Life for India, Inc. Newsletter - June 2008

Thank you very much for your continued support and prayers for the work of LFI. Sorry that I have not been able to communicate with you as much as I should have. Due to my wife’s physical problems, we had to spend a lot of time with different doctors. Thanks for your prayers; she is much better now. Please continue to pray for both of us for strength to carry on.

The work in India – (Karnataka state) is going wonderfully. As some of you know, the work area is divided into three areas now (very soon it may be further split into four) for efficiency and close fellowship. I have reports only from two leaders now. Each of the group leaders are responsibile for seven or eight evangelists who work with them. Each of the Evangelists work in 12 to 20 villages around their station.

Long ago we bought a plot of one and a quarter acre land near the church in SIDLAGHATTA. Recently we have built a building there to house the evangelist, an orphanage and a boys home for single parent boys, and a house for widows who have no livelihood. They are taught some kind of trade to create self-esteem. The buildings were donated by generous Christian people, but now we have to find the sponsors for the would-be residents. You could invest $15/ per month, that is 50 cents a day, to make some one happy.


At CHINTAMONY, being the government administration center and silk trade area, many young women come for jobs and cannot find a proper place to live. We are in the process of completing a boarding home (hostel) for young women. This will be a great opportunity to witness to them and influence their future. We already have a girl’s home for the children who come to school there from faraway villages. We also sponsor bright girls from the locality who do not have other means of going to school. There are 45 girls who are enrolled there now.

We have just completed another building for industrial training for the young people of the villages. Welding, Carpentry, masonry work, etc., are some of the training they get.

At GOWNAPPALLY we had a lot of opposition. By loving our enemies, we have overcome the problem and have completed a church building for the local believers.

With the help of Compassion International, we are providing two meals a day and educational tutoring for about 500 School-going children at RAYALPAD AND SIDLAGHATTA. This greatly relieves the burden of the parents. The public greatly appreciates this project.

At DIBOORAHALLI we use the church building as a school also during week days. There are no good schools in the town. About 60 children are studying in our school. We are working for building another building so that we can accommodate more children. Wherever we are helping in the education of the children, the public is very supportive for the work.

VBS, conducted in two centers, were attended by about 1000 children.

Baptism. We have been very careful in this matter in the face of opposition to conversion both from fanatical Hindus as well as from the politicians who want to please the majority. In spite of that, we have baptized 65 people in the reported places and an equal number in the other centers also. So many are coming forward for baptism, but we train and test them for at least a year.

As our board feels that we should enlarge our boundaries, recently we have expanded to the next state, a place called MADANAPPALLY in Andhra Pradesh state. It is only 12 kilometers from RAYALPAD, the border town, where we have established a church already. Mr. Prasad is well versed in the Telegue language and custom. Please pray for this new field.

With anniversary celebration of the mission, we conducted a two day convention for all believers to attend.

We had conducted special lay evangelism classes for the church members to train them in the word. From time to time we conducted refresher courses for the evangelists also.

One of the great joys I have- thanks to God- is that He gave me the idea of “operation Andrew”, an emphasis on the miracle of multiplication by personal evangelism by the believers. We taught them that every Christian is a missionary, obligated to the Lord and their brothers to tell about this wonderful gospel. TODAY WE HAVE 46 YOUNG PEOPLE FROM OUR FIRST AND SECOND GENERATION CHRISTIANS WHO ARE WORKING AS MISSIONARIES IN THE CHURCH AND VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. I PRAISE GOD FOR THEM AND REQUEST YOUR PRAYERS FOR THEM THAT THIS WORK THE LORD HAS STARTED MAY BLESS HIS HOLY NAME throughout India.

I am aware of the fact that wherever God is working, Satan will try to destroy it. Please pray earnestly that He will provide victory and take glory for Himself.

God bless you.

Dr. Abraham Thomas, General Director
Email: lfikns@yahoo.com