I came back in Amsterdam after my mission trip in Russia with a DTS (Disciple Training School) class. As some of you might know, God gave me the amazing opportunity to participate in this school, which had a 2,5 month lecture phase in Amsterdam and a 2,5 practical, or outreach, phase. I never dared to dream this was possible for me. I learned so much during this school and outreach and in this letter I want to share a little bit more about that.
I’ve really learned to trust in God in every situation and every need. It was not always easy, but with His help I was able to step out, I learned English, made new friends and learned so much more about different cultures and God’s love for all people.
Further down in this letter I will share a story from my outreach in Russia.
Now that outreach is over, it is time for me to return to India. In India I was already involved in different ministries together with my family. I will have a lot to process from the last couple of months, but I am glad to go back to the projects I was working on before I left. I have dedicated myself to serving my community through education, work, hygiene and a church.
You can read more about my future plans in the column below.
There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in my community and I can’t do it without your support. If you would like to participate in my work and support the different projects I run, you can find my details at the very bottom of this newsletter.
Preaching in Gorno-Altaysk
I would like to share a little bit about one of the many great experiences from outreach.
Our last outreach location was Gorno-Altaysk. This is a village in the Altay region in the south of Siberia, close to Mongolia and Kazachstan. I got to experience a totally different culture there and a warmth and hospitality of the few local Christians. In this region there is only a few small home churches and most people don’t know about Jesus. In one of the unreached villages I had a chance to share the gospel in English! It was really an amazing experience. People were so hungry for the gospel and wanted to hear all of our stories.
Later that week, in the local church, my group shared during the service. After some stories, the pastor’s wife asked if there was anyone else who wanted to share. In that moment I got up and walked to the front. I didn’t really know what to say so I asked God for words. Then I received words to share about how Jesus has been leading me and how I learned English. With this testimony, I had it on my heart to share the verse from the Bible which says: “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you”. The people were so enthusiastic and I couldn’t stop talking because of all the words God gave me!
He really broke my fear and helped me step out in this moment!
My DTS Experience
On my journey I have experienced God as a wonderful guide. I never thought it was possible for me to come to Amsterdam and do a DTS, but God has made the way for me. But not only that, He also helped me with communicating in English and now I can even preach in English! He gave me strength and the ability to grow in a warm and unified group of amazing people. This group has really become a family to me, especially on outreach.
I also gained a lot of freedom during my DTS experience. One of the weeks in lecture phase was ‘ freedom week’ . In this week I stepped out for the first time and overcame a lot of fears. I can now approach people boldly and make connections without any anxiety.
Through it all, I always felt God guiding me and supporting me, also financially. I came to Amsterdam without any money, but every time God provided for me. It was such a miracle for me, we truly have a rich Dad!
Back to India
In a few days I will go back to India. I am excited to go back to our family ministry, to serve my community and improve living conditions for the people.
There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to develop a better way of life for the people in my community.
I will support children again with free education and evening classes. I will also be involved in helping women to be independent and in ministries that motivate them and lead them into a greater freedom.
Besides this, we really desire to build a new church in our town. The church we have now is over 35 years old and it is way too small. Now more and more people come to
Christ, we really need a new church building.
There are different projects that I am working on at the moment. You can read more about them on our website by clicking the button below.
Until now, I have been doing most projects by myself, which is a big challenge for me.
When I am back in India, I will have a lot to process, but also a lot of work waiting for me.
There’ s is hardly anyone supporting me in ministry in India and I couldn’t do it without you supporting me in prayer and financially.
Your support means so much to me and to the 200 kids I minister to in my small village. It is a great blessing to me and the future of my community!