JESUS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

During the Christmas season we have had the opportunity to spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ in thousands of villages across India. We were able to share the message of Christmas and as a result, people in these villages have expressed a growing interest in knowing more about Lord Jesus Christ. We also had the opportunity to show the Jesus Film in many new villages and proclaim the message of the Gospel. Through this approach we have seen hearts being touched and a deepening interest in the teachings of Jesus Christ among new communities.

We thank God for providing us with a boat which has helped us enter new villages and spread the Christmas message in many remote areas of North 24 Parganas. For the first time in these villages people have heard the message of Christmas and have invited our leaders to visit their homes and pray for them.

It has been an exciting time to have our daughter, Abigail back home for Christmas. She will soon head back to college in January and begin her 3rd year of college.

Gill continues to disciple women and had a great combined Christmas celebration, sharing the message of Christmas with many non believing women who had attended.

Benjamin has been home these last two months, but continues to equip and train leaders and planning strategies for next year's goals.

Our leaders in Orissa visited the 2 leprosy colonies where presently 120 families reside in each of these districts, who barely survive on hand to mouth and often times they even go without food for days.

It was an overwhelming and emotional experience to witness the negligence of these lepers. Such is their state as they have absolutely no one to care or even provide any kind of support to them. The local authority does not provide any support and sometimes restricts their movement in search for food. Even if they go out on the streets to find work or ask for alms, they are shunned by the people. No proper food or water or shelter has been provided, as a result of which they starve, suffer malnutrition and with various diseases as no proper medical care can be provided for them.

Our Biglife team organized a Christmas celebration with the lepers and distributed packets of basic essentials and blankets to these lepers in the colonies of Ganjam and Bolangiri districts. This gave them such hope and brought joy to their lives as they were able to use these essentials for their hygiene and the blankets help them to keep warm in the winter. Since these 2 colonies are in the mountain and jungle areas extreme weather conditions like excessive heat and the cold of the winter can really be a great hindrance for them. The distribution of these items have been a great blessing to the families.

This is Satyanarayan, an avid reader of Hindu religious texts. Despite his extensive studies, he felt an unquenchable thirst for spiritual truth. His search for answers seemed endless, leaving him unfulfilled and unsatisfied. That was when he received a New Testament from one of our leaders, which proved to be a turning point in his life. As he delved into the Gospel of John, he encountered the truth about God that he had been searching for. The words of Jesus resonated deeply within him, and he found himself drawn to the Gospel message. His new found faith awakened a sense of conviction within him. He realized that he was a sinner in need of redemption and that he needed to be born again. This transformation sparked a desire to share his discovery with others. Today, praise God his home has become a hub for spiritual growth, with Bible studies taking place three times a week. His eagerness to learn more about the truth is inspiring, and his testimony serves as a beacon of hope for those seeking spiritual fulfillment.

Training for another 5000 leaders by the end of this year

To double the number of fellowships (which are disciple making environments)

To withstand persecution with faith and courage and yet committed to move forward

To reach another 500,000 souls by the end of this year.

To connect and catalyze movements among unreached peoples groups.

We are very thankful to BMS for your continued support and prayers which has been vital in seeing our people go forward despite all the challenges. We rejoice with you in what God is doing and we celebrate your partnership with us.