Right Hand Ministries
RHM: PO Box 12385 Oklahoma City, OK 73157 rhmhope1@gmail.com
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Looking to 2019 With Expectancy
January Update
Dear RHM Friends,
Greetings once again in the Precious Name of our Lord JESUS, for the first time in 2019. Pray for us, as it is freezing cold this winter, sometimes down to 60 or below at night! Joking of course, but people here are not used to it, so they think it's REALLY cold.
Thanks to all of you who responded to our appeals to give more funds at the end of the year. It's been an interesting year, as outside of the funds which 2 sponsors give for the widows ministry and the ministry in a more persecuted area, giving was down more than $40,000 in 2018 compared to 2017. Ouch! $40,000 might not be a big deal to larger ministries, but our donation total in 2018 was around $156,000 (more than $52,000 of that came from these 2 sponsors for these 2 specific ministries). So yes, $40,000 makes a huge difference. After our need to change over to a new donation server on the RHM website, we still have about half of our monthly donors who haven't yet reestablished their monthly donations. I'm sure some are not in touch with the situation, and hopefully will make their new donations soon. Pray with us about these financial issues. It may simply be a testing of our faith, but there could also be some things which the precious Holy Spirit is wanting to speak to our hearts about.
A little clarification: the ministries in which 2 larger sponsors are funneling their support for are doing okay. The widows ministry, by His grace, is doing very well financially, for which we are very thankful. Brothers Wesley, Prasanth and myself met this morning to pray and discuss the widows/elderly ministry, which is increasing about 2-fold this year compared to last. But we need the Lord's discernment to understand who are truly needy, and where funds would be wasted. Please pray for us, as it's His work, not ours. All we can do in the flesh is get in the way. It's only His Spirit who can make a lasting difference, an eternal difference, within the lives of these precious elderly people.
John 6:63
As we consider the shortfall of 2018, I wonder how we were even able to get through the year! But the Lord is amazing, and in His mercy saw us through. My heart is not at all discouraged, but my spiritual antennas are up, trying to understand anything He's wanting to say, and changes He's wanting to make. But one thing I know: like never before His Word is coming alive within my heart. I don't know the specifics, but can say by the Spirit that He has great things in store for 2019. Will it come without testings and perplexity? Probably not, but He is a "GOD of wonders" as the song says, "beyond our galaxy." So by His grace we won't waste our time beating ourselves over the head over past failures, or pulling our hair out over financial woes. Paul was in prison, but he knew that
"the Word of GOD is not bound." 2 Timothy 2:9. And even if we struggle at times financially, the power of His Spirit and Word can go forth and transform many lives. Trusting Him to be glorified through this ministry, regardless of our limitations. Hallelujah!
Scroll down to see some great photos with captions, filling you in on some of what's happening in ministry here. Bless you.
Brother Dan
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ABOVE: HOPE girls having a little candlelight service on Christmas morning.
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ABOVE: HOPE's Rizwana (left) is the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary (Suvarna) in the village of Nandayapalem (Luke 1). This village is one of 5 villages where HOPE children are going regularly to conduct "Sunday School".
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ABOVE: A really long-haired version of "an angel of the Lord" (Luke 2:9) appearing to the shepherds. Most of the birth of Christ account in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 was played out by the HOPE children as a song played with the details.
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ABOVE: HOPE boys getting ready to do a dance during the Christmas program in Nandayapalem. Thankful for Brother Solomon spending many hours teaching the boys, while mostly Jean Joy (18) was teaching the girls.
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ABOVE: HOPE girls singing during the Christmas program in the same village as above.
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ABOVE: Kumari (15) is leading action songs during the Christmas program in the poor village of Devuni Manyam.
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ABOVE: Precious little HOPE angels doing a dance in Devuni Manyam.
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ABOVE: The ministry we're involved with in a more volatile area of India is needing to finish building a new girls home. The rent house they've been staying in has been sold, so their time is limited before they will need to vacate. They need more funds; please pray for them.
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ABOVE: Elderly believers in Karlapalem, most all of them widows, but at least 2 of them abandoned by their husbands years ago. They received new Christmas clothes on this day. The woman lying down is Vimalamma, who really should have stayed home. We would have brought the clothes to her house, but she wanted to attend at the church. She was pretty wiped out by the time she got there.
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ABOVE: Nice to see them smiling, at least some of them. These are the widows/elderly from 2 villages who came to this church to receive their new blankets and have a small church service in November. Most of the time when we go to distribute funds or visit them around the middle of the month, we want to share GOD's Word with them to try and build them up spiritually.
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ABOVE: Three of these folks are part of the widows/elderly program in Anneboinapalli. Ratna Kumar is leading a song; he's the pastor for these women. One member there is a man who's had 2 brain surgeries, but still cannot talk, and can't walk much. He may not yet be born again, but he's now coming to the prayers and is learning.
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ABOVE: The 2 ladies standing both have given their lives to do ministry in the tribal colony where this church is located. Four of these women are widows, the other abandoned by her husband. Very needy people. Here they have received new Christmas clothes.
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ABOVE: Widows and elderly in the village of Kothapeta when getting new Christmas clothes. The man on the left is Seemonu, their pastor.
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ABOVE: Thirteen widows and elderly in the village of Thunagunta getting new Christmas clothes. The pastor sitting is Brother Nazariah.
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ABOVE: Nice photo of Brother Solomon, his wife Jyothi, their 2 little boys and the HOPE boys. Solomon and Jyothi are currently overseeing the HOPE Boys Home. This photo was taken in the tribal village of Devuni Manyam before our Christmas program there.
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ABOVE: A human Star of David. From top center going clockwise is Sravanthi, Suvarna, Angel, Jean Joy, Iswarya and Sudha Rani.
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"Whatever you do, do all things to the glory of GOD." 1 Corinthians 10:31 |
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