Dear Friends,

The annual IEM Christian Workers Conference was held this month on our campus in Kerala, South India. The theme was “Stand Firm” based on the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Church in Corinth to “be steadfast, immovable” and to know that in the Lord our labor is not in vain. The Christian workers, evangelists, and pastors who attended the conference were so encouraged, and many expressed that they are emboldened as they begin a new year of ministry. Many of them are working in environments that are hostile to the Gospel, so we continue to pray that the Lord will protect them and bless their ministry.

It was a joy for me to travel to India at the end of December with my sisters, Mishal and Sheela, and their entire families (14 of us in total). This was the first time we three siblings had been in India together since we were young adults. It was especially exciting to introduce Sheela’s three sons to India for the first time. Also, Ethan (Mishal’s second son) brought his wife Daisy, and her parents, Dave and Vicky Perrigan. Our ministry trip started in Maharashtra State, where we had the opportunity to visit some of the slum areas where IEM supports several pastors. We were able to meet and pray with some of the local believers and even provided them some food kits to help their families. Before we left, we gathered over 300 believers from the various churches that IEM supports, and had a wonderful time of worship, teaching, and fellowship. It is exciting to see the growth of the church in Maharashtra.

We next traveled to Kerala, where we joined the Christian Workers at the annual conference. Several from our ministry team led workshops on various subjects like leading worship, conducting Sunday School, and church community outreach. We also heard wonderful testimonies, and in particular heard about amazing Christmas celebrations which our workers coordinated in different parts of India, including Punjab, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh (UP). These celebrations are an opportunity for the church to tell the story of Jesus to people in the community, many of whom are hearing about the Savior for the first time. It is especially joyful to see the children excited to sing Christmas songs and to share the story of Jesus with their friends. We have included some pictures of these Christmas celebrations in the insert, as well as some photos from our mission trip.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for God's work in India. This year we will celebrate God’s faithfulness through 60 years of ministry. We look forward to sharing stories of His faithfulness, and details of our recent trip, at upcoming fellowship dinners in Ohio, California, and the Pacific Northwest. As we go forward into a new year, let us “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord [our] labor is not in vain.”

In His Service,

Dayan Mathai