Passion and Persecution

“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (Acts 4:29, NIV)

Fanatics disturbed Pastor “K’s” workplace and seized the sewing machines through which he ran a sewing center.  They put him behind bars for few days and threatened him of further consequences if he continues to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. The political situation has gotten worse in this place and Pastor “K” and his family needs our prayers more than ever – they are in serious jeopardy.

Pastor “K” sent us an urgent prayer request: “I am fine and we hope you are fine. The situation in this area is not good; one fanatical person gave report to police that Christians are converting others. I was put into jail and a friend of mine was an advocate before the court and then he gave bail for me to be released. When released from jail I had to move from my rented home as fanatics would come and break windows and threaten me and my family. Please pray for me as I am making repairs to my home, pray as we may have to change homes once again. Also, please pray for me and my family as we continue to minster here that God will open a way for the Gospel!

Another Pastor from the same geographical location, Pastor “V” wrote us providing an update on their ministry as well as the fear they have for their lives.  “Many times believers have been threatened to leave working in this group. They are bold enough to share the gospel to this group touching the lives. We are doing certain compassion work to show them the love of Jesus. The good thing is that the people in very secret are coming to know the real God and people are coming to Christ.”  Pastor “V” and his family are doing tremendous work even though their lives are threatened and they are forced to leave the place and demanded to not share the gospel. Despite the oppressive and difficult situations, Pastor “V” and his family are touching the lives of people, sowing the seeds of Good News. AMEN

Sample of prayer requests we receive:

Pray for the protection of our family as we are threatened daily.

Pray that God will give us His wisdom and new strategies to reach others more effectively.

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for MY sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” (Matthew 5:11-12a NKJV).

It is hard for us to wrap our minds around the fact that a person who is so passionate about reaching his family, friends or people of his tribe for Jesus Christ, they will endure unthinkable persecution.  However, this is the life of many of our Christian partners that minister in some of the most difficult, unreached areas in the world. Many have come to me, after being persecuted, telling me how honored and worthy they feel to be persecuted for the Gospel. For most of us, this is hard to understand and grasp, but it does say in God’s Word we will be persecuted for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus even said, my paraphrase, if they did not accept ME what makes you think they will accept you, you will be persecuted because of ME!

If you are not already aware, pay close attention, as the persecution of Christians is not only happening abroad; however also in our own back door.  There is an intense religious war right here in America! It is being fought every day in our schools, our government and our businesses.

To mention a few examples: Columbine; attacks against Chick-fil-a for their Christian stance; protests against Hobby Lobby for their Christian beliefs yet they stood firm against abortion – There are countless more!

The persecution of believers here in America is increasing! We can learn how to endure persecution and use it to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the words that Jesus spoke, from biblical accounts of others, of brothers and sisters abroad and in the US.  “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring Good News, who proclaim peace…” (Isaiah 52: 7a NIV)

A Prayer of Compassion from Mother Teresa:

Lord, open our eyes that we may see you in our brothers and sisters.                                                                                                                         Lord, open our ears that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed.                                                                                                                Lord, open our hearts that we may love each other as you love us.                                                                                                                                      Renew in us your spirit.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Lord , free us and make us one.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 AMEN.

Helping Hands In Motion is committed to prayerfully and financially supporting our persecuted faithful believers in ministry. Please join us in lifting them up to the Lord for protection and endurance. And fervently pray for America! This wonderful country was founded by Christians, based upon freedom of religion and expression. These liberties are now in danger, one-by-one they are being removed. We must earnestly seek God and ask Him for help!

PRAY: We ask you to pray with us for the persecuted while they passionately serve and take the Gospel to difficult areas.

SUPPORT: We ask you to financially support the ministry of Helping Hands In Motion, as we encourage, enable and empower national indigenous leaders with resources to reach their communities, cities and countries for Jesus Christ!

Thanking God! Glimpses of what God is Doing!

There is so much exciting and wonderful news we want to share with you. The Lord is doing so much in the areas of ministry that He has placed us in – it is difficult to know where to start.

Helping Hands In Motion is being used by the Lord to Encourage, Empower, and Enable National Indigenous Leaders to reach their communities for Christ by Investing in Lives, Impacting the World.  It is awesome to be a part of what He is doing! 2012 was a successful & rewarding year. I want to highlight a few so you will know what He is doing so you too can be excited, pumped and praying for every aspect of this ministry!

INDIA: We just returned from India where a medical team went into remote villages to give a healing touch, prayers of comfort and sharing Jesus! Hundreds of people in need of physical help came; they were tenderly touched, examined, given medication and were prayed over. These brave men and women of the medical team traveled to the other side of the world to give a “Jesus Touch” to so many needy people. These efforts have and will continue to open doors of ministry in these villages.  There are so many stories we could tell of how this ministry has reach many for Christ. Because of this ministry, we have seen people experience one of these camps and then start attending a church or fellowship and then become followers of Jesus Christ. We have seen healings though these camps. Many healings happened because of the doctors giving their touch, but we have seen and have had reports of where God has brought physical healings to people through these camps. All of this is done so people will be open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank the Lord for these brave men and women giving their time, talents and funds to do this awesome outreach ministry. If you want to be a part of one of these teams please contact me.

HAITI: As you may know there had been a water shortage at the House Of Blessings. We have had to purchase several truckloads of water for the orphanage and teams coming. After one teams time in Haiti and hearing about the need for water, team member Stephanie Huebner wanted to do something about it and had a 5K walk to raise awareness and funds. It blew her mind what the Lord accomplished through her. She was able to raise $25,000.00 for wells to be drilled at the House Of Blessings. Then came the arduous task of finding a well drilling company to drill the well for us.  Linda Cox stepped up and started making connections, seemingly all around the world.  Now because of Linda’s perseverance we have a company that will be coming to the House Of Blessing to drill the well next year. It is not over, Please continue to pray for the well drilling efforts. Pray the Lord will have the well drillers to drill in the place where they will hit water, and not just water but good water. Each hole drilled costs money, so pray they hit water on the first time.

ASIA: Everything we do is directed with efforts to share the Love, Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ to the unreached. In India and Bangladesh we are working with National Indigenous leaders to equip them with tools to do just that. Because of partners in ministry, we have been able to provide some of these pastors with small electronic devices to share the Jesus Film (If you want to know more, go to a web site called Renew and look up Mini Vista, this is what these pastors are using). The results have been unbelievable, with these small devices they can share the Jesus Film in vast areas of settings, giving many opportunities for the Word of God to go out.  Many have responded by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!  We have been told because of the Christmas Season many people are open to hear more about Christ, during this time doors are open to the Gospel which are not open at any other time. One pastor just sent me a message of where they have used the Jesus Film movie with the projectors we equipped him with and had been able to show the movie in 3 places in the last two weeks. He is praising the Lord for the response people are making to view this magnificent movie. Continue praying for these pastors for protection, many are ministering in hostile areas. Pray these pastors will find favor and be able to show the Jesus film. We know many will make commitments to Jesus Christ because of this one evangelist tool.

BANGLADESH: We all know how we need to reach children for Christ, worldwide. Helping Hands In Motion recognizes the importance of our children’s wellbeing – mentally, physically and spiritually.   In Haiti, Bangladesh and India we minister alongside the Children of Promise, a Church Of God Ministry supporting children in many areas around the world with sponsorship programs. Many children are presently sponsored through Children Of Promise; many more are in need of sponsorship.  In India and Bangladesh Helping Hands In Motion teams up with Indigenous Pastors and Compassion International to start children ministries in remote villages. The results have been unbelievable, many children are brought into these programs, they hear, see, feel and experience Jesus, they and their families are drastically influenced and changed. Through these efforts we have seen hundreds of people physically, emotional and spiritually affected, thus many have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.  At present, we are working with 8 Compassion projects in India and Bangladesh, with over 1600 children registered. I just returned from being at the start of one of these outreach ministries to Children and their families in Bangladesh. It was awesome to be there and experience this new ministry starting in this remote village knowing hundreds of children and their families will be affected. We know they will receive nutrition, help with their education, social assistance, medical attention and hear about Jesus Christ! WOW this is unbelievable and it will be life changing for hundreds of families. Please continue to pray for this outreach ministry, those working with the children and overseeing these projects. Pray to see how the Lord wants you to be involved in this life changing ministry. You may want to sponsor a child in one of these programs. Please contact me and I will be honored to show how you can help.

These are just a few of the highlights of 2012 and how the Lord is using us to carry out His Command and Commission to “go into all the world and make disciples”. As we search and serve in various ways of outreach to so many needy people, we also help the multitudes find forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23b, “…the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

Your faithful prayers and support enable us to carry His glorious Good News to the far corners of the world. Thank you and may God richly bless you!

The Least of These!

Stephanie and Friend

Stephanie and Friend

Hi! I’m Stephanie Huebner, I am 23 years old and I married my husband, Will, at Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City two and a half years ago. God gave Will and myself each two very distinct passions: youth ministry, and mission work. While we worked as youth interns at a church in OKC, Will was sending his resume out to churches across the country to become a full time Associate/Youth Minister. After two years of interning in youth ministry and one year of being married, he accepted a position as an Associate Pastor at a church in Western Pennsylvania.

Somewhere between Oklahoma City and Pennsylvania, a piece of my heart seemed to have become hardened towards ministry in America. I came from a place where teens got whatever sports car they wanted and had top notch everything. While I am thankful (and half jealous) that these teens are starting out with such fortunate lives, all I could think was “how is there room for God when you think you have everything you want and need?” Soon, I became almost depressed and felt hopeless. My husbands and my current life is sold out to youth ministry, and here I am not even really wanting to witness because I felt like no one knew they needed God. All I wanted to do was get away to a place where people needed God and desired Him. Which is why excitement grew in my heart when I met Richard and Debi and learned what HHIM was all about.

Will has known the Fields’ for many years because they are family friends, and Will’s father is on the board of HHIM. Will has been blessed to go on two trips to India with Richard, as well as trip to Haiti. As I began thinking of what Haiti would be like, I began thinking about how much I would like to live there. Besides the new (near perfect) position at the church, Will and I are newly weds with no kids, no pets, no house, no nothing! After taking all of this into quick consideration, I declared this chapter of our lives prime time missionary time! In my mind, American teens didn’t need me or Will because they have everything!  Their lives are consumed with the things they “need”. In my mind, Haitians needed me! Haitians are the ones who needed to hear the Good News from me! So, if we’re being honest, I expected to want to stay (long term) in Haiti as a missionary.

Since I had never being out of the country, Haiti was quite the shock to me. I certainly did not expect it to be New York City, but I did not know of such poverty.

I got a massive, throbbing, headache within the first 15 minutes of getting off the plane in Port-Au-Prince. My chest hurt from the heavy pollution and raw sewage. I saw tent cities with kids taking baths in tubs in the wide open. Previously I naively thought these things were staged, or photo-shopped in American commercials and magazines, so we would give more money towards efforts. It was sickening! I was sickened that I was born in such financial wealth when people an ocean away were and still are barely surviving.

As we traveled up the mountain from the airport to the House of Blessings Orphanage, Haiti’s beauty became very apparent. The air was crisp the higher and higher we went… and the mountains were breath taking. The very first day at the HOB, our group went on what Haitians call a “hike”. Some Americans would probably refer to it as rock climbing. We “hiked” down a very steep, rocky mountain. I’m not sure how long it took us, but my body remembered the trip for days. The rest of the week was filled with building houses and working on an outreach building at the HOB.

There are so many big – and little – things you experience on a trip such as this, that finding words to describe how you are affected is a difficult task. My heart was blessed in so many ways during this trip. From the children who saw our group walking down trails and ran to us just to hold our hands and walk with us, to the man who sang “How Great Is Our God” while walking us back to the HOB after building his family a stable new home. From the kids at the HOB singing during devotions, to watching the team you came with encouraging each other when the day is almost over. It is impossible for your core being to be left untouched.

I had such mixed feelings about leaving everything Haiti, the kids at the HOB, and the team I came with. On one side, I was so sad to leave the new family I made in that quick week. I was sad to leave a place that God is needed. On the other side, a fresh desire was sparked in my heart. I had a desire to share God’s love with the youth in our home church and community. God made it very clear to me that while the youth in God’s ministry at our home church may not be in need the way Haitians are in need, they are, in fact, in need. My trip to Haiti fanned the passions in my soul. I understood more clearly that my responsibility as a Christian and in this chapter of my life is to show our teens that the material items we are suffocated with will never fulfill us. No sports car, no shoes, no grades or job will ever satisfy our hunger for fulfillment. The only One mighty enough to wholly fill the hole in our hearts is Jesus Christ!

While this revelation had a great impact on my life and got me excited to head home, my heart still longed to help the HOB. One thing I will never forget is when Richard asked our group to not make any promises to any Haitians while we were there. He said something like, “I know you all have good intentions in the promises you make, but Americans tend to get back to the states and forget their promise. The problem is that Haitians never will.” I was heart broken at the truth in his words. I held my tongue the whole week, catching myself every time I was tempted to make a promise. I left them feeling like they gave me more than I gave them. I left feeling determined that I would not be the American that got caught up with life and forgot about my family-like friends. I started planning how I would financially help the HOB through HHIM. I considered all small things, like sewing and selling dresses, and giving the profit to HHIM. This plan quickly shriveled when I realized the dresses weren’t coming out of the sewing machine the way I had created them in my head. Thank God He had other plans!

One early morning months after our trip to Haiti, I woke up to what I am confident was a God given vision: a walk-a-thon. (One thing to know about me is that I am a dreamer, not a realist, and I have never, ever, been one to carry out a dream. In other words, I rarely stick with something that takes longer than a week to see results.) That very morning I googled “How to plan a walk-a-thon”. The first site I clicked gave me five quick steps to plan a successful walk-a-thon. For someone who isn’t good at committing to long term projects, five steps was probably the best thing I could have read. After considering this, I emailed Richard to see what the top three needs were at the House of Blessings. He responded with my requested top three needs but noted importance on the water crisis. He said he was having to make frequent trips down into Port-Au-Prince to get 1500 gallons of water that cost $200+ per trip. Between these water runs, the kids had to “hike” down that mountain I previously spoke about with buckets to get water for the day. He estimated the price of the water well to be $15,000. I jotted down some ideas and took it to my neighbor lady, who at the time, I did not realize was on our church’s mission board. I told her what God planted on my heart and showed her the 5 quick and easy steps it would take to make the walk-a-thon happen and she said “Great! I’ll arrange a meeting for the missions board. You can present it this Sunday!”  ”This Sunday!?”, I was thinking. This was not quite the answer I was looking for, but it certainly got me moving!

I began praying about different people I could ask to be on my planning team. In the end, I had one friend, Brittany, who felt called to help. As time went on I learned there is significantly more to planning an event such as a walk-a-thon than the deceiving google article claimed. I had never related with the saying “the blind leading the blind” so much in my life. The closest thing I have done to a fundraiser such as a walk-a-thon, was a church youth car wash. Both require sponsors. So this is the first actual task I attempted. Between Brittany and myself, we were able to raise around $2,000 in sponsorships from local businesses to make the walk-a-thon happen. From there I was busy speaking at different churches, researching, recruiting team leaders and members, typing, printing, and sending several different forms to all the teams, getting a website up and running, contacting local radio stations and newspapers, getting a day reserved at our local High school track, getting event insurance, the list goes on and on!

In the early stages of the planning process, the devil attacked me with doubt. I sometimes felt foolish for thinking God could use me, and the small town I live in, to raise the $15,000.

Did I mention the population of the town I live in is 3,000? (I think they added that number up on a high year, too.)

I anticipated how I would react if I fell short of my financial goal. I would no doubt feel humiliated. One night during devotions I read 2 Corinthians 9:10 which says, “For God is the one who provides seeds for the farmer and then bread to eat.” I felt as if God was speaking directly to me about the walk-a-thon through Paul’s words. I thought, “Why would God give me a vision, and not fulfill His purpose?” God is faithful! What a relief that this weight was no longer on my shoulders, that God would provide! I was also reminded of God’s faithfulness through a friend, Linda, who I met on my trip to Haiti. During the months of walk-a-thon planning, I found out Linda was the one searching for someone to drill the water well. After realizing this, we emailed each other back and forth trying to encourage each other to just keep on going. In one email she said, “Stephanie, do you realize how many years the HOB has had mission teams visit to work?”

I am happy to say in the end, 20 teams registered to participate in the walk-a-thon with many “walk-in” participants the day of. The grand total raised $22,887.95. I learned a lot of do’s and a lot more don’ts through the months of organizing. I learned:

  1. God does not call the equipped, He equips the called.
  2. His timing is much better than my timing.
  3. Most importantly, He will provide!

I will end by saying, don’t hold back from what God is calling you to, even if the outcome is scary or seems impossible to overcome. With God, all things are possible and apart from Him, we can do nothing.

 

Haiti needs us to pray with them for Rain!


Extreme weather conditions are affecting people everywhere! Now Haiti is having a drought! In the mountainous village of Callebasse it has been some time since rain has fallen to any measurable degree. Very dry conditions are making it difficult for families to have necessary water for their survival, let alone for their gardens that feed them. There is some saving grace as Callebasse and the surrounding areas have very good springs in the area.  The unfortunate and difficult piece is that people have to travel to the base of the mountain to fill their buckets with the water and carry back up the mountain.

The majority of everyone’s cisterns are dry and more and more people have to trudge down the mountain to get their water.   For those of you who have been to Callebasse and have walked down to these springs, you know how difficult this can be. The House of Blessing is now impacted by this daunting task and we have purchased several truckloads of water to be delivered to the orphanage.  Each load of water cost $200 and with our work teams going in, the need has increased.

In 1 John 5:14-15, the bible instructs us “…if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we ask of him.”   With this, the people of Haiti desperately need our prayers.  Not only for a soaking rain (not a heavy downpour as it will create other problems) but also that they will see God’s glory in the rain.  I am humbly asking for your specific prayers of a heavenly shower to allow the cisterns to fill up and the gardens to grown.

Thank you in advance for all your prayers! As said many times before – We need your prayers, without them we would not be able to accomplish the mission we have been called to do!

“The prayer of a righteous man (or woman) is powerful and effective!” NIV,  James 5:16b

Blessings

Richard Fields

$5 Blankets needed for Bangladesh

Will you help?

Message from our National Leader in Bangladesh.

Greetings from Church of God Lalmanirhat.
This is to inform you that every year in the month of November to February the northern part of our country, especially the greater part of Lalmanirhat, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Dinajpur and Kurigram Districts has to undergo through Cold Wave. You all are aware of the fact that ours is a poor country and most of the peoples are poor and earn their living by working in fields and labors. These poor people’s are not capable to purchase warm clothes for their family members. This year we would like to stand beside them and also like to show our love to them.

For your kind information; we have near 3,000 Believers in 7 districts and we hope to distribute at least 1,000 blankets among them. So that we could reach every door. It will be so kind of you to help us in this concern. The price for each blanket is around $5 US Dollars, so we would like to distribute 1000 Blankets. That will come to $5,000.00 US Dollars.

So, I would like to put my request to your organization for save those needy people from Cold Wave.

Sincerely,

After receiving this message I prayed about what should do, I felt like the Lord was saying share this with our supporting churches and let them see what they can do to impact a family for $5.

What a way to pass on a Blessing during the Christmas season! For $5 you can give a family a warm blanket to help them trough the cold season in Bangladesh.

What do you say, WILL YOU HELP US?

Please send us a message informing us of how you will help!

May the Lord richly bless you as you seek and serve Him daily!

Blessings,
Richard Fields

HAITI UPDATE 10/31/2011

Tonight I had to take the inverter into town to get it repaired, so the HOB had no electric until I returned . . . it was dark here, they were very glad we were able to get it fixed!

Earlier today we were able to get one house up and the second floor on the school started. Along with everything we did, there were still a few other things that required our attention, also.

Today’s house was up on top of a mountain and we had to do a lot of carrying of the building materials and prefab pieces, so everyone is quite tired tonight. They were very tired from just the walk up to where we put it, let alone carrying all the house parts, as well.

But tomorrow is another day that starts EARLY and will be full! Full, hard, busy, hectic yet so rewarding and blessed to be a tool in the Master’s Hands!

Heading to take a shower – a cold one – then off to bed. Be blessed and be used by God!

Enabling the Church

What a privilege we have to serve the Lord with our National Leaders around the world. It is awesome to be an eye witness to many of the powerful demonstrations of the Holy Spirit working.

It says in Hebrews 10: 25: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (NIV)

During our last trip to India we had the opportunity to see the Lord work in many areas of people’s lives, especially in physical and spiritual healings. We also were able to take part in dedicating one Children’s Center and a Worship Center in honor and memory of family members of partners with Helping Hands In Motion. All of our work is designed to strengthen the local church and advance the Gospel!

John with Joyce's Dedication Plaque

The Children’s Center is located in an isolated India village close to the Bhutan border where several underprivileged children, and their

Children playing outside the Center

families, have been given the opportunity to receive physical, educational, medical and spiritual  help. There was an additional building needed in this Children’s Center and this building was provided in loving memory by the family of Joyce Boedeker Gompf for her passionate love for all children.

The other was a Worship/Outreach Center in which a new believer had given land and the church members started building the facility and was unable to finish. We came along side of them to help with finishing the facility. This was a joint effort turned into a reality with the help from the children of Rev. Homer and Laura Snow of West Virginia honoring their parents’ memory and Oak Grove Church of God, Tampa, Florida contributing the funds to finish this Worship Center.

New Worship Center

We continually need to build more Worship, Outreach and Children’s facilities for ministry opportunities for believers. We have seen many people saved, healed from sickness, forgiven from past sins and released from many bondages. Now these transformed people begin to grow in the fellowship of God’s people, which indeed is a very important aspect of Christian growth. We are finding these individuals need an exclusive place for worship or a Church building.

Though many people receive Jesus as their Savoir, sometimes they do not leave the baggage of their culture and tradition. In Indian society, caste system is very much prevalent and therefore people always do not feel comfortable to go to somebody’s house that is little lower caste than them. Of course, such thinking slowly gets eradicated from the minds of believer after getting sound teachings

Church Dedication Plaque

from the Word, but many people do not come to a worship place because the place belongs to somebody else.

In most areas of India, the worship services are held in the Pastor’s home, or in the Leader’s home. Most Indian houses are small with an average size of 12ft x 10ft. In such small houses to accommodate more than 20 people is very difficult and finally the believers stop coming to the fellowship due to space limitations.

In some places the worship services take place in a rented house and if anybody complains about the worship or singing or files a complaint of Christian activities then the owner of the house tells the Pastor to leave the place immediately. This causes real difficulties as the Pastor and then the believers do not know where to go and finally the believers are dispersed either to some other Churches or they backslide.

When the worship takes place under a shade or tree it can be very convenient when the climate is favourable. But when there is rain or storms, either the worship cease to take place and sometimes many of the shades are broken due to natural calamity.
These are some of the difficulties which are faced by our India Pastors and Leaders. Add to this the persecution they face daily, their children also need protected, so we try to get them into a safe environment for their education.

Many of our National Leaders are requesting a place of worship. Though the congregation is willing to help, but their help is so meagre that it would not complete a worship place. Therefore if a worship place can be constructed where believers are coming together they show the sign of spiritual maturity and growth, then we will see many people added to the Body of Christ by breaking the barriers of traditions and other difficulties.

Helping Hands In Motion stands ready to help our Brothers and Sisters in the Name of Jesus Christ! We appeal to our partners in ministry to bless us and help us provide a place of worship for our/your Brothers and Sisters. We know that a place of worship can hold multiple activities such as: seeker’s meetings, Sunday School programs, a medical facility for villagers, adult literacy programs, a place where children can come, hear and grow in a Christian environment and more. These are just a few ways in which a worship facility will be beneficial to our Indian believers. Many of you may want to help us build these facilities by doing this in honor or memory of a loved one. Please prayerfully consider helping us provide these facilities to our needful brothers and sisters around the world. Please contact us and talk with us about how you want to take part in this exciting ministry opportunity.

Thank you for your prayers and support on behalf of our friends in India, Bangladesh, Haiti and other areas of ministry. Several individuals and churches in the U.S. have worked through Helping Hands In Motion to construct new Sanctuaries in India, Bangladesh and other countries. Perhaps you, your family, or your church congregation could sponsor or co-sponsor a church in India as a mission or memorial project. If so, contact us for more information. Typical church/outreach or children’s buildings cost anywhere from $4,000.00 to over $50,000.00.

The Church is the voice for the voiceless, the hope for the hopeless! A church facility is a sanctuary where the Church meets to be empowered to go and be the voice and share the hope of Jesus Christ!

India Update: A Mountain Top Experience

Bright and early on last Thursday morning, the Team traveled from Ralap up the Himalaya Mountains in hopes of seeing Karakoram – locally it is known as “Chogo Ri”, meaning “The Great Mountain”. It is the second highest mountain peak in the world with a height of 8,611m or 28,250ft.  This mountain prevents them from seeing Mount Everest.  They were able to see it a little before the fog set in; some of the National Pastors and their families were there as well, so they had a worship service right on top of the mountain, praising God and singing songs in Hindi and in English. They said it was a beautiful time – a mountain top experience for sure!

Afterward they went to Pastor Marshal’s house and he fed the Team a very good breakfast. They stopped to shop in Gangtok for a short time before driving back down the mountain to Ralap to hold the next clinic.

This clinic was held inside of a church, with everything set up inside in one room. Some of our Team preferred this other using separate rooms – they could communicate easily with one another, everything was close by and easily accessible to them, so it went better, and they felt they got more accomplished.  They seen about 200 patients, but as always, they had a cut off time they had to follow, so some were not able to be seen.  They finished the clinic this day about 5 PM, then went to the Pastor’s home for an authentic Indian supper – rice and everything.

After dinner, they had to drive down off of mountain – it was night now, and very dark, and you are right on the side of the mountain with precarious turns and curves.  Some Team Members were understandably apprehensive about this ride, very concerned until they got off of mountain.

It was about midnight when they got back in Siliguri, this was the night they had to hunt for more hotel rooms because of the hotel they had reservations at did not have enough rooms.

Friday morning was more leisurely for the Team.  They have been going at a very fast and hectic pace, so a slower morning was a blessing. They went to Sanjay’s home for breakfast before making the 3 hour drive to Makrapara Child Development Centre. The children and staff were all waiting on them to arrive!  They had lunch ready for them, and then it was time to play with kids, sing songs with them before having a time of prayer with the children.

Some of the Team Members are Sponsors to some of the children at this Child Development Centre, so they had the honor of going to the homes of their sponsored child and spending time with the whole family.   It was a very moving time for a lot of people!  Team member Phyllis said she never had kids before, but now she does!  She picked out a boy and a girl to sponsor!  She was so happy and thrilled – it was emotional for several people.  Other Team Members also choose certain children to start sponsoring. Some visited the home of a child who is sponsored by a previous Team Member who sent gifts for their child.

But all good things must end, and they had to return to camp for the evening Worship Service. It was during this service that John Boedeker dedicated a building in memory of his sister, Joyce Gompf. Family members and friends of Joyce had donated the funds to build the building that is used for classrooms and an office at the CDC.  It was an emotional service for John, but he was honored to be able to do this in honor of the Christian and sister that Joyce was.  Richard found it emotional, as well. They did not get out of there and to the hotel in the forest until about 9 PM.

On Saturday morning 12 Team Members went on elephant ride in protected National Jungle. They seen rhinos, deer, peacock, wild pig, monkeys and a python – they really enjoyed the ride, the peace of the jungle and seeing the animals in the wild!  This was a refreshing break after the hustle of the clinics.

Afterward it was time to go back to Makrapara to hold the last clinic.

The clinic flowed well, however the needs of the patients required more time to be spent with each patient, so they were only able to treat about 225 people.    This clinic ended very well, they had stopped accepting names earlier, seeing it was taking longer with each one, so there were not a lot of people waiting in hopes to be seen that wasn’t able to be treated.  They did end up taking a few more close to the end.  When they finished, there were the children at the Centre waiting outside for them, so the team went out and blew up balloons, played ball or whatever games the children were playing – everyone had a great time ending the day this way!

On their drive back to Siliguri, everyone was ready for some American food, so we found a Domino’s Pizza!  Ohhh, it was sooo good!  When they arrived at our hotel, they all were full and ready to get some sleep, for the morning would be here soon and the trekkers were to leave at 5 AM!

And so the group of 7 or 8 trekkers did leave this morning . . .  the remaining Team Members will be going to Sanjay’s church before heading to Darjeeling for some excursions of their own (Tiger Mountain is one), shopping and a time of rest or spending it with the National Pastors and families.

All the medical clinics are now completed.  The Team saw approximately 1100 patients at the 4 different location; they performed 2 surgeries on the spot, while other arrangements were made with an Indian doctor for people who needed surgery, and these have been paid for.  People have been so appreciative to have been given this help, but it was very hard on our Team for those who did not get seen.  They spoke with another group that has done medical clinics in India that they would incorporate a “spiritual check-up” after the physical check-up at their future medical clinics.  This was done some of that at the last location & 4 people were lead to the Lord!  The group has worked extremely well together & are already talking about the next medical missions trip.  Crossings Church had other people on a waiting list to take part in this venture, and who are eager to go on the next trip.

The time is drawing nigh for part of the part of the Team, they leave India on the 14th to fly back to the States.  Of course, some of the Team is staying longer, with the next 2 people departing India on April 20.  Richard and John remain there until May 6.

They have had no access to email at all so far in the trip, so don’t be alarmed if you’ve heard nothing or have expected a response from them.

So until next time . . . keep praying and keep your eyes on the Lord!

News From India – they’re off to Makrapara!!

I have spoken with Richard, Sanjay and with Pastor Pam tonight, they were very excited about what all has been happening and the experiences thus far.

Everything is going very well, Sanjay also echoed this fact.  There have been challenges, but God has showed up and enabled them to work in the primitive settings with no power at times, with the Gangtok strike going on, and lost hotel rooms.  And they all spoke about the awesome worship services.

They have had 3 clinics so far, and treated approximately 900 patients, and had to turn some away – which bothered our Team tremendously, but due to time restraints they had no choice.  On the first day they got everything set up and ready, then they treated 450 patients in 5 hours.  They had to travel for Day 2 Clinic, so after traveling they seen about 250 patients that night. On Day 3 they got the opportunity to do some shopping before seeing the remaining 200 patients in 4 hours.  They seen a person who requires more extensive treatment, so the funds were left for that procedure to be performed by a local physician.

I am not sure which clinic it was where the power kept going off, but I would think it was Gangtok on Day 1 due to the strike.  But they kept working throughout each outage with flashlights – they were not to be stopped!  Other than that, things have been going pretty smoothly most of the time.  I am sure they have had challenges, such as getting finished with the night clinic and going to the hotel to discover there was a mix-up and they did not have enough rooms (they had been reserved), so at midnight they had to go in search of 4 more rooms.  They eventually found them, but it was not ones they would have preferred.  But it was someplace to sleep.

Everyone on the team is staying pretty healthy, no one has gotten real sick, except from riding down a mountain last night (motion sickness).   The mountain roads are very curvy, tight turns and steep…usually with a drop off on one side.  It can get to the best of people.  They have been traveling around in 4 or 5 cars to maneuver from one village to another.  It is hot there, the only relief was when they were in the mountains, and they enjoyed the cooler temperatures, even if it was for just a short period of time.

The Team has witnessed a great out pouring of love, with people seeing again after being fitted with the right glasses and lens for their eyesight, and huge smiles because they can actually see!!  And then there are the ones that they have treated with illnesses who touched their souls by the outpour of love and gratitude from the people. These faces will be etched in their minds for life.

As I mentioned, their worship services have been “INCREDIBLE”.  They were in the Himalaya Mountains at Marshal’s church, praying and singing in 2 languages – just worshipping the Lord!  And it started to rain – a pouring rain – but the Presence of God was so “intense” and as Pam put it “the worship was just INCREDIBLE!”

They are heading out to Makrapapra now and Sanjay and Marshal are accompanying them.  They will be meeting with 4 kids that are sponsored from Crossings and other Team Members; and all 4 sponsors are in the team! So they get to meet and spend some time with their child. They are looking forward to seeing the all kids, playing and interacting with them! And, of course, giving them the gifts they have brought from the U.S.  There is a good chance they may also meet the family of the sponsored child, which will be an honor for the families as well as for our Team Members.

They are expecting approximately 400 people at the next clinic, and they will also be dedicating a building built in memory of John Boedeker’s sister, Joyce Gompf, with funds donated by Joyce’s family and friends.  This is an area with no electricity or running water.

So until next time, be blessed.  I know some of you are really missing your loved one, maybe this has helped in some small way.  God bless you – and thank you for being a part of impacting the people of India!  Keep the prayers coming – they can feel them!  They all said that!

Your $10 Donation Made A Difference!

Thank you!!!

Your $10 (and larger) donations made a difference and we reached our goal, and the laptop is now a reality! And it is paid in full!!!

Thank each of you that made it happen – we can not begin to say “Thank You” and how it is impacting the ministry!!   Thank you for accepting the challenge, but thank you for listening to God.  Many of you stated that you were waiting to hear from God as to how much to send, so you waited!  And as always, God always shows up!!! In His timing.

We got everything transferred off Richard’s old laptop to the new one that was donated to the ministry right before he left for India and took it to a Pastor.  And Richard’s laptop was the computer Debi had been “breaking in” for Richard. So when it was needed, the funds were all received and Debi has a laptop  for the HHIM records and books, Richard has his, and a Pastor in India has a cleaned up and really good laptop!!!  All are blessed!

Now Debi has new programs to learn . . . so please pray for that process.

Thank you for being such a vital part of Helping Hands In Motion!!

 

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