Tag Archive for: India

New seminary class begins studies in India

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54 new students just began their studies in the pre-seminary program in India in July 2022. Another seven students returned to start their third year of studies in the seminary. A few additional students were unable to join or were late in arriving because of severe rains and flooding taking place in the region.

Since there is only room for about 40 students in the seminary dormitory space, the incoming students were broken into two groups. Each group will come for one week of classes each month, rather than the two weeks at a time that was scheduled previously. The students all speak Telugu and are from the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Most of them are already serving independent congregations, but few have much in the way of formal theological education. They are all quite eager to learn more about Christ in the Scriptures at the seminary! In their first week, the new pre-seminary students attended classes on the life of Christ, teaching the Small Catechism, and Lutheran worship. The returning seminary students attended classes in pastoral theology, advanced law and gospel, and Christian doctrine.

Please keep these new and returning seminary students in your prayers as they grow in grace and truth found in Godā€™s Word!

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Equipped for ministry – Seminary graduation in India

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Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings from Christ Evangelical Lutheran Ministries (CELM) of India.

We have a Lutheran seminary in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India to teach Godā€™s Word and to train our workers. On Friday, March 25, 2022, we had a graduation service, and by the grace of God eighteen students graduated. All of them studied over seven years in Godā€™s Word and were equipped for the ministry work.

Out of the 18 students, 14 of them belong to Telugu states (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) and 4 of them belong to North India (Madhya Pradesh, Chattishgarh, and Uttar Pradesh).

These men are very talented and learned Godā€™s Word to preach in their communities. All of them have congregations, and they have gone back to their congregations for full time gospel work. They were all very happy when they received their certificates and also some gifts from WELS (such as laptops for their continuing education).

Please pray for our new graduates that God may use them in his kingdom work.

Written by Rev. Prasad Babu, seminary professor in India

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Known as Christā€™s disciples

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How do other people know that you are a Christian? What makes you different from those who worship a different god, or many gods, or no god at all? On the night before he went to the cross, Jesus told his disciples: ā€œAs I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one anotherā€ (John 13:34-35).

The self-sacrificing love of Jesus reflected in the lives of his believers is a sign to everyone of who they are. In a world full of selfishness, greed, and apathy, the love that Christians show to others serves as a beacon for the gospel. Where that love is on display, you are likely to find its source, the one who gave his life so that we might not die. The good news of free forgiveness through faith in Jesus moves us to love one another as he loved us.

Even in places like India, where Christians are a small minority, that light continues to shine in the darkness. And this yearā€™s pandemic has given Christā€™s followers many opportunities to share his love with those who need it. Although the COVID-19 virus was slow to begin its spread on the subcontinent, the Indian government saw that drastic measures were needed to keep it in check. On March 24, 2020, Prime Minister Modi ordered a nationwide lock down for the entire population of 1.3 billion people. Millions of villagers who had gone to work in the large metropolitan areas were suddenly stranded hundreds of kilometers from their families. Many more millions of migrant workers and day laborers lost all income and had no way to support their families. People throughout the country were in danger of starving.

The pastors and gospel workers of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Ministries (CELM) did what they could to support their members and others in their villages. They themselves had little, but they shared what they could. Some made masks to distribute to their neighbors. Practicing social distancing, the pastors stood outside on the street and shared Godā€™s word and prayer with the people standing in their doorways.

Then WELS Christian Aid and Relief sent welcome assistance. A grant of around $22,000 was given to the CELM for food distribution. The church leaders sprang into action, organizing the aid to help as many people as possible. Movement between villages in some districts was restricted because of the lock down, but the gospel workers paired up with each other and with local village elders to purchase food for distribution. They bought items like rice, lentils, cooking oil, and a few other essentials. In total, around 3,500 families in over 100 different villages received enough supplies to last nearly a month.

Many of those helped by this aid were fellow believers. The Christian church would have received a bad name in the Hindu and Muslim communities if they had neglected to take care of their own. As Jesus said, ā€œby this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.ā€ The apostle Paul also wrote: ā€œTherefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believersā€ (Galatians 6:10). But the CELM pastors rejoiced at the many opportunities they also had to let the light of Jesus shine to others outside the faith. They are looking to follow up with these families and hopefully see them in worship when lock down restrictions ease up.

The leaders of our sister church in India send their heart-felt thanks to their WELS brothers and sisters. They are grateful for your generosity, but they also see in the news that the U.S. has many challenges of its own. Every one of the 80 pastors, gospel workers, and seminary students of the CELM assures me that the people of WELS are in their daily prayers. They know that you are fellow disciples of Jesus because of the love you have shown them.

Written by Guy Marquardt, friendly counselor to India

 

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WELS India Children’s Homes – Fall 2018 Update

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This young man, Teja, is part of a new group of former students who did not complete the seminary training at Christ Evangelical Lutheran Ministries (CELM), our worker training school. Now, like the others, Teja has been given a second chance. It is exciting to have him return. You see, Teja is the first “graduate” from one of our childrenā€™s homes to attend the CELM program. He began the required pre-seminary program in 2013 and graduated in April 2016. He greatly desired to continue his education the following year at seminary, but his mother and uncles were pressuring him, ā€œWhy do you want to study for this job? You will be a poor man.ā€ He was encouraged to fulfill any family obligations before attending classes. Teja reluctantly agreed. He acquired a job at a dental clinic, yet frequently asked, ā€œWhen can I return to school?ā€ The reply was always, ā€œWait and trust.ā€

Teja

During that time, Teja financially helped his widowed mother to ā€œmarry offā€ his younger sister and then assisted in costs for his sisterā€™s first two babies. This is all part of the brideā€™s family responsibilities in India. As the only son with no father, much of this responsibility fell on his shoulders. Teja is 22 years old.

Now, family obligations have been fulfilled and Teja was excited to be back at CELM Seminary for the refresher course this past spring. He said last April, ā€œIā€™m not concerned about money. I just want to share the joy.ā€

But the roadblocks continue. Just before the school year began in July, Teja emailed, ā€œI donā€™t know if I should come to classes. My uncles say I have no life experiences. Many will not respect me.Ā  I am young.ā€ The story of Paul encouraging Timothy also encouraged Teja. Once again, he was encouraged to trust in the Lord.

Thanks to many prayers and the Lord’s guiding hand, Teja has returned for this school year AND has been blessed to keep his job at the dental clinic when not at classes. Our classes run two weeks of each month. A small subsidy is given students to assist while they study at the school. But now, with this chance to continue working during the two weeks off, it is a great blessing for him. The caregiver that brought him to the childrenā€™s home is also giving him experiences at the local place of worship. What a privilege to watch this young man mature physically and spiritually. Please continue to remember him in your prayers. We pray that he will be a blessing for many.

We love makingĀ connections

It is always exciting to connect with groups of people or individuals when back in the United States. We love sharing our experiences and stories. Just as exciting is making an exchange of greetings and sometimes small gifts with the children in the States and the children here in India.

Two groups did just that from Wisconsin. A VBS from Waukesha, Wis., and a Sunday School from Montello, Wis., sent very special greetings. The cultural exchange is fun and the connection is very appreciated. Itā€™s special for the children to know that kids in India and kids in the States both like eating apples! The tangible greetings are also warmly welcomed with ā€œoohs and aahsā€ and are very encouraging to the children and especially the caregivers.Ā  They now can feel part of a bigger family from around the world.

View the video of Mt. Calvaryā€™s VBS in Waukesha, WI singingĀ Jesus Loves MeĀ with the Indian Childrenā€™s Home.

IndependenceĀ Day

August 15 is Indiaā€™s Independence Day. This year the day was quite rainy, but that did not stop the celebrations. The Indian flag was raised, the Indian national anthem was sung, and the pledge was said. As CELM seminary classes were in session and nearby, those students also joined in this special celebration. We all crowded into the larger classroom and enjoyed various national songs sung by the children and heard many speeches, ā€œI am proud to be an Indian!ā€ Afterward, the CELM students enjoyed interacting with the children and expressed how this reminded them of their elementary school days. We pray that India is blessed with leaders who will guide this large democracy well.

HeavyĀ Monsoons

The monsoons were heavier than usual this year. One of our childrenā€™s homes was affected. They live near canals which help provide a couple seasons of crops. Due to a poorly managed water dam and heavier rain fall, some canals overflowed, destroying rice paddies, and caused damage to the house. Fortunately, our two homes in the area were not as seriously affected but the children from one home did have to evacuate to higher ground for a few days. Cleanup has started, and WELS has provided assistance to cover these costs. We are thankful the government has also assisted in flood relief. We hope the upcoming cyclone season brings only the needed rain.

To learn more about WELS work in India and the India Children’s Homes, visit wels.net/India.

 

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Heavenly Connections

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One of the greatest joys my husband and I have when back in the USA on furlough is connections with WELS members who support mission work, especially our work in India. One particular connection culminated at a special Vacation Bible School program at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Waukesha, WI.

Early this summer, my husband and I were on furlough in the States. One pastor on our South Asian Administrative Committee mentioned that a friend of his had reached out. This friend wanted to connect with the Indian friendly counselors to discuss supporting our work in some way. To make a long story short, we met this friend – Amie Klemp-Saar – very soon after and the rest is history.

“Jesus” of Jesus Loves Me

Amie was passionate to make real connections with missions, this time through the Mt. Calvary VBS in Waukesha. First, my husband and I excitedly shared our work about the children we care for with Amie and the VBS team she was a part of. Amie said many times, ā€œI want to make real connections with the VBS kids here and with the kids you care for in India. I want the VBS kids to see how we can show our love of Jesus in a very real way to others.ā€ Then, over our conversations, many ideas were thrown out on how we can make those real connections. This was one, ā€œLetā€™s have them all eat KitKat bars! Can you get them there?ā€ ā€œYes!ā€ was my reply. ā€œLetā€™s do it!ā€ Thanks to my co-worker and husband (who returned to India earlier then I), KitKat bars were bought in India and eaten at one of our childrenā€™s homes. KitKats were also eaten by the VBS children in Waukesha as a snack. Pictures were taken on both sides of the world and shared. We were also able to share our presentation about the childrenā€™s ministry in India, so the VBS children learned more about India and our mission. One couldnā€™t help but be drawn into the excitement of the whole venture. The sharing still continues with all our Childrenā€™s Homes and Grade school in India.

Yet the most inspirational thing happened on the last day of Mt. Calvaryā€™s VBS. I had the opportunity to attend and witness an outpouring of love for the Savior. The connection this time was singing Jesus Loves Me. Thankfully, Dan Saar (Amie’s husband) recorded it:

View the video of Mt. Calvary’s VBS in Waukesha, WI singing Jesus Loves Me with the Indian Children’s Home.

I joined in singing and signing Jesus Loves Me with 140 VBS children at Mt. Calvary, while the children of the Indian Mercy Children’s Home sang on the screens behind us.

Signing “belong” of Jesus Loves Me

For me, to make a connection with that song was amazing, as I have been personally teaching it to the children in our homes and school. It was hard to hold back the tears of joy. The outpouring of love was humbling. Some parents and visitors were so moved and came up to me personally, “I want to help.” The Sunday after VBS, the children sang this again and more were moved. What was the most humbling was witnessing the Holy Spiritā€™s power, not ours, to turn peopleā€™s hearts on fire.

This connection was just the beginning of the bigger picture. It will be very, very encouraging to the children, caregivers, and teachers here in India to see this outpouring of love and encouragement from fellow Christians in the United States. It will show them that they are not so isolated after all and how deep and wide their connection with fellow believers is. And with the Holy Spirit’s help, we can look forward to the biggest connection of all in heaven. May his Word continue to change and move hearts all over the world.

Written by: Wife of a WELS Friendly Counselor to IndiaĀ 

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God Willing, No Waiting in India

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One-third listening; two-thirds waiting.Ā  Imagine youā€™re teaching in a classroom and for every 10 seconds that you talk you have to pause for 20 seconds as your students sit there and wait for more.Ā  That means youā€™re only teaching for one-third of the time you have with your students.Ā  And if youā€™re a student that means you have to fight the temptation to drift off and zone out for two-thirds of the time youā€™re sitting in class!

This is just a taste of the challenge we friendly counselors in India face with our students for each seminary class we teach.Ā  There are 22 official languages in India.Ā  The students at the CELM Seminary primarily come from the regions of Andhra Pradesh (and Telangana) and Madhya Pradesh, where the primary languages are Telugu and Hindi, respectively.Ā  Since our students come from the lower, Christian castes their English level is often not very high.Ā  This means that, if we want to teach them about being shepherds for Godā€™s flock, the English sentences we speak have to be translated into both Telugu and Hindi for each class.Ā  One-third listening; two-thirds waiting.

Two-thirds listening, or even one-hundred percent listening in a second language?Ā  The friendly counselors and their wives try to overcome this great challenge in a few ways.Ā  One way is by offering English classes.Ā  Teaching English to the students slowly increases that 1:2 listening to waiting ratio over their time at the seminary.Ā  And God willing, by the last few years of classes theyā€™ll be able to learn in English-only classes.Ā  While it would still be using their second and not native language, it does give our counselors more class time to teach them Godā€™s Word.Ā  This also allows the students to use the numerous English resources available for Bible study and to converse more with the counselors on a deeper personal level.

One-hundred percent listening to a non-native speaker?Ā  Conversing with the students both on a personal level and in class without a translator is the ideal situation for the friendly counselors.Ā  Because of this, the counselors are also in the process of learning the Indian languages.Ā  While this presents its own immense challenges, it provides another opportunity to improve that one-third listening amount. Ā It also equips the counselors to respond better to questions asked in class and during study periods.

One-hundred percent listening to a native speaker?Ā  Thatā€™s the goal.Ā  In order to get there the seminary is using a method that has already been mentioned: providing in-class translators.Ā  How does that overcome the current listening-to-waiting ratio?Ā  If members of our national faculty do the translating then it allows the seminary to transition better to national-led classes in the future.Ā  The faculty members doing the translating are then, in essence, auditing the classes and preparing themselves to teach the class in the future.Ā  This naturally leads to the ultimate goal: seminary classes in India being led and taught by Indians.Ā  One-hundred percent listening; no time waiting.

With Godā€™s help, the friendly counselors in India are overcoming the three-language challenge more each year.Ā  Once one-third listening becomes one-hundred percent listening, the Lutheran pastors in India will become more effective pastors and evangelists.Ā  That means not only will there be more listening and learning in the CELM seminary, but someday there will be even more voices singing and praising God in heaven whatever their language on earth may have been.

Brock Groth, Friendly Counselor to India

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Easter in a Cemetery, India

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Indian Christians have a wonderful Easter tradition. Like Christians throughout the world, they gather before the sun comes up. But unique to India, Christians here gather in the cemeteries where their Christian family members have been buried. Tombs are white washed and decorated the day before.
They light small candles and place them on the graves of their loved ones who are now in heaven Easter morning.

There they give thanks for their parents and others who taught them about the Savior. There they hear Godā€™s promises about the resurrection and sing of those promises.Ā  There they celebrate in the most tangible of ways the results of Jesusā€™ resurrection.

What a wonderful way to proclaim the truth of the empty tomb!

The Christians of India do not have this prayer in their hymnals (as we do in CW on page 60), but they know it in their
hearts: ā€œFor the faithful who have gone before us, who have shared with us your good news, whose souls are now at rest in your heavenly kingdom, we give you thanks, O Lord.Ā  Thanks be to God.ā€

A blessed Easter to all of you.

ā€‹By: Friendly Counselor Mark Ricke,Ā India

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