When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Matthew 9:36-38
I can’t think of a better way to start off the New Year than by giving God praise. Many years ago we started working in Namshu, a small village in India. You may remember us asking you to pray for this village because for years there was only one Christian family in Namshu, which is a large Buddhist village. The Darjee family was special to me because they endured a lot of persecution, but they never denounced Christ. We took many teams into this village, and although we were welcomed into homes, the gospel was not received. The beautiful thing about sharing the Gospel is that it is like planting seeds. Many times we do not see an instant harvest. The seed lies in what seems to be a dormant state, but put in the right conditions, it sprouts and produces fruit.
As you are reading this, construction is taking place on a building for the church in Namshu to worship in and be equipped. The church is growing in this region of India, and we give God praise for changing lives. The pastor of this church is Sudarshan. You’ll remember that Sudarshan grew up in a Buddhist family, and as a young man was demon possessed. He was so violent that his family had chained him to a tree. One day Jiwan and a church planter prayed over Sudarshan, and the Lord delivered him and made him a new creation in Christ Jesus. Sudarshan’s whole family came to the Lord and many others because of Sudarshan’s healing. It is awesome to watch the Lord use Sudarshan and grow the Church in Namshu. God be praised!
Life in Cuba is very difficult these days as there is a nation wide food shortage. One of our translators waited in line for over 4 hours just to get some eggs for his family which is common to all Cuban families. People are angry and anxious. Covid numbers continue to rise daily and people are living in fear.
I’m sharing these things with you because I am asking you to join me in a season of fasting and prayer for the nations of Cuba, Nepal, and the United States. I ask you to be led by the Lord in this, and fast for a day or for a meal to spend time in prayer and pray for the following:
• Pray that God would meet needs according to His riches in glory.
• Pray that the church would not be afraid, but realize that God has called them and equipped them for a time such as this.
• Pray that salvation would come to these countries!
• Pray that God would show His power to the church and to the lost in such ways that it would leave people speechless and their lives changed forever.
• Pray that the church will not grow weary in doing good for in due time they will reap a great harvest if they do not quit.
It is not possible for us to physically be in Cuba and Nepal, but we can give, we can pray, we can fast, and we can stand in the gap for our Christian brothers and sisters. Will you join me in this life changing mission?
Please also pray for me as I make plans to travel to Uganda in February for a survey trip to see if God wants us to start TRECing in this part of the world. I have been invited to tag along with my friend Chris Bond at Designs For Hope (designsforhope.org).
Thanks for TRECing with us and for making a difference. We press on because the world around us is dark and many are hopeless. What a privilege it is to share the hope that only Jesus can bring.
Go, Fight, Win!
