Today we are celebrating our prayer partners here and in India. We love that God has given us the opportunity right now, even in the midst of a pandemic, to serve and "be the church" together as one united Kerusomen family: In Prayer. In Generosity. In Hope. We know that God is moving actively all over the globe in this time of need. He invites us to call on Him and He promises to draw near to us when we do.
Pastor Saha and all sixty-seven KGM pastors from six states in India are holding 2-hour conference "prayer calls" daily lifting up the needs of Kerusomen Prayer Partners here and believers in India. Pictured above are the Area Coordinators for five of the six states: Pastor Rajendram, Kerala, Pastor Pransanth, Telangana, Pastor Sajan, Punjab, Pastor Jomon, Tamil Nadu, and Pastor Reddy, Andhra Pradesh. They believe that prayer is the most important thing any of us can do. Period. We agree. Everything begins with prayer. Extraordinary prayer. We all need to pray. We need you to pray. We need prayer warriors.
Nothing is more powerful than the body of Christ united in prayer. Thank you for protecting the most vulnerable families in India with our most powerful God-given tool: prayer.
No matter what you are facing, He remains the Resurrected King of Kings – and He is worthy of our praise! HE REIGNS!
This current pandemic has brought fear, suffering, and death to nearly every corner of the planet. The COVID-19 coronavirus has been a stark reminder of our mortality and frailty. But even through various levels of quarantine and lockdown, a magnificent chorus arises from the Church, the Body of Christ. Millions of voices from diverse locations, cultures, and languages continue their declaration of this eternal and irrepressible hope: “He is risen!”
Death is defeated. The King is ALIVE!
He rolled the stone away, and in an instant, death was swallowed up in victory! “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). In the midst of uncertainty, sickness, and death, the best thing we can do is worship. We turn our eyes to Jesus, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
And He is still there TODAY. It’s real! He’s alive! He reigns!
And ALL things are under His feet: sin, death, viruses... everything! “The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).
No sickness, quarantine, or fear can diminish His worth! Nor can they silence our worship!
No matter what you are facing, He remains the Resurrected King of Kings – and He is worthy of our praise!
The above summary and video are from prayercast.com. We pray it will bless and comfort you today.
Pastor Sahayadas Simon, Kerusomen, India director, shares the following video to encourage people from the U.S. The believers in India are grateful for our prayers offered up for India AND want you to know that the believers in India are praying for us and the USA, as well.
In India the Royal Kids Prayer Ministry has raised over a 10 000 Children Intercessors to stand in the Gap for the nations. These children, who are picked up from the streets out of the almost unthinkable circumstances, not only start impacting their own communities by prayer walking their local neighborhoods but are taught to pray for the nations and individuals.
The children who were rejected as a curse now have become a blessing to the community and the world.
Two inspiring women, Anju and Stelin, lead Kerusomen's transformation class, Isos India. Together they are quietly and steadily working, with the love of Christ, to help women thrive in a culture that favors males over females.
In the Hindu culture, women are devalued. Consequently, their health is negatively impacted early in life.
Malnutrition is at crisis levels in India and the country has the highest rates of malnourished females in the developing world.
To make matters worse, women don't have access to adequate healthcare, either. Most women in India don't even have access to clean hygiene for menstrual care.
On top of that, cultural taboos and beliefs that menstruation is "unclean" have had devastating consequences. 23 million women in India become school drop-outs every year when they start their menstrual cycle. But that's not all. For young girls, schooling takes second place to helping with household chores and taking care of siblings. 27% of India's girls become child brides.
All of these factors diminish their' ability to achieve full, productive, and financially secure lives.
Isos focuses on Practical Skills Training, Community & Accountability for Wholistic Transformation
It's no accident that Isos starts with a church because nobody loves women more than Jesus.
And no BODY but His Church, demonstrates that love better. That's why Isos is offered in villages in India where Kerusomen Gospel Ministries has planted a church.
Each meeting opens with bible study and prayers. Teachings that show the value of women in God's eyes (and His love for them) lay a firm foundation for lasting transformation.
Health and nutritional training is also given to jump start a brighter future for the women and their children.
Across India there are longstanding cultural expectations that married women should not work. Housework and taking care of the children and elderly should be their priorities.
Like most women in India, Daisy did as was expected of females in her culture. She married young and became a mother. Having spent her life doing domestic chores and childcare, she was totally unprepared and unqualified for a job.
But ISOS changed everything.
Classes in banking, farming, sewing and other trade skills give women, like Daisy, the life-changing tools and confidence they need to succeed.
The Isos India community also provides encouragement and accountability.
To qualify for Isos Classes each woman makes an initial investment in her herself by depositing $25 into a bank account that the Kerusomen Gospel Ministries Charitable Foundation helps them manage.
Every week thereafter they commit to saving $1 more (which is deposited at the weekly Isos class.)
The class teaches them basic accounting and savings principles so they keep track of their balance and interest. And rejoice with each other as it grows!
These women are strong, tenacious, intelligent and motivated women who are working hard to make a better life for themselves and their children.
With all the odds stacked against them, they are succeeding. Is it any wonder their faith and courage inspire us?
Anju, the KGM Director of Ministries, will be in Florida the first week of May
Kerusomen's Director of Women's Ministries, Anju Sahayadas, explained to us that many more women are waiting and saving to join Isos. For most women, the $1 a week is tough, but doable. Still, that means it will take them over six months to get started.
We would like to change that.
We will be sending out invitations for you to meet Anju during her visit.
Hear more about her vision for the Isos ministry. It will be a perfect time to get all your questions answered. And more.
Or, if you prefer, we are scheduling group and personal appointments with Anju. Right now. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity to bless your friends, small group, women's organization or church family. Call Tom Caprio: 561.310.2141.
The ISOS Women's Micro-Enterprise Class helps single, married and widowed women alike. It serves women of all faiths.
A women's leader at the KGM Kerala headquarters in India, Stelin, is forming micro-enterprise groups to help women learn how to handle money, save, and even start small business enterprises.
Women are poorly treated in India. The preference for boys haunts Indian girls all their lives. Girls receive significantly less education and nutrition than boys. From childhood to widowhood females are considered a financial burden to their families. Considered as less valuable than a cow, they are often sex trafficked or abandoned. Millions are lost every year to sex-selective abortions or midwife infanticide right after birth.
But thanks to Stelin's leadership that's all changing. The women in her classes are gaining freedom, self-confidence, and the tools they need to become self-sufficient.
Overview of Isos India The class merges micro-finance training with effective, holistic support including health, hygiene, nutrition, and Bible lessons. To join the class, each woman invests $25 in a joint savings account with the other students and commits to add $1 each week to the account. After a short waiting period, during which time the woman learns basic banking, accounting and accountability skills, she is eligible to borrow from the account. The Kerusomen Charitable Foundation oversees the account transactions and loan repayments, safeguarding the women's investments. They are not charged for this service. Many women save money to pay for their children's school fees and emergency funds. Other women use the loan option to open a business.
Daisy, one of our rescued widows, makes and sells pickles at the local market, an enterprise that not only earns her extra income, but also earns her respect at home and in society. Her success has encouraged other women to do the same.
Many Widows Are Anxious to Join Isos
Many widows in our Rescue Program want to work but for health reasons cannot do the labor or number of hours required to keep a job in the public sector. They also lack the education and work skills for less physically demanding positions.
Isos is a wonderful option for them. They can learn farming, tailoring, and hen rearing. Or take classes in making paper bags, jewelry, and umbrellas. These are opportunities they can work part-time from home. Perfect for the elderly and disabled and mothers with small children, too.
So why aren't they participating? The simple truth is they don't have the $25 initial investment to join. For them, $25 is a huge investment. Most of them have no income at all. Only about 30% of the women in India work outside the home.
And not because they're lazy. Multiple reliable sources find that women in India do the most unpaid work of any other country except one - Kazakhstan. The Economic Survey finds that 60 per cent of prime working-aged Indian women work full-time doing housework - at home for their families. Culturally it is expected that married women do virtually all of the housework and care-giving chores. These can take them up to 19 hours a day. But other issues keep women home, too. Of major concern is a rise in violence against women and unsafe workplaces that discourage them from seeking work, as well. This is especially true for women who are Muslim or from lower castes..
KGM has helped nearly 60 women. But you can help us start a new class for abandoned widows or give a deserving mother a head start. A one-time $25 gift enables a woman to participate. She'll do the rest.
Imagine living in an area where NO ONE knows Jesus. A place where there are no churches, Bibles, missionaries or Christians. These are the Frontier Unreached Peoples. Nearly half of India's population lives in communities like this. So what are we doing about it?
If you've never heard about the Frontier People Groups (FPGs) you are not alone. Sadly, the plight of FPGs is rarely reported and goes largely unnoticed by the majority of the western Christian community. In fact, most of the money, prayers, and missionaries we send out from the U.S. are not going to reach people in these areas. How little is going there? Well, if you put $100 in the collection plate at church, less than one penny supports reaching FBGs. Under one cent!
Are you surprised you didn't know about this? But how could you if no one tells you?
Now YOU know the position the unreached frontier peoples are in. How can they know about Jesus if no one in their community tells them? And how can they be told if there is no one there who knows Him?
So now we know. What's next?
Kerusomen is determined to get the word out about this. We believe millions of Believers - people like you - will be distressed AND will want to do something about it. If that's you, the good news is you can. These are exactly the people Kerusomen is reaching every day in India.
Prayerfully watch the "Remaining Mission Task" video below. Then join us!
How Kerusomen Gospel Ministries is Tackling the Task...
