Bringing Relief to Leprosy Victims
Last fall, extremely heavy downpours in Tamil Nadu, India produced the highest rainfall in a hundred years and some of the worst flooding ever. Many areas of the state’s capital city, Chennai, were underwater for weeks, and large regions of the state were seriously affected. Floods killed hundreds, and thousands of people had to be rescued. Many houses were inundated, leaving them full of mud, bugs, and even snakes. Utilities and transportation were disrupted, water supplies were contaminated, and food became scarce.
Among the worst affected were the leprosy victims living in colonies. Because of the conditions, they were not able to get enough food. When ICII learned that several colonies where we minister was facing a crisis, and some had even died of starvation, our hearts were broken. We began to pray and seek ways to help.
We praise the Lord that, through faithful and concerned supporters, God provided the funds for us to deliver desperately needed rice and blankets to several colonies that were in dire situations. We want to thank and encourage those who helped through their prayers and gifts because God is using your giving in miraculous ways. In this crisis, your love helped to save lives and relieve suffering among the poorest of the poor.
Testimonies From Leprosy Victims Affected By the Flood:
A man named Raja shares: “We were flooded during the night when we were sleeping. Water started to come inside of our house. It started to wash away all our things. We tried to save many things, but we couldn’t. Finally, we had to save ourselves, so we ran to the safest place in the street. But the water was everywhere. We were trying to find any safe place we could. We lost everything that day. For more than six days we didn’t have electricity and food, and we were suffering. Sometimes people would bring food and we might eat once a day. We lost more than fifteen of our friends. At the right time, Independent Church in India brought blankets and rice to our colony. We were thankful for the rice and blankets. Thank you for the timely help.”
Residents from a colony named New Joy shared: “Our lives depend on begging. We go into the streets every day to beg for food. Without begging, we cannot live. Because of many days of rain, we couldn’t go anywhere. We ate the small amount we had. We lost our homes. We lost our loved ones. We were praying for food. At the right time, ICII’s team brought rice for us. It helped us a lot. You provided food, through Jesus… We are so thankful for Jesus’ love for us, through your prayers and support.”
I Once Was Blind, but Now I See
Through the love and support of ICII’s sponsors, leprosy victims have received their sight again through cataract surgery and new glasses. Here are a few testimonies of thankful people that have been helped through your generous love and support.
“My name is Karunagaran. I am homeless. I don’t have anyone to help me. I live in the streets every day. When I was begging, because I couldn’t see I accidentally stepped on a dog, and the dog attacked me and I fell down on the street. Another time when I was walking on the road to come to church, a bus almost hit me. At the right time, ICII provided the cataract operation for me. Now I can see the world better. I am very happy that I can see people clearly I like my glasses, they are very nice. Thank you so much for your help!”
“I once was blind, but now I can see because Jesus cares for me. I am very happy that Jesus gave me eyesight through you”.
.. By Senniyammal, a woman with leprosy
“My name is Karuppaye. I have leprosy. I cannot do any work. The only food I have is what ICII is providing every month, that is the rice which I can cook and eat. One day when I was walking to the church, I fell down and I hurt myself very badly because of my bad eyesight. I went to the government doctors but they refused to help me because I have leprosy. So the ICII team took me to another hospital for an examination. Now they operated on my eyes. Now I can see better. Also in both my eyes, water would run all the time, but now all the water has stopped. Now I can be comfortable and feel better. Thank you so much for your support for my operation and glasses. Now I can come to church regularly. Praise to Jesus!”
New Hut Church Started in Tribal Area
Over nine years ago, ICII’s Gospel team reached a remote village called Thavasimadai for the first time. There were no Christians there. After hearing the Gospel message, many in this village received Christ. A large group of children and some adults began to attend a Bible study. A woman named Selvi was visiting the village that day, heard the Gospel from the team, and accepted the Lord. Soon after this, Selvi’s husband also believed in Christ. Then they invited the Gospel team to their own area. This couple lived in a remote tribal place infamous for its many families trapped in slavery until they pay off their debts. The families living in this area must farm the land of those who keep them in this bondage. The destitute residents lived in huts and tiny houses with little electricity and no running water.
The Gospel team went to Selvi’s area and preached the Gospel, many received the Lord, and a Bible study was started there. In both Thavasimadai and the tribal area, Bible study and ministry have been going on now for the past nine years! The Lord has been doing amazing things in these places that were once totally unreached. This couple and others who have come to Christ over the years have been willing to give what they have, even though they are very poor, and God is multiplying it for His use. Just this past February, the believers in Selvi’s poor tribal area worked together to build their own church! What would seem impossible for them to do God has made possible. Here is the amazing testimony of how God used Selvi, the first believer in this village, to start their church:
“My name is Selvi. When Pastor Britto was praying about starting a church in my area, I was praying and God showed me my agricultural land. I saw in a vision that a lot of people were worshipping the Lord there. I said, ‘Lord, I am poor. I have only that land. But if you want me to give it to a church, I am willing to give it.
So I gave the land for building the church. Also when we visited different people for help, people helped with whatever they could. Though they are poor, they gave leaves and wood for the building. Praise God for that!”
This land was the only thing of worth that Selvi owned and she could have used it for herself and her family’s benefit. Instead, she was faithful and donated it so a church could be built there. Because of Selvi’s obedience to give Him what she had, God is now using this church. Here are two amazing testimonies of what happened during the first church service:
“My name is Kamaraj. I am a thief. Today I was walking along the road. I had drunk alcohol and was walking towards some houses to see which house I could rob. When I went to one house, I heard people singing a song, so I stopped. I was wondering what that sound was, so I came up to the hut. I saw people worshipping Jesus, so I watched the service. Then I gave my life to Jesus. From today onwards, I won’t steal. I will live for Jesus!”
“My name is Santhi and my husband’s name is Kanthan. We are bond slaves on a farm. My two children are also slaves on the land. We work the land, and the landlord will get all the profit. Today we came to the church service. We were praying desperately because we didn’t have peace in our home. Many times we wanted to commit suicide because we are slaves. But today we found Jesus has hope for our lives. We will come regularly to church. We want to live for Jesus.”
These testimonies are proof that God can use anyone that has a willing heart and is motivated to do what God has called them to do! May all of us use our talents and gifts to serve the living God and give what we can so others can come to know the living Lord and Savior! If a poor person like Selvi can donate her land and build a hut church so her people can worship the true and living God, how much more can each one of us in this wealthy nation do with what God has given us? Life is too short to waste time. Ask the Lord what He would have you do today, and you will be glad you did in both this life and in eternity. Isn’t everything we have the Lord’s anyway?
Testimony From Kenya: Prostitute Comes to the Lord
ICII’s ministry partner from Kenya named Pastor Lawi shared this incredible testimony: “I am glad to give a testimony about a lady of the age of 37 who had been a prostitute in our village for more than fifteen years. She was doing prostitution as a business, buying her food, and paying her house rent from the money she received through it. We held a Gospel Crusade in my church this year. Afterward, we preached the Gospel in the marketplace. She was deeply touched and followed me to my house to ask me if Jesus still loves her after all she had done. While doing prostitution she was even robbing some people, putting drugs in their drinks, and then stealing all of their money. Because of prostitution, she had become a murderer, for she confessed that she had killed two men by poisoning them.
I told her that Jesus loves her, and because He does, Jesus died for her. I shared John 3:16 with her, and she was willing to accept Christ and change her life. She accepted the Lord and repented of her sins, and now she is a member of the family of Christ!”
Jesus Saves a Family from Committing Suicide in India
Swaminathan, one of ICII’s pastors, shared this amazing story from Andhra Pradesh, India: “One day I went to a village to preach the Gospel, and over fifty people were gathered around a house making a lot of noise. I asked them what was happening, and they said that there was a family inside the house trying to commit suicide and they were trying to stop them, but they would not open the door. I went to the house and told them if they came out I would share some good news with them. They wanted to know, what good news? They asked me if my good news would pay their debts because everyday finance people would come threatening to take their daughter for slavery as a prostitute if they didn’t pay their debts. The family finally agreed to come out and I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them for more than an hour. I read the Bible to them and told them if they believed Jesus, He would help them. That same day the family decided not to commit suicide, but instead accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior! Now they come to my church every week. Since coming to Jesus, they have paid their debts and are living with joy!”
Discrimination Against Christians in Pakistan
According to Open Doors’ “World Watch List”, Pakistan is the sixth-worst place for a Christian to live in the entire world. In that country, Christians are ‘untouchable’ people. In this Islamic nation, Christians endure discrimination beyond imagining. They are known as the hated ones, are called unworthy people, and are even made slaves. Yes, modern-day slavery goes on in Pakistan every day and Christians are the victims of this inhumane treatment. Christians are forced into the most unsanitary and low-paying jobs, like using buckets and their bare hands to clean out septic tanks, where some die of toxic gas. They are made into slaves to make bricks, break stones, or sweep the dirty streets in the intense heat. Muslims regard these jobs as unclean, so they are only given to Christians or other minority religious groups. Many Christians have to borrow money if some sickness strikes their family or for other emergency reasons. Then the lenders, who are Muslim, will treat them as slaves who must pay off their debts by doing these kinds of jobs.
They are cheated on their debts, and the amount they owe keeps increasing through the outrageously high interest. What starts as a small debt soon grows into lifelong bondage as a slave. You could say it is similar to the time when there was slavery in our own country, plus added hatred towards you because you are a Christian. Have you seen the movie “12 Years A Slave”? My heart broke to see such cruel treatment of human beings. But in Pakistan, this kind of slavery goes on each and every day, and it is happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Many Christians in Pakistan are uneducated so they can not get any other job. They have no choice—if they don’t work these kinds of jobs, then they cannot eat. The only answer to this darkness in Pakistan is the light of God’s Word. But, how shall they hear without a preacher?
A pastor in Pakistan, whom God had called to ministry, was working as a sweeper to pay his expenses, cleaning the dirty streets so his family could live. People wouldn’t listen to him because he had a dirty job.
He worked six days a week for only $30 to $40 for a whole month. With what little time he had left, he did evangelism when he could. But when a missionary gets sponsored, it frees him from having to waste his life cleaning streets just to feed his family, so he can go tell others the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. For a gift of only $30 a month—a dollar a day—you can change the lives of a missionary, his whole family, and also the thousands that he will reach with the time and resources he now has to do what God has called him to do. Is there really any better investment for that dollar each day than this? ICII’s ministry partner Pastor Asif and his ministry team are dedicated to reaching those who do not know Jesus and to help those who are being discriminated against or persecuted for their faith in Christ in the nation of Pakistan. You can do something life-changing by sponsoring a missionary today!
For More Information Please Contact Us
Independent Church in India
PO Box 238
Fredericksburg, PA 17026
Email: info@indchurch.org
Phone (717) 865-7885