June 2025

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Dear Friends,

In June, I was able to travel throughout India and witness what the Lord is doing in different parts of the country. As I experienced the different landscapes, cultures, and people in various states, I was reminded of how many opportunities we have to serve one another in this life. As always, Christ is our supreme example. He came to this earth to serve, as the Scriptures remind us.

I started my journey in Mumbai, where I worshipped with the local believers on Sunday morning. Then I traveled to our campus in Kerala, arriving in time to inaugurate the beginning of the new school year for the Bible College. We are happy that, for the first time since Covid, we have first, second, and third year students. Most of these students have been recruited by our Christian workers in the northern states of Odisha, U.P., and Maharashtra. We even have one returning student from the neighboring country of Nepal. Please pray for these students as they begin the new school year that they will diligently learn the Word of God.

From Kerala, I traveled to the state of Odisha along with IEM coordinators Jerry (from Maharashtra) and Robin (from U.P.). Our primary goal in visiting Odisha was to visit the IEM school that is run by Saka, an IEM graduate. In a previous letter, I mentioned that she had a dire need for more water at the school, located in a poor, mountainous region of Odisha. By God’s grace, and with your support, we were able to help dig a new bore well at the school, and we had the opportunity to see how this project is blessing the children there. While there, we also distributed food kits to some poor families. We met one student Nikesh, who had been raised at the school as an orphan and has now successfully completed high school. In the attached insert, Pastor Robin is seen praying for this young man. What a joy it is to hear how this school has helped him grow into a young man who knows the Lord. Also, while in Odisha, we met with all the IEM pastors from that state and conducted an evening service and food kit distribution with one of the congregations.

From Odisha, we traveled north to Uttar Pradesh (U.P.). We were able to meet the congregations of two pastors, and we provided food kits to some of the poor families in their congregations. One of the men who received a food kit is paralyzed from the waist down. He was so thrilled to receive this gift of love; his picture is included in the insert. Also, in U.P., I was able to meet with several pastors that we support to encourage them in their ongoing ministry. We are happy that we were able to provide some of them with bicycles they had been praying for, to help them in their work. Please pray especially for Adithya, a recent IEM Bible College graduate who is returning to his home village in U.P. and will begin ministering to the people there.

There is so much to tell you about what God is doing in India. In the coming months, I hope to share more stories of God’s wondrous work with you. May God richly bless you.

In His Service,

Dayan Mathai