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RAYS OF JOY MINISTRIES – Prayer Letter Winter 11
Agra, 10.3.11
Dear Friends, dear partners in missions!
Weeks full of action lie behind us. Winter, welcome – yet challenging, too, for a brief time, has quickly become past. Manuela, my sister, with family spent the new year here under the motive: get experience – get involved. It was a heartfelt time. So our dining table keeps changing language – since just two weeks later it switched to British English with George Jarvis and a couple of retired teachers from Keighly. And shortly after it was Hindi with Renuka’s mother occupying our guest room. We are all fine, by God’s grace, and thanks to all your prayers.
Conference
The challenge of missions has been highlighted afresh, especially for our Indian workers: sacrifice, dangers, new fields, new language and culture, away from home – which is all contained in God’s call for his work. Who is ready to got? The Lord rewards, in his own time – the fruit of our labour, ie. transformed people, counting as our satisfaction. The kids’ camp as well as youth camp alongside (for kids of workers mainly) marked another milestone for us. Bible students gave their best for these camps, just before their graduation and sending into the harvest field of the Lord.
School of Service
With teachers from our ministry and servants from partner churches abroad our 11 students are receiving varied teaching for Bible knowledge and practical ministry; eg. Sally Murcutt (Engl.) – Nov.; Dagmar Lydtin (Germany) – Dec.; George Jarvis (Engl.) – Feb. Practical outreach during January gave them exposure to the reality of poverty, serving suffering people with mercy like Jesus did. With thanks to some donors we are able to build better dormitories for students, in preparation for the new batch this year where we expect a larger intact.
Children’s Home
Our children continually are having opportunity to improve in English thanks to volunteers like Tom Collins who spent 6 months with us and is scheduled to come for another term. He gave much attention to the development of our teenage boys, even their spiritual progress. House parents once again were able to receive sessions boosting their understanding for monitoring our children’s studies after school. In fact, through the committed and applied training by Mike and Elaine, both retired teachers from Keighley, staff learnt to make studies interesting and full of fun.
New premises near Jagdalpur
The building work for a new children’s home could be taken up again in January at last. Ralph gave his time to finalise plans and clarify matters in order to see a new builder’s team working full speed since 20th of Jan. Daniel Jacob, Renuka’s brother, is heading the committee and supplies the material in time. Now the work is progressing fairly smoothly, praise the Lord.
Planting churches
Four of our SOS-graduates 2008 successfully finished their time of internship and moved into full-time ministry with us. Amit, and his wife Kirti, both a fruit of our church in Agra, received the calling to work in Gwalior, where they will be taken over the one-year old work to establish a church, hopefully from this spring. In addition to graduates there are also 5 more young church planters who joined us last year with their new works. We committed ourselves to build churches in North India, which we can do only through those who prove genuine callings. Now we are praying for and looking for churches and individuals who are willing to adopt any one of these new church plants for several years in order to bring them to full establishment in due time. (e.g. a monthly sponsorship of £50). We you’re your partnership for this Mission North India.
AP Tour
Renuka and I had the privilege to hold convention meetings for 3 days in A.P., South India, where her brother Noel has a ministry with his wife. We saw people overflowing in the meeting places, halls and open air, where God worked with miracles through Spirit power and prophesy. We saw people being saved and several filled with the Holy Spirit, too. The meetings at nights usually went up to midnight!! What an experience of a ripe harvest field!
Important dates to remember, to pray for and to help in:
| From our Program | |
| March & April | Final exams of our children, demanding full attention |
| 19th March | Children’s Day for children of all children’s homes in Agra |
| 28.3. - 2.April | Family vacation in the mountains |
| 5.- 8. April | Candidate week for 3 workers preparing for ordination |
| 12. - 14. April | Introductory Course for new workers with Rays of Joy |
| 26.4. – 20.5. | Itinerary in Germany (Ralph und Stefan) |
| 21.- 26.5. | Itinerary in England (Ralph und Stefan) |
- Searching for a suitable plot for the church building project of our Delhi Church
- Fulltime In-charge for School of Service is needed
- Building work near Jagdalpur “Semra”
- Sponsorships for church planters/ pioneer workers
- God’s protection for churches and workers in Mandala and surrounding where a huge campaign is held targeting Christian work of conversion
This is all for now from us. Thanks for your continuous prayers, which keep us going strong. Believing for intensive weeks leading up to the resurrection day “Easter” next months coupled with the joy of the spurt of nature and a colourful spring season.
Heartily and with the love of our Saviour
Yours Ralph, Renuka with Natasha, Stefan and Manuel