India

Hallelujah! I just returned from six weeks in India where I saw God move marvelously in the lives of pastors and national missionaries while teaching at the Chil Chil Global University. Wonderful results were seen in the lives of Indian pastors during two Deliberate Discipleship Retreats held in different states. The personal, spiritual, and family lives of many of these pastors were literally changed. I know because they personally told me before I left, and others wrote me and told me after I returned home. I posted one of those testimonies on Facebook. God used us mightily in India, once again! To God be the glory.

Plans are being made at the Chil Chil Global University in Manipur to start a deaf school soon. This has been in the plans since June 2022. Deaf children need Christ, but communication through sign language and an educational base is necessary for spiritual growth and understanding of the Word of God. SWMI also desires to set up a ministry on this campus for those with special needs.

SWMI is thrilled to announce major advancements in the work in India. First, Deaf Biblical Ministries, a Christian school and church for the deaf, was founded by Yanger Walling & Amongla Ao in the 1970s. SWMI seeks to start deaf ministries and Christian schools for the deaf similar to what this couple has done in Nagaland. However, there is no time to “reinvent the wheel” and this couple has done a wonderful job already. Therefore, I visited again and spoke with them about the possibility of sending people for training in ministry and deaf education. Happily, they agreed to train people from other locations who could return home after a year to work with the deaf in other areas of India and beyond. This is marvelous in our sight! In fact, we already have one lady who has begun her year of training at Deaf Biblical Ministries and plans to start a deaf school in Siliguri, West Bengal, India. To God be the glory!

Another great advancement is the future training of men for pastoral deaf ministries in India. Biak Vaiphei, IPM missionary, and teammate Daniel Schwalbe, BIMI missionary, will begin training pastors for deaf churches and ministries. SWMI is sending Pastor Paisho Thiu Mai to Pastor Biak and Pastor Daniel for training in Kolkata. What a huge blessing it is to have experienced men like these who are willing to train others in order to multiply deaf churches and deaf ministries around India.

In addition, SWMI dreams of sending laborers from other countries to these two institutions in India for training in order to facilitate the establishment of more churches, ministries, and Christian schools for the deaf worldwide! Could you be one of those future laborers to be trained in India? Your prayers for us are much appreciated. We are excited about this recent progress and I am sure that you are, too. Thank you.