Mathew and Mary Traveling to Burkina Faso



Mathew & Mary Mathai



Friday, October 25th, Mathew and Mary Mathai will leave Chickballapur, India for a visit with their grand kids in  Burdina Faso.  Well, Tom and Suja will be there too.

Please be praying for safe travels for Mathew and Mary.  She is still experiencing pain with her back issues.  Please pray their visit will provide the opportunity to have a relaxing time away from the responsibilities of Christhia Seva Mission and a time of great fellowship with their family.

Mathew and Mary will return to Chickballapur and CSM in a few weeks and prepare for a great Christmas celebration with the thousands of Christians served through CSM.

A Children's Church Celebration in Gudibunde

You have been following the building of the Children's Church area on the roof of the church at Gudibunde.  Sunday, August 25th brought with it a special celebration at the Gudibunde Church as they celebrate the completion of this special project.

This facility addition will enable Christhia Seva Mission to teach hundred's of children about the loving, saving grace of a living God.

Please join us in celebrating what God has done to make this project possible.




Worship at the church in Gudibunde as they celebrate the completion
of the Children's Church addition that was built on top of the
church building.

 


Of course you can celebrate without a great cake.



The children of the Gudibunde Church celebrating in their new
Children's Church area.



Everyone enjoyoing, celebrating the new Children's Church
area and worshiping the God that has made it
all possible.



Pappanna - A Very Special Testimony



Meet Pappanna and his family, wife Ratamma (left) and daughter Gayrathri

 Matthew has translated and shared the following testimony of  Pappanna in Pappanna's own words.  Please read, enjoy and praise God for how He uses CSM to bring people to a saving relationship with Christ.
------------------------

I want to share my testimony.  My name is Pappanna.  I grew up in a very traditional Hindu family.  From my childhood my parents encouraged me to be good and faithful to the gods we worshiped. I believed in many gods. 

About 10 months ago I became very ill.  I went to doctors and hospitals.  They couldn’t find anything wrong.  They did lots of tests, they couldn’t find anything wrong physically.  So I went to many temples seeking help from the gods I believed and worshiped. I did not get any help from them.  

I was getting weaker and weaker.  4 months ago I became like paralyzed.  I couldn’t stand by myself.  So my wife went and brought a witchcraft doctor, thinking that it was a curse from one of my ancestors.  He did all kinds of things on me to remove the curse from me.  He practiced witchcraft for 2 weeks and it didn’t do any good.  I was getting weaker and weaker.  I gave up hope and told my life I don’t want to do anything any more.  Please leave me alone.  Whenever I die, let it be.

All these times Pastor Johnson and Moses were visiting our village and conducting prayer meetings.  They came to our home and visited with me and asked if they could pray for me.  I said no, I don’t want to do anything anymore, leave us alone and don’t come back to our house any more. I was very discouraged and I prayed very earnestly to my gods and they didn’t do anything for me.  So I didn’t want to do anything with any god. 

The next week pastors came to our village and my wife went and asked them to come and pray for me.  At this time I was bedridden and couldn’t walk.  Because of my wife I told them you can pray.  They shared the gospel with us.  They prayed and left.  For the next 4 weeks they came and prayed for me.  4^th week I asked them to conduct the bible study and prayer meeting in my house. There are several Christians in our village.  They all came for the prayer meeting and started to sing and praise God.  I never experienced anything like this before.  I felt like something is happening to me.  Johnson preached about the paralyzed man whom Jesus healed.  I liked what I heard and it gave me some hope of healing.  I asked preachers come and pray for me.  4 days after, the afternoon, they came and prayed for me.  Then they left.

Day after they prayed for me, I started to lift my legs and move it around. Slowly day by day I started to get better and started to walk slowly.  This convinced me , my wife and daughter that Jesus is the true living God.  All three of us knelt together and prayed and accepted Jesus into our life as the Lord and Savior.  All three of us were baptized on August 4^th.  I walked into the baptistery and walked out of it without any body’s help. 

Amen, Jesus is our savior, healer and the only one God.   Please pray for us.

Thanks for listening to my life changing experience.

Pappanna

July Blessings at the Gudibunde Church - UPDATED AUGUST 14, 2013

The Gudibunde Church is suffering from growth.  A nice problem to have.
This is construction on top of the worship building for a
Children's Church area. 



This worship and teaching area will enable CSM to teach
hundreds of Indian children about Jesus.

 


Another blessing to great growth at Gudibunde is that on July27, 2013,
there were 20 new brothers and sisters in Christ who chose
to be obedient to Christ in Christian Baptism.

 


The construction of a roof over the Children's Ministry area of
the church at Gudibunde nears completion.


_______________________

Updated August 14, 2013

You can see this will be a nice addition to the church building and
will enable CSM to teach hundreds of children in the
years to come.

August 4h Baptisms at Parasandra Church



August 4, 2013 Matthew Mathai had the privilege of baptising many new
brothers and sisters in Christ at the church in Parasandra.  Pastor Moses
is on the far left, Pastrr Johnson on the far right.





Favorite past-time following ANY ceremony at any of the worship centers
in India includes what?   Yep......Eating!!

 

Group Weddings in Gowribidanur Church

July 18th, Mathew conducted a group wedding for three new
Christian couples.  The wedding was performed at our
Gowribidanur Center.



Madhusudan and Rakshita exhchange rings during the ceremony





Nagarai and Nirmala exchange floral garlands as part of the
wedding ceremony.

  


Mathew lead Venkitesh and Prameela in the oath of
Christian marriage.  Vankitesh is also a member of
the Christhia Seva Mission staff.

 















Many members of the Christhia Seva Mission staff
assist in the conducting of the wedding ceremony.



Over 800 wdding guests are fed following the reception.  Many of the
guests were family members who are Hindu.  This was another
wonderful oportunity for them to see how the
Christian community comes together.



Medical Prayer Request from CSM - UPDATED AUGUST 5, 2013





Gayathri

  
Meet Gayathri.  She is the husband of Jogesh.  Both Jogesh and Gayathri were baptized by Mathew in the church at Chellur 18 months ago.  Both Jogesh and Gayathri are from very poor Hindu backgrounds  When they made the decision to become Christ Followers, both of their families disowned them.

Jogesh has developed a serious medical condition as a result of heavy drinking prior to becoming a Christian.  He had surgery at a medical college in Bangalore on July 27th.

Jogesh's doctor says that the damage caused was severe, and while the surgery was successful, recovery is dependent upon him receiving the blood and medications necessary. 

The surgeon and some of his colleagues have provided sample medications to help short term.  The cost of blood and medicine Jogesh will be needing soon will run between $1500 and $2000 US.

Jogesh and Gayathri have two young children.  Matthew is praying the money will be made available and that Jogesh will receive the needed medications, that God will be glorified in his healing and will serve as a powerful witness among two Hindu families as well as many others.

Please lift Jogesh, Gayathri, their family, the doctor and this entire situation before God's throne in prayer.  If you know someone who could help, please contact Becky Bennett at White Oak Christian Church, (513) 385-0425.  Or you may respond to this post.  Thanks.

********************

UPDATE - AUGUST 4TH

Mathew has heard from Jogesh.  The hospital in Bangalor has agreed to discount his medications.  Now instead of needing $1500 to $2000 US, they have told him they can reduce his medicatons to only $600.00.

If your Sunday School / ABF or other small group would like to sponsor these meds for Jogesh, please contact Becky Bennett at White Oak Christian Church, 513-385-0425 or respond to this post.

*********************

UPDATE - AUGUST 5TH

As of this morning, Jogesh's medications have been covered.  Thank You!!!

Prayer Requests from Chickballapur

Mary Mathai doing what
Mary Mathai loves to do.

Matthew and Mary are currently in Kerala.  Mary is receiving special treatment for her back.  She had been in the hospital for seven days and is currently under restrictions for another seven.  Once she is able to travel, they hope to return to Chickballapur around July 10th or 11th.

 

Please pray for Mary as she recuperates and her back continues to heal.

 

Mathew is also asking for prayers as C.S.M. prepares to wed four couples in one service.  This special Christian marriage ceremony will occur in the Gowribidanur church, Thursday, July 18th.  It is truly Mathew's privedge to help these new couples enter their marriage with Christ as the central focal point of their new family.

Baptisms in Parasandra

The church in Parasandra is a 'multi-site' start from the church in Sdevaganahalli.  Paster Moses was leading this church in his home with 35 to 40 worshipers.  The past year has seen the ministry expand. 

This year the worship was moved from Pastor Moses' home to an empty warehouse.  Pastor Johnson has been working with this church as well.  In June there are now over 300 worshipers meeting in Parasandra.

On June 16th, Matthew had the privilege of baptising 24 new believers into Christ in Parasandra.

As of Friday, June 28th, Pastor Moses reports there are now another 17 men and women who are ready to be baptized.  Praise God for what He is doing through Christhia Seva Mission in Parasandra.



Seamstress Training ...

Did you know that for $100.00, we can purchase a sewing machine, help a woman in Chickballapur get several weeks of training, give her the sewing machine, then help her set up a sewing business that will enable her to be self-sustaining? 

Well......thanks to you, we can.  Thank you!

Matthew Mathai congratulates one of our latest graduates from this program.

2013 Youth Seminar at Sidhleghatta

In May, Christhia Seva Mission conducted a youth seminar at the church in Sidhleghatta. 


Over 300  youth attend the seminar





Sonny led the men in a breakout session




Santhosoma (our Women's Ministry Leader) led the women in a breakout session.



Distribution of School Supplies

In August 2013, the White Oak Chritian Church Colerain Campus will work with the Northwest School District and the Ross Campus will work with the Ross School District in collecting and distributing school supplies to those who have need.

This month, the church in Chickballapur has collected and distributed school supplies to students there as well.  These are pictures of supplies collected.

These are just some of the hundreds of students who have benefited from the supplies in Chickballapur

2013 Easter Weekend Celebrations in India



Easter weekend saw thousands of Christians worship the risen savior at the churches of Christhia Seva Mission throughout the villages and towns surrounding Chickballapur.



Easter Sunday at the church in Gudibunde




Children worship Easter Sunday morning at the church in Gudibunde




Mathew Mathai baptised 12 new brothers and sisters in to
Christ on Easter Sunday Chickballapur



Our new brothers and sisters in Christ baptized into Christ
Easter Sunday in Chickballapur 

Good Friday worship in Chickballapur



Breaking bread (litterally) following Good Friday worship in Chickballapur



2012 Christmas Celebrations with C.S.M.

Thousands of Christians all over the area were worshiping this Christmas in churches with Christhia Seva Mission. 

Here are pictures from just 3 of the many worship centers C.S.M. has in the region around Chickballapur.

Christmas Worship at Chelur

Christmas Worship at Sidhilaghatta

Christmas Worship at S. Devanagahalli