Standing in the Gap!

Shepherded – 85 years

“Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Lam. 3:23

“A little one shall become a thousand,

and a small one a strong nation:
I the LORD will hasten it in his time.”

Isaiah 60:22

Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship International

Let us remember the promises of God
to the Fellowship and claim them.

1. Isaiah 60:22. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

2. Isaiah 44:3. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

3. Isaiah 59:21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

4. Isaiah 45:3. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

5.  Isa 62:6-7. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. 

6. Acts 18:10. For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

7. Isaiah 54:17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

8. Jeremiah 42:10. If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

PREFACE

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” (Ezekiel 22:30).

The Lord has been so faithful to us in this Fellowship all these 85 years. After the Lord’s call, Mr N. Daniel left all to follow the Lord and to learn at His feet. As he was waiting on God in prayer, he wanted to see first century Christianity. God granted revival that transformed many lives. Brother Joe pursued these same longings all the days of his life and saw many souls touched and transformed by the Lord. We cry to God for His continual dealings with us as God looks for those who have a broken and contrite spirit and tremble at His word.  God says, “I sought for a man … [to] stand in the gap.” Having seen revival visitations, we cannot be satisfied with anything else.   

At a time when governments all over the world are trying hard to contain the coronavirus, we praise God that we can call upon the Lord and look to Him in prayer and move forward. It is only under God’s protection that one is safe. The coronavirus has brought the whole world to a grinding halt, bringing untold suffering to people. So many people are left without food and the basic necessities of life, and thousands have lost their jobs.  At this sad and desperate time, we praise God that we are cast on the Lord to grow in prayer and faith. We look to the Lord to utilize this opportunity to proclaim and lift up the “Saviour of the world”—Jesus.

NEW CENTRES AND ADVANCES

“Elim Clinic” in Beulah Gardens
The dear Lord in His mercy has helped us to start a Gospel clinic at Beulah Gardens to reach and serve the needy people around that area. A team of our brothers worked day and night to get everything ready at short notice for Dr. Lily Daniel to cut the ribbon and declare it open in July 2019. This clinic is called “Elim Clinic.” Many gathered on this occasion and a few patients received treatment on the first day itself.

Dr. Dhanusha Sam from Sri Lanka, who did her medical studies in CMC, Vellore, is serving the Lord at this missionary gospel clinic. She and her husband, Sam, are under training in Beulah Gardens. Many patients are turning up daily at our clinic for treatment and they are given the Gospel and invited to attend our Sunday services. Let us pray for this effort, that many souls are touched by the Lord and become witnesses to spread the good news of the gospel.

New Hall in Gurdaspur, Punjab
Gurdaspur, on the Indo-Pakistan border, occupied a special place in the heart of Bro. Joe. When he conducted revival meetings in 2009, many people afflicted by evil spirits found deliverance and several drug addicts turned to the Lord. The work of the Lord has been going on under the good hand of the Lord who has been touching and transforming souls ever since.

Seeing the great need here, Bro. John Daniel was led by God to construct a prayer hall in a central place. As a result, a new hall has come up adjacent to the four-lane highway. On the evening of 20 January, Bro. John arrived along with Sister Lily and Lydia. He dedicated the prayer hall by cutting the ribbon and preached in the evening meeting. Sister Lily was also used by God at these meetings. Many attended the meetings in spite of the inclement weather conditions. God blessed the seasons of prayer. During one of the prayer sessions, one demon-possessed woman, hailing from a Sikh background, was delivered after much prayer. 

There was a special child dedication service when 27 children were dedicated and prayed for. Thus the meetings were blessed and owned of the Lord as the dear Lord granted His Word and His presence. The hall was packed to capacity and already it is too small. May the Lord help us to grow in faith to see the whole state reached for the Lord.

New Hall in Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Machilipatnam is one of our old centres where the work of the Lord has been going on for many years. The Lord has touched many souls and our hall could not accommodate the growing congregation. God in His mercy directed Bro. Joe to plan and design a new hall where a few thousand people could sit and hear God’s word.

The revival meetings coincided with the opening of the new hall when Bro. John Daniel came over to dedicate this hall and to address the revival meetings here.  As the hall got filled up quickly, many had to sit outside in front of screens and watch the messages. Some were seated on the adjacent road as there was no room in our premises. People were hungry and receptive to hear God’s word. Let us pray for a great harvest of souls out of the simple labours here.

Sundarbans, West Bengal
In the marshy lands of the Sundarbans, the dear Lord helped us to construct a medium-sized prayer hall to gather in people. Brother Israel and his wife, Chinni, have commenced their labours for the Lord here amongst the poor and needy people. There were many people present in the first meeting in our hall. In addition, the gospel clinic here serves the people in this area as our medical team from Calcutta comes regularly to serve the people. Let us pray that the whole of the Sundarbans may be reached with the Gospel.

Meetings in Port Blair, Andamans
The ministry in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands started in the house of one of our converted brothers who is reaching the local people with the gospel message. The Lord in His mercy helped us to arrange special meetings in the capital city of Port Blair where the meetings were held in a rented place.  Around 60 people attended the meetings and the Lord granted His word to these needy people.

People are beginning to value the message about repentance, purity of heart, and a clean conscience. More people are now attending our Sunday service. The need here is so great and much prayer is required.

On-line Annual Retreat 2020
The Lord has been faithful and has enabled us to meet in His presence in the Annual Retreats since 1944. Although Beulah Gardens was prepared to receive the people for the Retreat this year, we could not meet together at Beulah Gardens due to the restrictions placed on travel to keep the coronavirus from spreading. So for the first time, the Lord in His great mercy enabled the Retreat to be online.

Many expressed great blessing from all over the world. It was reported that many families could sit together and hear God’s word with their children.

People continue to hear the messages in various languages even today. Over 50,000 people heard God’s word online from the website, with many more gathered around in groups to hear God’s word. Let us pray that the Spirit of God will work in people’s lives and that God’s name will be greatly glorified at this time of great uncertainty. We praise God that we can look up to the Lord in prayer and see His hand going before us.

LEFI on YouTube and Facebook
Although we hesitated to enter social media for a long time due to its negative impact on so many lives, after much prayer and due to the virus clampdown which kept people from going to hear God’s word at our centres, the Lord has enabled us to launch out to reach people in their homes with the word of God.    
The links on our main website (www.lefi.org) will take you to our official YouTube channel named, “The Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship” and also our official Facebook page.  (Please note that many other sites are unofficial and unauthorized).  Many would like to make a big show on social media these days to impress others and do not realize the huge responsibility to pass on the gospel in a faithful and consistent way, maintaining the testimony of the Lord. What matters is our individual lives of obedience to the Lord.
Please introduce these official links to your friends and colleagues so that they can subscribe in their various languages and be reached with the gospel and pray much for this effort.

WORLDWIDE LABOURS

Summer Retreat, Sebring, Ohio, US
The Lord blessed the Summer Retreat in August with his presence as many earnest young people gathered to hear God’s word. People were convicted of their sins and the sins of their families and asked for prayer. A team of our brothers and sisters stood in and gladly served in the kitchen. Let us pray for the weekly Saturday night fasting prayer conference call and that the blessing will spread as people obey the Lord.

Thanksgiving Retreat, Novi, US
The Lord brought people from many places to hear God’s word. The Lord granted us His word and the times of prayer were blessed by the Lord. God kept the weather under control and kept the snow away for the weekend. We praise God for the safety He grants to all who travel long distances to the retreats around the world.

US Easter Retreat
In spite of the travel restrictions in many parts of the country due to the coronavirus, the Lord enabled us to move forward with the Easter Retreat. Although a limited number of people could attend in person, most people watched the live messages online. Let us pray that people will humble themselves and turn to the Lord at this time of sickness and death and that the Cross of Christ is lifted up. Let us serve the risen Saviour faithfully while we are here on earth. Let us pray for lasting blessing as the Word of God goes out to many people.

German Retreat
The Lord blessed the retreat which was held in a youth centre in Göttingen, a university town. New people were present and were hungry for God’s word. Let us pray that God’s Spirit will work in people’s hearts to move forward in faith, which results in obedience to God’s word and then in blessing.

Guyana, South America
The Lord blessed the revival meetings in Georgetown, Guyana, as many people were accommodated in a nice spacious tent. The Lord held off the rain as the loudspeakers carried the message into the neighbourhood and many of the neighbours came out to hear God’s word. There were people from Venezuela and near the borders of Brazil who were present at the meetings.

Many are being reached by our TV and radio programmes which cover the whole country and many parts of the Caribbean. God is raising up many local families to stand as witnesses in the community. Let us pray that the Spirit of God will do a deep work in each heart and life.

One of the evening meetings was held in Diamond, a suburb of Georgetown, where people gathered to hear God’s word. Let us pray for a Hindu pandit who requested prayer. Another gentleman said that he hears our radio programme “The Lord’s challenge” in Canada and also in Guyana. We praise God for His many mercies and pray for the touch of the Lord amongst the great need of people today.

Retreat in Melbourne, Australia
God blessed the retreat in Melbourne, Australia, which took place in the Scots Presbyterian Church, Footscray. The Lord granted His presence and His Word under the theme, “The Cross of Christ.” People came from Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Newcastle, Deniliquin, and Moama.

There were several prayer sessions after the messages, including fasting prayer on Saturday night. People poured out their hearts unto the Lord. The Bible Study times on two occasions were greatly blessed. Let us pray for all who heard God’s word that they would remember, reflect, and obey God’s word in their lives.

YOUTH & CHILDREN’S CAMPS

The International Students’ Camp
The students’ camp at Beulah Gardens is always a special occasion when thousands of young students pour in with much hunger and expectation for God’s touch in their lives. Over the years, God in His mercy has touched hundreds of precious young people at this camp and transformed their lives and some of them received God’s call to serve Him. Much prayer went up for this camp all over the Fellowship and the Lord blessed the camp in a unique way. As the word of God is spreading into neighbouring countries, we had a group of students from Bhutan, Nepal, and Africa.

As the camp began on 16 January, students rushed into the hall and sat attentively in God’s presence. Every morning a powerful message of Bro. Joe shown on the screen gripped the hearts of the young people. This message was followed by Bro. John Daniel who preached with all his heart and the Word went out with power. The testimonies were a great blessing indeed as they heard how the Living God is still transforming and changing lives.

The prayer sessions were blessed as students earnestly cried unto the Lord. The students from Bhutan, putting on their traditional dress, sang a Bhutanese song, and our folks from the Northeast and those from Africa also sang special songs which were a blessing to all.

As the evening meetings are open to everyone, visitors from the city came and heard God’s word. Now we must pray that these precious young students rise up as mighty witnesses with a heavenly vision to build God’s kingdom.

Stuartpuram, Andhra Pradesh
We praise God for gathering around 7000 young people at the youth camp in Stuartpuram. Much prayer went up before the camp, and in the midst of threatening weather, the meetings went on undisturbed.

Right from the first meeting, young people began to open up their hearts in prayer. The Lord’s presence was in the midst and people were convicted of their sins. More than half of the young people skipped their evening meal to fast and pray to seek the Lord. The evangelists were kept busy helping these young people, counselling and praying with them late into the night. The Lord gave the needed Word. We must continue to pray for these young people, that the Spirit of God will continue to work in their hearts and make them faithful witnesses for the Lord.

Guwahati, Assam
The youth camp in Guwahati, the capital of Assam, was greatly blessed by the Lord. The hall filled up quickly and the young people eagerly drank in the Word. Many Hindus and Muslims were also present. During the prayer sessions, the young people poured out their hearts in contrition and sought the Lord earnestly. God used our brothers mightily in such a way that the secrets of many hearts were revealed. We must continue to pray for all those who were present at the camp and for the state of Assam.

Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu
The Lord granted youth meetings in the university town of Annamalainagar for two days. Even though it was raining daily, the Lord heard our prayers and miraculously stopped the rains. The messages were well received by the young students and others, and the Lord granted His presence. We had good seasons of prayer when many prayed earnestly with tears of repentance. Let us pray for a multitude of witnesses and workers to rise up from this centre.

Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
The Lord has been helping our team in Itanagar to gather young people to hear the Word of God at our centre here. Out of the 170 who registered for the camp which took place from 9 to 12 August, nearly 120 stayed on our campus. A large number of students from the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology attended the camp. They listened to the Word with great hunger and responded with cries for God’s mercy during the prayer sessions.

Durgapur, West Bengal
In this dark city of Durgarpur, the Lord has been helping our team to labour hard with faith and prayer to reach and win the needy people of this town. The Lord helped our team to hold special meetings on 11 August. There were several young people in the crowd, including a few students from NIT, Durgapur. Let us pray that the Word of the Lord here will take deep root and bear fruit in this needy town.

Bhavani, Tamil Nadu
The three days of revival meetings held at Bhavani in February were owned by the Lord. About 300 people heard the Word with rapt attention. They were like follow-up meetings for many students who attended the students’ camp held at Beulah Gardens. The testimonies shared by a few soundly converted brothers were a challenge to many. As the Spirit of God came upon the congregation during the prayer time, many lifted up their voices and cried to the living God. Let us pray that God may do a deep work in all their hearts.

Mumbai, Maharashtra
At the special meetings in our centre from 8 to 10 March, the youth gathered to hear God’s Word during the day, and the evening meetings were open for all, which were well attended, and the hall was packed to capacity. As the Word went forth, the Spirit of God began to work, and young and old were in tears during the prayer sessions. Many sought counsel and prayer. We need to pray much for the ministry in Mumbai that the Lord touches and raises up many faithful people to take the Good News to every corner of this big city.

Silchar, Assam
The meetings in Silchar in November were greatly blessed by the Lord. Around 80 people, mostly students from the Assam University, NIT, and nearby colleges, attended with their families. They sought counsel after hearing the Word of God. Let us pray much for the Silchar ministry to see the deep touch of God’s Spirit in the lives of many.

Kolar Gold Fields, Karnataka
The Lord blessed the youth retreat in Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) in a special way. Although it was during the rainy season in October, the Lord stopped the rains during the day, thus allowing the meetings to go on without being disturbed. The young people sat with great attention and listened to the Word of God. One could see a mighty move of the Holy Spirit among the young people as many of them were in tears repenting for their sins. Let us pray for a rich harvest of souls from these labours.

CHILDREN’S CAMPS

Children’s Camp in Imphal, Manipur
Much prayer went up for the Children’s camp held in October. Around 300 children gathered in our hall. Even though it was raining heavily before the camp started, the Lord stopped the rain from the morning of the first day and sent His word. Many children were touched and blessed.

 Mumbai, Maharashtra
The Lord blessed the Children’s retreat in October in a very special way. Approximately 500 children, youth, and parents attended the Retreat, of whom around 120 stayed on the campus as several of them came from distant places like Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, and Daman.

Siliguri, West Bengal
The Children’s Retreat in Siliguri in West Bengal, was blessed by God. The Lord controlled the threatening weather and we had more than 100 children in attendance. They were all very attentive and responsive. Several of them were from non-Christian backgrounds and they showed much interest to learn the things of God. As the Word began to sink in slowly, they prayed with tears and sought for God’s touch in their lives.

The dear Lord blessed the children’s camps in various centres in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, when large number of children came under the Word of God. We must pray that these precious children all rise up as true and faithful witnesses for the Lord.

Though lockdown was in place, in many of our centres they had online VBS (Vacation Bible School) for the children. Thus many children heard the Word of God.

LABOURS IN FAR-FLUNG REGIONS

Ahmedabad, Gujarat
It is God’s great mercy that the incessant rains stopped just in time for the meetings. Around 170 people gathered for the two-day meetings in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in August. There were many new people also present, with one fourth of them being non-Christians. Students from IIT, CIPET, and other educational institutions were present. We had a good prayer session after each message. Our team was kept busy counselling and praying for these needy people. Let us pray much for ‘abiding fruit’ out of these labours.

Karimkanj, Assam
A two-day retreat was held in September at our new missionary outpost at Karimkanj in Assam where the work of the Lord is going forward steadily. There were around 150 people at the meetings. The Word of the Lord and the testimonies touched the hearers, and many were praying with tears of repentance towards God. Let us pray for the continuing work of the Spirit of God in their hearts.

Gangtok, Sikkim 
Gangtok is the capital of the mountainous northern Indian state of Sikkim, bordering China. Our bookstall, ‘Beautiful Books’, is not far from the Indo-Chinese border and reaches people with Bibles and good books.

The dear Lord blessed the special meetings in Gangtok in October and brought in around 220 people. The Lord used our brothers, and many people were touched by God as they opened their hearts in prayer and cried to the Lord. Our brothers counselled many of the people as they sought God earnestly. Let us continue to pray for these souls in this remote region and for the work of the Lord here.

Chandigarh, Punjab
The meetings in Chandigarh in October were greatly blessed by the Lord as people heard God’s word with great attention. During the prayer sessions, people poured out their hearts and prayed. Many received the Lord’s touch as they turned to Him. Let us continue to pray for the ministry in Chandigarh and for the great need all around.

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Even though some biased fanatics issued threats to our brothers to not conduct meetings, the dear Lord stood with them and helped them graciously to conduct the meetings in a college campus as scheduled. A team of brothers from Jammu, Chandigarh, Delhi, Ranchi, Darjeeling, and Allahabad came over to help at the meetings held in October. There were many seekers and believers from Bansi, Vindhyanagar in Madhya Pradesh, and a few from Kanpur and other places, with many of them being people who heard the Word of God for the first time. Altogether there were about 300 people. The Lord used our brothers mightily as they shared the Word. Many came under the strong conviction of sin and poured out their hearts in prayer during the prayer sessions.

Pune, Maharashtra
The meetings in our centre in Pune in October were blessed by the Lord. Many people from the city and outskirts attended the meetings. The Word of God went forth powerfully. From the very first day, the Spirit of God was moving and convicting people of sin. Many were deeply touched and they sought the Lord with tears. All the four days were a time of heart-searching and humbling before the Lord.

Siliguri, West Bengal
We had many young people at the meetings in Siliguri. They were touched by the Word, and the prayer sessions were a time of crying out to God for His mercy and forgiveness. Let us pray for these souls that they rise up as mighty witnesses for the Lord.

Samba, Jammu
The one day retreat at Samba on 17 November was blessed by the Lord. People even came from distant villages on the Pakistani border. The Lord brought around 170 people including 50 from the centre of Jammu. The Word went out with power and was well received, though most of the people were complete strangers to the truth of repentance and holy living. Some of the local boys were deeply touched and challenged by the testimonies and they brought their friends to the meetings. The loudspeakers carried the messages to that neighbouring area. We must pray that the Lord of the harvest raises up many witnesses here in Kashmir.

CAMPAIGNS IN ANDHRA PRADESH

Stuartpuram, Andhra Pradesh
Stuartpuram has always been a place where simple people gathered with hungry hearts to hear God’s Word. God granted Mr. N. Daniel and Bro. Joe to see great revival in this small village as many were completely broken down by the outpouring of the Spirit of God and their lives were transformed by the Saviour. People who were once bootleggers, drug-addicts, and drunkards became totally new people. The Lord began to use some of these simple uneducated people to raise the dead and perform many mighty acts of faith. Ever since, the work of the Lord is going forward and growing in this place.
Hungry crowds kept filling our spacious premises till the last day of the meetings. The Lord blessed the meetings in a special way. The prayer sessions were greatly owned of the Lord and people cried earnestly for His touch. Bro John Daniel could spare four days for this place and he was used of God mightily. Let us pray that there would be abiding fruit out of these labours. 

Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
After closing the meetings in Stuartpuram, Bro. John Daniel laboured in Vijayawada and the Lord used him mightily in our open grounds and many heard the Word with rapt attention. The Word went out with power and God granted His presence and many souls were touched. Let us continue to pray for these vast multitudes of people who came to hear God’s word with great hunger.

Meetings in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana
Every year, special gospel meetings are being conducted in many places in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from February to April. Teams of our evangelists are being used by the Lord at these revival meetings.

People are so hungry for God’s Word everywhere and they gathered in large numbers. The spirit of prayer was very much evident as one could hear the cries and pleadings during the prayers sessions. Sometimes our brothers found it very difficult to close the meetings as people kept pouring their hearts out before God.

Special meetings were held in Vizag, Rajahmundry, Palakol, Akividu, Kurnool, Badrachalam, Tadepalligudem, Chittoor, Bapatla, Ponnur, Srikakulam, Kaikalur, and many other towns and villages. Let us continue to pray for these people that they may rise up as true witnesses for the Lord and live to glorify the Saviour.

MEETINGS IN TAMIL NADU

Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu
The revival meetings in Mettupalayam in October were greatly blessed by the Lord. We had nearly 500 people who filled our large school auditorium and listened to the Word earnestly. People poured in from so many of our surrounding centres. The word of God went forth with much grace and power. Many people were touched by the Lord. One person testified to having been healed of a skin disease as he sat and listened to the Word. The messages and testimonies were a great blessing. Let us pray for the continuing work of the Lord, that God’s name is glorified.

Gudapakkam, Chennai
The meetings in Gudapakkam, in the outskirts of the city of Chennai, were blessed by the Lord. There were many new people present at the meetings. The Spirit of God began to work in their hearts as they listened to the Word with great attention. There were quite a few people from other churches and denominations also. These meetings were a great blessing to the people.

Coonoor, Tamil Nadu
The meetings in Coonoor were a refreshing and reviving time in the presence of the Lord, as the Lord granted His presence and His word richly and controlled the weather graciously. Many new people were present and the prayer sessions were deeply blessed by the Lord. People were convicted of their sins and received the assurance of salvation from the Lord.

Aruppukottai, Tamil Nadu
At the revival meetings in Aruppukottai, the Lord brought in many people and our hall got quickly filled up with hungry people who heard the word earnestly. The prayer sessions were a time of great blessing as many cried unto the Lord. Many were deeply touched at these meetings and started humbling themselves before the Lord.

Trichy, Tamil Nadu
The meetings in Trichy in November saw so many people from Hindu and Catholic backgrounds listening to the Word with earnest hearts. The messages and testimonies gripped the hearts of people. There were separate youth meetings in the afternoons on all the three days. Let us pray for these souls, that they may rise up as mighty witnesses for the Lord.

Vellore, Tamil Nadu
Much prayer went up for more than a month for the revival meetings in Vellore in November. The Lord heard the prayers and the Spirit of God began to work in hearts, convicting people of their sins as they cried to God during the prayer sessions. As the hall overflowed, many had to be seated outside. We need to cry unto God for His Spirit to continue to work in the lives of the many that have been touched by Him at these meetings.

Thirukovilur, Tamil Nadu
Much prayer has gone up for the meetings and God granted His presence and caused His Word to go out with freedom. Apart from Fellowship people, there were many nominal Christians, Catholics, and Hindus who heard the Word earnestly. The prayer sessions were a time of great blessing as people prayed very earnestly. Some of them sought counsel and prayer.

Kangayam, Tamil Nadu
The special meetings were a great blessing to the work as many gathered with much hunger and thirst to hear God’s word. There were people from nearby centres also and we had about 250 people. The prayer sessions were blessed by God as people prayed earnestly. We need to pray for the ministry in Kangayam that the Spirit of God will do a deep work in the hearts of the people and bring deep repentance and humility into the hearts of the people.

Madurai
The Lord blessed the revival meetings in Madurai in the parish hall of a local church. Nearly 400 people attended the meetings. Around 200 camped in the venue as they came from outlying centres around Madurai.

Many new people were present and listened to the messages with much hunger and the testimonies were a great blessing. The spirit of prayer came upon the crowd during the prayer sessions. We must pray for a rich harvest of souls in Madurai and the outlying centres.

MEDICAL CAMPS

Our medical team of doctors and nurses continue to labour amongst the poor and needy people through free medical camps. They come forward willingly to serve the poor villagers with Christian love. We must pray that these people who come for treatment for their physical sickness are touched by God so that they may be able to see their spiritual diseases too and turn to the Saviour.

At our medical camp at Gudimallur, Wallajahpet, around 280 people turned up for treatment. Many received prayer and counsel to seek the Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus. At another medical camp in the outskirts of Chennai in a village called Soorapoondi, 246 people received medical treatment and free medicines also. A group of our sisters spent time with a few needy people who sought counsel and prayer. At our Royapuram clinic, hundreds of patients received free treatment at the medical camp in October.

LITERATURE MINISTRY

As we seek to reach people of all languages, there is a great need for more soul-winning and soul-nourishing literature, so we publish good books and biographies in several languages. As our books are sold out in the campaigns and book fairs, we constantly run out of stock of our publications. Our book fair teams take tons of books and Bibles with them to various nooks and crannies of this country and neighbouring countries. The Lord is guiding our publication team to be proactive, keeping them on their toes as many are yet to be reached with the gospel. The spacious book warehouse in Beulah Gardens is getting filled with these beautiful books in many languages.

After being deeply blessed by the book The Sinfulness of Sin, Sister Lily wanted all our people to read this book and be quickened by it. Therefore we printed this book in English. Norman Duncan’s book The Journey of Abraham was also reprinted. In Hindi, we published four new books and two books in the Odia language. Many books in English, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi had to be reprinted as the stock continually goes out.

Book Fairs
The dear Lord helped our brothers to conduct book fairs in various parts of India. Many people were waiting for our book fairs to avail themselves of some precious books and Bibles. Even in places where no hall was available, our team exercised faith and had the book fairs under makeshift tents. In one place, our brothers had to have the book fair on the streets by spreading tables and keeping the books and Bibles on them. We praise God for their faithful labours.

In Northeast India, we had book fairs in Moreh, Churchandpur, Ukrul, Pallel in Manipur, and in Nongpoh in Meghalaya, Lunglei and Aizawl in Mizoram, and in Jampui Hills, North Tripura.

Our book fairs in Chhattisgarh were held in Jagdalpur, Bhilai and Korba. Many people visited the fair in each place and bought many Bibles and spiritual books. The Lord blessed our fairs in Jharkhand, in Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Chaibasa, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Simdega, Khunti, Lohardaga, Gumla, Manoharpur, Kiriburu, Murhu and Daltonganj.

In Myanmar (Burma)
In Yangon, Myanmar, many people were waiting for our book fair and they came in with great anticipation. The church libraries, the Bible Society, and other shops also replenished their stocks.

The Lord graciously opened a new town called Myitkyina, in Kachin State, which borders China. Many young people visited our fair and bought Bibles and biographies. Our book fair in Kalaymyo, Myanmar, saw a steady flow of visitors from the first da,y and we had to extend our fair for one more day. In Tamu, a small town in Myanmar near the border with the eastern Indian state of Manipur, a book fair was held that was a great blessing to many.

OUR SCHOOLS

While running schools has become a lucrative business to so many people, our schools are there to build the lives of the children and young people in the fear of God.

Our schools in Bansi, Uttar Pradesh, Salem, Ponneri and Mettupalayam in Tamil Nadu, and our four elementary schools are well known for the good education and discipline they impart to students. Due to the coronavirus, all educational institutions were closed for months and examinations were held only for the plus-two students.

We are in need of dedicated teachers who want to be used by God to build many lives through prayer, exemplary conduct, and excellent teaching. 

THE TELEVISION AND RADIO MINISTRY

We praise God that our telecasts are sounding out God’s Word covering a greater part of the subcontinent of India. The dear Lord supplies what is needed to pay the bills for these telecasts that are bringing great enlightenment and blessing to many people who know little or nothing of the great and loving Saviour who died to bring them salvation. Let us cry to the Lord for His touch upon all our viewers. 

The Word of God has been going out over two popular television channels that cover the whole country of Nepal. In addition, the telecasts in the UK, Germany, Guyana, Jamaica, and Thailand are well received with much hunger and expectation, and many lives are greatly stirred and blessed. Let us pray for the Lord’s touch upon all the viewers. The Word of God is the only hope for all nations. 

In Australia, thirty-three radio stations are airing “The Lord’s Challenge.” In addition to these radio broadcasts, the message of God’s love and power goes out via shortwave covering the US, Europe, China, and Africa. We must also pray for the 15 weekly AM/FM quarter-hour broadcasts reaching various cities in the United States.

PROMOTED TO GLORY

Now that the Fellowship is eighty-five years old, some of the early converts and workers are being called Home. Let us pray for faithful men to rise up and fill the gaps they have left with greater dedication and love.

Rev. Dr. Whitson Paul
We praise God for the life of Bro. Whitson whom the Lord touched in his youth as a student. He was trained by Mr. N. Daniel and Bro. Joe, and God used him to give Bible lessons to the Bible students for many years while also speaking at many meetings.

In his seventies, the Lord used him in the state of Gujarat, where he and his wife, Mrs. Kamala Paul, served the Lord for several years. The work of the Lord spread to Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Daman, and Jamnagar. We praise God for the blessing that still continues and pray for the blessing of God’s Word to impact this spiritually needy state. As he aged and needed special care, he was lovingly cared for by Gnanam and Lizzie and the team in Salem. Let us pray that God raises up many more people in his stead who will serve the Lord with great zeal and a passion for souls.                                  

Sister Kamala Paul
After 90 years of service, Sister Kamala Paul went to be with the Lord on 20 May 2020. Her burden and vision for the ministry among children was remarkable, and many still testify today of having been touched by the Lord in the children’s camps. She was instrumental in carrying out certain administrative duties for many years and accompanied Mrs. Daniel Senior to many meetings.

When Bro. Whitson and Sister Kamala went to Gujarat to labour for souls, the Lord used them very graciously and many people were blessed by their labours. In spite of their physical limitations, they laboured hard with much prayer and travelled to many towns and cities of Gujarat to reach needy people. The Lord helped them to start the ministry in a few important towns of Gujarat like Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, Daman, Jamnagar, and Rajkot, where the work of the Lord continues today. Sister Lizzie and Bro. Gnanaprakasam and the team of brothers and sisters in our Salem centre took good care of both Bro. Whitson and Sister Kamala in their old age. An additional dwelling attached to our centre was purchased to make them more comfortable. At the solemn funeral service, many spoke with gratitude of the spiritual help they received from Sister Kamala’s loving labours.

Bro. Peter Iqbal
Bro. Peter Iqbal was born in an affluent family as the youngest of three children. He was an ardent Muslim and hated Christ and Christianity without any reason. But when he saw the great transformation in the life of one of his friends at college, it impacted him much and challenged him deeply. This softened his heart towards Christ and he came to hear God’s word at the Fellowship. The messages of Mr. N. Daniel touched him deeply and opened his heart to see his wretchedness. The Spirit of God led him to deep repentance and there came a total transformation in his life. As the Lord called him to serve Him, he gave up all and joined the Bible College and was trained by Mr. N. Daniel. He became a voracious reader, immersing himself in the Word of God and in spiritual books.

After his marriage to Sister Persis, the younger daughter of Mr. N. Daniel, both of them were sent to Bombay where they toiled hard and built up the work for 17 years. Their next stint was in Trichy in Tamil Nadu, where they served the Lord for 14 years. After the death of Sister Persis, he moved to Hyderabad where his younger daughter, Annie, took care of him lovingly all these years.

Though his Home call came suddenly, he has left behind a beautiful testimony. We praise God for his humble life and faithful service to the Lord.

Bro. Johnston
The Lord called our dear brother Johnston on 5 June into His presence. He is one of the senior evangelists of the Fellowship trained by N. Daniel and Bro. Joe. He loved the Lord and served Him with all His heart and maintained a wonderful testimony.

He laboured for the Lord for many years in Chenglepet and served the people with much love. He used to travel to many other places to reach and win souls. He regularly visited and laboured in places like Panruti, Cuddalore, and Thirukoilur, addressing small meetings and counselling souls and praying for them. As the Lord touched many souls through his labours, new worship centres have come up in these towns now. We praise God for his faithful labours in God’s kingdom.

Bro. Paul Athi
We praise God for the life of Bro. Paul Athi, one of our senior evangelists, who was called Home on 4 April. As a young man, he was touched and soundly converted in the revival meetings conducted by Mr. N. Daniel in Tirunelveli. Bro. Joe loved him much and sent him to labour in Velliankadu in Coimbatore district.

Bro. Paul Athi had a great love for the poor people. He would go and conduct meetings for the Irula tribes every week. He loved preaching to strangers standing in street corners and would note down the names of those who spoke to him and pray for them. We praise God for his life and faithful service to the Lord.

CONCLUSION

People around the world are suffering much at this time, and it is our duty to pass on the lifeline of God’s word to all people—family, friends and colleagues. Let us search our hearts before God and call upon the Lord. As the Lord’s return draws nigh, let us be prepared and prepare as many as we can to meet the Lord. Let us learn to look to the Lord and grow in faith. Let us give ourselves to much prayer and wait on the Lord for the new year’s ministry.