism and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah; souls are being saved, new believers are being baptized, and new churches are being established. Pastor and his team take a large panel truck into the forest area along with sound equipment and elders from his church in order to preach and teach the Word of God, delivering convicting messages of the power of the Gospel to save.

To make a long conversation short, Pastor made three requests of us; I've left these in his own words:

Please pray because I will continue to evangelize and preach Gospel so many souls will be saved.
Please pray for protection for me and family because radicals have targeted us due to great work of evangelism in tribal areas.
Please take care of my family if I should be killed for the glory of God. I am ready to die and have no fear.

We praise God for our partners in India; they are courageous men because the Spirit of God is strong in them. Their lives are truly committed and they continue to make sacrifice for the sake of the Gospel. We urge all our friends and partners to enter into a season of prayer covering for Pastor and those who do the work of ministry with him.

God bless you as you stand with us for protection and shelter from the enemy of those who labor for the Lord. Please also remember those in the State of Orissa who are enduring unbelievable persecution because of their witness for Christ.

__________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Message from Orissa: "God is in Control" (GFA)

2008-09-13T07:40:00.003-04:00

Juria Bardhan, Gospel for Asia's state leader in Orissa, India, knows what it's like to be hunted by anti-Christian extremists bent on killing him. During the past two weeks, he has seen dozens of churches burned to the ground. He has seen missionaries and Christians beaten and killed. But during all these horrific attacks, Juria has had one thought.

"We know the Lord is in control," Juria said in an interview Thursday.

Juria's comments may sound naïve to Western ears, but to Christians in volatile parts of Asia, they ring true. They expect persecution rather than peace. They know that to follow Christ means choosing to bring more trouble into their lives. They also know that Christians standing strong in the face of such trials encourages others to follow Christ.

"The encouraging thing is that the attackers themselves acknowledge that Orissa used to be only 2 percent Christian, and now it's 28 percent Christian," Juria said. "They don't understand that by doing this, the church will grow by leaps and bounds, and this will cause thousands to come to Christ."

Juria said his pastors are not complaining about the abuse heaped upon them. Instead they are glorifying God for the opportunity to share in His sufferings.

"Many of our pastors have said, ‘Even if they kill us, no problem. This will cause thousands to come to Christ,' " he reported.

Juria said that things are improving somewhat in the cities, but the persecution continues unabated in more remote areas. Orissan Christians are accustomed to harassment, but Juria noted that this wave of attacks, which began August 22 after the murder of a popular Hindu leader, is different.

"Last time, the persecution was restricted to only one district. During the last six months, they planned this out, and now nine districts are under attack," he noted.

Juria reports that six people have been killed, and 27 GFA-related churches and more than 800 homes of Christians have been ransacked and destroyed since the violence began.

At least 24 Gospel for Asia missionaries have been attacked, some joining the thousands of Christians who are seeking refuge in the forests, where they remain without adequate food or shelter.

Juria said that the Hindu extremists have made a list of demands, including:

* Stop conversions ... They accuse Christian missionaries of forcing people to convert to Christianity or using false allurements, such as money or jobs, to get them to follow Christ.

* No more slaughtering of cows ... Cows are considered holy in the Hindu religion.

* All church buildings should be verified ... The extremists want to place additional restrictions on Christian churches that do no exist for Hindu temples.

* Christian churches and related non-governmental (charitable) organizations should be banned ... This would prevent any Christian work that helps the poor.

* Anyone occupying tribal land must vacate it ... Most Orissan Christians are from low castes and live on tribal land that was settled generations ago. This would essentially force all Christians to move out of the area.

The extremists are also on a campaign to "reconvert" Christians back to Hinduism. They are threatening people at knifepoint, saying they will die if they do not agree to offer pujas (prayers and ceremonial acts) to Hindu gods and goddesses.

One missionary was attacked and threatened unless he performed a puja. He refused to turn his back on Christ, so they beat him again and told him to stay away from the village where he had been working, but he would not agree to do this.

"Even if you kill me, I will not make a vow that I will never come back; that depends not on me but on the Lord. If he wants to send me here, then I will come," he told his attackers.

He was discouraged when he saw some of the same people he had prayed for and helped in the past now ready to kill him. But his life was spared when an elderly villager, seeing his strong commitment, convinced the mob to let him go.

One Christian who attends a GFA-related church gave his life rather than turn his back on Christ. The extremists were trying to get him to participate in a Hindu ceremony that involved shaving his head, putting cow dung on it and then sacrificing a goat. When he refused, he was killed and his body hacked into pieces.

Juria reports that the extremists are now using women to lead the Hindu mobs. They believe that if a woman is in front, the government will not take action against them. Several of these mobs of women have even caused disruptions in some of the relief camps.

Juria does not expect the volatile situation in Orissa to change anytime soon. He theorizes that the extremists will continue the campaign of terror and religious emotion until the next general election. There are several powerful Hindu political parties in the country. Juria says they may be trying to exploit the fear of the people to get into power. There is also a rumor that the extremists are planning to carry the ashes of the murdered leader, along with his photo, to villages throughout the country. They hope that the emotional response will cause another round of unrest.

He asks that Christians would continue praying for Orissa. Here are some of the specific requests.

* Pray for peace and harmony in Orissa and that families will be able to return to their villages.

* Pray for relief work to go on unhindered.

* Pray for the health, safety and security of the people living in the forests.

* Ask the Lord for mercy in providing new homes for the people who have lost theirs.

* Continue to lift up the missionaries who are obvious targets of the persecutors. The extremists are looking for what they consider to be a high-ranking Christian leader to kill in revenge for the death of their leader.

* Pray that the Christians will remain firm in their faith and that their commitment to Jesus will remain stronger than any fear they have.

Donate to GFA's Persecution Relief Fund.

God’s Utter Faithfulness

2008-09-11T23:23:00.001-04:00

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions [mercies] never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Mornings are hard! Many mornings, I wake up barely able to walk to the bathroom, desperate to take my meds, sit down with a cup of coffee and wait until the pain and stiffness ease. And, every morning it's the same. No surprises, nothing new—the same routine day in and day out.

But, God has prepared something special, something specific for each new day even in the midst of our routinely difficult mornings. Mercies! Not just one mercy, but mercies. And, not the same mercies as yesterday … new mercies each and every morning.

The Lord proves His faithfulness to be great—greater than what we know. The word "great" comes from a Hebrew word meaning manifold or multiplied by myriads. In other words, God's love provides to us new mercies every morning because His faithfulness is manifold and multiplied by myriads.

It reminds me of another scripture: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…" (Ephesians 3:20). It's His exceedingly immeasurable greatness that makes new mercies available to us every day, even when we're struggling with pain of chronic illness, more than we can ask or imagine.

I'm so thankful the Lord isn't like our everyday pain and stiffness. He gives NEW mercies proving His utter faithfulness resulting from His great love. Today's mercies will not be tomorrow's mercies. Today's compassion toward us will never become routine. Each new day contains new compassions—new mercies.

Did you happen to notice any new mercies today? Look for them … be aware of and thank the Lord for each new mercy He has extended toward you from His incredibly compassionate love.

Oh Lord, teach me to find new mercies for each new day. Teach me to exalt in Your great love and compassion toward me. Thank You, Father, for the greatness of Your faithfulness toward me. Amen!

___________
© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Note: As a way of acknowledging "National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week," this week's devotions will be of a nature that will encourage anyone who either suffers with or knows someone who suffers with an invisible chronic illness. You are encouraged to forward this week's devotions to anyone you know who might find encouragement as they deal with the pain and emotional burden associated with invisible chronic illness.

Pray for Our Pastors in India

2008-08-24T16:35:00.001-04:00

We received the following communication from Pastor in India:

Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus,

Sister, the School of Ministry was conducted from 11-13 this month. Twenty-three pastors attended, but four could not attend the classes because there is much effect of flood. There is no connection with other villages to the villages those in which our pastors are living. It was no chance to go to them. Communication was cut off because of floods.

Still here are heavy rains. If the rain starts it continues for three days without ceasing. Still last day the heavy rain continued. Phone wires, internet connections were cut off.

The church construction work in the village is being continued but there is no chance to cross the river as it is flowing in dangerous position (nearly 28 feet high). Previously I sent you some pictures which we were crossing the river carrying musical instruments. That river is completely flooded and the water level touches the two mountains of the either sides of the river. The communication is totally disconnected with that village and the people say that it would take at least 20 days to dry up that flood water, till only then can we cross the river to reach that village. When the water is dry and if there is any possibility to go there we will go to that village and send you pictures.

The heavy rains suffer us also. Many people are dying as they were daily laborers and they had nothing with them to get food. In our village recorded nearly 30 deaths of floods.

Dear sister, please pray for all the pastors who are victimized. And especially that we can go to village with new church. I will send the pictures of School of Ministry when I am able.

Convey our greetings to all the brothers and sisters.

Thanking you so much
Most sincerely yours in Christ Jesus
Pastor

Souls saved and New Church added in India

2008-07-28T23:04:00.002-04:00

A first time visit to an out of the way village brings many salvations and an offer and opportunity to build a new Church!! Pastor and his team braved the cyclone and the treacherous terrain, climbing a mountain and crossing a river, to go into an area where the Gospel has never been heard before. Pastor and his team went door to door inviting the entire village to come and hear the Word of God. In attendance were about 75 adults and 50 children, many of whom accepted Christ as their Savior.

After the service, many new believers asked for regular meetings and a piece of land is being provided for this purpose.

Praise be to God for His wooing Spirit! Thank you to Pastor and team for their faithfulness to the cause of Christ. Please continue to pray for this ministry as the soil is fertile and the workers eager to do His bidding.

New Believers in India!

2008-05-26T12:42:00.006-04:00

We recently received the following report from Pastor P in India. We are so thankful for your prayerful support of ministry.

There is a lot to still be done in India, so please continue to put this ministry on your prayer list. These Pastors are so sincere and so urgent to share the Word. It blesses me everytime I pray, every communication I see, every photo that comes in! It's so uplifting to hear from India and we certainly have felt His presence strongly in these ministry endeavors.

I love it that God uses whole families to minister in whatever ways He deems. He can use the touch of a child, the smile of a woman, the words of a youth and it can have an unimaginable impact because the Spirit leads and touches hearts. Thank You, Lord for this ministry. Help us to be faithful in all that You call us to do.

Most highly respected in Christ jesus

Greetings in the most high name of our lord jesus

Thank you so much for your most valuable prayers for the outreach ministries in the tribal areas where there is much need of gospel.

Because of your valuable prayers we could conduct the outreach ministry 4 th time. This mininistry was carried in to a tribal village called y** (names omited to protect ministry endeavors). We started here at 8 am taking musical instruments, sound system, lighting, stage, generator, its fuel, water, food etc… in a rented vehicle. Four of our church elders, 25 young people accompanied with us. Even though it was terrible hot we could safely reach the village by your most valuable prayers. After reaching the village we could reach every door to invite them to gospel meeting which will be held in the evening of that day.

My wife s**, two of my small kids "C" 3.2 yrs, "J" 10 months also came along with us in the terrible heat. village people like songs rather than preaching because of that reason s**also was taken along with us to glorify the name of god. I . God has given s** a good talent of singing for the glory of god. because of her singing many people attended to listen songs . Then we started gospel meeting, preachings.

She lead the worship and I shared the word. The holy spirit of lord lead me to preach on mark 8: 22-26 and this sermon was turned to preach on spiritual blindness. Nearly 200 people attended the prayer meeting.. They did not go away till the sermon was over. Many people were touched by the word and could understand why should believe in jesus.

As a result of this effort 14 people accepted jesus as their saviour and said they would take baptisms. There was a pastor nearby to that village. We invited that pastor also for the prayer meeting. So I introduced them to that pastor and advised them to go to his church on every Sunday.

We think if we have a video camera(handi cam), it would be very good to take video to show the people so that they too can learn to win souls. And it would be good to send you video files to understand the ministry well.

convey our greetings and our heartfelt thanks to those supported for the outreach and the ministries. Pastor P

Thank you for your continued prayer for Pastor P and Heart of God in India.

Heart of God in India – May ’08 School of Ministry

2008-05-16T14:58:00.005-04:00

Update from India:

From 12-14 May, School of Ministry classes were held successfully. Twenty pastors only attend out of twenty-six because of terrible hot summer. We sent the support to all by those who came to the classes. The men were taught some introduction to Gospels and Parables. They received the Word very well and praised God. They prayed for the Heart of God Ministries and for all the sponsors.

On the 20th this month we are planning to go to a village for outreach to evangelize with the good news of salvation. Please pray for that trip to be successful and that many souls would be won. We will have to go in the terrible heat. Right now the temperature in our area is 49 degrees of centigrade; it is very high, sometimes it reaches 50-51 degrees (over 120 degrees Fahrenheit). Please pray for our trip and all the participants.

One pastor from nearest village to where we conducted outreach last month came to us and said that nine people have taken baptisms after the outreach to that village. Please pray the remaining also will take baptisms. On that day when the Word of God was shared by me, nearly 25 people responded to the Holy Spirit and accepted Jesus as their Savior. Villagers are asking us to come again to that village so that they could learn more Word. Pleas pray if it is the will of God that we can go once again to reap souls.

Please convey our sincere thanks to all the sponsors for the School of Ministry and the outreach ministries to the villages. Pleases remember our need for a church for the lepers and share this need with your partners.

Thanking you so much.

Most sincerely yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor [*] in India

New Project, New Partnership, New Privilege to Serve!

2008-04-06T19:36:00.003-04:00

Praise the Lord for His awesome power to change lives! We have some news that is unfolding as we speak. A new project, a new partnership, a new privilege to serve. But, we'll share more about that when all the details are worked out. In the meantime, however, we want to share a recent report from Chaplain Chris (US Army) from Iraq. We'll be sharing more testimonies like this as time goes on ...

Praise our Mighty God!

What an incredible blessing and encouragement from the Lord. He is so good. All I can do is thank Him for His amazing grace and great faithfulness. I also wanted to pass along another awesome testimony from this week: I often travel off the FOB to the remote patrol bases and Joint Secutiry Stations where our Soldiers work with local Iraqi Police and Army forces to bring order and protection to the cities around us. We also have numerous Arabic speaking Interpreters who accompany us on every mission and help us interact with the local citizens, political leaders, and of course insurgents.

Well, the other night I was holding a service for our guys and several interpreters came in because they heard me playing guitar and as usual, are drawn to live music. They stayed for the remainder of my preaching and afterwards one came up to me and told me that he wanted me to explain to him why he felt to so good and had such peace, but also sadness when he heard the preaching and singing. He related to me how he doesn't agree with Islam anymore and doesn't believe in the Koran because when he goes to the Mosque all they talk about is killing, violence against other Muslims and jihad. He can't believe in a "God" who is behind that. He told me that he wanted to know about the Christian God and about Jesus.

Let me tell you that I almost couldn't contain myself as he was speaking. He is coming to see me in a few days to talk about the Lord and I am quite certain, recieve salvation through faith in Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! This is not the first time that Iraqi interpreters have visited my services. There is another one who also asked about becoming a Christian not long ago because some of his friends in Northern Iraq have also recently became Christians. He said that he wanted to become one too because of the problems he has with Islam. What more can I say?

God is moving in the hearts of Muslims to reject their empty, twisted teachings and embrace the truth of the Gospel of life and peace. In response to this I am requesting prayer and also a few Bibles in Arabic if any are available. As we say in the Infantry "I want to 'action this' while we have optimum target opportunity".

Blessings again from Iraq in the Name of our Risen Savior,

Chaplain Chris

So, you see why we're excited? These reports coming out of Iraq need to be shared with everyone. Watch this blog for more reports like this and for more news about what God is doing through Heart of God International Ministries.

Jan Ross
jan@heartofgodinternational.com

Swahili Bibles

2008-04-03T11:36:00.003-04:00

Dear Partners,

I recently shared with you a request to pray for Chaplain Chris and the opportunity given to us to help provide Swahili Bibles to 200 Ugandan Army forces serving side-by-side with our troops in Iraq. I wanted to bring you up to date with the project so you will know how to continue to pray.

Arrangements have been made through Pastor Fred in Uganda to purchase the Bibles, package them, and ship them to Iraq. It has been decided to ship the 200 Bibles in four separate shipments of 50 Bibles each.

Please pray for Pastor Fred as he takes on this responsibility by making himself available to help with this project. As you know, he is very busy with the ministry in Uganda, but is excited to be able to help. He has blessed me so much with his enthusiastic response to our request for help.

Pray for the Ugandan soldiers who are experiencing a true miracle as the Lord is revealing the Messiah to them through dreams and visions and instilling in them a hunger to know Him and turn away from their Muslim faith to embrace the one and only Savior.

Pray for Chaplain Chris as the Lord uses him to minister to these men who are obviously being stirred and called of God for purposes we cannot even begin to understand. All too often we forget the huge responsibility carried by chaplains – not only in their daily responsibilities of encouraging and ministering to the troops, but their responsibility before God to not only live with the troops but to be a shining example of Godliness under the most adverse conditions.

Continue to pray for our troops, for their safety, that God would protect them and keep them from harm. Pray that God would use their circumstances to reveal Himself to them in the times of danger and fear. Pray that these young men and women will reach out to the Lord and find Him as their Refuge and Strength, a Shelter in their time of need, as their Strong Tower, their Fortress, their Shield and Defender. I can’t imagine a greater time of need than being faced with their own mortality 24/7 on the battleground.

Finally, pray for these men who have made it their mission to supply the Swahili Bibles to the Ugandan soldiers. The money is coming from private funding. Working with them has been an incredible experience and such a blessing to me personally and to this ministry. Pray that God would bless them and increase their influence as Ambassadors to the Kingdom of God, not only in Iraq but in every way, everywhere. Thank the Lord for their sacrificial giving and their committed service to our King!

It is so incredible to watch the Body of Christ at work – not “their ministry” or “our ministry”, but the Body working together in unity to fulfill the Great Commission. We must always remember that we are part of the corporate Body of Christ which goes beyond our connection to the local church or fellowship. The Body is a living “organism” that, when working in unity for one single purpose, is unstoppable, undefeatable, and totally and eternally victorious through the Head, Jesus Christ. The very thought of this makes me want to shout!

As always, thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. God bless your ministry of intercession and prayer.

Love,
Jan

The "Forgotten Village"

2008-03-02T19:13:00.005-05:00

Dear Friends and Believers in Christ:

It makes my heart leap whenever I read testimony of God's work, no matter where it is! However, India blesses me so much, having spent many precious moments with the people mentioned below.

This particular group of believers have such a heart for their people and for evangelism that I want to keep you in "the loop" of this ministry because I find it especially encouraging to see such fervent and pure hearts doing whatever God asks of them, no matter the personal inconvenience or danger. I hope that this not only encourages you, in Him, but also inspires you to pray for this group of believers.

The heart of a believer, that of obedience. God bless you as you read a recap from Jan Ross.

In Him,
Jeanice McDade

Dear Partners,

I am so full of awe this morning. Pastor just checked in with me after yesterday’s outreach to a “forgotten” village. The plans were to go to one village, then at the last minute as they were praying, God led them to a different village in a very dangerous area. When they arrived at this village, they found 25 people living there. They set up the stage and chairs and the sound equipment and began to preach. Out of the 25 villagers, 23 came to hear the message. Pastor had a message all prepared and as he took the microphone, the Lord led him to a different passage he had never preached on before – Mark 10:46-52. He began preaching and the people listened with interest. As he was finishing he asked if they could understand the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, and they responded. Twelve people gave their lives to Jesus Christ and have already made plans for baptism (a sign of true conversion in India). A pastor from a nearby village has been assigned to establish a new church in this village and minister to the people and to baptize the new believers.
Pastor said that no one had ever gone to this village before with the Gospel—no evangelist would go because it is such a small village; most evangelists want to go where the crowds are large and where they can receive offerings. But his heart is to minister in places where no one else will go and trust God to provide for his expenses and protection from terrorists and wild animals.God has honored that prayer so powerfully. While he left his wife at her mother’s village 300 Km away to take this evangelistic team of 30 people into a forgotten village, God added to the church such as should be saved!Rejoice with us for these twelve who have given their lives to Jesus Christ. Pray for the other thirteen in this village that they, too, will see the power of God at work and respond to the drawing of the Holy Spirit to surrender their lives completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Continue to pray for his wife – the memorial service for her mother is on March 4th. Pastor will travel back there on the 3rd to be with the family. Thank you for your love and support … you ARE making a difference!

As always, thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. God bless your ministry of intercession and prayer.

Love,
Jan

Miracles in India

2008-01-29T14:19:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it's necessary to just stop everything we're doing to give praise and glory to God! And we want to give you the opportunity to join us in praising the Lord for His abundant protection and provision.

We received a report from India about a ministry outreach which simply needs to be shared lest the rocks cry out in our place! Such a work of God needs to be broadcast throughout the corners of the earth. God answers prayer! Don't ever doubt it.

We pray this report will build your faith and encourage you. Whether you're praying for protection, healing, salvation, or provision in your own life or in the lives of your loved ones, this report is undeniable proof that God answers prayer. Let this act as a testimony of God's power to you as you read them.

Our friends in India write:

We could do the first outreach camp on 23/1/08 to a remote village by your valuable prayers. It was away to our area. We had to cross big mountains. It's a remote village in the forest. Nobody dares to go there because of animal attacks and naxals [terrorists]. Our plan was to go to a village but nobody was there in that village. All the villagers along with children have gone to somewhere to get some works for earnings. Therefore we shifted our outreach camp to another village which is 3 more kilometers far away. We went there in a rented vehicle with 32 people including elders and the youth taking musical instruments, lighting, sound system, chairs, stage, food (lunch) ,water, generator and its fuel. We returned back to home at 2:30 early in the morning. Because of your valuable prayers we could come safely to home. In one place while descending from the mountain the truck in which we were travelling was slid and all the people jumped down from the van. If the van was `slipped it would have fallen down to 400 feet. But our almighty Lord delivered us. Some naxals in our return journey wanted to chase and harass us but we were somehow escaped. The village is very small. Most of the people are well experts in witchcraft. They can kill people by witchcraft in seconds of time. They are addicts of toddy and the alcohol (arrock). The total population in that village was 70, and 46 people including children attended the prayer meeting. After the prayer meeting was over, many people came forward for prayer. As a result of this ministry one family came forward to accept Jesus and their third son voluntarily said that he would dedicate his life for the ministry and he would come for training if we extend him the opportunity to get training.

As you can see, we have much to praise God for! This is an incredibly amazing testimony, one that builds faith and encourages us to continue to do what we can to strengthen the hands of our overseas partners to build the Kingdom of God.

We are so impressed with these men's willingness to put their lives in danger for the sake of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We covet your prayers on behalf of this ministry in India and the pastors and others who work together to reach the lost and minister Life—the life that is found only in Jesus Christ—to people most of us will never have the opportunity to meet face-to-face.

Building the New Church

2007-11-13T12:28:00.001-05:00

The believers are scattered because there is no place to worship. Once a congregation of 75, now only a few who can fit in one little house gather regularly for worship. The people are begging for a place to meet, a place they can call their church. They want GOD to have a place to call His own. Let me explain.

While we know God dwells in the hearts of believers, there is a problem in their culture that makes having a church building an important part of building the Kingdom of God.

The crux of the problem is that the people erect huge ornate temples to lifeless idols. When the people leave their traditional beliefs and begin to attend a Bible-Believing church, they struggle because often there are no buildings, nothing to “show off” God’s greatness. While we know His beauty is indwelling the believer, when their friends and families see Christians with no public gathering place, they laugh and mock—“Is that how you honor your God?” or "Your God is too poor to have His own church!" In their eyes, it is a poor witness to the Most High God and His provision for the blood-bought Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The new believers don't require much, but they ask for a place to worship--a place where others will know is where they gather, a place set aside for prayer and holy fellowship, a place in the village known as their church.

Construction is currently underway to build a new church. It will be small, but it will be a place where the believers can gather to worship. Please pray for these believers; pray for the pastors who are overseeing this excellent work to the glory of God!

If you would like to bless this new work through your offering, simply send your donation by check or money order to:

Heart of God International Ministries
P. O. Box 248
Willard, OH 44890
Attention: Satellite City

Or, you can donate using your credit card through PayPal. Simply click on the button below.

This video was taken in March 2007 while we were with the people in this village. Pastor shares about the need for a church in this location. Please pray that God will make a way for this church project to be completed very soon so the believers can gather for corporate worship, have a place where they can learn and grow and teach the many children in this village. Thank you ... God bless!

Thank you for your faithfulness to support the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sunday Praises

2007-11-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

From Denise Matthews, Director of Heart of God in Uganda:

What a blessing to open my email this morning and see your efforts to this ministry providing Gods word to those that hunger for it! During Pastor Fred Mwanje's service on Sunday he was able to provide two Bibles to his congregation. It may not seem like much but believe me, God is going to use those two Bibles to His glory. So many of us take for granted how easy it is for us to access Bibles. In Uganda, where poverty is the standard for living, God's Word especially in the form of a Bible, is like gold. I'd like to share with you Pastor Fred's message:

Praise the Lord Denise ,
On Sunday it was very good day for our church member because we gave out the two Bibles, and I got chance of getting from a friend small Bible GIDOEN and we gave out with one of my friends we are working with in GIDCCO ministry in Uganda called Mr: Bosco Lussajalunji. The people where very excited to have the Bible even if all of them did not get, but because of this one we gave out they have the hope and we promised them to pray so much God to provide them each a Bible in Jesus name! Children were very excited also to get some of them so your prayer, struggle is not for nothing but for the values of the kingdom of God. I remain praying for you and people who are helping you to reach this stage of helping people who wants the word of God every time.Matt 18:19"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven."
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” David’s words from Psalm 119:105 demonstrate the Christian’s dependence upon God’s word for guidance.
Pastor Fred.

Thank you all so much for your contributions and prayers for Heart of God in Uganda and GIDCCO. It is my prayer that the Word of God would find itself in the hands of each man, woman and child. That the Word would come alive in each of them and bear much fruit for the Kindgom. I pray also that God would bless each and everyone of you according to His will and purpose he has planned for you.

In His love and mercy,

Denise
http://uganda.heartofgodinternational.com/

Incredible Move of God

2007-11-06T13:09:00.001-05:00

Heart of God in India held several days of a Fasting Prayer Meeting. We have received a tremendous report of God's power at work among those that attended.

Pastor reported that over 600 people attended each service. There was strong preaching with a powerful salvation message. Many responded to the power of the spoken Word of God. The pastors and leaders spent these days in fasting and prayer, some without food and water for three days, desperate to see God move among the people in the region. Pastors from nearby villages participated by sharing personal testimonies of how God has moved in their lives. The people saw first-hand the power of God at work in men who lived and worked right among them.

Because of the powerful Word of God at work in their midst, twenty-one people confirmed their conversion by following with baptism. In this culture heavily influenced by Hinduism, water baptism is an outward sign of total conversion—denying all other gods and superstitions. We rejoice with our Indian partners for a tremendous outpouring of conviction and salvation in their midst.

Please continue to pray for those who have accepted the call to renounce their Hindu culture and religion and totally commit their lives to Jesus Christ as the author and finisher of their faith. They will face ridicule and persecution for their decisions, much more than we can possibly understand in our Western culture. Please pray that they will continue to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Christ and begin to share their new faith with others, starting an explosion of evangelism in this region.

Please continue to pray for the pastors who are incredibly committed to sacrificial lifestyles in order that the Gospel may be preached to all. As you view the pictures below, please pray for each person, each pastor, each one who responded and even those who didn't respond. Bookmark this page and visit it daily to pray for these precious people who so desperately want to burst out of the darkness of their cultural roots and bask in the glorious Light of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

The building is filled with men, women, and children to hear the powerful message of salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the One True Lord and Savior.

Pastor prays for the people who are in the sanctuary and those who are seated outside under tents to hear the powerful messages of salvation.

Pastors and church leaders gather at the front of the church to pray for the attendees.

People assemble at the river where Pastor wades into the water and teaches from the Bible the truth about salvation and the obligation of all Christians to follow Christ's example in baptism. To the convert from Hinduism, water baptisim is the outward sign of complete conversation through repentance of sin and renouncing all other gods.

The new converts wait in line to be immersed in water in the river, rejoicing as they come out of the water a new creation--old things have passed away and all things are become new. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17) Being immersed in the baptismal waters is a holy act of obedience and submission for all Christians.

" What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!" The water signifies the washing that has been done as Jesus' blood has cleansed these precious souls of their unrighteousness, making them new and clean before their Heavenly Father.

Pastors are rejoicing and celebrating for the new converts who have received water baptism.

Pastor prays with the new converts.

Pastor prays for the new converts, laying hands on them one-by-one, imparting to them the gift of salvation as new life has just been born in the hearts of these precious men and women, to the glory of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

____________
© Jan Ross 2007
All Rights Reserved

India Pastors Audio Bible Project (update)

2007-10-27T13:38:00.001-04:00

We're getting excited, for sure! The CD players are in a box right in front of me as I type this. We have purchased small gifts for the rest of the pastors so they don't feel left out--we found some nice-looking Bible covers marked down at Christianbook.com. We're making some laminated bookmarks to include with their Bible covers, and we will include some pens and little notepads for them to take notes on. All that's left is purchasing batteries, packaging everything, and get it in the mail. The goal is to have this accomplished by Tuesday (October 30th).

So, you can see why we're excited! This has been a project we've been working on for a while and suddenly everything fell into place.

I just love God's "suddenly" work. We think and plan and even worry some and nothing seems to happen. Then "suddenly" everything falls into place in God's timing, according to His will, for His glory. Hallelujah! We serve a "suddenly" God who isn't stressed out by our time tables--He has His own and it always works out better than how we planned!

We still need some donations to cover the expense of the shipping. Please consider sharing in the joy of providing audio Bibles for these pastors who cannot read or write. You will for a certainty be investing in the Kingdom of God as the Lord establishes Himself in the hearts of men, women, and children through these men as they are empowered by the spoken Word.

India Pastors Audio Bible Project

2007-10-21T08:45:00.000-04:00

As you may know, we’ve been in constant communication with Pastor, the leader of our ministry outreach in India. We’ve seen God move in miraculous ways in the lives of the pastors we support, their families, and their villages … to God be ALL the glory!

While we were in India this past March, we learned that several of the pastors were never able to attend school of any kind as they were growing up in their villages. Their families were poor and the children worked from very young ages to help provide food and the means of survival for the entire family. Because of this, however, we have identified several pastors who are illiterate. That’s hard to believe, especially when education is so available to us here in the USA!

Being called to pastor in areas deeply involved in many forms of Hinduism, these men felt it important to answer God’s call and begin teaching the people in their villages what they could as they learned from other pastors. This is why our pastors meet together once every month (on the 10th) for teaching, prayer, mentoring, encouragement, and more. These monthly meetings are the only source of scriptural teaching these men have. They own Bibles but they can’t read them without help.

We have made a promise to those who labor with us in India to provide these pastors with the Bible on CD and portable CD players to carry with them as they walk from village to village to minister to the people. Because of compatibility issues between CD’s manufactured here in the States and equipment manufactured in India, it was best for us to purchase the CD players here and ship them to India along with the CD’s containing the entire New Testament in Telugu.

This is a costly endeavor but worth every penny considering the benefit it will be to those who are so hungry to learn the Word but do not have the benefit of an education. Here are the details of the expenses for this project:

8 - CD/s in MP3 Format Containing
Entire New Testament in Telugu
provided by Faith Comes by Hearing
$112.00

8 - CD Players (Supports MP3 Format)
with Headphones
$257.00

Batteries
$25.00

Shipping & Insurance (FedEx)
$215.00

Total = $609.00

To be very honest, we need your help with the cost of the CD Players and Shipping. In other words, we need to raise $472 by October 29th to cover this expense.

By shipping on October 29th, the pastors will receive their CD/MP3 players and Bible recorded in their native language at their monthly meeting in November.

Won’t you help us supply the Word of God to men who are called to preach the Gospel, who have the ability to reach men, women, and children in areas most of us will never visit—villages most of the world doesn’t even know exist? These men are dedicated servants who sacrifice much in order to fulfill their calling … they need us to help equip them for the tremendous task before them. Without access to the Word of God, their task seems impossible yet they do the best they can because they believe that even the little truth they know is better than the lies of the millions of Hindu gods and superstitions holding their friends and neighbors and loved ones hostage.

Click on the button and make your donation today. Be sure to include your mailing address so we can send you a receipt for tax purposes.

Or, mail your check or money order to:

Heart of God International Ministries
India Pastor Bible Project
P. O. Box 248
Willard, OH 44890

Remember, ALL gifts are 100% tax deductible. This is a good time of the year to increase your giving, not so much for the tax benefit but because it’s the time of harvest—the time we realize our bountiful blessings, the time we thank God for all He’s given us, the time we reach down into our hearts and meet the most desperate needs of others who have nothing and expect so little.

Please, we don’t ever want to beg and we certainly don’t always want to come to you with an appeal for financial help. But, how can you be aware the depth of the need unless we bring it to you.

God bless you for your faithfulness in prayer and support. What an incredible group of friends and partners you have become!

India Leper Colony Update

2007-10-12T08:05:00.000-04:00

While we were in India, we had the privilege of visiting a village of lepers, gifting them with rice and fresh fruits. To meet these people face-to-face, to greet them in the name of Jesus Christ, to listen to their stories, see their pain, and understand their plight was one of the most memorable parts of the trip. Our hearts were truly touched by these precious souls.

But, their needs are great--greater than most can imagine. Aside from the housing situation which we've shared with our partners and friends, these people have daily needs. They are unable to work and make a living. They receive a pension equivalent to $1.50/month, hardly sufficient to feed them let alone meet any other needs. They need our help.

For only $10.00/month you can make a huge difference in the lives of these men and women. That is such a small amount to us, but it would be such a tremendous blessing to each one of them. With a monthly commitment, we can help to provide food, clothing, and transportation for medical treatment. Our goal is to raise a total commitment of $100/month to support the lepers in this village.

Please pray and ask the Lord what He would have you do. Thank you for your compassionate heart toward these who suffer unimaginable physical pain from leprosy and emotional pain from their rejection by society. God bless you!

Bibles for Kenya ProgramBoosted by Anonymous Donor

2007-10-10T19:39:00.000-04:00

We are so excited to share with you that an anonymous donor has offered as much as $250 in matching funds for every donation that comes in toward Bibles for Kenya between now and November 15, 2007.

This is an incredible opportunity to stretch your donation dollars, make a bigger impact with your giving, and provide even more people with Bibles--people who are desperate to develop a deep relationship with the Lord through the reading of His Word.

Bibles are translated into Swahili and are made available to us for $7.00 each. The more we purchase, however, the more Bibles we will be able to provide. For instance ..

$7.00 ... One Bible
$68.00 ... Ten Bibles
$134.00 ... Twenty Bibles

These Bibles will make incredible lasting gifts that will impact people for a lifetime. Our contacts in Kenya have stated that they will hand-deliver them to people they know will use them and are eager to own their own copy of the Word.

When we were in Kenya this past July, we were teaching women about developing a strong and abiding relationship with Jesus. We mentioned daily reading or daily devotional time. A bold woman stood up in the middle of a large crowd of attentive listeners and said:

"How can we read the Bible if we don't own a Bible?"

Much to our embarrassment, we learned that only a very, very few people in the tribal areas of Kenya own a copy of the Word of God. This should not be! We believe that anyone who desires to have a copy of the written Word should have a copy.

Thank you for your generous giving toward this project. Our goals are lofty -- we'd like to be able to provide 1,000 Bibles for Kenyans by July of 2008.

Will you help us? Can you afford $7.00 to purchase not one, but TWO Bibles for people who are starving for the Word of God?

What an awesome project this would be for your Bible Study group or your Sunday School class. Parents, use this to teach children stewardship and giving to your children.

Whatever it takes, help us provide these Bibles. Don't wait till later, don't wait until tomorrow. Do it today! Click on the banner below. You will be taken to a website with all the information necessary to purchase Bibles.

Thank you and God bless!

September in Kenya

2007-10-02T00:57:00.001-04:00

We are excited about our goal for Kenya this year. We've initiated a project to provide Bibles to as many people as possible in some of the remote villages such as Bukhoholo, Chavakali, Mayanja, etc.

We believe that the Word of God is the foundation of every Christian's life whether they live in America or in the remote villages in Kenya. Without God's Word, there is no opportunity for growth, no way to learn to hear the voice of God, and no hope for a transformed life ... the Word of God is essential to all.

While we were in Kenya, we were teaching how to live a life of integrity, being holy and set apart for God. Suddenly a woman spoke out, "How can we know the Word of God when we don't have Bibles?" A silence fell in the meeting and the Spirit of God spoke ... "How can they hear without the Word? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. But spiritual growth comes from personally seeking Me in the Word."

Because of that, we have made arrangements with our contacts in Kenya to provide them the money to go to Nairobi and purchase Bibles at their cost. They will then personally distribute the Bibles to people in the areas where very few have access to or own a copy of God's Word. The Bibles are translated into Swahili so the people are able to understand and comprehend as the Spirit gives illumination.

Each copy of the "BIBLIA" in Swahili costs about $7.00. If we were to purchase them outright, they would cost nearly $20.00 each. By allowing our contacts in Kenya to purchase the Bibles for us, we will be able to get nearly three times as many Bibles as if we were to make arrangements to purchase them directly.

We praise God for those who have given sacrificially to help launch this program. So far we have $250 to purchase Bibles in Swahili. We still have a long way to reach our goal, but as God provides, we will put Bibles in the hands of as many men and women as possible who are desperate to know God intimately through reading His Word.

Please refer to the website at http://www.heartofgodinternational.com/ for more details, or email us at info@heartofgodinternational.com with your questions or comments.

September in India

2007-09-30T23:45:00.001-04:00

September was a busy month for our pastors in India. Pastor wrote and expressed the fact that the pastors are very thankful for the support. He said, "Your help is so precious to them. We had pastor's meeting on the 10^th of this month. After we delivered the message, all the pastors prayed one-by-one for you, your families, and this ministry. They all convey their heart-felt greetings and thanks to you. We are eager to see you again and we are praying for your trip to India. But until you return, we are watching youin the tapes that we recorded at your first visit in March."

Our hearts are supernaturally knit together with the ministry leaders of Heart of God in India. These pastors work hard while maintaining humility and live sacrificially. We have been so incredibly blessed to know them and watch them work to minister the love of Christ throughout their region.

Please continue to pray for the pastors associated with Heart of God in India. Pray for their safety, their strength, and that they would remain encouraged as they work tirelessly to minister Christ's love without shame or fear.