January 2022
“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Thessalonians 1:2-3
Dear Ones in Christ,
We pray that you and your family are doing well with the dawn of a New Year. As we begin a new year of ministry, we are so thankful to have faithful partners who are co-laborers with us in presenting the love of Christ to the people of India. As the verse above says, we continue to remember you in our prayers and thank the Lord for your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Despite the ongoing strict regulations in India, we are grateful that our teams were able to have two Christmas programs at the end of 2021—one in Uttar Pradesh and one in Kerala. In Uttar Pradesh the government allowed for an outdoor meeting with limited attendance. Our local evangelist prepared a program that explained the true meaning of Christmas to the largely Hindu crowd of mostly women and children. In Kerala, we invited the Children’s Home children, as well as the children who are being tutored in our Helping Hands program, to come to our campus for a Christmas program and lunch. We heard so many positive stories of how happy the children were at both of these programs.
We are praying that our campus can reopen by June of this year for a new class of incoming Bible College students. We have been updating our curriculum and are looking forward to a fresh start in June. However, India is in the midst of an Omicron surge, so at this time it remains to be seen whether we will be allowed to open. Please continue praying that the Bible College will be able to reopen in June with new students from various parts of India.
The start of a New Year brings many challenges, but also renewed hope that we will get past this pandemic and that the Gospel can continue to go forth into all parts of India. With God’s grace the ministry will continue, produced by faith, prompted by love, and inspired by hope.
Although I have been slowed down by some health issues in recent months, I am happy that I am still able to engage with our workers in India and encourage them in the ministry. Please remember me in your prayers, along with IEM founding board member Don Leavitt, who is also having health issues.
Yours in His Service,
G.V. Mathai and Dayan Mathai