I am glad to share the update in the ministry in Tamil Nadu as well as in Andrapradesh. The Lord has been so good to us in the ministry during the past months. The Church in Chettipatty is steadily growing. Last Sunday (July 1st,2013) I baptized four people and added in to the Chettipatty church. Three months ago, a family named Arivazahan + Nirmala and their two children have baptized and joined in the church. Arivazahan is a Treasury Officer working for Government. Their daughter Nancy has just finished her College and son Sam is doing Engineering in a College. This family is really growing in the knowledge of grace. Apart from our regular ministry, in these days we are concentrating on Aranganur and Kanchanaikanpatty villages in doing out-reach ministry. We have a good response from the people from these villages for the gospel. There are 12 people in the Aranganur are attending prayer meeting. Let us pray that the Lord will work in the hearts of these people and draw closer to Him. There are two Associate Pastors are working with me. 1. Bro.Alan is a Tailor and also involved in the ministry. He has been working with us since past five years. Panneer Selvam is another Minister working together with me. He raised in an Orphanage for 12 years and got four years Theological studies in Allahabad and worked as a Manager in another orphanage for some time. He is coordinating the orhanage work as well as assisting me in the church ministry. Thinnapatty church is also growing. Now Nelson is pastoring this church as full time since he resigned the work in the Trust. The church has also appointed another Pastor who resides with his family in the parsonage. This church has many young people, college students and Government employees and all are having good involvement in the ministry. Veppamarathur church has only eight families. But all are pretty strong in faith. Zachariah + Elizabeth are members for quite a long time. Last week, they invited all the families in the church for a prayer meeting. After the meeting they served a nice meal to us all by killing one of his goats. On seeing the active involvement in the church, his relatives who live around that area strongly apposed them for being such a good Christians. But this couple are bold in saying, nothing will separate from the love of Christ. Through this family, his brother's family named Narasimman + Pawnamma have got converted and joined in the church. But their son is still not converted. Please pray that god will be pleased to save that young main also so that they will serve the Lord as a family. Bro.George is pastoring this Church since last year. In Veerianthanda, Immanuel is doing good ministry. There are five young people who riased in the Eureka Orphanage in Veppamarathur are good believers in Christ. some are studying in College and some are working. They all are helping the Pastor in the ministry. On one hand there is growth and on the other hand a group of people in the local church have rised against Immanuel due to some trivial personal matters. The opponent group have tried to send Immanuel's family out and instead wanted to call a new Pastor for them. As the problem was getting worse, I went to Veerainthanda and talked with the two groups and finally they got reconciled with each other and the problem has been settled. Praise the Lord. The work in Bommidi is the same. There is no new members joined in the church recently. Robert Kennedy is preaching the gospel in 10 different villages surrounding Bommidi. Rehadhalli church is also still the same size with 30 members. Boopathy is doing hard work in this area. Stephen the one who left our work is working against Boopathy and to the local church. He is just like Sanballot and Tobiah who tried to hinder the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall in the days of Nehemiah. But the Lord is using Boopathy to reach unreached. There is a Tutorial Cenre being conducted in the church building daily in the evenings. About 40 students are attending the Class every day. Among them most of the children are attending the Worship every Sunday. Some of the parents do not send their children for Worship. The work in Abiramum, Ramnad district is bit slower but the church is strong in faith and in witnessing the community. The size of the congregation is only 20 but all are growing in grace. Eversince the work is started, the local non-Christian community is giving hard time to the church people. Once the village leaders were restricted the believers not to draw water from the village well and the villages had not had any relationship with the church people. Once they assaulted some people for using loud speaker for the worship. finally, the Government officers have interfered in the matter and settled the problem. Six months ago, the Lord blessed us to purchase a piece of property just out side of the village and in which we put up a simple building for worship. The church is peacefully meeting in the shed and worshiping the Lord. Let us pray for the minister Rajangam to keep serving the Lord with courage and strength in midst of such opposition. The work started in the State of Adrapradesh in 2004 has grown more than we thought. So far, the Lord blessed us to constitute P.B.Churches in the following villages. 1. Budedu, 2. Kanekal, 3.Gooty Ananthapur, 4. Gothapalli and 5. Bramanapalli. The sixth church is going to be constituted in Thagguparuthi village. The people have already bought a piece of land and we are helping them to some extent to build a church building. This village is more remote than other places. Apart from our Ministers, over 20 Ministers who have independent congregations are working together with us. The Seminars conducted by Elder Jeff Harris and Elders Zack Guess and Issac Guess and Timothy Guess on different occasion were blessing to them all. The teaching have helped them to be grounded in the Doctrine and practice. I praise God for the work of the Orphanage that He has entrusted to us. Most of the children who left the Orphanage in the past years are witnessing Christ where ever they are. Many of the old boys and girls are keeping in touch with us. They are grateful for what they received in the Orphanage. This year three girls are graduating Nursing and will join in Hospitals for work and then they will stand on their own legs. Presently, we have 60 children in the Chettipatty Orphanage and 20 in Angiam. We help 25 children who are staying with their parents for their education. We serve nutritious food and give education and spiritual care to them all. Daily in the morning and in the night we give systematic Bible study in the family prayer. The Government made new law for the Orphanages that is called "Juvenile Justice Act. 2008. According to this law, all the Orphanages in the country need to upgrade in many ways which costs much money. By the mercy of God, Chettipatty Orphanage has most of the required facilities. But only the orphanage in Angiam is in difficult situation. If the Govt. requirement is not able to be met, then we need to close it and bring the children to Chettipatty. At any time this Orphanage may be closed by the Government. We pray that the Lord's will may be done in this regard. The Community child Care Program both in Sikkanampatty and Pottiapuram villages are encouraging to see the results. The strength of the Sikkanampatty Program is 30 and the Pottiapuram is 40. All these children are from the local Community but from very poor family background. Without isolating them from families, daily we provide them breakfast and Dinner and give extra Tutoring to improve their school work. Above all, we teach the Bible and give them the spiritual nurture. The children are benefited physically and spiritually and educationally. The parents are also being reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Worship services are being conducted in the both Centers every Sunday evening. We are thankful for Lower Mill Creek Church for their faithful support that helps us to help so many children here. There are ten more tutorial Centers have been started in 10 different villages around Veppamarathur. Unlike above mentioned Centers, we do not provide meals in these Centers but only give tutoring and spiritual education. The local Pastors are monitoring these program and visiting all the centers on regular basis and imparting spiritual education. After some months of gap, the Fair Haven Community Health Clinic has been resumed from this month. We got a qualified Medical Doctor started working as full time. He is 65 years old and moved to Veppamarathur with his wife and 90 years old mother. They are from a rich family background from Salem city. Due to the problem of his son they were looking for an opportunity to join with an Organization to serve poor people. His neighbor is our well known acquaintance and through them the Doctor has joined with us. They are living in just two rooms within the Clinic building but we are planning to expand two more rooms in future. My son Richard has committed to serve two days in a week at Veppamarathur Clinic. Already he brought a Dental Chair and organized his Clinic. On 29th June, Richard and the new medical Doctor named Radhakrishnan and Dr.Bakthsingh from Government Hospital were conducted a special Medical camp. They all treated 75 poor patients on that day for free of cost. People of this area are welcoming us very much for this Medical and Dental Program. To work with people in the villages, we selected 10 more Health workers to work in a grass root level. They all are from the same villages where our Tutoring Program is being functioned. On 28th June, we conducted a orientation and training program for all the Health Workers and Tutoring Teachers. Richard and other Doctors taught them to how to be an effective workers in their community. Thus the Fair Haven Clinic will serve three clusters of villages to meet the basic needs of the people. Along with Tutoring Centres and Health Program, we have also planned to help the small farmers by conducting pre-seasonal training for every crops introduce the latest technologies in Agriculture. The Government Agricultural Officer has consented to come and teach in the Farmers training now and then. Along with this training, we are planning to conduct Seminar for Animal husbandry by inviting Veterinary Doctors for the prevention of diseases of domestic animals. By all the means, we are going to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in this area. Two supervisors have been appointed to supervise the program.

Update on the work in India

This is the tenth year completed since the first Primitive Baptist Chruch was constituted in April 2001. The Lord has done a marvellous things in one decade. Our American brethren have visited about 11 times during these years. Each visit was unique and the Lord used them powerfully in preaching the Word of God among us.

So far, seventeen churches have been constituted both in the States of Tamil Nadu and Andrapradesh. Among these churches, thirteen churches are with us and sadly four churches are not with our Fellowship. In thirteen churchs, there are 886 baptized members actively involved in the church ministries. There are three Primitive Baptist Fellowships are regularly meeting in sundays and learning the Truth. Sivadi village is about 45 KM from Chettipatty situated in NH 7. Just 10 months ago, the work was started. Bro.Baresh is doing the Pioneering work in and around this village. He is visiting villages by riding a Moped and sharing the Gospel to the individuals and families and idstributing the tracts and booklets like " Some thing you need to know about God " By Elder.Lasserre Bradley. Whose hearts are prepared by the Holy Spirit, responded to the gospel message and started attending the Worship Service. (Acts 13:48) Others simpley reject the gospel. Few people opposed for the Gospel ministry and threatened not to preach the gospel. Despite all such things, still the ministry is slowly going on. Yesterday I talked with Baresh. He said, there are six people are ready to be baptized and 25 are just attending the Sunday worship. Next week, I am planning to go there to baptize these candidates in a creek.

Gooty is a small town the capital of a County in Andrapradesh. Already there are four churches have been constituted in this State and all of them are growing in the knowledge of grace. Recently a Minister named N.Prasad have joined with Primitive Baptists and keep studying the Doctrine of grace and started teaching to his congregation about 60 members. This is a strong group testifying Christ in that community. He came to Chettipatty along with other Ministers and attended the Bible Seminar we conducted last month where Elders.Zack Guess and Herb Hatfield preached powerfully. We are hoping baptize this group of people and constitute church in near future in God's time. This group is having a close touch with us.

About five years ago, we constituted a church in a village named Gooty Ananthapur. There are 51 members are regularly meeting for worship in an open air place. Four years ago, the Lord enabled us to purchase a couple of acres land in this village for church . In this property, we drilled a bore well which supplies a good drinking water not only to Church members but also to the local community. With the help fo the local collection in Tamil Nadu, we have completed a Foundation and waiting for the Lord's time to construct building. I would appreciate your prayers that our Lord will provide the needs to complete this construction.

Orphanages:

As you know, due to unable to meet the Government requirement and also due to the decrease of sponsorship for Orphanage, we had to close the Eureka Children Home in Veppamarathur by end of last year. Some of the children were transfered to Shady Grove Children Home, R.C.Chettipatty and other those who have a single parent or relatives who can care them were sent with them. But every month we support them financially for their education. These children are attending the local church in their respective area. They all gather in Chettipatty every month to receive the support. During the time, we preach the Word of God to them all. Our Local Ministers are giving Spiritual care to them.

The Orphanage in Chettipatty has 107 children. As the Lord blessed us to have sufficiant facility, we could keep more children here. These children are happy and healthy and growing in the Lord.

The Orphanage in Angiam is struggling to continue with the existing facilities. Some of the local Government officials are simpathetic towards this Home and so it has not been closed yet even though the facilities for children are inadequate. If it is the will of God to continue this work, He will make a way to make up the needed facilities set by the Government. Other wise, we may have to close this Orphanage at any time if the higher authorities come for the verification. Let the will of God may be done in this work.

The Sikkanampatty child care Program is growing day by day. We have an encouraging results from this work in the community. Every sunday evening, the children and their parents are meeting in the Community Centre and worshipping the Lord. The children are studying the Bible and growing in the knowledge of grace.

Community College:

There are many boys and girls who left the Orphanage after the High School studies are struggling to stand on their own legg. The employment opportunity is still very lower. In order to meet such needs of the youth, we are working on to start a Community College in Veppamarathur Orphanage compound. Already we got an affiliation with Indira Gandhi University to offer the following Courses. 1. Electrician Course, 2. Fashion designing, 3. Computer Course. God willing, we are going to inaugurate the Community College by July 2011. In this Program, not only our Orphanage children but also our church young people as well as the others will be benifited in learning the skills. We will collect fees from the candidates which will enable us to pay for the Instructors and other expenses. But still there are many needs to get the Program started.

Literature Ministry:

We keep translate the Bapist Witness in Tamil language and circulate to P.Baptists and other Christian friends. The messages are very much beneficial for the edification of the believers. Now we are translating Elder.Bradley's concised Doctrinal book and will publish after some time. The Lord blessed us to publish 11 books in Tamil during the past years.

Community Health Care:

By the Mercy of God, my son Richard has completed his Dental studies and and have become a full fledged Dentist from January 2011. He has started another Dental Clinic in a town named Tharamangalam about 10 miles from Omalur. By giving Dental care, he is preaching the gospel to his patients. He is also teaching to the five Village level Health Workers for an effective service to the community. Some of the poor patients who is not able to afford for the Dental treatment, he gives free care. The Lord is blessing this small steps to serve the Community.

Micro-Financing Scheme:

Few months ago, the Lord enabled us to start a Micro-Financing Scheme through our ministry. There are 50 poor people have become members of this scheme. We opened an individual savings account to these underprivileged people who are able to make little savings even from their lower income. We helped twenty families to start Self Help Projects by issuing loans. We enabled them to start Goat Units, Milk Cow Projects, Small shops, Tailoring Units, etc. They are able to repay the loans by an easy instalments. The revolving funds are helpful to help more people to start such Self Help Projects. Most of these projects are successful and the families are able to make money for their daily bread. By all these means the Love of God is being proclaimed.

I brring all glory and honour to our Lord Jesus Christ who enabled us to carry out the above mantioned ministries for His glory and expansion of His Kingdom in this land. I am thankful to the brothers and sisters who all behing this ministry by their sacrificial support and prayers. I would greatly appreciate your continual prayers for this ministry.

In His ministry,
A.Gunasekaran

Traveling in the States

I am filling a series of preaching appointments in the United States from Sept. 15 – Nov. 1, 2009. Please pray for me while I am away from home and for the work continuing in India also.

India Report

Justin Huffman

From June 15 to June 27th a team of volunteers from our church ministered in Tamil Nadu, India. During the course of our visit, we were able to visit numerous churches, 4 orphanages, 3 children’s tuition centers, 3 medical clinics, and 2 sewing centers — all of which are being used mightily by God to share the gospel in poverty stricken areas.

I was thankful and amazed to see how God has been blessing the efforts there to the glory of Jesus Christ. As you may know, the Baptist Witness is translated into Tamil each month and it was a thrill to meet faithful readers, whether in small home prayer groups in Salem or in a children’s tuition center in the Yercaud mountains. What a blessing to see and hear first hand how the Lord has been using these, and other sermons and literature from our ministry, to convert and instruct and encourage so many!

Brother Guna, and the other dedicated ministers associated with the Good Samaritan Trust, have tirelessly been laboring to get out the gospel of Christ in every place possible. Besides the work in the state of Tamil Nadu that we visited, they also have been blessed to establish numerous preaching points in the state of Andrapradesh.

But the blessings on our trip were not automatic, of course. In fact, after our first full day in the Salem area, I was somewhat discouraged and disheartened, feeling keenly my own great weakness and inability to empower all the ministry that needed to be done. That night I wrote in my journal:

“Lord, please answer the prayers you seem to be indicting! I cannot express the weakness and feebleness I feel. God give me more faith in you, that you can move, reach, touch, enflame hearts anyway, anywhere. Bless me with the wisdom and strength to compliment, and not hinder, the means your Spirit might use. But, oh, to see you move mightily and soon! Grow us all.”

But what a blessing to write the very next day:

“Wow! God answers prayer! I went to bed weeping last night, feeling so unable to bless this trip…today was an amazing, above-and-beyond answer.”

A big part of that for me was this event: we were coming from sharing the gospel at a sewing center where a group of Hindu women had been very receptive, on our way back to the Veppamarathur church and orphanage. We stopped by the new home of Elizabeth and Zachariah, a precious couple whose amazing conversion had been shared with me during my last trip here.

While we were there, they introduced us to Zachariah’s brother and his wife, with whom they had been sharing the gospel and taking with them to church for several weeks. They told Guna they were ready to be baptized, and he assured them it would be done soon.

We drove a couple of miles on to the church and spent some time there visiting and praying in the shade of a grassy hill; when we walked back to the church grounds, this same couple was waiting – they had walked there, with their clothes, and were graciously insistent that we baptize them as soon as possible!

Not knowing the extent of their understanding, I shared a gospel summary and baptism lesson from Romans 6, emphasizing the need for a changed life – the more I shared, the more excited she became! Zachariah and Elizabeth said the whole community had seen the change in their life since they had started attending church with them. Apparently the husband had been a daily drunkard who had previously abused his wife and children severely. But since they had begun to embrace the gospel of Christ, he had entirely quit drinking and had been transformed into a loving and dedicated husband and father.

According to Christian custom in India, I gave the couple their new and Christian names: Aquila and Priscilla. I exhorted them to be members like this mighty and godly couple from the New Testament church. Then I was blessed to baptize them, with smiles and tears still on their faces.

This was just one of countless examples during our trip of the Spirit’s moving in mighty and evident ways. It was refreshing to see the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to convict and comfort in the midst of any culture or spiritual captivity. My prayer is that that we will see similar signs of the power and advancement of the kingdom of Christ in this nation, starkly setting his church on the cultural horizon — a city on a hill that can not be hidden.

The Lord has shown His mercy

Throughout 2008, the Lord has shown His mercy upon us in the midst of various troubles and persecution.

The church where I am pastoring in Chettipatty has grown in grace and in numbers and also in finance. The church became self-supporting since past two years and supporting a pastor for full-time ministry. In the same way, the church in Thinnapatty and Angiam also became self-supporting. We are encouraging all the other churches to support their own pastors in near future. We are thankful to our friends who are still supporting our poor pastors whose churches are not able to support their ministers due to their poor income.

During this year, the Lord led us to expand His work in Ramnad District down south of Tamilnadu. Brother Rajangam who worked with our orphanage in Chettipatty in the past had returned to his village named Abiramam in the above mentioned district. Since then, he started evangelizing in his own village. As the Lord used him as a powerful instrument, so far 15 people have been converted.

By the immense mercy of God, Yercaud Church building and parsonage construction has been completed after 3 years. Raman Immanuel has already moved into the parsonage and is pastoring the church. The remaining 8 churches in Tamilnadu and 3 churches in Andhrapradesh are still with us. There were 30 new converts baptized during the past year.

Child Care: the children in the orphanages have grown physically and spiritually. We keep teaching the Word of God in the daily prayers, Bible study, and worship services. We have had to close 2 child care centers, but were able to open up 3 new ones, in different locations. There are now 6 care centers, serving 295 children.

Community Health Care: we continue to operate our mobile clinic, visiting about 25 villages in all. Since October, we moved the program to the Omalur area and modified it, opening five clinics in the five major villages of the area. So far we have been able to treat 558 patients. Also, the construction for the Fair Haven Health Clinic has been completed and is ready for use.

Without the mercy of God and the help of the saints, the work could not have accomplished up to this stage. On behalf of the preachers, orphans, and staff I want to express our deep thanks to you for all your support and partnership extended to the work of the Lord in India.

Please pray for these young believers

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Mt.28:19,20

Papanam is a remote village in Ramanathapuram District about 380 km from Salem towards south of Tamilnadu. This village is surrounded by Hindu temples. There are many churches in towns and close by villages but so far no one able to enter inside this village. But God opened the way to get into this village. Praise the Lord.

There was a call from Bro.Rajangam who hails from this village to visit this village. He was working with GSPBT ministries during 2003 and 2004 as a warden cum driver. While he was with us, he was dead against the Doctrine of Grace and used to argue with us. God used this gentleman as an instrument to get into this village.

Bro.Rajangam professed his faith in God and the Doctrines of Grace and he prepared a group of people to witness Christ in his village. He called us over the phone many times and stated that he is now believing the sovereignty of God and that the Doctrines of Grace is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. After knowing his zeal for witnessing Christ in his own village and by his invitation to visit his village, we fixed-up a date to visit.

On 14th May, 2008, Bro.Guna prayed and sent under the authority of the Chettipatty Primitive Baptist Church, Elders. Immanuel, Judson and Nelson to visit the village and preach the Word of God. By the grace of God we reached a town named Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram District which is closest town to Papanam village on 15th morning. Bro.Rajangam welcomed us with joy in the Lord Jesus Christ.

the breakfast, we moved to a near by water reservoir named Parthibanoor Dam. About 15 men and 10 women gathered for the meeting. Elder.Nelson preached the Doctrines of Grace and Elder.Immanuel preached the importance of Scriptural Baptism. Elder.Judson and Bro.Rajangam led the gathering with prayer. People gathered were much receptive to the teaching. 2 men and a woman got baptized in the nearby water. Praise the Lord!!! 2 more people were ready, but Rajangam restricted them not to be baptized telling them to grow more in the knowledge of Christ. The three who were baptized are from typical Hindu background. Then all were served with fellowship dinner in the bank of the river.

In the evening, we visited the Papanam village, the native village of Rajanagam. It is about 30 km away from the town. 3 big Hindu temples are surrounded by this village. About 130 families are living there. God has opened the way for the Gospel to enter into this village. Then we had prayer in Bro.Rajangam’s house. 9 young men gathered and listened to the Gospel. At present they are gathering in a believer’s house for Sunday prayer fellowship. Rajangam has great burden in his heart for his own village people.

According to Apostle Paul in Romans 1:8,

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”

I thank and praise the Lord for everything He has done. Please pray for the young believers and the work in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu State.

Elder A. Gunasekaran

Pray for Stephen பரி போர் ஸ்டீபன்

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Brother Guna called me tonight with some very disturbing news. One of our most faithful ministers is Brother Stephen. He was one of the first of the Indian brethren to become a Primitive Baptist. At his ordination he showed a great grasp of the truth. He is very faithful and courageous. The first PB church he pastored was at Thinnipatti. There we had to build a parsonage for him, because the Hindus would not allow him to rent a house in the town.

Now he is pastor at Regadahali. He has done a very good work there. Very recently some Seventh Day Adventists stirred some of the people in town against him. He was severely beaten by a mob. Some people got him to a house and locked him in it to keep him from being killed. The mob waited outside the house past midnight, hoping to kill him. Finally someone got hold of the police and rescued him.

Now the enemy has been visiting in the homes of some of the people who have been going to the church Stephen is pastoring and are stealing their affections away from that church. Stephen is broken hearted. Much of his hard and faithful work has been destroyed. Brother Guna has gone there to comfort and advise Stephen. Please pray diligently for this dear brother and for the situation. As Brother Guna and I talked on the phone tonight we noted that the work in India is exactly like the situation recorded in 1 Corinthians 16:9, "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries."

We serve a Mighty God Who hears and answers prayer. Let us go to the throne of grace with all our hearts.

God bless,

ழஅச்க் குஎச்ஸ் Zack Guess