Making a Way

You are making a way for people who thought there was no way!

The mission of Alpha Ministries has always been to share the gospel, reach the unreached and unengaged, make disciples and plant churches where no church exists. Quite often, this mission takes the form of serving the most basic needs of men, women and children when poverty, persecution or disaster strikes.

CoVid19 has caused a wave of food insecurity around the world. Recent estimates predict that more than 265 million will be facing hunger by the end of the year.

Thanks to the compassionate giving of friends like you, Alpha Ministries is able to distribute essentials like rice, lentils and oil, as well as basic hygiene supplies to families in great need. Ajay, Meena, and Mukesh are a few of those who are extremely grateful for Alpha partners who are making a way for them to receive emergency relief just in time.

Ajay is a mobile food cart vendor who lives with his five-member family in Danteshwar. Since the lockdown started he has had no work or income. He has loans on his business that he can’t repay and he hasn’t been able to purchase food for his family. “I can’t thank you enough,” Ajay said with a tremendous look of relief. “I was becoming worried we would not survive before you helped us.”

Meena has been a widow for 14 years. She was working in a nearby school as a maid when CoVid19 lockdowns began. She lives with her daughter who requires regular medical care and treatments. Being without work all this time has put an incredible strain on them both. What little money she had saved has been depleted trying to continue her daughter’s treatments. They were having to choose between medical care or going hungry. Through tears, Meena expressed her deep appreciation for the food she received. “Now we can eat, and I can focus on continuing my daughter’s care.”

Mukesh lives with his aged mom and younger brother in Sama. He worked as a clerk in a local library but was laid off when the lockdown started. Faced with uncertainty about the future and with no income for the last few months, the family began to ration what little they had. They agreed to just one meal a day so that their supplies might last longer. Mukesh was very concerned about his elderly mother surviving this ordeal. “This is a lifesaver. I have been so worried about my mother and keeping her alive. Thank you so much Alpha partners!”

Through your support, you are making a way and saving lives in India and South Asia. Thank you for being a blessing to others who are suffering in the midst of this pandemic. To give today, visit www.alphaministries.com.

And do not forget to do good

and to share with others,

for with such sacrifices

God is pleased.

Hebrews 13:16niv

GRACE KIDS: Sharing the hope of a better future

Every child deserves the chance to reach his or her God-given potential. Your prayers and generosity help impoverished children do so!

Rajan comes from a very poor family in a village in South Asia. Like most of the impoverished families we minister to in the region, they barely have enough to provide a roof over their heads and food. There’s nothing left for school supplies and education beyond the basics. Thanks to caring people like you, Rajan received a sponsorship through Alpha’s Grace Kids Believer’s Care program when he was in sixth-grade. That was three years ago, and today, with the Lord’s help, Rajan has blossomed to a great young man. He says, “At Grace Kids, I have learned about Christ, and how to develop regular prayer and Bible reading habits. I am so very grateful for the sponsorship that has allowed him to receive a good education so one day, I can help my family.” The yearly provision for his educational, economical and physical needs has given him the opportunity he needed to break the chains of his past and poverty, and to have hope for a better future.

Sakina began attending Grace Kids when she was just 5-years old. She comes from another small village in South Asia, of another faith. She didn’t know anything about Christ, or things like basic hygiene. Her Grace Kids sponsorship has helped her tremendously. The teachings she receives in Believers Care homes, CBC and VBS helped her to know Christ personally and she received Him as her personal Savior and Lord. She has also learned many other things, including about hygiene and how to take care of herself. She has also received financial assistance for her school and tuition. The quality education she received prepared her to complete her first year of college this year! She is doing very well in her studies and is so very thankful to the Lord and to Alpha Ministries for nourishing her spiritually and academically.

Suman is 15-years old and lives with her uncle in a rural area of North India. She had never heard anything about Christ until she was enrolled in Grace Kids Club when she was in seventh grade. She began to grow curious as she heard stories, and the various CBC & VBS programs helped realize how badly she needed Jesus in her life. Earlier this year, she made the decision to be water baptized. She credits the Lord with helping her every day in her academic studies and in her ability to study His Word and spend time in prayer. “I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for the assistance I received from Alpha Ministries,” Suman shares.

Did You Know?
Nearly 40,000 children are abducted every year in India, of which 11,000 remain untraced according to a report by the national Human Rights commission of India. Only 10% of human trafficking in India is International, while almost 90% is interstate. NGO’s estimate that 12,000 to 50,000 women and children are trafficked annually for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.

We are grateful for the ongoing prayers and support for this work that makes such victories possible for kids all across South Asia, India and Africa!

 

https://alphaministries.com/tcpc/children-in-need/

I Am With You Always

I Am With You Always

Shining brightly in the midst of persecution

When Yogendra Nishad was a young boy, his home was filled with turmoil. His father and uncles were alcoholics and what little money they earned quickly went to buy more booze. Their families were struggling financially and emotionally.

During the worst of it, one of our pastors visited the family and shared the Gospel with them. As they prayed together, strongholds were broken and the Lord mightily touched their lives. Yogendra accepted Jesus as his Savior, and so did his father and uncles. They were set free from drinking and the entire family began attending church. As they grew in faith, they began to see the blessings of the Lord.

But their new faith began to be tested right away.

The rest of the villagers and the village leaders soon heard of the family’s conversion. Leaving traditional faiths to follow Jesus is not allowed. The villagers organized against Yogendra’s family and began to threaten and persecute them, insisting that they renounce their faith in Jesus or face the consequences.

As Yogendra’s family continued to grow stronger in their Christian faith, the persecution increased. The villagers ordered the shopkeepers to refuse to sell them any food or necessities. The family had to walk about 5 miles to the nearest shop that would allow them to purchase what they needed. The wives were harassed in the streets. In school, Yogendra was teased mercilessly by his classmates for his decision to follow Jesus. The villagers encouraged their children to bully and harass him.

For a boy in 5th grade, Yogendra’s world was becoming very lonely. His parents encouraged him to remember the promise of Jesus, that He was with Yogendra always, even when he was being teased and harassed, and that the Lord would make a way for him. Yogendra also looked forward to the Pastor’s visits because he would encourage the family from God’s Word and they would pray together.

They began to see the Lord helping them in every situation . . . and so did the villagers. They began to recognize that Jesus was protecting the family from all their threats. They saw that the family remained strong in their faith and not even witchcraft was affecting them.

God has been glorified in their home and in their lives in the midst of persecution. The children have excelled in their studies and the family is prospering in spite of the opposition they have faced. Little by little, the villagers are beginning to speak to them again. Yogendra is happy and wants to become a pastor when he is older.

Please continue to pray for families like Yogendra’s who are caught in the crossfire of persecution, that they would have the grace to love those who persecute them and truly be salt and light for the world. Families are suffering physical violence and much worse for following Jesus. Your prayers and practical support truly make a difference for our persecuted brothers and sisters!

 

 

*Representative names and images used for safety. 

Transforming Power Defies Human Explanation

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12niv

Many of the people groups we minister to have never had the opportunity to hear of the God Who loves them and gave His life for them. Access to God’s Word is very limited in the developing world. Since its founding, Alpha Ministries has purposed to share God’s Word with these unreached people groups on a larger scale every year because the transforming power defies human explanation.

Rani is a teenaged girl from a small village in South Asia. Her father earns a living as a food vendor. Rani and her family have always been devout in their traditional faith and maintain the various rituals, but their hearts were never filled with peace. Rani’s father was an alcoholic; and Rani was tormented by an evil spirit.

In the midst of this unrest, a frontline worker with Alpha Ministries met them and shared God’s word with them. When he asked them if they wanted to receive Christ, they prayed with the worker and were filled with peace that only Christ can give. Rani was delivered from torment and her natural curiosity motivated her to learn more about her Savior. She also had a desire to share what He had done in her life. It was a joyful day when she received a Bible of her own from our frontline worker.

Immediately Rani started to read and study the Word. She experienced the cleansing power of God’s truth and grew strong in her new faith. The Bible gave her and her family the knowledge and confidence to witness to their neighbors. Rani and her family now lead their neighbors in Bible study and prayer, through which they have witnessed many souls delivered from sin and healed from illness. They are extremely grateful for the ministry and Bibles that helped to change the course of their lives.

In another village, 23-year old Santlal had grown up partaking in the rituals and ceremonies of his family’s faith. Sadly, his family’s liquor business had turned him into an alcoholic. He could often be found in a drunken state, fighting with his wife and causing turmoil in his home.
That changed one day when a frontline worker was in his village sharing God’s Word and distributing Bibles. The worker encouraged everyone to read of the transforming power of Christ. Santlal took one of the Bibles home and began to read. He could not stop reading it day or night. The power of God’s word worked in his heart and he experienced peace for the first time in his life.

Suddenly, he had a desire to go to the church and testify about the changes in his behavior. When Santlal and his family attended church, he told the believers he wanted to learn even more. The frontline worker led him in the sinner’s prayer and began to teach him more from God’s Word. Everyone around him could see the changes in his life and behavior. He decided to leave his liquor business and stopped drinking. He cleansed his home and was greatly affected by the apostle Paul’s letter to Ephesians which helped him to become a better husband. His eyes were opened to the sin in his life, so he confessed his mistakes to his wife and reconciled with her.

Today, Santlal and his family believe upon Jesus are living a blessed life. He shares how if he had not received the Bible, he and his family would have been lost and troubled. He is grateful for God’s Word in his life.

There are so many ways the faithful prayers and financial blessings from friends like you are impacting lives all across South Asia! Thank you for standing with Alpha Ministries. #UntilAllHaveHeard.

 

 

Transforming Kids

We believe that every child deserves the chance to reach his or her God-given potential! Thanks to faithful partners that see and respond to the tremendous need, impoverished children all over South Asia are getting the opportunity do just that.

We recently received this testimony from a young man named, Jonah, who attended youth camp:

I was raised in a Christian family but I was far away from the Lord. I attended church once a while, but my family was very worried about me. After my father’s death, my family began to suffer financial problems. We couldn’t even pay rent on our house. Because my family were Christians, other family members shunned us. They refused to help at all and even created even more problems for us. In my backslidden state I actually wanted to kill them.

My uncle decided to take me to the youth camp of Alpha Ministries. As I listened to the preaching, my life was transformed. The Word of God touched me mightily and I repented and surrendered my life to the Lord. I quit my drinking habit, got married, and today my wife and I regularly attend church and study God’s Word.

Young lives are being transformed with the power of the Gospel!

Through Team Grace Kids, we can provide food, shelter, clothing, shoes, education, healthcare, blankets, and even bicycles to help impoverished children who have to travel long distances to school. Hurting and rejected children in this program receive the love and care they so desperately need, and have the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with the God of Heaven who loves them.

The ongoing support of faithful friends like you helps us fulfill the great commission by reaching the unreached and unengaged, making disciples, and planting churches where no church exists.

Thank you for helping us continue proclaiming the truth of God’s Word and impacting lives around the world for Jesus Christ!

NEVER THIRST AGAIN

Monsoon season across south Asia kept us very busy this summer distributing bottled water, food and other supplies, and doing general relief work. It was baffling to see so much water flooding streets, homes and businesses—all the while knowing that not a drop of it was safe to drink. People formed long lines, sometimes waiting in knee-deep flood waters, to receive the bananas and bottled water we offered.

Many times I thought of Jesus’ words, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). We prayed that they would hunger and thirst for the Living Water and the Bread of Life!

We are deeply grateful for your support that allows us to fulfill the mission of this ministry. Since our beginning over 55 years ago, we have impacted more than half a million lives through our five key ministry avenues: Evangelism, Discipleship, Ministry to Children, MAPS Persecution Relief and IMPACT Projects.

We couldn’t do it without the dedicated help of our Hope Partners—friends who faithfully stand with us through prayer and financial support so we can minister to others. As we read in Hebrews, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (13:16). We are so grateful for those who live out such verses as messengers of hope to a broken world.

Though many are desperately waiting to hear about Christ, it is becoming much more difficult to share Jesus in many regions of South Asia. Believers often face intense pressure and persecution. Please remember to pray for safety and protection for all of our frontline messengers, our teams and families.

These testimonies show the difference you are making!

Bibles for New Believers
The transforming power of God’s Word defies human explanation. Santlal was born and raised in another religion, but his family’s liquor business led him to become an abrasive alcoholic. One day, one of our frontline workers went to Santlal’s village to share Bibles. Santlal took one and could not stop reading it day and night. God’s Word did a deep work in his heart and he experienced peace for the first time in his life. He took his family to church so he could testify about the change. The frontline worker lead him in the sinner’s prayer and began to disciple him. Santlal left his family’s business, stopped drinking, removed temptations from his home, and learned to be a better husband. Santlal testifies that he and his family would have remained lost and troubled had he not received that Bible. He is grateful for God’s Word in his life.

Impact Conference
“I am thankful to the Lord for enabling me to attend my first Impact Conference. It is because of Alpha Ministries that today I have a strong relationship with my Lord.” – Daniel

M:28 Institute
“I was blessed immensely by the teaching at M:28. I came to know in-depth about salvation and many other aspects of Christian life. I feel well equipped after this Bible training and want to give heartfelt gratitude to those who made it possible.” – Anil

M:28 Institute 
“The M:28 training has helped me to go to mission fields with my husband and be a witness for the Lord.” – Lokeshwari

Thank You for your Partnership that helps Alpha Ministries fulfill the great commission!

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
(2 Timothy 2:2)

Fruit that Remains

“I’m not afraid of failure; I’m afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.”

—William Carey, the father of modern missions

 

The heartbeat of Alpha Ministries is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with every unreached man, woman and child. As Scripture asks, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14 NKJV).

Our primary focus is the “10/40 Window,” an area stretching from North Africa to China that extends from latitudes 10° to 40° north of the equator. More than 3.2 billion people live in that region and 95% of them do not know Jesus. With the help of caring people like you, Alpha Ministries goes to these unreached areas, sharing the Good News, training and equipping ministers, and planting churches where no church exists.

I am amazed when I talk to the people attending crowded conferences in foreign lands. I meet hundreds of them who have come to know Jesus Christ because of the labor of a native frontline messenger. The work of these dedicated men and their families is yielding much fruit…fruit that remains! I am overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving whenever I encounter a young missionary in such meetings who tells me, “I follow God because you helped my father follow God.”

If you know me, you know that I rejoice whenever I see a young man or young woman who has come to follow Jesus into freedom—out of the bondage of sin. But when I hear that the fruit of sharing the Good News and training one man to reach villages in his region has led to his household coming to Christ, as well as hundreds of people around him, I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. The men and women we train mature and pass on that knowledge to younger generations and see lifelong effects. The power of God’s Word continues to open doors for our frontline messengers to share the hope of the gospel in a vast array of strategic settings.

Our recent Lanji leadership training conference was a tremendous success with over 1200 people in attendance—twice the number they were prepared to host. More than 100 people were prepared to be baptized as a result of this conference. Many made commitments to become a VM1000 member to help us reach our goal to minister to 100,000 new villages. Over 60 people engaged in leadership development.

Friend, God moves in mysterious ways and His ways are always perfect. God does not send everyone to the mission field, but everyone can partner in the work of missions in one way or another. Thank you for faithfully supporting missions by praying, sending and perhaps even going. May God continue to make His calling strong and sure in your life and sustain the great work that He has placed in our humble hands. We are grateful to be used in His harvest fields to reach the unreached of the world!

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”
― Abraham Kuyper