Kakinada, India
Mark Reynolds, Coordinator
Overseen by the Towne Acres Church of Christ
2411 E. Riggin Rd.
Muncie, IN. 47303
803-325-5532 – [email protected]
MARCH/APRIL
FEBRUARY TRIP
Our February 2015 trip was both enjoyable and successful!
It was a dream come true to take a trip with my brother
Gary, his first to India. It was also wonderful to travel with
Mike Gors who preaches for the West Side congregation in
Yorktown, Indiana, and one of the very first people I ever
taught the gospel to many years ago. And it is always
wonderful traveling with my great friend, brother in Christ
and elder for the Towne Acres congregation, Norman Light.
Both Gary and Mike serve as elders of the West Side
congregation who will be overseeing Ronnie Gootam’s new
work as he first attends Memphis School of Preaching with
plans of starting a preaching school in the new state of
Telangana, India.
The entire trip was spent in the new state of Telangana
where West Side will be working so it was especially
beneficial for Mike and Gary to learn more about the area,
to begin planning for the future and to be able to come
back and communicate the work to their home
congregation. We traveled more than 1,500 miles and
visited more than thirteen cities/towns/villages in ten days!
As a reminder, Telangana was where I spent most of my
time in September conducting a gospel meeting at the
Yapral Baptist Church followed by several seminars at
other cities in Talangana attended mostly by
denominational preachers. Several denominational
preachers were converted during that trip as well as many
from the Yapral Baptist Church.
We began our February trip in Yapral again. This time,
however, we conducted a three-day seminar at the newly
formed Yapral church of Christ made up of many who had
been converted from the Baptist Church! I cannot tell you
how good it was to see so many who had been counting
the cost during my September trip now worshiping and
living
living simply as New Testament Christians! The church is
currently worshiping in the parking area of Lemeul Acharia’s
home, but they are quickly outgrowing that arrangement and
are looking for property to build a church building. The
attendance was nothing short of phenomenal! They had rented
100 plastic chairs, but we ran out so they had to go get more.
The congregation has only been in existence a couple of
months, and are already outgrowing their meeting place. The
church there works so hard, and none harder than Lemeul
himself. He made a wonderful speech as the close of the
seminar where he talked about how his dreams had come true
in helping to establish the Lord’s church in his community.
Tears flowed down his face as he spoke and we quickly joined
him! If I remember correctly at least ten more people were
converted during this seminar. We preached from 10:00 am to
5:00 pm each day of the seminar and then went to other
churches in the evening. It was an eye-opener for Mike and
Gary. We landed in India at 3:00 am, got to our hotel by 5:00
am and were preaching by 10:00 that first day and did not stop
until the end of the trip.
After the meeting in Yapral we held a meeting in the village of
Karma Raddy in a denominational building where a man by the
name of Banga Raju preaches for that congregation as well as
another. Gary preached a powerful sermon, and at the end
Banga said he needed to be baptized and would then baptize all
the others as they were ready. The two congregations, both
formerly known by “Bethel Church” are now wearing the name
of Christ and brother Raju followed through on his promise to
be baptized and is now leading those two congregations in the
way of the Lord!
For the sake of space I will not give a run down of all the
meetings we held. Believe me I could tell story after story like
those above. I will just tell you where we went and some
people involved. After Karma Raddy we went to the village of
Daggi where David Raju preaches; then the town of Bodhan
where Mohancheri is the preacher. Then we travelled to the
villages of Kothapali, then Nizamabad, Elangi, Narsingh,
Bollaram, Dharmaram, Nagar Gundi, Manuguru, and Warangal.
Most of these congregations were former denominations
whose preachers had been converted during my trip in
September
whose preachers had been converted during my trip in
September. All of them were now worshiping according to
the New Testament pattern, wearing the name of Christ,
and were so grateful to know the truth. I wish space
allowed me to write more about each stop we made and
some of the great events that took place. Many more
souls were added to the kingdom while we were there,
and even more have obeyed after our departure. I am
certainly no apostle Paul, but I know how he must have
felt when he would go back to congregations he helped
establish to find them remaining faithful to the Lord!
These people are absolutely wonderful and I learn as
much from them as they do me. We offered no gifts, nor
promised any support to these brethren. They were not
there for handouts, because we gave none. They are
faithful to the Lord because they love Him! Many of these
preachers gave up support from the denominations they
left; yet they are happier than they have ever been. The
only thing that hurts is that we always have more
invitations than we can fulfill. The fields are white unto
harvest!
It was such a wonderful trip, one that I will never forget.
Gary and Mike were able to see for themselves the need
in this part of India. The West Side congregation has taken
on a monumental task, but they are up to it and will
succeed with the Lord’s help! Incidentally, I was able to
attend the presentation that Mike and Gary gave to the
church at West Side about the trip, and was able to see
first-hand the response of the brethren there. They are
ready to work!
MY SCHEDULE
March 27-April 1 – MSOP Lectures
April 5-9 – Chalmette, Louisana (Gospel Meeting)
April 11 – Upon the Rock Lectures (Yorktown, IN)
April 15 – Sevierville, Tennessee (India Presentation)
April 19 – Portland, Indiana (India Presentation)
April 26 – Lancaster, South Carolina (India Presentation)
May 2 – Columbia City, IN Lectureship
If you would like an update on the work in person please
contact me. Thank you for all you do in this great work!
RONNIE AND HARITHA GOOTAM ARE IN THE U.S.
Ronnie and Haritha Gootam arrived in San Francisco,
California in the middle of February. They had to wait
there until all of Haritha’s paperwork came through for
her to live in the U.S. for the two years they will be in
school. Thankfully, all the paperwork arrived and they are
now on their way to Memphis, Tennessee to attend the
MSOP Lectures. Because of the way the quarter fell,
Ronnie will not be able to begin his studies at MSOP until
June. After the lectures they will come to Indiana for
about a month where they will be able to meet everyone
at West Side and travel to area congregations to present
the work they are planning. They will move to Memphis in
May to begin their studies the following month. Haritha is
planning to audit many of the classes so she can also grow
in the knowledge of God’s word.
I spoke to Ronnie today and he is very excited to begin
schooling. He will play such a key role in spreading the
gospel in Telangana and strengthening the preachers in
that area through the preaching school that is being
planned. We live in a world of exaggeration, but there is
no exaggeration when it comes to the opportunities that
are available for the furtherance of the gospel in India.
As mentioned earlier, the West Side congregation has
taken on the task of raising the funds for Ronnie’s
schooling and starting the preaching school in Telangna.
They need your help! Can you, and the congregation you
attend, help on a monthly basis to support Ronnie while
he is in school? Can I, or Gary or Mike come to your
congregation to tell you more about the work? Please
contact me at 803-325-5532 or email me at
[email protected] if I can answer any questions
for you, or if you would like to set up an appointment for
more information.
THANK YOU!
I want to close this newsletter by saying thank you to each
of you who give so generously to make this work the great
success that it is! Because of you more than 4 million Bible
correspondence courses have been completed! 4 million
Bibles have been given away! Thousands upon thousands
of people have obeyed the gospel because people like you
care! Being a part of this work has allowed me to get to
know some of the most wonderful people in the world,
not only in India, but also right here in the U.S. I thank God
for you in my daily prayers! I also want to ask you to pray
for a dear supporter whose husband died in January. Her
name is Cora Lamar and she lives in Phoenix, Arizona. I
have never met sister Cora, but we have formed a good
relationship through this work. She is hurting and needs
our prayers.