Category Archives: Stories and reports

“She put out all the idols from her house”

Cross-cultural partnership, Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Stories and reports, ,

The last quarterly report from the HBI India Team supported by Mission ONE indicates that they are ministering among diverse groups of peoples or ethnic groups. They are the …

Pallar, Sutar, Khatik, Maki, Konawi, Lohar, Agrawala, Lingayal, Uphar, Kadasiduru, Badegiru, Banjara, Vanniar, Aasari, Marwadi, Goundar, Naavidar, Sanapallulu, Setti Balija, Patil Majhi, Kunabi, Aadivasi, Bari, Mannga, Sabar, Reli, Khanda, Chettiar, Aadi Dravidar, Parayar, Saanar, Kuyavar, Marvadi, Reddy, Kurumbar, Koundar, Narikuravar, Madiga, Mala, Balija, Brahmins, Vyshyas, Chakali, Mangali, Erukala, Aranavadi, Uppara, Kamma, Kapu, Semapatterlis, Golla, Indiga, Boya Vadde, Savara, Relli, Jathapu, Perikivally, Naidus, Sundhi, Yadava, Barber, Yanadi, Lambadi, Blacksmith, Kampa, Pandara, Majala, Kuvi, Gabari, Baldar, Bhil, Dhangar, Kunbi, Koruku, Mali, Udayar, Pillai, Harijan, Mudaliyar, Yanadulu, Naidu, Dhobis, Gabali, Patel, Banjari, Adibasi, Badari, Roldi, Chamar, Oree, Yadavar, Hakkipikki, Sudugadu Siddar, Mahar, Dangar, Muli, Kumuti, Gauda, Liari, Bunabi, Saha, and Teli people groups.

Isn’t the diversity that’s represented by this list simply amazing? Praise the Lord!

The HBI team supported by Mission ONE comprises some 35 indigenous Christian workers and pastors who are doing evangelism and church planting. The peoples whom they are serving are primarily Hindu, but they also comprise Muslim and tribal peoples.

They reported in the last three-month period that … 260 people received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior … 65 were baptized … 22 new churches were planted.

Praise the Lord!

Here’s a story from Pastor N. J. Meshram—one of the HBI leaders supported in part by Mission ONE:

Sithubai, a non-believer, suffered from some unknown sickness. She was unable to move her body for the past four years. She was taken to various temples and underwent treatments but everything ended in vain. During house visitation time, she told the Pastor about her suffering and asked him to pray for her. Along with his believers the Pastor prayed and asked for His grace to heal her. The Pastor could see the faith within her heart that Jesus Christ can cure her. After few days, the Pastor visited her again. He was happy to see that she put out all the idols from her house. After prayer, she felt some kind of peace filled her heart and gradually she received her physical healing. God did a great miracle in her life by delivering her from the sickness which took hold of her for the past four years. She was much grateful to the Lord and accepted Him as her personal Savior. Now she is regularly attending the church of Pastor Meshram. All glory and praises to our Lord Savior Jesus Christ!

HBI stands for Hindustan Bible Institute and is one of Mission ONE’s long-standing indigenous ministry partners. HBI is led by Dr. Paul R. Gupta. If you are interested in …

  • getting a copy of the last Mission ONE/HBI quarterly report,
  • investing with regular monthly support in the HBI India Team, or
  • would like to serve as a Mission ONE Ambassador on behalf of the HBI India Team (we will train you and equip you!) …

… simply write to me, Werner Mischke, by clicking here.

“Thank you, Mission ONE team, that you have blessed us”

Cross-cultural partnership, Indigenous ministries, Short-term missions, Stories and reports

By Bob Schindler, President, Mission ONE

ThaiLeadersListening“Thank you, Mission ONE team, that you have blessed us”… These sentiments were expressed over and over again by the 18 couples that attended the Mission ONE marriage retreat in Thailand during March 9-13, 2009. The retreat was designed to encourage, strengthen, honor, and refresh the leaders of Mekong Evangelical Mission (MEM), Mission ONE partner in Southeast Asia. Heartfelt worship, sweet fellowship, honest sharing, and lots of laughter highlighted the week. God uses your prayers and support to make events like this possible. Rejoice with us! Here are just a few of the participants’ comments:

ThaiCoupleListening

  • “We have learned to be good listeners. In the past, we have did not put to use these principles in our marriage. Mostly, we expected the other person to listen to us.”
  • “Unresolved issues in our marriage were discussed by the two of us, and we amended those broken relationships. We forgave each other and got rid of things between us.”
  • “We have learned that a holy and sanctified marriage life is important in leading others to salvation. Solving problems must be intentional.”
  • “Because of the retreat, we learned to trust God together as marriage partners in confronting obstacles in our lives.”
  • “The advice for marriage was based on the Scripture and all of the speakers had real-life experiences from which to share. The marriage retreat gave us the best/happiest time in our marriage life in the 10 years of our marriage.”
  • “We learned that we must be open and let God heal our wounds.”
  • “After hearing from the speakers, we realized that we all face similar problems. The difference between each marriage is how each couple views their problems and reacts to them.”
  • “We learned that in our marriage, we must fear God and honor each other. Because of the retreat, we love each other more.”
  • “Thank you, Mission ONE, for this opportunity that you have given to us—the rest for just the two of us that we were never going to get if someone did not give this opportunity to us.”
  • “Thank you for all the encouragement that the Mission ONE team has given. We feel close to you. We now want to make our marriage a model for others to follow …”
  • “Thank you, God, for Mission ONE and their supporters for making the retreat possible. We are grateful for the gift of the retreat that we have received. Words cannot express how thankful we are.”
The marriage retreat team served 18 couples from Thailand and southeast Asia
The marriage retreat team served 18 couples from Thailand and southeast Asia

Note: This is an excellent case study of an investment in a healthy cross-cultural partnership; this marriage retreat represented far more than an investment of funds. This was about strengthening bonds, building for the future, healing relationships, and protection from attacks of the enemy. According to Dr. Chansamone Saiyasak, Director of Mekong Evangelical Mission, the marriage retreat had an impact on the entire “culture” of the organization. Since all ministry involves communication skills, developing new or deeper listening skills became a catalyst to improve every facet of MEM’s ministry. Praise the Lord. –Werner Mischke

Favorite memories from the Middle East

Global Christian mission, Indigenous ministries, Stories and reports

My mission trip to visit Mission ONE’s ministry partner in the Middle East
in May 2009 has these favorite memories

I remember learning together with mostly first-generation, Muslim-background believers—in a one-day Bible study—“Honor and shame in the book of Philippians.” It was so rewarding to observe some of the believers make profound discoveries about seeing their own cultural values of honor and shame reflected in Scripture. One woman overcame feelings of shame concerning her faith in the Jesus—by the truth of God’s Word—and became much more free and bold in sharing Christ with others.

I remember laughing a lot (A LOT!) with my Arab Christian friends as I tried to pronounce a certain name in Arabic—in a feeble attempt to show respect for their language. The name was not an Arabic name, and as I pronounced it, I soon learned that with my pronunciation, it meant “stinky.” Hilarious.

Shoes for beautiful feet: I took this photo in early May of an elderly Christian leader who shares the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslims in his neighborhood. A family-based community of Muslim-background believers meets weekly in his home.
Shoes for beautiful feet: I took this photo in early May of an elderly Christian leader who shares the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslims in his neighborhood. A group of Muslim-background believers meets weekly in his home.

I remember during a Sunday gathering in a picnic setting, I further explored the “honor and shame” theme with our ministry partner and their first-generation believers. “And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15). The principle is this: Sharing the good news of the gospel is so honorable and wonderful in the eyes of God that it transforms the feet of the one preaching into beautiful feet! (Note: In that culture, feet were often thought of as dishonorable or associated with servitude and shame; see Psalm 8:6, Psalm 110:1, Matthew 10:14, John 13, Ephesians 1:22, etc.)

We stayed at the home of the father and mother of our ministry partner. I found this very classic Arabic home to be a place of peace and honor. The father is an elderly and much-honored Christian leader. He had many years ago given up his career with the government and began to follow Jesus. This gentle man is a man of great peace and great prayer. He rises early every morning for an extensive time of prayer. He also loves to tell people about Jesus. Not long ago, he led a religious leader from his neighborhood to Christ. Now, he is discipling this man and his immediate family—along with some extended family members who have become followers of Jesus.

For some time, I had been talking with our ministry partner about a special gift to honor his father. 
So on the drive to his father’s home, we stopped at a shoe store and bought a pair of shoes for him. When we were sitting in their home courtyard listening to these great stories about his life with Jesus, I thought it would be a wonderful moment to give the gift. With tears, I quoted Romans 10:15, 
“…How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”—and we gave this gentle man of God 
a new pair of shoes, a joint gift from his son and me.

Are you interested in learning more about Mission ONE’s partnership with this ministry in the Middle East? Contact Werner Mischke.