How you can personally help to preach the Gospel and reach out to the desperate in India.
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NEWSLETTER
September/October 2007
Volume 31
In this Issue of:
FINDING LOST SOULS
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Editor and Writer...
Kathy A Smith
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Pastor Samuel preaching
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Page 2
ICII's Native Missionaries are Impacting Lives!
ICII is helping to support, either fully or partially, 17 full-time native missionaries and five part-time missionaries. These missionaries go every day for long hours preaching the Gospel, holding Bible studies, praying for the sick, doing children ministry and outreaches every day of the week. There are approximately 150 adult and children's Bible studies going on per week.
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ICII's native missionary Priya, praying with the children at a remote village.
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Each of these Bible studies may have15 to 80 people or more! Each week the word of God is reaching 1000's! What motivates ICII's native missionaries? It is the fact that they love Jesus with all of their hearts and they want to reach as many lost souls as they can because they don't want anyone to slip into eternity without hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.They have a call of God upon their lives that burns deeper each day to reach the lost and dying. God is using each one of them, and every one of them has their own unique testimony in how they accepted Christ into their life and began to follow His plan. Read how the Lord raised up Pastor Samuel, one of ICII's native missionaries and branch pastors, as a mighty man of God to follow the true plan for his life.
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Pastor Samuel standing with his family.
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Pastor Samuel's Testimony: From Hindu Priest to Mighty Man of God -
"I was born and brought up in a Hindu family and my father was very devoted in Hinduism. He trained me as a Hindu priest in the village. All the people in my village would come to me for healing and to solve all their problems. My job was to take care of the idol temples so the village people could come and worship the Hindu idols. Unfortunately, one day when I was walking on the road a stick got into my right eye.My eye began to swell up very big. They took me to the doctor, but all the doctors told me that even if we operate, you will be blind in your right eye. So the village people began to tell me that I had done something wrong against the Hindu gods, so the gods were punishing me.
."One day, I was so totally frustrated that I didn't want to live anymore. I planned to commit suicide by jumping off of the cliff near my village. The whole day I was trying to jump from the hill, but I felt something was stopping me from doing that, even though I wanted to die. I decided to approach all the Hindu gods and see if any god is real and if any would help me. So the whole day I began to call on the Hindu gods. I tried to say the mantras and all the customary things to approach the Hindu gods, but I didn't get any answer from them. Finally, I decided to call on Jesus, the God whom the Christians are worshipping. I began to call on Jesus, crying, "If you are the true God you have to show yourself or I am going to commit suicide now". Suddenly, I saw a light in the sky, and my right eye began to see clearly. I heard a voice saying; "I am the way and the truth, and I died for your sins, and you have to believe in me. I have a plan for your life". Right after this, I could see again with my right eye. I was filled with joy! Immediately after this, I began to tell the people in my village that Jesus is the true God.
"A few days later, Pastor Britto and Pastor Richard and their team came to my village to preach the Gospel. When I met them, they taught me from the Word of God and preached the Gospel to me on how I have to be saved. They gave me a Bible to read. After this, I joined with them in the ministry and they trained me to reach many villages and I began to testify that Jesus is the true and living God. The whole Gospel team stayed in my home for the next few weeks and we started the church in my village. Soon after this, I went to Bible school and then I continued God's work in my village. God is using me now in many different villages".
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The Smiths, with one of ICII's missionaries, Pastor Isaac, with one of his children's groups.
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Pastor Samuel's new life is not an easy road. It has been filled with many trials and tribulations. One incident that happened during Pastor Samuel's village ministry was one day he went to a Hindu village and preached the Gospel. The Hindu leaders of that village beat up Pastor Samuel and another team member. Samuel was put in jail for five days after the Hindu leaders lied about why he had been at their village. The judge eventually came to see his church, and after this he dismissed the case because they found no fault in Pastor Samuel. God has a miraculous way of working all things out for good.
Years later, forty people accepted the Lord through Pastor Samuel in the village that persecuted him, and they are going to church faithfully! As of now, Pastor Samuel only has one sponsor. He should have at least three or four more sponsors that would give $30 per month. This would provide for his family and would buy important Gospel tools for his ministry. You can get involved right now by sponsoring a native missionary that will boldly preach the Gospel every day and that will have an impact on thousands of lives.
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