A group of saints from the United States and the United Kingdom took a trip to India in January and were able to attend church services at several of our branch locations in the Andhra Pradesh State.

On Wednesday evening, January 21, they traveled by autorickshaw alongside a canal before arriving at an outdoor thanksgiving service in Durganagar. Tents, chairs, and lighting had been set up outside the church in anticipation of a large crowd, and nearly one hundred did attend. A PA (public address) system had been set up in the street, and it drew many curious neighbors.

The service began with an opening prayer and congregational singing followed by music specials. Then, the family who had requested the theme of “thanksgiving” testified to many recent answers to prayer. The young man thanked God for helping him obtain a good job, his mother praised God for healing her, and his father told how God saved and sanctified a relative. Then, his grandparents thanked God for their recent conversions.

The service continued with a Scripture reading from Psalm 103 and more testimonies and music specials, before the pastor brought a message from Joshua 20:2 on “A City of Refuge.” After the closing prayer, there was a time of fellowship, during which the US visitors distributed candy to the children.

The next morning, they visited a small church in Kapavaram where ten to fifteen people meet regularly, though persecution is a real threat. The building is set on property spotted with fruit trees and sugar cane plants, which help feed the pastor and his wife. The visitors brought a large bag of rice as a gift and were invited to stay for lunch. While there, they noted that though the building is plumbed, water for cooking and cleaning was drawn from an outdoor pump. Upon inquiring, they learned that a rooftop storage tank is needed at this location.

After lunch the visitors drove through scenic rice fields and coconut groves to arrive at the next church, located in Masakapalli. At one time, the building, which serves thirty adults and forty children, was a thatched hut. Now, it is a beautiful structure, standing among coconut trees and overlooking the Godavari River. This beauty can quickly become marred during the monsoon season, and the pastor expressed his gratitude for the prayer and flood support received after the last monsoon. He also appreciated our prayers following his motorcycle accident, which left him with large scars on his legs. Currently, he needs prayer for his hearing, which the Lord has already partially restored.

On Friday, the visitors crossed paths with a widow from Gurajanapalli who has been leading a flock of eighty adults and children since her husband, the former pastor, died in 2019. The widespread need in her village is for salvation, relief from persecution, and a way for young adults to connect with other Christians and find godly spouses.

On Saturday, January 24, the group visited a pastor in Kathipudi who needs prayer for healing. He contracted typhoid fever while ministering to tribal people in a nearby jungle-like setting. His wife has been caring for him for ten days and it is not yet clear if he will live. The visitors offered encouragement by praying for him and giving assurance that the saints in the US would pray also.

The visit in Kathipudi was brief as this village is hostile toward Christian foreigners. However, before leaving, the visitors offered some provisions for the church. The congregation there was established eighteen years ago and consists of sixty adults and seventy children. They meet in a portion of the pastor’s home, which accommodates about thirty comfortably. They are praying God will provide a larger place of worship.

The next stop was Thammavaram, where a congregation of thirty adults and forty children meet in a thatched hut. Again, the visit was short as this village is also hostile toward Christians. They thanked the pastor and his wife for the constant hardships they endure to spread the Gospel in India and left them with some rice and sweets.

On Monday, January 26, a ministers’ meeting was held at our headquarters location in Kaikavolu. It included written greetings from the Portland headquarters, offering encouragement and assuring the saints in India of our prayers. As the meeting continued, several pastors reported on recent victories at their locations while highlighting prayer requests.

In Nadimpalem, God healed a believer who was at the point of death and saved three people who were idol worshipers. Several need prayer to receive sanctification.

In Yanam, four people were recently water baptized, and one believer was miraculously spared when run over by a large vehicle. Also, three young people are praising God for their acceptance into education programs and pray He will help them in their studies.

The Thammavaram pastor thanked God for His protection in 2025, saying two converts were water baptized, and asked for prayer for continued protection in 2026. He also thanked God for healing one believer who fell off a roof and another who was suffering from heart disease.  

The Kapavaram pastor requested prayer for four who are afraid to be water baptized. He also praised God for a sister’s deliverance from a disease.

Three people have joined the Masakapalli congregation and another was water baptized. Also, a man who was paralyzed can now walk after being prayed for. 

In Gurajanapalli, a young man was electrocuted and thought to be dead, but God revived him when everyone prayed. Also, the congregation has gained a deeper understanding of doctrine. They need prayer for more growth.

At Kaikavolu, four people were water baptized, and a woman who was unable to bare children gave birth to a son. She had been ridiculed in the village, but God saved and healed her. There is a need among the congregants to receive their deeper experiences.

In Durganagar, a couple who were unable to have children are expecting, and this has been a powerful testimony in the village. They request prayer for a safe delivery. Also, a young girl whose elbow was struck by an iron rod needs healing, and a farmer is looking to God for a full recovery from illness so that his daughter can leave off farming and return to school.

In Pedapudi, a sister was suffering from uterine fibroids and needed surgery but couldn’t afford it. She was prayed over and God healed her.

The meeting closed with a message from 1 Corinthians 15:58, which exhorts, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” This was followed by a time of prayer, and then the pastors and their wives were presented with gifts of appreciation from the Portland headquarters.

On Tuesday, January 27, the visitors were invited to a service in Nadimpalem where the church is located on the second floor of a pastor’s home. As they arrived, the saints were already singing, with the children seated on the floor in the front and the adults in chairs behind them. One highlight of the evening was when the children sang, “I don’t fear, because the Lord is with me.” The sermon was taken from Matthew 5:16 and focused on “Keep Your Light Shining.” At the close, following a time of prayer, the visitors distributed candy and toys before leaving.

By the close of the trip, the visitors had noted that persecution against Christians seems to be widespread in the Andhra Pradesh State. Despite this, the saints in India remain steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.