"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)

NEWSLETTER JULY/AUGUST 2007 - VOLUME 30
INDEPENDENT CHURCH IN INDIA PO BOX 238 FREDERICKSBURG, PA 17026
website: www.indchurch.org email:info@indchurch.org Phone (717) 865-7885
 Page 1
Unto the Uttermost Part of the Earth

Independent Church In India (ICII) has a heart to reach the unreached wherever they are with the Gospel and the love of Jesus Christ. Pastors Britto and Richard of ICII led a team of eighteen student missionaries from the Joshua School of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on a trek high into the Sirumalai hills of South India. Their destination: two remote tribal villages.

After an early morning departure, they drove into the hills, and the Lord opened up the opportunity to minister at a tribal school they encountered along the barely-passable road. After this, they came to their first planned destination of a remote tribal group, and the people welcomed them with grateful hospitality.

Sharing the Gospel and praying with children at a tribal school.

The team sang songs, distributed blankets and tracts, and showed the love of Jesus to the isolated tribe. When the missionaries shared the Gospel with them, they told the team that this was the first time they had ever heard the Gospel. That day over thirty of the tribal people accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Others in the tribe said to the team, "If Jesus is the true God, we need the rain". It was the height of the dry season, and had not rained for months.That day, the Gospel team earnestly prayed for rain. They also gave Bibles to those who could read. Then the Gospel team moved on, driving as far as their vehicle could take them. Carrying blankets on their heads they set out from there on foot, and hiked upward along a rocky trail through the densely forested hills.

The tribal group was overjoyed to receive a blanket and a Bible.
    It was near evening when they finally arrived at the second poverty-smitten tribal community. ICII had visited this tribal group five times in the past, and were there now to minister to the new believers who had previously accepted the Lord. They also distributed blankets to these needy people. Since their last visit, the Lord had answered a prayer that the team had prayed over this tribal group. In the past, they had no teacher, so their children had to go to work. But now there was a teacher in their school to teach their children. The Lord had answered this tribe's prayer!

Afterward, the Gospel team made camp in a village building and spent the night. At daybreak, they set out on the return journey downward, packs empty but hearts full, bodies weary but spirits refreshed, knowing they had made an eternal difference to these isolated people groups.Two days later, the Lord showed His glory by causing it to not only rain, but to pour! A ittle while later, one of the men from the first tribal group they had reached traveled to Dindigul and looked up some of the Gospel team members that had ministered to him and his people. He had a message to give to them from his tribe.
Many tribal children have to take care of younger brothers and sisters.

The man shared with excitement; "Because you came to our land and you prayed for our land, God gave us the rain. Now we know that Jesus is the true God. We want to thank you all who prayed for us and we want to learn more about Jesus!" ICII has plans to return to these tribal groups again to disciple them in the Word of God.