Celebrate Reasons to Live l World Suicide Prevention Day

Close your eyes for a moment and think of the people you know.  Is there anyone who might feel worthless, abandoned, or isolated? You can be God's listening ear for someone who feels troubled and alone. It's not the words you say but your caring connection that offers hope. And be sure to join our KGM family here and in India as we pray on this World Suicide Prevention Day.

And for those of you who might feel worthless, abandoned, or isolated right now - there is HOPE. Your life is important to others, to the world, and especially to God.  Through our connections to God and one another there is help and hope. Do you need encouragement or want to talk to someone about how you can experience hope with Jesus? Get the Good News of hope and healing.

A Story of Hope and Healing l KGM Supports World Suicide Prevention Day

Today KGM USA and India are praying

for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. 

In 2011, Kerusomen Gospel Ministries Partners, Steve and Carol lost their 15-year old granddaughter, Allisa. Heartbroken, God met them in the midst of their darkest hours. Watch the story of their journey from despair to deep faith and discover the tools God provided for their healing and new hope-filled life. Words cannot express our gratitude for their selfless, sacrificial generosity in re-living their pain, once again, to help others find the source of their new life. Has suicide touched your life? Get the Good News of hope and healing.

How God is Growing the Telangana Mission Work l Kerusomen Gospel Ministries

A Testimony of God's Mighty Work

And Jesus told them a parable about the need to always

 to pray and not lose heart.

Luke 18:1

Every Friday KGM Pastor John Raju visits the village of Chetakonda in Telangana, India. The villagers are not friendly to his message. In fact, says Pastor John: “They are an enemy of it.”

But Pastor John persists, faithfully visiting

 praying for the poor, the needy, and the sick every week – even during the Covid-19 lockdown.

On a recent visit, Pastor John entered the village and was shocked when a woman rushed over to him. She was terrified because her son was missing and she couldn’t find him anywhere in the village.

A few minutes later some people ran up to her. They were frightened because her son was in the village lake. “When we first found him,” they explained, “we tried to coax him out of the water but he refused. Finally, we decided to enter the water and carry him out.  We tried over and over but every time we stepped in the water, he rushed deeper into the lake. He kept threatening us that he would keep on going out further if we didn’t leave him alone.  We are afraid he is going to die if we keep trying so we came to get you.”  The villagers also explained to Pastor John that the 27-year old had a history of disturbing “mentally ill” behavior and had often tried to hurt himself.

The mother pleaded with Pastor Raju: “This is the work of an evil spirit. Please come and pray.” 

When they arrived at the lake, the boy screamed in anger.  Pastor John stepped into the water praying  while calling to the boy to come out. The villagers, full of doubt and suspicion, gathered at the lake's edge to see what would happen.  To their absolute astonishment, the boy began to obey the Pastor. As Pastor John stepped in the lake the boy matched each step coming toward him until they met face to face. Then Pastor John took the boy’s hand and led him out of the water to his overjoyed mother.  Turning to the villagers Pastor John called out in a loud voice,

 "This is a miracle of God!" 

Convinced by what they had witnessed, the villagers crowded around Pastor John. They asked him to pray for them.

People who had rejected him for months now urged him to come visit them in their homes. The very doors that had been closed to him were now opened by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reaching the Unreached
Mala Peoples

Chatakonda is home to the Mala people group.

According to the Joshua Project, the Mala

"worship family deities such as Yellamma and ancestral spirits. Unwelcome possession is believed to manifest by mental or physical illnesses. Women and children are thought to be especially susceptible."

There are over 5 million Mala living in India.

• 1.5 million live in Telangana state where Pastor Raju serves. 
• 99.62% follow the Hindu religion. 
• Under 1% (0.16) are Christians. 

This is the mission field God has opened up because you helped planted a church five miles from Chatakonda. Your continued prayers and partnership are needed now more than ever. Pray for Pastor Raja. Pray that new believers grow in their faith and become workers sent out into His harvest field in the Mala community.

You can be a key pray-er and a key player in God's work in India, too.

Join Our

 Then he said to his disciples,

 “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, 
to send out workers into his harvest field. " 

Matthew 9:37-38

Hope Restored l Kerusomen Gospel Ministries

 As Covid-19 drags on in India, many families in crisis are giving up. In a haze of desperation and despair, one brick worker and his wife* made a suicide pact when he lost his job.

In Times of Trouble    

The couple had gone into debt to secure their daughter a husband.  The dowry fee was huge.  The husband’s family finally agreed the marriage could proceed, but it took all their savings - just to pay the interest on the first payment.  Since the wedding, the economy had worsened and work was scarce. They kept up with the monthly interest payments, but the dowry debt itself had not decreased a penny.  Then came the pandemic lockdown.

Coming from a prestigious Hindu family, they were embarrassed to tell anyone about their financial crisis. Besides, everyone else was suffering, too.  Alone and out of options the couple decided to end their lives. But they also agreed to wait for the lockdown to lift so they could travel to see their daughter one last time.  

God is a Very Present Help

While they were waiting to travel, Pastor K, a KGM pastor was distributing food in their village. The KGM church he served at was only a few blocks away from their home.  They invited him in to visit and the pastor was led by the Holy Spirit to share scriptures with them that talked about life after death.  This made them sit up and listen. They began to ask him questions because they believed they would reincarnate after death. 

Convicted by the truth of God’s word, they accepted Christ and rejected their thoughts of suicide. The pastor continued to teach them over the next few weeks and they decided to obey Jesus and be baptized. The story of their escape from death and restored hope has opened the hearts of their daughter and son-in-law who now are receiving teachings from the Word from Pastor K.  On one of his visits Ramesh said, “I’ve missed this love for many years.”  Siya wept during the baptism and shared with church members testifying,  “I’m overwhelmed by the knowledge that the reason we live today is because Christ lives.”

World Suicide Prevention Day

We invite you to join us in prayer on September 10th as we thank the God who is, in all circumstances, our refuge and strength. Let's praise Him for his mercy and kindness to Ramesh and Siya.  And ask Him for His guidance and wisdom to fill Pastor K as he shares the Gospel with their children. We are humbled to support His hands and feet, the KGM churches in India, as they spread compassion and hope to all.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

*not pictured for their protection; names changed

World Suicide Prevention Day of Prayer l Kerusomen Gospel Ministries

Join Us in Prayer

Mental. Emotional. Spiritual Healing. This World Suicide Prevention Day, Kerusomen Gospel Ministries invites you to join us in prayer and in reaching out to people suffering job loss, food insecurity, and isolation triggered by the Covid-19 lockdown and social distancing protocols. Our prayers and presence have extraordinary impact;  in person here - and in prayer for India. God saved at least four people in our church communities who had thoughts of suicide. Watch Christeena's story.

Telangana Celebrates New Life l Kerusomen Gospel Ministries

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God is at work through you even in a pandemic! As the Covid-19 virus spreads, KGM churches are not only feeding the hungry, they're also quenching spiritual thirst. One pastor in Telangana shared these beautiful images of new believer baptisms, some of whom came to know Jesus through our food relief ministry. Kerala and Andhra Pradesh churches have also scheduled baptisms this week. Let's sing a Hallelujah!

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus l Kerusomen Gospel Ministries

Beloved Hymn Birthed Out of Persecution in India Is More Relevant in 2020 Than Ever

See the Story Behind the Song and Its Special Meaning to Believers in India

"Christian life is a life of risk. Even if you don't live in a country with fanatics," said a pastor and first responder who risks his life serving persecuted Christians in India. (Open Doors). He continued, "The hymn I Have Decided to Follow Jesus ...is very meaningful to Christians in India." 

“One of the Saddest Times for the Persecuted Church in India”

That’s how Persecution Relief described the first 6 months of 2020 in their half-yearly report. The report went on to say that when Covid-19 locked down the entire country: “Many thought that Christian Persecution would also get a much-needed break. Well, that’s what should have been the case…instead 6 Christians were murdered and 61 cases of hostility towards Christian women and children were chronicled including 5 cases of rape. 37 Christian families were boycotted and excommunicated, losing everything from house to inheritance. The level of viciousness has gone beyond comprehension and this is just the tip of the iceberg.” The report included the following description of one incident:

Christian Teen Martyred for Christ - Odisha

“Samaru Madkami, a 14-year-old Christian boy was hacked to death by religious fanatics because of his faith in Jesus Christ. This happened in a village named Kenduguda in Malkangiri, a district in the east-Indian state of Odisha. 3 years ago, he and his entire family gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Since then, the fanatics had been threatening to kill them and the rest of the Christians in the village. Even after the assassins were caught, they still boldly threatened to kill the other Christians in the village. “

That story touched some believers very personally. Pastor Saha was a professor who taught the brother of the victim's church leader. He forwarded this picture and prayer request to Pastor Saha:

“In spite of the pandemic, killings are still going on. Please pray.”

Pray for the House Church Movement in India

House churches in India suffer the most. Because they are isolated, they can be easily targeted. 

Nevertheless, in the midst of persecution, the house church movement is growing more and faster.  (Just as it did in the early days of the Church.)

  When we hear or read about persecuted believers, our hearts yearn to ease their hardship but our heads often question, "What can I really do?" Fortunately, the Bible gives us answers that can make a real difference. 
The most powerful is prayer.

Persecuted Believers Always Ask for Prayer First

Five Ways to Support Persecuted Christians in Prayer

1. Pray for the Right Words and the Boldness to Say Them  “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:19-20
2. Pray for Peace and Power Under Pressure  “’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
3. Pray they Remember Who they Rely On “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”  2 Corinthians 1:7-9
4. Pray for Protection According to Jesus' Example  “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me,”  Jesus continued,  “Yet not my will, but yours be done.” Matthew 26:39
5. Pray their Perspective and Actions Inspire their Persecutors to Faith in Jesus “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-31 (See Acts 16:25-34 for results that God inspires by this type of witness.)

Second, Stand With Them by Sharing Their Stories

What do we long for when we find ourselves in a storm - especially one not of our own making? 

• Someone to stand with us in our struggles 

• Someone to pray with and for us

• Someone to share our story so more prayer and unity can be generated 

I can be that someone. You can be that someone.  Isn't that what deciding to follow Jesus is all about?