The Nilgiris

Posts are in order of recency. Scroll down for older posts.




Masinagudi, Gudalur
11th and 12th February 2024

Following our last trip to Masinagudi in January, Sis. Lynette called us to relate that Sis. Esther's family were ready for baptism and asked when we would be available to come over. We had just got back from a successful mission to Coorg, and I told her we would make the trip to Gudalur in a couple of days.

11th Jan

Accordingly we left Coimbatore on the 11th of January, planning to leave right the next day, to be back in time for our other programs in Coimbatore, and to ready myself for my tentative forthcoming mission trip to Sri Lanka, beginning February 21st.

We reached Masinagudi by 5:00 pm that evening just in time for some freshly brewed cuppa chai. 

Sis. Lynette had arranged for a prayer meet in the HomeStay Chapel that evening at around 7:00 pm, so we had picked up Bro. Jaisingh's family from Vazhaithottam on the way to the HomeStay and brought them along.

We freshened up and then got some shut-eye before we readied ourselves for the meeting that evening. 

Before we began, we had a chance to meet and pray for some of Bro. Mallan's relatives who had come over to visit. We prayed for them before they left, and then settled down in the Chapel above for prayer.

Sis Esther's family, along with the children from her home arrived by 7:00 pm, and we began the meeting.

We had a wonderful time of worship, after which I took the time to explain the Importance and Significance of Baptism, Sanctification from the World, The Mystery of the Godhead, and Keeping Ourselves Unspotted from the World.



Evening Prayer at RicRay HomeStay Chapel
Delivering the Message

It was around 8:00 pm and Sis. Esther's family left quickly for home before wild elephants began roaming the area.

We then had a Feet- Washing and Communion Service with Sis. Lynette and the Jaisingh's family.

Post Communion Prayer

Sis. Bernadine posed some interesting questions on The Godhead and the The Manhood and Divinity of Jesus, which I explained at length.

The Word flowed freely and filled us with great joy, the beauty of the scriptures opening up before us and revealing new and greater treasures the more we meditated on them.

I told them that I would bring a whiteboard the next time I came over, so that I could explain more to them from the Word, in greater detail.

After our little service, we undertook to reach the Vazhaithottam family home, and after bidding them goodbye, made our way back to Sis. Lynette's with scores of deer lounging on the sides of the road, their deep eyes shining in the night darkness. It was an other-wordly sight.

12th Jan

We had a good sleep that night, up the next morning and ready to set off for the baptism service we had planned with Sis. Esther's family. We were initially supposed to start at 11:00, but Sis. Lynette had some errands to run for the homestay and got back only by 1:00 pm. We decided to skip lunch and finish with the baptisms first.

Tree house on the way 
to the reservoir
The Good Shepherd Farm that had permitted us to hold baptisms in their watering hole was now off limits because a wild elephant had got in and killed a tourist who had gone in for a swim. So the Forest department were monitoring the place and no one except the farm hands and owners were allowed inside.

So, we had to make our way to a small reservoir a little distance away, which only the tribal population of Masinagudi were permitted to use for bathing, washing, etc.
Entrance to the 
reservoir

Sis. Esther and her family, being part of a tribe frequented the area regularly so they got us in past the guards.

We had a short time of prayer, as the sun was already high, and then proceeded with the baptisms.

Pre- Baptism Prayer @ the Reservoir

I baptized Sis. Esther, her mother Rajamma, her mother-in-law Deivamma, and sister-in-law Savithri that day. 

Baptism of Sis. Rajamma

Baptism of Sis.Rebecca (Savitri) 


Baptism of Sis. Esther

Baptism of Sis. Deivamma



Sis. Rajamma who had been so hesitant at the beginning was the first into the water that day, the Word of God having taken deep root in her heart. Sis. Esther too was afraid that her breathlessness would act up entered the water boldly in faith.

They all came back to the car with big smiles. They testified of the peace in their minds and the rolling off of their fleshly burdens. Sis. Rajamma said she was sure that God would sanctify her completely so that no old habits remained. It was so good to hear them rejoicing.

Sis. Lynette with our new baptizees

Sis. Savitri was renamed Rebecca as requested.

We dropped them off at their place and then got home. We decided to leave by 5:00 pm that evening to get home to Coimbatore.

Our rainbow view on the way home - a promise of greater things to come!

We reached home by 10:00 pm that night, content that our burden had been put to rest and new souls had been gathered into the kingdom of our Lord.

Do pray for Bro. Raymond. We hope to baptize him the next time we're in Masinagudi.


Masinagudi, Ooty Gudalur
24th to 27th January 2024

When Sis. Sharmili asked me to come over to Ooty and pray for her and her Toda (an ethnic tribe) sisters as they were being harassed by certain unscrupulous members of their own community who were insisting that they convert back to Hinduism, I and my wife took the matter to the Lord as we wanted to be sure of whether or not it was His will that we intervene.

In fact, the original Toda religion is the worship of light as a life force. It is paganism and not Hinduism which many people are ignorant of. As more and more of the Toda community embrace Christianity, certain bigots within their own community have been issuing communal punishment, harassment, threatenings, and abuse as a means of discouraging members of the community from conversion. They are being accused of forsaking the old ways, their culture, and their traditions, and partaking of a foreign religion. 

The men are being publicly shorn as a sign of shame, the women's tongues being burnt with coals, or the family in general ostracized from all community events and aid, and threatened with having their lands being confiscated. 

The Toda association there is not addressing these instances of abuse for some reason. The affected people too would rather remain quiet and subservient than come out in the open and report the issues to the authorities. As such only limited help can be afforded them as they lack unity in numbers. 

Accordingly I was requested to address a small congregation of women, in a similar predicament, from different clans of the Toda community, in Ooty on the 24th of January, 2024. 

Before setting out, I and Sis Benita went down on our knees in prayer. In the course of missionary life and in dealing with elements in the spiritual realm, I and and my wife have been endowed with certain gifts of discernment. Sister Benita usually has an intuition or premonition about certain situations. Sometimes the Lord gives us futuristic or prophetic dreams or visions that warn us not to go to a certain place, or warn us about certain things before they take place. And so it happened, that before venturing out to Ooty as planned, from the 24th to the 27th of January 2024, a day before that, Sis. Benita noticed a small black form darting in an out of the hallway in our rental home. Now our home has been prayed over and blessed, and has been a place of peace and serenity up until now, with no malovelent beings putting in an appearance. So she was quite surprised when she discerned an evil presence in the house. At first, even though she felt a slight uneasiness, she thought that it could be a rodent or cat that had sneaked in past our living room door; but when she went into the corridor and saw that the other doors were all shut, and there was no way for the creature to have gotten in or out anywhere else, she realized that it might be an evil presence, and felt in her spirit that it had something to do with our mission to Masinagudi and Ooty. 

Gudalur is very famous for witchcraft, and in ministry life we know that when we travel to certain areas and are working to save and deliver souls from the powers of darkness, many of these entities attempt to cause problems for us. But as the Word says, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper". So holding on to this promise we put our journey into the Lord's hands. We prayed for safe travels and for the Lord to confound any plans the evil one had at hand for us.

24th Jan  

We reached Ooty the next day by 11 am. We had to visit Sis. Narmatha who used to attend our church when she was studying in college in Coimbatore, a year ago. We had told her we were coming over, and she was glad to receive us. Sis. Narmatha lives in a small hamlet in a place called FingerPost, in Ooty.

@ Sis Narmatha's Home

With our lil' Sis. Narmatha
We caught up on old times, and then had a time of prayer for her, and a few other sisters who happened to be there that day. She had told us that she would intimate her pastor regarding our Prophetic Awareness teachings so that we could maybe conduct a meeting at the church she was currently attending.

After we finished our visit, we drove to Main Street, Ooty, where the sisters in question had assembled at a public Park for a time of worship and prayer.

The Todas are a tribe, descended from the ancient Greeks, settled in the Nilgiris much before colonization. They are considered government heritage and have been allocated 'Mands' - acreage to cultivate and reside in by the Indian Government. The sisters gathered seeking prayer and guidance for their predicament and it gave me a chance to share the Word with them. 

I gave them some advice and guidance according to the leading of the Holy Spirit and we felt the Lord's presence palpably at the gathering there.

Prayer with Toda sisters @ a public park in Ooty.

Bro Mallan and Sis Lynette educated them about their rights. We felt the Lord's strength as we worshipped and prayed out in the open for leading and deliverance.


We ended the meeting at around 2:30 pm and hurried off for lunch.  

When we set off from Coimbatore itself, there was a squeaky sound by the left wheel that started getting bigger as we made our way up the hills. It was a bit worrying for me because I hadn't heard that kind of sound and didn't know what was wrong. I asked Bro. Mallan what it could be, and he said that my brake pad had probably worn out. I asked a local mechanic if he could fix it and he said it would take him another 2.5 to 3 hours to do so because there were many other customers waiting in line and he couldn't do it for me urgently. So we decided to take a risk and go down Kalhatty road with Bro Mallan and Sis. Lynette following close behind in their car. 

Kalhatty road as most know, winding down from Ooty to Gudalur is immensely steep, almost vertical in descent, and an accident prone area especially for amateur drivers. I stopped applying the brakes as much as I could as per Bro Mallan's advice, put the vehicle in first gear, and let it glide down the slope naturally, using my parking brake as and when needed. 

Our descent was slow and by now the squeak had turned into almost a scary screech which was quite unnerving and embarrassing for me. We reached the plains somehow in one piece and made our way to Bro Mallan's place, where his sons Ric and Raymond took our car to the workshop the next morning to fix it up. 

The video below is of what Bro Raymond found had happened to our car. Two of our brake pads were non existent. They had worn straight through. All the other workers in the garage said that it was a miracle that we were still alive and were incredulous when we told them we had driven down the treacherous Kalhatty road.


The Lord had sent his Angel to help us on our journey, laying his hand between the brakes, so that our car would not breakdown or lose control. Such is the love and protection of the Lord for His children.

We had reached the RicRay Homestead in Masinagudi at around 6:00 pm that evening. 

After freshening up, we met with Sis Revathi and her mother. Sis. Revathi had been suffering from a skin infection which was being healed gradually, only by prayer and application of the prayer oil we had given her, in faith. She was jubilant. She had recently been hospitalized in Coimbatore for a kidney disorder, which was treated, and she was now back home fit and fine.

Her skin condition too had cleared up so much. It was a real miracle. I spent some time sharing with her about baptism and then praying for her and her family.

I also met a tribal sister who Sis. Lynette had been helping and sharing with. Sis. Shanthi had a lot of doubts and questions about baptism and I did my best to clarify the concept. She was in deep depression. Her husband had abandoned her some time ago, and her home had been damaged by elephants. The walls and roof needed repair, so she had been staying with a relative in Masinagudi for a while. She had a 2 year old daughter as well, whose growth was stunted, and Sis. Lynette had prayed the little one to recovery.

After our little meet, I and Sis. Benita freshened up and spent some time with the family over dinner.


Soul-service in Masinagudi - 24 and 25.1.2024
With Sis Revathi, Sis. Shanthi, Sis. Esther's family, and little Arjun.

25th Jan

The next day, I and Sis. Benita rose quite late and made our way to Sis. Esther's home. She lived right round the corner near the Mallans' garage. 

Sis. Lynette had been sharing with her about baptism and Sis. Esther had been hesitant but had expressed a deep desire to know more. She suffered from a hunch back and as a result had frequent breathing problems especially in cold weather. This was another reason for her hesitance to be baptized, as the weather was really chilly and she was afraid her respiratory issues would increase.

I spent some time talking and sharing the Word with the family and praying for their many needs. I emphasized the need for baptism and spoke about holiness, sanctification, and purity, and how the Lord works these into a believer's life only after they put their faith in Him through baptism.

Sis. Esther's mother was also reluctant as she had the habit of chewing tobacco, so my short message was mainly for her.

RicRay HomeStay
By the end of our visit, Sis. Esther, her mother, her mother-in-law, and sister-in-law had all agreed to be baptized. The only question was when, as it was a very busy time for homestays and hotels in the area, and they couldn't take the necessary time off for baptism.

We said goodbye and walked back home to the HomeStay. Within minutes, we had a visitor. The Pastor of the church some of the Toda women were attending had come to meet me, knowing that I was put up with the Mallans. 

Pastor Sam, his wife Rebecca, son and daughter in tow, were on their way to Moyar to visit one of their church believers. The Toda sisters we had ministered to the day before has spoken so highly of me and the guidance and encouragement we had given them, that Pastor Sam had to see who I was for himself.

With Pastor sam and family - praying for the Toda persecution crisis.

He told us about how he had been ministering among the Todas for the past 27 years, how he had built up a ministry from scratch in Ooty, and how his church was being slowly forsaken by many in the Toda community due to the persecution they had been facing. He was a part of the Open Bible Church. We discussed the matter at length and prayed for a resolution. 

He invited me to his place in Ooty whenever I would stop in next, after I had a chance to tell him about our Prophetic Awareness Meets. He said that he would be glad to arrange such a meet in Ooty if I was willing, in the future.

That evening, we were supposed to have a small meeting in the chapel with Bro. Jaisingh's family who was baptized the month before. 

We began the meeting at around 7:30 pm. It was just a few of us, but the presence of the Lord enveloped us. 

Click here to watch a Worship Video.y message for the few gathered there that day was 'Forsake the Rudiments of the World.'


After the message we had a washing-of-the-feet service and partook of Communion together before I prayed for each of our believers and we wound up for the night.

We had sorely missed our dear little Sis. Maria who had been baptized the previous month, and hoped to meet her the next time round. She was in Chennai for job training and regretted being away so much.

It was around 10:00 pm by the time we ended, and Bro. Jaisingh and family made their way home. I was glad to hear their words of welcome and gratitude, and glad to know they had been growing in the Word amidst the many problems they had been facing.

26th Jan

We spent the next day in prayer, waiting for a response from Sis. Esther's family. They informed us by 11:00 am that they would not be granted leave and would like to postpone the baptism program for another day.

In the Mallans' tree house 
with r lil' star Jonathan
Sis. Lynette's son Bro. Raymond too, had expressed a desire for baptism, but had taken ill due to the change in weather, and so we realized, we would have to make another trip over, in the following weeks, for a baptism service.

We had been waiting for our brake pad to get put in. Bro. Ric had ordered the necessary parts from Mysore and they had been late getting in, so all we had to do was wait. We decided to make the best of it and got in some quality time with little Jonathan, Sis. Lynette's grandson.

We took a bit of rest later that afternoon, and decided to visit with Bro. Jaisingh's family at their home in Vazhaithottam, a short distance away, that evening.

We left for house prayer around 6:00 pm. 


Sis. Bernadette and her daughter, Sis. Shalini welcomed us warmly. 

@ Sis. Bernadette's place in Vazhaithottam


As the family was newly being weaned off the rituals of Catholicism, it gave me a chance to share with them about idol worship, the hindrance that idols bring into our homes, the history of Mary and Saint- worship, and the Christian Faith Life and how it ought to be lived.

We had a short time of prayer and worship, and placed the family's needs before the Lord before we returned to the homestay.

Bro. Ric informed us that our car would be ready the next morning.


27th Jan

The next morning, we were up and packed by 11:00 am. Although things hadn't gone according to plan, we knew that the Lord probably had bigger, better plans, as He often does, and we set off for Coimbatore with a song in our hearts. 

Prayer for a
young brother
On my way out, I had a chance to pray for a young brother who said his wife was due to deliver their child any day now. I pray that I get a chance to see the family next time round. 
 
We bid goodbye to the Mallans'. Do pray for the family and their needs. Helping others out of sticky situations and 'going the extra mile' has become a way of life for them. There is no situation too dangerous that they don't just dive into, no trial too big that they give up on. Though sometimes, standing in the gap, they often bear the brunt of much societal criticism and backlash. They need all our prayers.

With Bro Mallan and Sis Lynette

We made our way towards Coimbatore by 2:00 pm, and were home by 9:00 pm.

Do keep the Toda community sisters and our little growing family of believers in Masinagudi in your prayers.

View from the hills
                                              


Masinagudi, Gudalur
20th to 23rd December 2023.

After our last trip to Masinagudi, Sis. Lynette has been growing in the Lord and many of our prayers for the area have been answered.

The Mallan Residence, Masinagudi
Her husband Mallan, and son Ric too, who had been very seriously afflicted with dengue, and hospitalized, had recovered sooner than expected by God's grace. We had all been praying for Bro. Mallan's platelet count to rise, because it had been at a very dangerous low of 32,000. In a matter of days, and with the prayers of the saints, his platelets rose to 1,20,000, and he was back on the mend in no time.

So when we got back from our meetings in New Delhi, it was no  small surprise that we got a call from our sister the very next day asking us when we would be coming there next. We had planned to make a trip there in late December, sometime after the 26th, for a small feet-washing and communion service, but after Sister's call we decided to leave on the 20th itself.

Sis. Lynette's Home Stay
in Masinagudi
We packed up and left for Gudalur at around 12:00 noon on Wednesday, and reached Masinagudi sometime around 6:30 pm.

Sis. Lynette welcomed us with her now familiar smile and we were introduced to a few guests who were staying with them at the time.

After we got settled in, I had some time to talk to Bro. Jaisingh and his family about the Word, and they seemed quite interested in the topic of baptism, and details about the Apostolic Faith. Sis. Lynette too, had been sharing with them for the brief time they had been staying there.

Sis. Lynette told me that she had planned short prayer visits in the area for the next day, and we went right off to bed after dinner, and were up the next morning for our ride into the local hamlet of Mavanallah.

Moving out for Home Visits

We first went to the home of one of the families she had been witnessing to. This family had a wonderful testimony of healing. I remember Sister Lynette having called me after I first visited the area and asking me to pray over the phone for a new mother and her newborn infant who was drastically underweight and looked like it might not survive. The mother too was losing a lot of blood through internal bleeding. I prayed over mother and baby over the phone, and now before me sat 'Prithika' only a few months old, but pink with health and growing well by the day. The young sister, Sukanya, was well too.

The 2nd testimony was of the sister's husband who worked as a heavy vehicle driver in the area. The last time Sis. Lynette had been there, his stomach was swollen up to the size of a giant melon, and he told her that he had been having digestive complaints, and had been unable to have a bowel movement for days. Sis. Lynette gave them some of the prayer oil that I had left at her place, and instructed them to apply it in faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, and pray earnestly to Him for healing. The next time she visited him, the man was healed. 


These testimonies were a great source of joy for me as it enabled me to better share the compassion of Christ for the suffering and His power of healing and restoration. In the short time I spent with them, I shared the love of Christ with them, how He was the True Redeemer of Mankind, and how we had been ignorantly worshipping false deities without the knowledge of who our Maker was.

I had the opportunity to share with them the testimony of my conversion to Christianity. 

The next home we visited was that of Sis. Revathi, whom we had been beseeching the Lord for, for the healing of her skin ailment. One of the sisters in the village had approached Sis. Lynette and had asked her to come to pray for the girl as she had been in a very bad way. She had very bad burning spasms and pain on her face, down to her throat, and had not even been able to eat or speak. Our sister had asked us to join in prayer for the same, and since then, her skin had been clearing up day by day. It was so heartening to see our Revathi with the black blemishes almost half gone from her face. She told us that although she had lost most of her hair, the effect of prayers to Jesus Christ was what had cured her to this extent. She believed on him with her whole heart. She could now eat, speak, and move her head without pain. And her skin condition had improved drastically. I told her to read the Bible daily, and keep repeating the promises of God whenever the devil tried to attack her thoughts. Her mother too was so happy for her and testified that it was only Jesus who could work this miracle. She said that she had stopped all oral medication and applications and was just applying the prayer oil on her daughter's skin and praying in faith. 

I spent some time telling them how our Lord was a God of restoration, and that He would not only heal the blemishes, but completely restore Revathi's skin to what it used to be. I did not have more time to explain the Word to them in greater detail, but the family invited me over a 2nd time to share the Word.


Sis. Revathi's mother took us to another home down the line of homes in the village. This was the home of a sister who had a few months ago, been attacked by a wild elephant. As she had been walking along the jungle road, the elephant had come charging up at her at a great speed. Before she had had time to react, it had caught her up and flung her to the ground. She had managed to get her wits about her and remembered that if ever a wild elephant attacked, it was best to remain still as if dead. The animal would not touch a dead or unmoving creature, and would then leave. So she lay as still as she could without a sound, and the elephant just kicked at her hip with its foot to see if she was unconscious, and then left. She related that the elephant had only given her a gentle kick. That itself had been enough to cause a hip fracture, limb dislocation, and bladder damage. The sister had had two operations till date funded by the forest department, and the company she worked for. She now had a catheter and urinary bag attached, as more treatment would be necessary to fix her urinary tract and other internal damage. She too asked us to pray over her for healing, and we did.


Walking through the village
Most of the folks in the jungle villages rely on prayer and divine healing to get well, whether from grave ailments or lighter ones, as most of them have a very low pay - not enough to spend on medical treatment, not many people to help them out, and are usually situated at a great distance from a hospice of any kind. This is where the healing power of Christ has a greater effect, because the simple faith of these people is that much greater.

After a promise to visit again soon, we left the village and made our way back to Sis. Lynette's. On the way back, we were suddenly inspired to stop the car in a borough and pray for the area. we joined together in prayer for the Lord to bring more souls to the knowledge of the truth, and bound all the territorial spirits of adultery and witchcraft that had darkened the people's understanding in those parts.
Misty Masinagudi

We were home by 4:30 pm and after a hasty lunch, we went up to our room to rest. Sis. Lynette had told us that Bro. Jaisingh's family wanted to know more about the Word, and that the brother and his daughter Maria were very much interested in baptism.

That night after dinner, we had a small gathering in the Chapel upstairs. I shared about the Apostolic doctrines that had been upturned and hidden by the Roman Catholic Church since 325 AD, about how the true format of baptism had been perverted to suit the councils of the day, and how pagan rituals and dogmas had slowly found their way into Christian worship.

I spoke about the true baptism, the baptism of the Holy Spirit,  the Mystery of the Godhead, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, false ministries, and threw some light on many of the Christian traditions that were keeping denominational Christians in bondage even today.

By the end of our little time of sharing the Word, the family was convicted and ready to enter the water. It was almost midnight by the time we said Goodnight. We committed their souls into the Lord's hands with regard to their decision regarding baptism.

The next day we rose quite late. It was almost 9:30 am when Sis. Lynette came rapping gently on our door telling us that all four members were eager to be baptized. I spoke to them again over breakfast, and we decided to get a move on by noon.

Pre-Baptism Prayer

The Watering Hole @
Good Shepherd Farm
We made our way once again to the Good Shepherd Farms praying that we could get permission to go up to the watering hole this time round as well. We happily were. And it was almost 1:30 pm by the time we made our way across the little iron bridge over the river there.

I had the immense joy of baptizing Bro. Jaisingh, his mother-in-law - Sis Bernadette, Sis. Shalini, and her daughter Maria that day. We prayed that we would get the chance to bring many more souls in obedience to the Word there in time to come.


Riverside preaching and prayer
"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)



Finding a deep spot in the current



Bro. Jaisingh

Sis. Bernadette

Sis. Shalini

Sis. Maria

A cry for more souls

Thank You Lord for another successful Baptism Service

We had a quick lunch on the way back, and Sis. Lynette had actually planned to take us to a few other families that evening, but they had gone out of town. So we returned to the homestay and had a time of rest before we met again that evening for prayer and communion.

As always our Lord gave us a glimpse of some beautiful wildlife along the way -  giant hummingbirds, wild tuskers, bison, and deer drinking deeply at a stream, oblivious to the cacophony of cars whizzing along the jungle roads.

We gathered by around 9:30 pm after dinner. After a wonderful time of worship and prayer, I prayed over each of the new believers, commending them to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. I prayed for their problems and for their deliverance in all things.

Anointing Service

I then instructed them in the way that they should walk, in how they needed to be in tune with the Holy Spirit. I explained as much as I could about the LOGOS and the Godhead, and warned them regarding false spirits that would come to them as angels of light to pervert their new found faith with deceit. 

We then had a short Feet-Washing Service in the verandah outside the chapel, and then went on to our little Communion Service.


Feet washing

Breaking the Bread

It was almost 1:00 pm by the time we wound up. And the family was jubilant and at peace. All those who had seen them that day had commented that their faces appeared so peaceful and had a fresh glow. They all told me that they felt a deep seated peace and restfulness within themselves that they had not experienced before.

We went to bed happy with the fruit of our labours and ready for our drive back to Coimbatore the next day.

We were ready by 11:00 am the next day for our trip back home. After a short time of family prayer and Bible discussion, we bade goodbye to Sis. Lynette, Bro. Mallan, her sons Ric and Raymond, and our newborn believers in the Lord.

There is much work to accomplish in the area, and so dear believers, I ask for your fervent prayers for Sis. Lynette's family, and for many more souls to come to the truth of God's Word in the days to come.


Masinagudi, Gudalur
9th to 14th November 2023.

As promised, Pastor Rajkumar, called me urging me to make it to Gudalur by the 11th. It was the Church's Monthly Day of Prayer that Saturday, so there would be a decent crowd, and Pastor insisted I preach at the next day's Sunday service as well.

So it was off to Masinagudi again, this time accompanied by my wife and sister Shiny from our church.

Driving down Kalhatty road


View of Kalhatty Falls
We set off at around 9:00 am on the 9th of October and reached Masinagudi by 4:00 pm - mainly owing to the Diwali season traffic. Sis. Lynette was out so we got settled into our room and caught some rest before we saw her.

Sister got in pretty late that day. She had been in Ooty on some family business. After dinner, we all sat around and discussed the Word over steaming mugs of tea. We had actually planned a 5 day trip there as we had wanted to spend some more time with our dear sister and give her more of the riches of God's Word. It was quite late when we all said goodnight, and the next day we were up fresh and early for a morning drive.

View from our Homestay

Sis. Lynette was busy with some errands, so we drove around enjoying the morning mist and the untouched wildlife all around us. Once again, we drove right across the Bandipur, KA border to see if we could spot some tigers, but we weren't that fortunate. A few tourists had seen one just the previous week, and it had been all over the news, so we were still hopeful. 

We got to enjoy the usual sights though - wild elephants, bison, mongoose, forest hares, huge jungle spiders and bullfrogs, and scores of monkeys striking poses for the camera. 


We also got to witness a stag fight up close. We could hear the forceful clacking of their antlers against each other in the jungle stillness. It was a fierce and beautiful sight. 


We stopped at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp Ground for some breakfast, and then made our way home.




Sis. Lynette's grandson Jonathan was home on Diwali holidays from school, and we had a jolly time with him all through. We spent our day in rest, prayer, and when our sister found the time, sometime around 3:00 pm, we all gathered together with our Bibles and dwelt on some of the deeper truths of God's Word. We had found a kindred spirit in Sis. Lynette. She loved the Word of God as much as we did and nothing gave us more joy than to revel in the joy of His Revelation together.

We helped Sister with dinner that night, and after a hasty meal, we bundled ourselves off to bed, as the next morning, we had to be in church for the meeting.

Pastor Rajkumar had asked us to come in between 9:30 to 10:00 am.

Way to the Church on Lakshmi Street


There were around 50 people gathered, with folks coming in throughout the day, as some had to travel long distances to get there.

Bro. Jason, Pastor's younger son conducted the worship.


Pastor Rajkumar handed me the pulpit by 10:15 am.


My message for the congregation that day was - The Importance of the Prophetic Word. 


I preached on how Christ had not come to be a part of the religious system of His day, how instead, He had been ostracized by the denominations of His day, and found acceptance with the few whose hearts had been ready for the Messiah. I told them how the religious leaders, the scribes, the Pharisees, who could quote the law by heart, and prided themselves on the knowledge of prophecy could not see the prophecies being fulfilled right in front of their eyes, because their hearts had been blinded by their traditions and dogmas. I urged the congregation to keep their hearts open to the Voice of God.


I spoke about Christ's prophecy from Luke 21 about the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem, and how it came about, and drew the church's attention to the Word of the Lord in Revelation Chapter 1: 3 - "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."


I touched on the Laodecian Age and what it signified and ended briefly with II Peter 3 - how the earth would be judged in the last days before it could be renewed.

A fruitful day
The congregation was quite receptive, and I ended with prayer at around 12:00 pm. 

Pastor's wife had put on a pot of tea, and after we refreshed ourselves we made our way home.

On the way back, Sis. Lynette took us to a small pond near the Whispering Windows Estate, close by. It was an elephant watering hole, but there was much else to see.
 

The water was so clear we could see straight through to the bottom. There was a crisp chill in the air, and the verdure around us was singing in an evening celebration. The ferns were dancing merrily in the breeze, and a brilliant topaz sunset lit the scene with the end-of-the-day rays. We got to see otters fending for a fish dinner, wild ducks and geese making their way across the pond in oblivion, cormorants noisily congregating for the night, bald eagles perched stately in the distance. It was like a a watercolour come to life. And it left us with the question: If this small glimpse of paradise was so beautiful to our eyes, how much more beautiful would the actual paradise be, when the Lord would renovate the earth?



With Sis Lynette and Jonathan
@ the watering hole.








Baby bald eagles on high perch in Picture 2.
Cormorants congregating in Picture 2


From left: Sis. Shiny, Sis. Benita, Sis. Lynette, Pastor Shadrach

The next day, we were up bright and early and in church by 9:45 pm.

After a rousing time of praise and worship, I began the message at around 10:45 am.




Bro. Jason leads the worship

Pastor Rajkumar leads in prayer


There were around 120 people gathered.



My message for that day was mainly - 'As the Eagle Stirreth her nest.', but I touched on the The Word Bride, The Mystery of the Godhead, The Significance of the 4 living creatures before the Throne of God, and how the Lord had revealed Himself throughout the Ages, until at the end of the Laodecian Age, He had revealed Himself as A Soaring Eagle, and was now leading the Bride into a higher Prophetic Vision, revealing to her the secrets that heralded His Coming.


The congregation listened with rapt attention, and there were more than few Halleluiahs when I ended.


At the end of the service we had a Healing and Deliverance Prayer, where, as I had done in Rajasthan and Nepal, I asked the people to form a line and reach out and touch my right hand, claiming victory over their circumstances in faith, in the Name of Jesus, as I prayed for them.

Healing and Deliverance Service



After service, Pastor treated us to a hearty lunch, and while gathered around the table, I took some time to discuss with him, my ministry, and my vision for the churches in India, the Prophetic Awareness Message I was carrying, and how the Lord had brought us thus far.

Pastor Rajkumar shared his testimony with me, and how he and his wife had come to the Lord's service right after their marriage, so many years ago, how the church had steadily grown, and about the work they were doing among the tribespeople of that area today.

He invited us for dinner that night, and so we made our way home for some rest. 

When we got home, we once again spent some time in prayer with Sis. Lynette. We left the premises at around 8:00 pm. 

Pastor's wife had some hot soup ready, and after a good meal, we spent some time with Bro. Jason and Sis. Dinah - who were the church worship team. Sis. Dinah has a younger sister Diya who accompanies her in singing, and Bro. Jabez, Pastor Rajkumar's elder son handles the sound.

Post Dinner Jam Session

With Bro Jason and Sis Dinah


We had a pleasant night jam session and quiet time of prayer, and headed back to our rooms before the elephants began their nightly walks.

Click on the below links to watch snippets:-




A time of thanksgiving

The next day was dedicated mainly for prayer and spiritual discussion. Sis. Lynette told us about the difficulties she had been facing in witnessing to the people in Mavnala, the area she lived. She told us about the people she had prayed for, testimonies of healing, and the burden she had for her family to come to the Lord.

I shared with her many of the deeper Apostolic Truths, the errors in Traditional Christianity, and about The 7 Church Ages.

In the chapel above Sis. Lynette's home

Later that evening, we hit the Gudalur spice market for some spices, and made a visit to the Good Shepherd farm for some local produce that we could carry home.

Entrance to the farm



The farm was situated at the clearing of a bamboo forest, and there was a watering hole here as well, where tourist came to bathe and enjoy nature.


Old bridge

New Bridge

The Watering Hole


On the way back we managed to see a spirited wild male elephant tusker, who was actually coming over to the road to threaten vehicles, until the forest rangers came and managed to corner him and send him into the jungle through a clearing. On the way back, we saw a playful baby elephant having the time of its life on the side of the road :-D

That night, we settled in in the upstairs chapel, and I spent some time explaining The Mystery of the Godhead, The Mystery of Iniquity, and The History of Paganism in Christianity to Sis. Lynette and her son Ric. We prayed for their family, Pastor Rajkumar's family, the Church in Masinagudi, and for many new souls to come to the knowledge of the truth.

It had already been 5 days, but it felt as if there was so much more to impart to our dear Sis. and not enough hours in the day to go about it. 

I prayed for a few believers who had come to Sister's home that day, and offered some counsel to the young ones.

We left by 11:00 am that morning, with joyful hearts, stopped over in Ooty for some lunch, and were in Coimbatore by 6:00 pm that evening.

Sis. Lynette has told us to visit as often as we can, and that she and her family would be much profited by our teaching and prayers. Do pray for her husband Bro. Mallan, her sons Ric and Raymond, and their families.

Pastor Rajkumar too has asked us to visit frequently and has expressed a desire to know more about the Prophetic Word for the day. Do keep his wife, sons Jason and Jabez, and their church in your prayers.

Masinagudi, Gudalur
18th October 2023.

After witnessing the anointing in our Prophetic Awareness Meets in Puliyampatti, and our God-led outreach in Pollachi, Sis. Kavita put us in touch with Sis. Lynette of Masinagudi, Gudalur.


I had heard about Sis. Lynette from the people of Gudalur, how she was an Englishwoman, settled in the Nilgiris, who was active in social work and prayer in those parts, and I had always wanted to meet her and share the Word with her. So it came as a welcome surprise when Sis. Kavita said that we could contact her and share our vision with her.

Sis. Lynette at the outset, was such a welcoming, simple soul. She understood my vision right away and said that she would speak to her pastor about it as well. 

She was originally Miss Lynette Lily White of the Lily Whites of England who had come to india during the colonization. Her grandfather had been the owner of the Ooty Cordite factory and the family had made Ooty their home.

During India's freedom struggle, when most of the English populace gave up their lands and holdings and moved back to England, the Lily Whites chose to remain in India, because it had become home to them.

Sis. Lynette may look like an Englishwoman, but she was a Tamilian  at heart - born and bred. Her mother and other relatives still live in Ooty to this day.

She is now Mrs. Lynette Malcom, wife of J. B. Mallan. Bro. Mallan is a badga (The Badagas are an ethno-linguistic community living in the Nilgiri district in Tamil Nadu, India. their ancestors were presumed to be Vokkaligas who migrated from the plains of Mysore to avoid Muslim persecution.

Theirs was a British-Badaga love story, and today they reside in Masinagudi, Gudalur district and run a Homestay there. Bro. Mallan is involved in real estate, and their sons Ric and Raymond are in the automobile sales and refurbishment business.

Sis. Lynette invited us over for an introductory meeting, as a church meeting would not have been able to be hurriedly arranged. She said that she had built a chapel on the 1st floor of her homestay and that she would invite some of the village folk to hear the Word when we came.

I also managed to get in touch with Pastor Rajkumar of the Assemblies of God Church there in Masinagudi, as it was there that Sis. Lynette went to fellowship, and informed him that I would be visiting that month.

Sis. Benita, Bro. Timothy, from our church, and myself set off for Masinagudi on the 18th of October. We once again took the Kalhatty road, this time wearing of the bend to Solada and going further instead towards Mudumalai. We reached the homestay at around 1:00 pm. 


Masinagudi Checkpost

Sis. Lynette was just as we had imagined her. She gave us a lay of the land right away and showed us to our rooms. After settling in, we had a wonderful chicken biryani lunch which I commented did not seem as if it had been cooked by an Englishwoman. :-D. Bro. Mallan too, welcomed us ever so warmly. 

We got some rest, and were up by 5:00 pm. The meeting in the chapel was arranged for 6:00 pm, when mostly all the villagers would be done with their work, and come home. 

Pastor Rajkumar too, with another brother from his church attended.

We had towed our amplifier, mic stand, projector and other paraphernalia along as always, and Bro. Timothy set everything up in the chapel.

Setting up

Many of the village folk had arrived, and we had a quiet and refreshing time of worship, before I began breaking the Word.

Worship
Sharing my Testimony

I briefly shared the testimony of my journey in faith from the time of my conversion to Christianity, to receiving my call to ministry, to following through on God's will for my life, recounting all the hurdles I had crossed along the way, as an encouragement to those facing the same ordeals today.

Praying for the Congregation


There were around 35 people gathered.




My message for the small congregation was The Suffering of Christ. I wanted them to understand the depth of the suffering of our Saviour and why He did what He did for humankind, and how we needed to present our lives worthy of such a sacrifice instead of squandering it vainly on the frivolities of life.

Delivering the Message



There were a few non-believers there, and as Sis. Lynette later told me, 2 local magician women as well. Most of those who heard the Word were touched and came forward for prayer at the end.

Prayer for healing

Another successful ProAw Meet
With Pastor Rajkumar













Pastor Rajkumar was at ease after he had heard my preaching. And invited me to speak at his church the following month. I had a chance to discuss with him and the other brother who was present, my vision of Prophetic Awareness for the masses, and how it had been benefiting many churches in Tamil Nadu over the course of the past years.

The meeting ended, we went down for dinner, and I had some more time to discuss my ministry endeavours with Sis. Lynette. We talked late into the night until the cicadas started chirping, and we decided to get some shut-eye.

The next morning, Bro. Timothy and myself rose early to take in a safari in our car. Sis. Lynette accompanied us. We went all the way to Bandipur, at the Karnataka border, and were thrilled with sightings of spotted deer, dancing peacocks, black faced langurs, mongoose, bison, and wild elephants.

Entrance to Bandipur, KA

Credits - Bro. Tim

Spotted Deer

Mongoose in hiding

The morning mist settled like a thick sheen on everything, the sunlight filtered through the thickets casting rainbow shadows on our windshield, and a Rhesus ape decided to use our bonnet as a passenger cart up till the border. It was a memorable time for Bro. Timothy who had never had a chance to experience this.

Misty morning road

Jungle sunrise

The Mudumalai Sun

We were back by 11:00 am and took some rest before setting out for Pastor Rajkumar's place. We had told him we would see him the next day on our way back to Coimbatore.

We had been supposed to leave in the morning itself, but by the time we packed our stuff up and set off again, it was past noon. 

We bid goodbye to our gracious hosts who bundled us off with smiles, blessings, and an abundance of avocados as big as a baby's head. Sis. Lynette said that we were welcome anytime, and to stay in touch with regard to future ministry in the area.

The Mallan Treehouse
Jungle jackfruit



Zoom in to see a Rani Butterfly,
now scarce in the city
Sweet limes ripe for the plucking


With our dear Sis. Lynette
Thank you for everything
!


We left the homestay and made our way to Lakshmi Street to Pastor Rajkumar's home. It was almost 1:00 pm, and he had been waiting for us since that morning. We spent some time with the family and had a chance to talk about our ministry work in Tamil Nadu and the rest of India.

Pastor Rajkumar shepherds a church in Masinagudi. His house is right alongside the church. he lives there with his wife and two sons Jabez and Jason. His wife's family too live in the area, and run a home mess close by, so Pastor suggested since it was lunch time, that we eat before we go.

I and Bro Timothy went with Pastor to fuel up while Sis. Benita and Pastor's wife sat and talked awhile as monkeys ran up and down their roof, stealing guavas from their garden.

Ministering in Masinagudi and around Mudumalai is quite a task. The pastor and his family have to be hands on at all hours of the day and night. They own a car so they usually drop off believers who come from a great distance, and if someone gets sick, they drive them to hospital, check in on the village folk who don't have enough cash or food, and are engaged in quite a bit of social work as well, in building up their little community of believers.

After lunch, I recounted my earlier experiences in Gudalur, ministering with Bro. Samuel, the headmaster evangelist in 2008 and 09, baptizing souls in his church, and walking for miles together into the forest to preach to the Paniya and Irula tribespeople, then later my connection with Bro. Ebenezer of Mudumalai, who would host me whenever I was in the area for ministry. It was heartening to know that those first efforts had not been in vain, and that there was still work to be done for me in those parts.

We left Pastor's house around 2:00 pm. Pastor Rajkumar invited me to his church the following month for 2 days of meetings. God willing, we would be back soon.

We bid goodbye to Masinagudi, driving through Mudumalai, keeping our eyes open for wildlife along the way. We took the Gudalur route this time, and drove quickly through Ooty and down towards Coimbatore. 

We reached Coimbatore by 8:00 pm that night.

All in all it had been a fruitful trip.

Do pray for our future ministry work in the area, that the Lord may open many more doors in the days to come.

Solada, Ooty Outreach 
7th and 8th October, 2023

It was after our 1st Prophetic Awareness Meet in Pulyiampatti Village, Pollachi, that I came across the mother of Sis Vasanthi - a sister that I had baptized many years ago, who now lived in The Nilgiris - in a small village called Solada.

Her mother asked me to go see her and said that she would be much encouraged if we could visit with her and share the Word there as well. 

After our 2021 outreach efforts in The Nilgiris, things had almost come to a stand still with the onset of the Omicron variant at the end of 2021, and then the tentative environment in 2022, after which I had a series of international calls that I had to attend, as the Pandemic wore off, and was busy traveling to other parts of India as well.

We weren't able to concentrate our efforts again on outreach in those parts, so I was glad when this old acquaintance was revived. I and Sis. Benita who had been planning on travelling there and putting up feelers for our Prophetic Awareness Meets in the area for some time now, packed up and made the trip to Solada on the 6th of September this year.

Solada is a village about 19 kms from Ooty, off Kalhatti road. 

Solada Village Beauty

The area is cordoned off for the natives because the entire steppe plantation area winds down a steep incline, with ravines on either side, and mountains within shouting distance. 

Special permission needs to be obtained for going down Kalhatti road as drivers from out of town, and those unskilled in driving on mountain roads have had their cars crash into the ravines on more than one occasion. So the rangers there only permit vehicles with local license plates to enter.

Our car was stopped at the junction, and it was about a 20 minute wait until clearance was obtained by Sis. Vasanthi's husband for us to pass through.

We had got to Ooty on the 6th, and had stayed the night at a lodge, so that we could be off to Solada early the next morning, and also visit with our Toda (Ooty Native Tribal) friends in Neyrkod Mandh, Ooty.

Solada was like a fairytale land. It had a still almost frosty, other - worldly beauty.


The population was half Christian and half Muslim. There were no Hindus here which was quite surprising. The Christian population was divided into Roman Catholic and Protestant, with both churches just a stone's throw away from each other - pompous, ostentatious monuments ringing in the faithful each Sunday.

There was no bus service to and from the village - only jeeps that arrived and left with a bunch of people at certain times of the day. If you missed the jeep service, then you had to rely on your legs to get you to the main junction uphill which was quite a trial if you weren't used to mountain walks.

Sis. Vasanthi welcomed us along with her husband and daughter. We were served a hot lunch as soon as we got there, and had some good fellowship before she insisted on us resting ourselves for the evening. She said that many of the villagers had asked for prayer, but they would all be returning from their farmlands and plantations only by 6:30 pm. 
With our long lost Sister Vasanthi

So we got in some shut-eye uptil 5:30 pm that evening. We awoke to steaming cups of ginger tea, and Bro. Shankar led us to the CSI Reverend's home nearby. 

It was just the Reverend and his wife when we arrived, and then as we talked and began discussing, the Word, we were joined by his in- laws, son, daughter in law, and other relatives, and I found in the space of a few minutes, that I had a sufficiently large enough audience to share my testimony - of how I came to the Lord, and about my calling and ministry in Coimbatore. 

The talk moved towards the Prophetic utterances in the Word, the Soon Coming of Christ, and the Prophetic Awareness that was needed for our times. I expressed my desire to share this with the village people of Solada, and the Reverend who had listened attentively communicated that he would see to it to arrange a meeting at the local CSI church and put me in contact with others in his circle to further my work.


After a small time of prayer there, Bro. Shankar proceeded to take me to the villagers' homes. It was quite dark out, and we needed flashlights to walk about as there were no street lights on the roads in the village. It had also grown very cold and the October wind showed us no mercy as we trudged from one home to the other praying for the sick, and those in need, in Jesus' Name.


It was almost 8:00 pm by the time we finished our prayer visits, and Sis. Vasanthi insisted we stay for a simple idli-chutney dinner. The steep walks had worked up our appetites so we ate, and left soon, promising to be back.

It had been a fruitful trip to Solada.

We returned to our lodge and slept like babies.

The next day we packed up our stuff and made our way to Neyrkod Mandh where we visited with Vinitha and Shwetha - the daughters of our Toda friends whom we had known since they were little girls. They were all grown up now and we drove around for a bit before stopping over at Bro. Navaal Kuttan's Milk Stall by 9th Mile, Ooty for a time of prayer.

I had known Bro. Navaal since the year 2000 when I and my mother had lived in Ooty and started potato farming there. They had been a support to me in some really trying times, and our friendship had survived the years. 

Bro. Navaal Kuttan's eldest daughter had been recently married. His 2nd daughter Vinitha had been coming to our church in Coimbatore with her friends, the years she was doing college in the city.

The family belonged to the Toda Community of Ooty. The Todas are the descendants of the Ancient Greeks who had crossed the trade routes and settled in the mountains of Ooty from the time of Alexander the Great. Most of the Todas exchanged their pagan beliefs for Hinduism in the course of time, and some converted to Christianity which was greatly frowned upon. The old Todas still remain loyal to their pagan beliefs and rituals and do not mix with others in society.

There are quite a few who still forfeit education and instead rely on the land they own. The Todas are considered part of The Nilgiri's heritage and the government has gifted them acreage and domiciles free of cost. A few among the younger generation have gone in for higher education and used this to better their lot, develop their lands, and expand their businesses.

The Toda Christian Community has undergone persecution for their faith. With public punishments being the norm in the community, the men who converted to Christianity were asked to shave their heads and the women's tongues were burnt at the tip with hot tongs as a public insult to their families.

Toda women in traditional attire

Toda Hut


Our friends had actually planned a small prayer meet at their place, but it had been raining non-stop the night before, and the marshes that led to their home were overflowing. Our car wouldn't go that far, and walking across the marches meant that we wouldn't be able to make it to Coimbatore any time soon. So we took a rain check and had a short time of fellowship at the stall itself.



We bid goodbye to our dear friends after planning a 2nd visit the next time round.

Do pray for our work in The Nilgiris.

Evangelization in The Nilgiris 
- April, May, October 2021

With Bro. Paul
In April of 2021, before Covid's 2nd wave ravaged our country, Bro. Paul from Mettupalayam and I, had made an evangelical trip to Small Bandisholai in Conoor.

We left Coimbatore around 6:00 am by motor bike, and were in Conoor around 9:00 am.

Bro. Paul and I had been networking for some time, and he had arranged a small meet at a sister's home there.

We had a wonderful time of worship and sharing of the Word in the pleasant Nilgiri summer right in the middle of the family's carrot plantation.

The Word was well received, and we planned to come back the month after, as well.




And so we made a similar trip the following month in the beginning of May



Beetroot and Carrot farms



We had planned to visit the Nilgiris and evangelize further in the coming months. However, it was in June of that year that I was severely affected with the virus.


My recovery took a while and it was nearly October by the time things were starting to look a bit normal again, and the Covid wave that had damaged India worse than before this year, seemed to be tapering off.

So I thought it was time I got back up on the horse again.

I, my wife - Sis. Benita, and Bro. Paul planned another trip to Emerald, Ooty, to the home of Sis. Vijayalaxmi, Bro Paul's distant relative.

The family was prominently Catholic, and they had a Chapel built on their quarters itself. However, the sister was welcoming, and having understood our mission and having heard quite a bit about our Bible Study Sessions and Prophetic Awareness Campaigns, made us feel quite at home.

The First Floor Cottage Chapel

We were served lunch the moment we got there, which was past noon.

The weather was as chilly as Ooty got in those winter months, and a small group of us huddled in the Chapel above the sister's home for prayer and a short message.


We started the meeting with just a few of the family members, with neighbours joining in as the evening progressed, and when we were done, there happened to be small crowd outside the chapel door as well.




I preached on Traditional Christianity being the death of the True Christ Seeker - an introductory message to make those gathered see beyond tradition into the light of God's Word.

The Word was well received, and the sister asked us to visit for Bible Study as often as we travelled to the area.

Do pray for the people in that little village in Emerald - that the light of God may shine upon their hearts.



Prophectic Awareness Church Meeting
Cherambady, Gudalur
7th September, 2014


Cherambady
At Bro. Edwin and Sis. Vandana's behest, their local church bishop arranged for me to speak at the Cherambady Tamil Nadu Evangelical Lutheran Church on the 7th of September, 2014.

We left for Chermabady on the 6th. As usual the velvet green and welcome quiet of the area embraced us as we drove up to it.

Bro. Edwin's home is quite a trek from the main road, and the walkway had grown slick with recent showers, but the scenic route along the small mud path between the family's tea plantation made up for the uphill climb.

Entrance to the estate

The next day happened to be Vishu - the Kerala New Year.

I preached on the soon coming of Christ, the condition of the Laodecian church age, the state of churches and believers today, the play of politics in the church, and the bondage of traditional christianity, and issued a warning of how Christ would come only for those who remained unspotted from the world.

 

At the end of the service a woman came up to me and testified that it was only that day that her spiritual ears had been opened to hear the Word of the Lord.

The family had their relatives and friends over to start off the New Year. We had a nice time of fellowship and Bible Study at their home. I spoke on the roots of traditional Christianity, how Christianity had been influenced by Babylonian traditions, paganism in Catholicism, and the work of Ecumenism in our day.

That evening I had the opportunity to meet another brother from the church who had begun ministering on his own in the area. This brother has invited me to Cherambady to speak at a common church hall in the month of November.
We left the rolling green slopes and misty hill tops of Cherambady the next day in time for our evening meeting at Kothagiri.

Red Cedar forest

The drive back was precarious with thick mist obscuring our vision on the pot holed road down.


Do pray that the work of the Lord which has begun in the area may flourish in the days to come.

Prophectic Awareness Church Meeting
Cherambady, Gudalur
29th November, 2014

Once again to Cherambady - all our paraphernalia in tow.

This time we were invited to speak at The Church of Philadelphia in Cherambady.

Bro. Job who had invited us last, had upheld his commitment and got us a meeting at the local church there with the permission of the local Pastor.

We trudged up the familiar sodden pathway to Bro. Edwin's home and settled in for the night on the 28th itself. 

The church meeting was to be held the next morning.

I was welcomed by the Pastor and Bro. Job, and after a brief introduction of me and my ministry, we began the service.


An introduction

My message centered around Prophetic Awareness for the Bride, the Signs in the Heavens, and the 7 church ages, of which, as I told the church, we had come to the close of the Laodecian Age and were living on borrowed time before the coming of the Lord.

Delivering the message

I urged the congregation to move away from traditional christianity and come into a closer walk with the Lord Jesus, to lay hold on His promises, and to become aware of the times that they were living in.

Bro. Job prays for the congregation.

It was a good service, and many souls came forward for prayer.

We said goodbye to the family as soon as the meeting was over and were homebound for Coimbatore in no time. 

Left to right: Sis. Savitri, Blessy, Nancy, and Sis. Benita


Kothagiri Bible Study,
8th Sept. 2014

Sis. Jeyaraj, whose husband had been ministering in Kothagiri since 2000 (before his demise in 2012), invited us to her home for a cottage meeting and Bible study on our way back from Cherambady. 

We stopped over on the 8th of September on our way to Coimbatore. The meeting began at 7:00 pm and went on till around 9:00 pm. Sis. Jeyaraj had invited her friends and neighbours to hear the Word. 


The message was a warning about Ecumenism, and highlighted the coming rule of the antichrist, the persecution of the church, and the missing color of the Vatican. It was a call to the individual still steeped in denominations to make a decision to stand for the present truth in the face of opposition and ridicule - a call to awareness of the times we are now living in.


The message was well received and moved many.

Bro. Jeyaraj was one among those responsible for the translation of Bro. Branham's messages from English to Tamil, and their distribution in Tamil Nadu. He and his wife have undergone numerous hardships in serving the Lord in the Nilgiris.

Sis. Jeyaraj resides in Dannington, Kothagiri with her son Jonathan and daughter Shirley. Her elder daughter Ida is married and lives in Pollachi near Coimbatore. Do keep this family in your prayers.


Prophectic Awareness Bible Study
Cherambady, Gudalur
24th August, 2014.

A brother from our church, Bro. Prakash, has relatives in Cherambady,  Gudalur district, a small town on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. He had been sharing with them from time to time, the truth about the present times and the soon coming of the Lord. 

They heard about our Prophetic Awareness Meetings in Coimbatore and asked us to pay them a visit and maybe have a time of prayer at their place. A few of us decided to make the trip up to the hills to kindle the fires we had begun in Coimbatore.


Gudalur's wild beauty captivated us. Its misty peaks, dotting of tea and coffee estates, and expanse of dew locked glades and glens was just the kind of setting for some quiet time with the Lord.




The family's homestead in Cherambady is a humble dwelling with a magnificent view, a kitchen boasting mugs of steaming black estate tea, and the love and warmth of its few members.



Bro. Edwin, his mother, his wife Sis. Vandana, her mother, and their children Blessy and Nancy made us feel very much at home.

From left: Bro. Prakash, Pastor Shadrach, Helen, Sis. Benita with Baby Nancy,
Sis. Vandana, Bro. Edwin, Sis. Savitri, and Sis. Vandana's mother at their estate. 

The family invited a couple of non-christian neighbours over to hear the Word. It was a small gathering but the short study on the signs of the coming of the Lord was well received and the family extended an invitation to come over once again for a larger private gathering of friends and family.


    
From Left: Bro. John, Bro. Prakash, Pastor Shadrach, Bro. and Sis. _, Sis. Benita with Blessy,
Helen, Sis. Vandana, and Sis. Mercy in front of the _ residence in Paderi.

Following our trip there, Bro. Edwin has arranged for a preaching engagement at the local TELC church in Cherambady and a small gathering at a relative's place in Paderi, a neighbouring village.

Conoor Child Dedication, Jan 2013 

Conoor is a town nestled in the heart of the Nilgiris, situated around 20 kms from the well known hill station, Ooty.

                               

I have been to Conoor on numerous occasions, sometimes to minister, and sometimes for quiet time alone with God in prayer.


Pastor Lawrence of Small Bandisholai village near the Wellington Barracks in Conoor had invited me to preach to his congregation many a time.

                                         

He invited me and Pastor P. T. John of Udumalpet to dedicate his grandson 'Sean Adams' to the Lord on the 13th of January, 2013. A small church gathering was arranged for the purpose with friends and family in attendance as well.

Pastor Lawrence and his son John led the worship.


I spoke a few words on the battle between David and Goliath, the symbolism of David's actions on the battlefield, and its parallel to the struggling Apostolic church today facing the giant of Ecumenism.






Pastor P. T. John shared his testimony and elaborated on the value of the grace of God.



Pastor Lawrence's son John and his wife Tina dedicated their infant son to the Lord and named him Sean Adams.




Our prayers and blessings are with dear Sean. May he grow up to be a light for the Lord and sow the seeds of peace and reconciliation in a dark world where promises and relationships are fleeting things. 




Gudalur Tribal Ministry, 2009

Bro. Samuel had been ministering among the tribals of Gudalur since 1985. I came into contact with him through another minister in the faith. I shared the truth with him, and he readily accepted and was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

The harvest is plenty but the labourers are few

I accompanied Bro. Samuel into the Mudumalai forest area near Gudalur twice, and ministered to the tribal folk in the area.

The Paniya tribes folk are quite timid and almost afraid to venture out in front of strangers, no matter how pleasant they may seem. They only entertain those whom they know well, and may come across as hostile when you first meet them.

Outside a tribal home

The government has attempted to meet some of their material needs such as food rations, education, and drinking water supply. However, this seems to have had only a limited impact on the Paniya people mostly because they prefer to keep to themselves and are wary of any favours from an outside party.

Gudalur is situated between Ooty and Mysore and houses the forest reserves of Mudhumalai where the Tamil Nadu National Wildlife Sanctuary is located, as well as part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. 
Aerial view of Gudalur

The Nilgiris boast virgin forests with an emphasis on environmental respect. Plastics have been banned in the hills, and the only litter left around comes from tourist buses. The tribes eat, hunt, and live in the forests.
With forest guard Bro. Ebenezer

On the two occasions I visited them, we ministered mainly to a child audience, with their parents and elders looking on from inside their tribal huts. The elders were obviously camera shy and refused to be photographed even from afar.


A Tribal Hut

We had a clothes drive in Coimbatore with many of our brethren and friends donating old clothes for the tribes.

Tribal children

These people remain oblivious of much of the world's developments. The majority are Hindu with a small percentage remaining loyal to animalistic and ancestral beliefs. They, however can easily be taught about Jesus Christ and the Bible in story form. It is easier to relate to the man in the bush who knows nothing of the outside world for he sees the Creator at work in the nature all around him. What remains is to prove to him that this Creator-God was in fact revealed in Jesus Christ, who is God above all gods.


With a Gudalur native

We managed to see quite a bit of wildlife around including spotted deer, black faced langurs, elephants, wild buffalo, and wild boar. There was even a wild boar familiar with the natives, who came up to us close range and ate from out of our hands.
Spotted Deer
Black Faced Langur

Pastor Samuel passed away in 2010.

Do pray for his family and for the Paniya people, that many among them may put on Christ.

Ketti 2006

I have known Pastor Denadayal for the past 10 years. This brother pastors a church in Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, and later began ministering in a small village called Ketti in the Nilgiris.

With Pastor Denadayal in Ketti Prayer Hall

He invited me to preach in his church at Ketti in 2006.

A congregation of around 70 were assembled for a 1 day meeting there. Around 30 members from our church in Coimbatore accompanied me to Ketti for the meeting.



I preached on light versus darkness with the text from John 8:12.


Bro. David interprets in Tamil

Pastor Denadayal underwent a lot of opposition and numerous hindrances in his ministry both in Mettupalayam and Ketti. 

At one point, in the year 2010, when this brother had come to visit me in my home in Coimbatore, he began sharing about the problems he had faced in Ketti and asked me to pray for the Lord to guide him regarding the ministry there, which at the time, was proving very difficult to hold on to.

It was at this time while we were in prayer, that the Lord gave us a Word of Knowledge counselling him to continue ministering in Ketti, and in fact to concentrate more on the work there.

May the Lord grant this brother wisdom and grace to lead his flock unblamably in the faith and guard them against all the false doctrines of the age.

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