Abraham Thomas talked with our staff via Zoom to update the church on the pandemic situation in India and how ministry is continuing.
ARM is a collection of ministries that include Logos College, orphan care, evangelism, and more.
Our lockdown has been eased, although now that cases are on the rise again, there is talk that we might go into lockdown again. For some, the lockdown is not so bad, they can work from home. But for the many who work daily, get their pay daily, buy their groceries daily, they were literally starving. The government supplied some rice. But even the social workers couldn’t to get out in the beginning to buy groceries and distribute. We have distributed 4,000 grocery kits, but that is nothing compared to the starvation.
Suicide rates are going up. People think there is no other way. We got permission from the police to meet with a group of auto rickshaw drivers, about 40 of them. They are daily workers and could not work. We gave them grocery kits and shared the story of the Good Samaritan and the gospel. One came to the leader to say this: “I have three children. There was nothing to eat. I don’t have money to pay rent. I wanted to commit suicide 3 times, but everybody’s at home so I could not do it. My heart is beating all the time [anxiety]. But when I hear about Good Samaritan, it’s like some cold water poured into my heart and it became still, very peaceful.” We are still working with him.
Why are there no video clips?
We talked with Abraham about a new work supported by Calvary among a largely unreached people group and a lot of other things. But public Christianity - including on the Internet - can be risky so we’re sticking to print.
Even though we are not locked down anymore, there are restrictions and rules for gathering that we cannot meet so the school [Logos College] will delay opening and we are not opening the church. We encourage people to gather every Sunday morning in their homes and do a service. We send them sermon audio clips in advance to play during their service, and we do a weekly study for people to listen to and study the Word on Wednesday or Thursday. So we cannot gather, but there is worship in all our homes, and pastors visit families with social distancing when they can.
I didn’t know what I should be doing when the lockdown was announced, then one of my wife’s relatives asked for classes on Revelation. I made 30 audio clips, one a day, and sent them. Those clips have been passed on friend to friend, and – praise God! – the impact has been tremendous. Many of the people receiving them are nominal Christians so I tried to include a brief salvation message in each one. Now we are praying for all those people who heard the gospel to come to salvation. And I’m about to start making audio of theology classes for lay people. Simple doctrines. I can teach a lot about salvation and God’s plan for the church that way. I’ll do ministry that way. It’s a great opportunity.
Abraham asked that Calvary be praying in these ways for Agape Royal Ministries and the students of Logos College:
Pray that we will continue to be a blessing to people like the 3-wheel rickshaw drivers and others who are hungry or in need of medication and care.
Pray that we will have more opportunities to share the gospel and bless people.
Pray for the couples at work among the Santhal people. They themselves are Santhal so they have opportunities others do not, but the pandemic is slowing their progress. Now as they are able to be out and talk to people more, we hope to see hope spread.
Agape Royal Ministries is on Facebook as is Logos College. Visit these pages to see more of what this partner is doing.
