Updated TTC news, including India

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank you for all your prayers and gifts that enable us to keep investing in pastors and leaders around the world!

Today’s TTC Prayer Requests:
1. An end to the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, and soon.
2. God to minister hope and healing to the people of India.
3. Good health, great strength, and godly wisdom for Pastor Rajan and his family as they make personal decisions and ministry plans.

Times and Seasons
Last month marked a significant milestone with two of Scott’s long-term DM groups “graduating” and being commissioned to carry forth the Lord’s work of raising disciple-makers. Scott’s India group, which began in December 2018, and his Filipino group, which began in March 2019, both held their final sessions.

International Travel Plans
Scott is especially eager to return to both Kenya, where our partnership with HAAPNET is “sitting on go” to train church leaders throughout East Africa, and to India, where Pastor Rajan is spearheading an ever-growing disciple-raising outreach. Scott is meeting regularly with our leaders in both those nations, and we’re encouraged to know that although he’s not currently able to travel physically, the work of God is going forth powerfully right now through the disciple-makers he’s been training. 

Lockdowns in India
Like many of you, we are closely following the situation in India. Last week brought new lockdowns there as new variant strains of COVID-19 devastate the nation. Churches are again closed because full lockdowns on Saturdays and Sundays now restrict all public gatherings.

Prior to those lockdowns, God had opened incredible doors for Pastor Rajan, our TTC coordinator in India, to pass on to others the training he has received from Scott. In February we had mentioned that he was leading five groups, but by late April that had grown to his leading eight monthly DM training groups! Pastor Rajan has been teaching an estimated 300 pastors and leaders in Trichy (far southern India) and the surrounding districts each month!

And the feedback from those who’ve been attending his sessions has been amazing. They’ve never heard the principles Pastor Rajan is sharing! Pastor Samuel from Perambular wrote, “We had an understanding that we have learnt many things from our Senior Pastor. When compared to this Discipleship training program, we got to know we have learnt nothing in our tenured ministry. From the past two sessions, whatever we have grasped, all of them were brand new concepts for us.”

Unfortunately, these meetings have been put on hold due to the recent surge in the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Pastor Rajan told us that three pastors in his own area have succumbed to the virus in just the past week, including one pastor who was 47 years old and completely healthy; he died only three days after contracting the virus.

The situation there is dire and surely ripe for God’s supernatural intervention. The knowledge that hospitals are overflowing and don’t have oxygen for patients is producing fear among many people, including some in the church. Imagine how you would feel if you (or your family member) became critically ill and there was no place to go for medical care.

In difficult times, as always, we value your partnership with Take the Challenge, and we deeply appreciate your fervent prayers and faithful support as we work to raise up more disciple-makers!

Blessings,
Scott, Patty, and the TTC Team