The Latest from RHM

A Wonderful Trip, RHM Update

 

We hope you will take some time to look at an update of the ministry in India. We are so thankful for all that He has done, all that He is doing, and all that He has promised to do. Please take time to see the photos and read the captions concerning the precious people there. Some vital prayer requests are also included. 

Below is only a portion of the crowds we were among when visiting one of the excursion sites in India (more in the update).

 

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Prayer Request

Brother Raju & his wife Pavani with 3 small families we are praying for. The 2 girls to the left, Nageena (tall girl) and Poojitha we see regularly and give assistance. The woman to the right and her 2 children are in the photo, from a Muslim family, and not allowed to come to the prayers (all Christian services we call "prayers"). The woman (3rd from left with the head covering) and her 2 children are also here, they also from a Muslim family. Her daughter, Asiya (3rd from right with head covered), is a girl we asked you to pray for recently. She was hearing voices, seeing visions, screaming, falling unconscious. When their family first brought her to the church (fearful she was going to die), the pastor and church members also were concerned for her life, but prayed for her deliverance. Since that time in late November she gradually gained deliverance, now not having any signs of oppression, and again going to school. We praise the Lord for His mercy upon her and the family, but we are crying for the salvation of them and several families in that area who are wanting to come to the church and seek the Lord freely, but have opposition from the Muslim community and leaders.  

 

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Widows in 2023

Below is Sakunthalamma from the village of Buddam, her hut recently covered with a tarp to protect it from the rain. Our main sponsor for most of our widows, World Challenge, has notified us that 2023 will be their last year to sponsor our widows. We have about 120 widows we're involved with (a few of them widowers), WC helping many of them with monthly support (cash), medical needs and house repairs. 

 

Not knowing whether or not another sponsor or sponsors will fill the gap in the future, one thing we are planning to do for the widows in 2023 is to build them more permanent structures. Since we have had the funds each year to help repair the huts of those who live in huts, we have been replacing leaves & sticks when needed and putting tarps on the roof to protect it from the rain. It is very possible that we won't have the financial ability to continue making repairs to the huts, so for those living in huts we hope to provide roofs with cement/asbestos sheets and several cement pillars to make the homes more stable. Approximately 20-25 widows are living in huts at this time.

 

We have funds which come into RHM from other donors to help other elderly people, but that amount is about 30% or less of what WC has been giving. So big changes may be coming before the end of 2023 for the widows & elderly ministry. Pray for the Lord to direct us, but also to provide new sponsors for the elderly.

 

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Happy 11th Birthday!

Sudha Rani turned 11 in late December. Here, her grandparents are giving cake to her. Her parents are alive, but abandoned her, so the grandparents have cared for her for several years now. Pray for Sudha Rani ("nectar queen"). She's a little bit of a fearful girl, so we haven't been able to bond with her as much as we would like to. We put her in a private school, but she was fearful of the new environment (we help 20 other children in that school with education expenses). She was about to go on 2 different excursions with us, but backed out shortly before the excursions took place. She's a sweet girl and sings nicely in church, now studying in the 6th grade. Her grandfather is a fisherman in local rivers and streams, her grandmother a housewife.

For those who are curious, the writing is on the church wall, Scriptures from Acts 1:8 and Ephesians 5:27. 

 

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Teaching action song

Teaching action song: 

Click onto the above link to see the video of teaching action song to the children after tuition was done in the village of Karlapalem. Sister Mary is leading them and teaching.

Children's Excursion to Charminar

Brother Raju is with 11 of the 14 children we recently took to Hyderabad. It was a great bonding time with the children. Because of the number of children we're involved with, it's difficult to see any of them more than once a week to minister to them and spend time with them. On this trip we were with these girls for 2 and a half days, which was such a blessing for the 5 of us adults who accompanied them. 

 

The building behind them is Charminar, an old monument built by a Muslim ruler more than 400 years ago. It has become a major tourist spot in Hyderabad, and a marketplace for tourist activity. There are literally hundreds of shops in the surrounding area. Two of our girls were crying, apparently overwhelmed by the massive number of people and activity going on all around us. You can get a small idea of the number of people in the area in the 2nd photo, taken from the upper level of the Charminar building.

 

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Safe for the Widows

New side rails for the steps leading to Salome's house. Salome is one of our widows, her granddaughter Blessy staying with her, Blessy's parents both dying when she was small. Salome had already fallen several times in various places, and we don't want her falling from these steps! We're thankful for every dollar to be able to help these precious elderly!

 

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Boys Excursion

Boys at a fishing harbor in a seacoast town named Nizampatnam. We had hoped to take the boys (13 of them) to another place similar to NASA, but Covid restrictions kept us from going there. Still we had a great time with the boys in Nizampatnam, where they have a fishing harbor with many boats, a lighthouse, a beach, and we went on a boat ride down a river that took us into the ocean. Pray for the ministry with the boys, brother Raju (in photo) the leader of the children's ministry. Trusting for all of their salvation, and for great usefulness in His kingdom!

 

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Pooji

We sometimes call her Pooji, short for Poojitha. On my (Dan) last day with the children before leaving India, I got to see over 20 of the children we work with. It was a precious day with precious memories. Poojitha is one of 11 children (one Dad with 2 wives living in 2 separate huts). 

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Happy Birthday Nageena!

Brother Prasanth is giving cake to Nageena on her 14th birthday the day before Christmas.  We had just finished a Christmas program in a small village, and then had a small function for Nageena before taking her and several children back to their homes. Praise the Lord for these precious children. Nageena lives with her single mother. 

 

We purposely avoid giving some of the details about the children because many of them are getting older and studying in schools which are giving English instruction, so if they see these posts which are talking about them being orphans or talking about the brokenness of their families, they feel some sadness in their hearts. I hope our donors and prayer partners can understand this situation.

 

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Audio Bibles

Below is our Brother Wesley's son, Sonny, giving a new audio Bible to Manorama, a widow in the village of Thunagunta. Pray that this tool will prove to be effective in helping the elderly to put GOD's Word into their hearts. Praise the Lord!

"Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You." Psalms 119:11

 

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Blessed Time with Children

We are now in the city of Hyderabad (city with more than 5 million people) with 14 girls and 5 adults. We are very thankful for a local pastor who gave us space in his church to stay for a couple of days (church in the background). RHM is giving educational assistance to 11 of these 14 girls.

 

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Top Rank in Her School

Navya (11, 6th grade) is getting a prize for something (not sure what) at her school. In this same school we have 20 children that RHM is assisting with their education (the Lord providing through our donors). According to the principal (man on the left), Navya has the highest marks (grades) in the school. Her father is a shepherd, her mother working in a school with only preschool age children. Without the Lord's provision via your donations, Navya would not be able to study in a private school. Praise the Lord!

 

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