In the intensity of May, India’s hottest month, it is difficult even to survive in northern India- let alone feel like celebrating. Nevertheless, a spirit of joy persists in Bihar where our partners celebrated their thirteenth graduation ceremony for students completing the pastor training school.

The training center was started in 2002 with a vision to send out pastors to plant churches in areas where the gospel has never reached. Many of the students come from backgrounds where parents and communities do not support their beliefs and actively oppose their ministry. This does not deter them, however, from seeking to fulfill the great commission among their communities.

Now that the students have been equipped with training they are ready to go out to share their unique testimonies of God’s work in their lives. As they shared samosas and other traditional Indian treats with the local community, they spoke of their plans to begin or further develop their own church communities. The students praised the quality of the training, saying their faith had been strengthened to do the work God called them to. They also spoke of their desire to send more Christian leaders to be equipped, and asked for prayer that God would place more workers in His fields. The celebration was full of hope and promise that made surviving the heat not just a possibility but also a pleasure and a testament to God’s goodness in that difficult area of the world.

Please pray for our newest pastors in India and consider encouraging their young ministry through sponsorship.