I Love Punjab!

“I am a little angry with you,” she said. Her voice was low and soft but the look in her eyes told me she was very serious. I sat across from my new friend, the wife of the Anglican priest whom I had stopped in to visit. I had no idea why God had me stop by and visit this man each time I came to his city. We had nothing in common. He was a highly educated priest of a wealthy and highly formal church while I was an American Pentecostal preacher. But, each time I came God would make me knock on his door and have an awkward conversation as we sipped chai.

Now, during one of these visits, his wife had sat down and let me know she was not happy with me. “I am very sorry, did I do or say something to offend you?” (It would not be the first or the last time I did something dumb to offend the Indian culture). “You come here and work with the private churches, but you do nothing to help us!”  If she was trying to hide her negative feelings toward me, she was doing a lousy job of it.

“Help you? I don’t understand. How could I possibly do anything to help you?” I asked, feeling very confused.  “Our churches are dying!” She explained. “We need revival! We need you to come to our churches and preach and pray.  We need you to come help us!” I sat looking at her thinking she must be a little crazy.  Me?  In an Anglican church?  I didn’t even know when to stand up and sit down in those formal services. “But,” I replied, “you know I am a Pentecostal preacher right?” I don’t think I would fit in your churches very well.” “No problem! No Problem! You come and bring revival and everything will be fine!”

Click here to read the rest of the story!

Upcoming Plans

Our Indian pastor friend, Josh (who oversees 14,000+ house churches throughout India) is in the US and will be with us Easter weekend. Looking forward to having him speak at our Gathering, and we will be doing some AZ prayer walking together, both in Phoenix and Prescott. Plans are currently underway for our summer trip. I will be spending approximately 5 weeks in India, including time in Nepal, traveling with US and Indian team members in various states and at different times – two different teams. I am EXCITED to return to Punjab for 8-10 days to continue to help establish the ISOM training points, and looking forward to being with our shepherds once again, as well as praying throughout new territory.

Thank You for Your Support in 2022

2022 Giving Statements have been sent out via email from our accounting system on 1/27/23. Please check your junk folder and contact us if you have not received yours.

A note from Dan…

In March of 2020 I was forced to leave India due to the Covid pandemic.  It was more than two years later that I was able to return in June, 2022.

I wasn’t sure what to expect upon my return but what I found truly astounded me. Our ministry partners not only endured the worst Pandemic in modern history but they actually flourished in it.

When I left India we had one class of 17 students enrolled in ISOM, (International School Of Ministry). Today we have more than 4000 students enrolled with over 100 who have fully graduated with a Bible Studies diploma.

We had begun ISOM in one language and now we are fully active in 4 languages and are making plans to expand into the nation of Nepal. When I was there last fall, God opened up an entire state for us to expand ISOM into by giving us wonderful strategic contacts that only He could do. He truly is an amazing God! The Word of God is being taught and people are being trained to become spiritual leaders, bearing fruit among their own people.

Continue reading…

Jesus is the Still the Reason…

We want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very blessed Christmas season.

May singing (or listening to) the words of the carols never get old –

“Joy to the World…Let Ev’ry Heart Prepare Him Room” “Silent Night,“ “O Holy Night…O Praise His Name Forever” “Mary Did You Know?” “O Come Let Us Adore Him…Christ the Lord!” (and so many more!)

 

A Christmas Story for Our Shepherds

“It seems shepherds are important in your religion?” my friend asked. We were sitting on the floor with a few of our shepherds in Kashmir drinking chai and talking.  Over the course of my visits here I would tell stories about Jesus being the good shepherd, how Jesus laid down his life for His sheep, about David being a shepherd who became King, how he killed the lion and the bear and several other stories.  (I do love telling a good story.)  My friend’s question opened the door for another one. “Yes”, I replied. “Shepherds are very important to God. In fact, when His son Jesus was born, shepherds were the first ones to hear the good news as God sent angels to appear to them in the night sky as they were watching over their flocks.”

For the next several minutes I told the story of how the angel appeared to Mary, a young virgin, and told her the Holy Spirit would come upon her and place the seed of the Son of God in her and that she would give birth to the Savior of the world. I told of Joseph being visited by an angel to tell him to stay with Mary and that the baby was sent from God. How they had to travel while Mary was very pregnant, but all the rooms were full and the only place they could find was a barn, and that the Son of God was born in the presence of cows, sheep, and donkeys. The shepherds sat and listened intently to every word I was saying as I made the story as dramatic as I could (with my friend interpreting). In this culture most of the adults are illiterate so they love stories, and I was really enjoying telling them this one.

There’s more to the story…

ISOM Empowering Women

She stood about 5 feet tall and probably didn’t weigh 100 pounds. She was quiet, almost shy. At first glance you would almost overlook her but as I looked closer, I could see the fire in her eyes and a determined look on her face.  My first thought was “This woman is a warrior!” She stood in front of a group of 37 pastors (6 being women) that represent 14,000 churches in North and Central India.  All of them are leaders of at least 100 to 1000 churches.

She began to speak, and in her soft voice she began to tell a powerful story. She and her family are very poor. Her home is a hut with a dirt floor.  In India a woman is considered second class, especially if you are a poor village woman from a very low caste.

Over the course of one year she had made the 23 hour train ride to Delhi five times to finally finish all five levels of the International School of Ministry (ISOM). The anointed teaching of the Word of God changed her life. She went back home and began to share the ISOM training with pastors and believers in her network. She said that through ISOM women are gaining dignity and purpose. Women are now looked at as being important and valuable and they are gaining honor by becoming powerful leaders.

“When I first began”, she said, “I was despised and very few people wanted to come to the classes.  They would gossip and spread lies about me but there were a few women who wanted the training, so I began with them.  When others began to see the difference in their lives, they began to come to me and ask for the training. The women who have received the training have become better wives and mothers.

Continue Reading…