January 2019
Dear AWR Friend,
This past November, I shared with you the story of 16 Protestant pastors in the Philippines who asked to join the Adventist Church after listening to our AWR broadcasts.
The news shocked us—in the most positive way! We are witnessing like never before the power of the Holy Spirit moving in people’s hearts all around the world!
While we were still rejoicing over this triumph of God’s Word, more amazing news reached us—this time from India—and I just have to share it with you.
AKHIL’S CALLING
A few months ago, a young man by the name of Akhil and some of his friends noticed there were many Adventist churches that were closed in the area of India where
they live. Built years ago during a flurry of evangelism, these churches had not received the pastoral care needed, and budget cuts at the local mission office added
to the problem.
So Akhil and his friends decided to do something about it. These churches were dirty and overgrown with weeds as no services had been held there in a long time.
So this group of students worked on getting them clean and presentable.
Then they opened the doors and began holding services for the community.
No one paid them to do this, and they had no money, but they loved the Lord and felt compelled by God’s Spirit. There are currently 30 volunteers on Akhil’s
team, and when asked why they are doing this, they said, “We are part of the worldwide Adventist movement involved in spreading the Three Angels’ Messages
of Revelation 14. God has called us to do this.”
So far, these young people have reopened five churches, and are working to open 10 more. Akhil and his team have little to no funds and often
skip meals to do God’s work.
The words of Nehemiah 2:20 ring true for Akhil, “ I answered them by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding…’”
Akhil and his group secured permission from the conference president to reopen the churches, and once they opened them, amazing things began to happen. Read on!
THE GIFT
Shortly after Akhil opened the first church, he received a special gift. AWR gave him a projector and a laptop so he could hold evangelistic meetings.
Soon, Akhil began receiving requests to speak in different places.
One such invitation came from a Baptist pastor. He asked Akhil, “Do you know any good speakers? If so, I will bring 150 Protestant
pastors to hear him.”
Akhil was overjoyed! God was opening wide a door of opportunity. This past July, the first meeting was held in the local Baptist church. The speaker was one of
AWR’s cell phone evangelists, Dr. Ronald Robins, along with Pastor Ramesh Kumar, also an AWR cell phone evangelist.
More than 120 Protestant pastors attended that first meeting, and the following month when they announced a second meeting, 100 pastors returned to hear more!
Currently, eight pastors are studying privately with Pastor Kumar. But as a result of these meetings,
invitations are now pouring in for Akhil and his group of young people to speak at various Sunday churches and teach them more about the Bible.
People are hungry for truth, and God’s Spirit is calling all who are willing to listen and respond.
AN ARMY FOR JESUS
God is working in ways that amaze us! All this happened as a result of one young man’s commitment and the gift of a single projector.
Can you imagine what will happen this year when more than 1,000 young people all across India share the prophetic gospel message using the 1,400 projectors
(so far) that you have helped to provide?
These young people are committed to holding a total of 5,000 evangelistic meetings. They are being organized in groups of two or more, and each group will hold
at least five evangelistic meetings. AWR will prepare the way by broadcasting a series of health messages that will then transition to Bible prophecy. Then we will
invite people to the meetings. I can’t wait to share with you what God will do!
Years ago, we were told by inspiration that as the latter rain begins to fall, “Then thousands in the eleventh hour will see and acknowledge the truth…These conversions
to truth will be made with a rapidity that will surprise the church, and God’s name alone will be glorified.” (Selected Messages 2
, p. 16)
What a day that will be! We know God will use young people like Akhil and his group to do it—and AWR will be there to help them!
One more thing. Most of these young people in Akhil’s group and across India have little or no funds to travel to their different preaching locations.
We would love to be able to provide them with scooters that will allow up to four of them to travel from place to place—especially Akhil’s group as they meet
the different speaking appointments in the various churches where they’ve been invited to speak.
For a gift of $850 you can provide a scooter for at least four young people.
Funds marked for this project and for the projectors ($100 each) will go directly toward this purpose. It is such a joy and privilege to be able to help these
young people fulfill their mission!
Thank you for supporting the work of Adventist World Radio. We feel this is only the beginning of what God can do when we open wide our hearts and our hands
to share the gospel message with the world—and encourage and support those who are doing it!
I know 2019 will be a year of surprises and blessings as we work together to proclaim God’s truth. We are told to, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel
them to come in, that My house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23) That’s what AWR is all about—proclaiming God’s truth through the airwaves, Godpods, projectors,
cell phones—and even scooters!
What an inspiring story! It just thrills our hearts to know how God is working through Adventist World Radio to help young people like Akhil and his friends.
It is our mission to share this precious truth, and to facilitate the work of others so that the ripple effects continue around the world. We can only do this through
our partnership with you, because it is only as we work together that these miracles can happen! Thank you for being a blessing—for helping us share the gospel message
with the world. Jesus is coming soon!.