The Church of Christ with the Elijah Message Blog

Wednesday June 9, 2010.
This morning we are up early for our journey to Erode. There is a brother there that we needed to visit with.Brother Vimal spoke to him when we first arrived at Chennai to let him know that we were in the South and would visit him. We left Chennai at 11am and arrived in Erode at 6pm. From there we took a Taxi to a Hotel. After getting settle in, we contacted our Brother and told him that we were in town and would like to see him in the morning if it was possible. He was willing to meet us the next morning. We then went about trying to find a place to eat. It took awhile but we found a place and by the time we got back to the Hotel it was 11:30pm. It was a long day. We praise the Lord for His strength.

June 10, 2010
Today we awoke around 7:30am showered and prepared for breakfast. We didn’t know where we would go. After Brother Jaitley and Kapoor joined us, we walked the streets looking for a breakfast place, which is not easy to fine in India since we didn’t know what to eat. We had to settle for coffee and some pastry. Brother Norm stopped at one place and our Brothers went to another. We got together later and went back to the rooms to wait for our Brother Dorairj to stop by. Brother Doraiji arrived at 1:30pm. It was a blessing to finally meet him. In 2002 we made an attempt to contact our brother with no success.

We talked with our brother for some time and learned that he had been part of a number of Churches. We explained to him the Church and wanted to know where he stood with the Church. We asked him did he have members that he wanted us to visit. We got a very slow answer which was yes. We were with our brother for three days and he never brought anyone by to see us neither did he take us to see anyone. We learned that he was not being true to us. When we departed, he came to the Train Station to see us off and there we were told that he would not join the Church. We thanked him for his time and wished him the best. We arrived back in Chennai at 7:30am on the morning of June 14th. We had breakfast ,showered and visited with the brothers about the trip. At 4:30pm we were off to Church in the town of Uraeapakkam. We arrived there about 6:30pm. At 6:45 service was started. Brother Norm and I taught this night and the Lord really blessed. We were able to get the people active and asking questions which was great. You knew from their reactions that they were understanding. After we finished speaking, there were requests for prayer which we did. While praying for one young man by the name of Abraham, the Lord spoke to him and called him as an Elder. We spoke to him about his call and he understood and excepted his calling. We praise the Lord for all His blessings. Brother Norm and I ordained him. It was a wonderful night in the Lord and we give Him all the glory. This was a long day also. We arrived back home about 11:30pm.

Tuesday June 15, 2010.
This morning we tried to sleep in but with the heat there is no way. We just tried to relax because this was the day that we left Chennai for New Delhi. We had a hot day today and now it’s 6pm and we are getting ready to depart the house of our brother Abraham. Just as we were getting ready to leave for the Train station a young couple came an asked for prayer. Of course we did it and was happy we did. We have their address and will stay in touch with them. Our taxi is here and we must go. Brother Abraham accompanied us to the bus station. He was there until it was time for us to depart.We had a blessed time in the South. May the Lord continue to direct the people.
We arrived in New Delhi at 8am on the morning of June 17, 2010. We thank the Lord for a safe journey.

Friday june 18, 2010.
Today we are up and about. We have a number of things that we must take care of today. Time is short and our tickets have changed. It was a hot busy day and we praise the Lord that we were able to get everything done that was needed. At 6:15pm we were at Church. The people were gathered for service. Brother Norm was the teacher for the night. The service went just great thanks to our Lord. It was a wonderful night in the Lord.

Sunday June 20, 2010.
This morning we went to the Church about 9:30am. We are among the first to arrive. Service was under- way at 10am. We began with song and prayer.The word was given and the Lord blessed. We had a number of visitors. Before service closed, there was prayer for the sick and those in need. It was a blessed time and we praise God for all His blessings. Thank you Lord for this day.

Monday June 21, 2010.
Today, brother Vimal had to work so brother Kapoor came over to escort us around the city to take care of personal things. At 5:30pm we were at our Brother Sita Ram’s home. He had invited us to have a study at his home. On Sunday Brother Sita was called by the Lord to the office of an Elder. This night at his home with his family he excepted the call and we ordained him. We had a wonderful study this night. Brother Norm taught on the Rapture that many christians believe in. By the word of God, he explained how christians are mislead. You can’t take part of the word and live on it .You must take all. The word says,” we must live by every word that comes from God”. It was a blessed night. Thank you Lord.
I can truly say that our time here in India has been a blessing and we praise the Lord for it all. I can also say that we need more time here, and everywhere we’ve been. That’s our feelings and thought. We know that we must be about the Fathers business. The Lord is with us and He is with the people. His promises is for sure.
We left India on the 24th of June and arrived in the Philippines on the 25th around 2:15pm. We had a wonderful flight from New Delhi to Hong Kong where we change from Air India to Philippines Air and continued on to Manilla.

May the Lord bless each and everyone this day.
Apostle Larry T. Gosier Williams.

The Lord’s Work In India

Praise the Lord for His wonder working power!

We arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport New Delhi, India at 3:20am on May 16, 2010. It took us over an hour to get through customs .Brothers Jaitley and Kapoor were waiting for us on the outside. We traveled by taxi to brother Jaitleys’ home, We arrived at 5:20am. We visited a little and then retired to bed.. We were late for Church because,when we awoke, it was 10:30am. Service
had already turned over to brother Vimal who explained why we were late.When we arrived to church, Brother Vimal introduced brother Norm and I. It truly was a blessing to be back with the people again. We both spoke and after service, we were invited to Disciple Rajeshs’ home for a wonderful lunch. . We then returned to Brother Vimals’ home. It was a wonderful day thanks to our Lord.We praise the Lord for all His blessings.

The 17th and 18th, we spent getting things organized for our upcoming journey to Southern India .

Wednesday, May 19th 2010.
We left the home of Disciple Jaitley at 2:15pm en route to the train Station. We arrived a little early in order to purchase some food for the trip. Our Train departed the Station at 4:10pm. Our Car # was A/4,( we had a booth for four). We each had a place to sleep, because each seat turned into a sleeper which made it nice. We had planned to arrive in Chennai at 8pm on the 20th of May. however, due to inclement weather, our train had to be rerouted and we didn’t arrive at Chennai until 4pm on the 21st. It was a good time on the ride, because it gave us extra time to study with Brother Jaitly and Kapoor . Praise the Lord!
Our Brother Abraham was at the Station to greet us. It was a blessing to see him once again. We arrived at his home, relaxed for a short time and we were off to visit Church members at another brothers’ home ten souls were gathered at the home . There, we taught the word of our Lord . There were prayers for the sick and blessings of children. It was a blessed time. We thank the Lord for being with us.

Sunday May 23, 2010.
We were up early , left the house around 8am.. We had a distance to go, so we took public transportation. We arrived at the Church around 10am. It truly was a blessing to be here and meet with our brothers and sisters once again and to see that, many had remained faithful to the Lord. Brother Norm and I both spoke to the people and gave them the words of God.
After service we were invited to the home of one of the members. It was a blessed time there. We got to visit with each and everyone that attended Church service.
We arrived back at the home of brother Abrahams’ about 11pm. We thank the Lord for this most wonderful day
.
Monday May 24, 2010.
This morning we are up at 8am, after breakfast around 10am we began a meeting with the Disciples to plan how our time would be spent in the South. The meeting went well. Today was a blessed day.

Wednesday May 26, 2010
We are up this morning 8:30am had breakfast and about 9am we were on our way to Kurchipadi which was 4hr away. We arrived around 2pm and was greeted by our Brother Ganeshan. We were taken to his home where they had food prepared for us. We ate and visited for a while and then we moved to a Church that brother Abraham had the ok to use. There a number of people there, including the Pastor of the Church who wanted to hear the word of Go. Brother Norm presented the Church and the work the Lord is doing today to gather His people before He return to claim His Bride. Truly the Lord was with us and we thank Him for His blessings. Our return trip was via bus also.. We arrived back home around 12:30am. Yes it was a very long day.

Thursday May 27, 2010.
Today we are out around 12:30pm on our way to visit members that were gathering at one of their homes. It was a blessing to be there. There were a number of people there and the service went well thanks to the spirit of the Lord. The foundation of Christ Church was taught and all seemed to receive it well. There were no questions at the end. At the close of service there were prayer requests. Brother Norm and I did administer to those that requested it. It was a blessed night and we thank the Lord for it with all our hearts.

Friday May 27, 2010.
Another wonderful day in the Lord. Tonight we are with another group of people. This was a blessing. It is great to put the word of God before the people. We thank the Lord for the opportunity. Tonight Brother Vimal was first to speak and share this great work with those gathered. Brother Norm spoke next confirming the words of Brother Vimal and expressing further the work of God among the people today i.e. How Hes’ restoring His Church and gathering His people in these last days. There were prayers for the sick and those in need. We closed the service with prayer. We fellowshipped for awhile and then departed for home. Praise the Lord for the day.

Saturday May 29, 2010.
This morning we are up at 6:30am preparing to move to Sivaganga. We arrived Sivaganga around 7pm. We were met at the Bus stop by one of our brothers and escorted to the Hotel where we would be staying. Our room was quite small but we knew that we would make it work. After a while our Brother Dayandha came. He expressed how happy he was to have us there once again. After visiting for some time, we decided to go for dinner. Now the task was to find a place where we could eat. In the South you don’t have but two choices, hot or hotter. We did manage to eat a little something. We realized that this is what we had to look forward to for seven days. The Lord is our strength. It had been a long day and we decided to try and get some rest. Thank you Lord for the day.

Sunday May 30, 2010.
This morning we were up around 7:30am. Brother Dayandha was to come for us around 10am. About 8:30am Brother Jaitly. Kapoor and Abraham came for us to go to breakfast. We were back at our room about 9:30. Our brother arrived about 9:55 and we walked to the Church. The people had begun to gather by 10:30. There were quite a number. It was a blessing to be here in Savaganga once again. We thank God so much for our Brother Dayandha who had no communication with us for eight year and he remained true to the word of God. Praise the Lord for His working power! Service began with songs and prayer, after which. Brother Jaitley, Kapoor, Abraham, Norm and Myself. were introduced . I had the honor of speaking first today and Brother Norm followed. The Lord was with us by His spirit. It was a blessing to us and a blessing to the people. After service, there was lunch which had been prepared by the members. It was a joyous time in the Lord. We then returned to our room where we relaxed. At 6:30 pm, we were told that the evening service had been canceled which didn’t make us happy but we went along with it. The day was a blessed day even though it didn’t end the way we thought it would.

The next three days were spent teaching the people on the foundation of Christ. How men fell away from Christs’ Church and how God would restore His Church here on this Earth before He returned. There were questions, and thank the Lord they were all answered. We thank the Lord for the souls that He has touched that is seeking to know Him and His truths. We will continue to preach this gospel of Christ. On Thursday night Brother Norm taught on baptism. Hearts were touched and there were those that showed an interest in what was taught. We just pray that they will come to an understanding. We thank the Lord for His blessings.

Friday June 4, 2010
This morning we had breakfast. Brother Dayandhi came by the room and we devoted quite some time to talk with him about the work of the Lord. He explained to us the things that he wants to do for the Lord. How he wants to work with the people. He truly has been doing a wonderful work here in Savaganga. He said that he would like to focus more on the young. There is a great need to reach them now he said, which we can agree. It was great sitting with him and we felt his desire for the work of the Lord. Let us continue to keep him in our prayers. It was a blessed time with our Brother.
Tonight Brother Norm taught on the foundation of the Church which went well and souls was blessed. We learned tonight that there were those who wanted to be baptized. This was great news and a joy to our heart. The night ended with song and prayer to the Lord. Praise Him!

Saturday June 4,2010.
This morning we awoke up quite early. Our itineary for the day was to make a trip to the home of the Brother Kapoor’s parents. Brother Norm was not feeling well , so he did not make the trip.
Brothers’ Vimal , Abraham, and I left Savaganga around 9:30am traveled by bus. It was was very hot and dusty. We arrived at brother Kapoor’s parent’s home around 11:30am
It was good to see his family again. It was a blessed time in the Lord. We left there at 3:30 and arrived back in Savaganga at 5pm. At 6pm, we were on our way to Church for the evening service. Brother Norm was the teacher for the night.
It was an interesting night. The rains came and the power went out so we moved inside with candles and continued with the service. All went well in the Lord. And we praise Him.

Sunday June 6, 2010.
This morning we had our usual breakfast of coffee and Pita Bread. Brother Dayandhi came by early to tell us of the events of the day. There would be regular services, and in the afternoon there would be baptisms. This was a joy to our ears and we give God all the praise. Both Bro Norm and I spoke this day and the Lord did bless. We fellowshipped for awhile after services and then returned to our room to rest until time for baptisms. Around 3pm, we were taken by a bus to the Church where members and those to be baptized were waiting. They all boarded the bus and we were off. We traveled to a very large irrigation pond. Brother Norm and I baptized and confirmed the new members. Praise the Lord! There were three souls baptized at this time. We know that the Church will continue to grow in the Lord. There was a young man and two young ladies baptized this day. We returned to our room where we showered and got ready for the evening service. At 7pm, we were back at the Church. We spoke on how the word of God is true and being fulfilled this day. How the Lord is restoring His Church and gathering His people. All must come into this way of the Lord. This also was our last night with the people in Savaganda. It was not easy speaking that night. We said our farewells and returned to our rooms. It was a blessed night.

Monday June 7, 2010.
This morning is a slow morning it’s the day of our departure back to Chennai. Brother Dayandhi came over and we talked with him for awhile. He told us that his brother had invited us to lunch. There was no getting out of that one and we arrived at the house about 12pm. We were welcomed by our brother and sister. The lunch was just wonderful. We had a blessed fellowship. We returned to the hotel around 3:30pm. There we rested and talked more with our brothers about the work in India. At 6pm, we went next door to have Chinese food. It was a nice quiet little place. The food was good.
At 7:15pm we were on our way to the train station for our trip back to Chennai. We boarded our train at 8:45pm and at 9:!0 we were off. We arrived at Chennai at 8:30am the next morning.
After reaching Brother Abrahams home we took showers and tried to relax a little. It was not easy because it was very hot. At 5:30pm we were off to visit a Church family.. We arrived at their home around 6:30pm. We were welcomed with open arms. Brother Norm and I spoke to the people and the word of God was well received by all. After service there was prayer for the sick and those in need. We were back at home about 11pm. It was a blessed night in the Lord.

Greetings unto each of you in the Holy name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. May His Grace and His Peace be upon each of you who read this report? Truly God is Just and He is Faithful unto those who love and serve Him. Be ever mindful of the Lord whom we pray unto daily and in who each of us seek to find His Grace.

We begin this Report from Erode, India where we had journeyed to renew our relationship with a man we had sought to find in 2002, with Disciple Vimal Jaitley and Disciple K.K. Kapoor. Disciple Jaitley had brought him into the work and introduced him to the Word of the Lord. We had received little communication from this man, and when we traveled here in 2002, we were unable to locate him. This time we were successful and spent some time with gentleman and discussed his relationship unto the Lord and his efforts within the Lord’s Work. We spent several days laboring with him and reviewing the Scriptures with the man and also trying to help him in every way to expand his understanding of serving our Lord Jesus Christ as a fellow Christian. Not everything done in the missionary field always comes out as we would desire; and the man has chosen himself to serve the things of man, rather than the Lord. At his request, and his desire, we prayed with him and hope that one day he will come to a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian, other than simply having the name. We departed Erode and headed back for Chennai, India and our last few days in the south of India on the evening of the 13^th of June.

The next few days, before our departure to New Delhi, India; we spent laboring among the Christians in the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message. We met in the open air under a tarp and taught and preached unto the believers and those whom were interested in the Word of God. Our Brother Abraham translated for us as we taught and the people were filled and the Spirit of God was strong. Every day and every night many came unto us for prayer and needs. These good Christian folks had needs that only God could fulfill and through prayer and faith, these needs were met and clearly the folks felt the blessings of God received through deep and sincere prayer offered up on their behalf.

Most people only see photographs of India and have little understanding of the difficult conditions our brothers and sisters labor under. India has many, many wonderful people, yet very deep poverty and travel is to say the least difficult. In Chennai there is water rationing (one day per week they can get drinking water). Elsewhere in India, power blackouts are the norm, and not the exception. Sanitation is a constant problem and taking care of basic needs is no simple matter. In spite of all of these factors, our brothers and sisters remain joyful, pleasant, and always gracious unto those who come to share in the Word of God among them.

On Monday the 14^th of June, we were blessed to ordain and Evangelist, also named Abraham into the ministry and he had traveled several days to move here and meet with us before our return to New Delhi. He is a wonderful young man of thirty-seven years who is engaged to be married soon. He has a warm and friendly spirit and certainly will be a blessing and help to the work in Chennai. We also prayed for many families and individuals this night who were in need of healing and God provided such for all that came forward. I thank God for all that He provides (as each of us know it is Him who heals and not man), and it is always a joy and a blessing to witness the Power and Grace of God at work.

On the 15^th of June, as we were preparing to depart for New Delhi, a fine young couple came for prayer, requesting the Lord provide a child for their marriage of ten years. We were honored to pray for them and will continue to do so in the days to come. We then met with Abraham and his family to bid them farewell, as we departed for our train and the two and half day ride to New Delhi, India.

The ride was uneventful and somewhat relaxing, as the train was air conditioned and that was a pleasant surprise! I caught up on some paper work and also sent some needful messages to the Brothers in Africa, concerning a soon to be trip for our disciples to Rwanda. They will be traveling to that nation to help Disciple Alexander with the efforts in that great nation. I am thankful for the quality of the men who make up the ministry among the nations of this world. Men and women, who hazard their lives, their health, and do it so unselfishly, devote themselves unto the people with the love of God. Some may not understand the depth of those words, however; God full well knows the courage and love of these Disciples who serve him willingly and always in humility.

Arriving in New Delhi on the 17^th of June, in the early morning hours; we could still feel the heat as we left the train and rode to Disciple Jaitley’s home. Our brother has so graciously traveled with us and sought in every way to care for us and along with Disciple Kapoor, have made our journey a blessed time in India. The average temperature in India has stayed in the high 90’s and 100’s, but today was special as the temperature reached 120 degrees! It set a new record of New Delhi in June and for us it was also a new high.

On Sunday we taught on the Church Foundation at the Disciple’s request and would do so again on Monday the 19^th of June. Being taught is a relatively new experience for the people in India who usually listen to preaching.  Teaching gives them an opportunity to ask questions, make comments, and truly understand the things they have accepted and believe. Pastor and Disciple Jai-singh, expressed his deep gratitude for the teaching. He said in India a lot of people come and need to be taught, but as a whole, they have not participated in any real teachings concerning the Doctrine of Christ or His Church.  It leaves them desperately needful of some solid grounding in the foundation of their belief and their relationship unto Christ Jesus. The people also voiced their gratitude for the teaching and were enthusiastic about the things they learned and received. It was a real joy to witness the acceptance and understanding of the Word of the Lord among God’s people. The New Delhi is about forty members in number and sometimes 50 with guests. They are very well served with several elders, some disciples and a sweet spirit of love throughout the Local. On Monday night we ordained Sita Ram Arya to the responsibility of Elder and he is an excellent man who labors in the secular world as a Policeman, in charge of security for state functions.

On the 22^nd of June we traveled to the home of Disciple Jai-singh and he and his lovely wife prepared us an American meal and we studied well into the night on the Tribulation and the Church’s teaching concerning the tribulation and the views of some churches concerning the rapture. We also covered the Lord’s Supper and properly serving of it and conducting the service in general. It was a blessed evening and we were able to share in many good things. The following evening we traveled to the Jitender Raj, where we were taught on Baptism and answered many questions they had concerning the subject. This wonderful couple, has a son, and are members of the Church, and are a real blessing to know and fellowship with.

On the 24^th we went to lunch with the pastor Jai-singh and his wife and Brother Kapoor and Brother Vimal. We finished our packing and prepared to depart this night for the Philippines. We would arrive at 2:30 in the afternoon of the 25^th to begin the work in the Philippines.

We were blessed with many wonderful visits and services in India and we shall be eternally grateful for all the fine Brothers and Sisters who made our time in India success and a joy. In spite of the heat (which every day was over 100 degrees) it was good to labor among the people and share in the Word of the Lord with precious souls who love the Lord and desire to have a closer walk in Christ. We continue to thank those who have kept us in your prayers and thoughts. At times, the work has not been easy, and at times we have known hardships, but through your prayers and support we have also known the blessings of God in our journey and have shared in the healings and miracles He has performed. May God Bless each of you as you  read this report and may you understand a bit more about your fellow members in other nations  and  the workings of the Holy Spirit within those areas. I close in the Joy and Peace of the Lord. I will write again from the Philippines.

You’re Brother in Christ,

Apostle Norman D. Lyles

Beginning this report, let me firmly state that the Work of God in Africa has been a blessing to me and a time of rejoicing in the Power and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we finished our final meetings on this journey with our brothers and sisters and the Disciples and Vice Bishops; very few had dry eyes. In my heart were an ache and already a longing to continue the work in Africa and among those whom mean so much to me. The Disciples and Vice Bishops and Women have labored so tirelessly and unselfishly to help the Work of the Lord to prosper and grow. These who have hazarded their very lives for the Work and Word of God. It humbles my very soul to have the honor to labor among them and call them my brothers and sisters. I presented some of my brothers with Bibles I had purchased for them and yet it seemed like so little to me to give in return for the effort and work they do daily.

We traveled to Nairobi Kenya on the 12^th of May and our last few days in Kenya for this journey. The ride took five an half hours and I found myself wanting to simply turn around and spend a few more months laboring in this wonderful country, however Christ has work for us yet to do in India. The next few days just flew by in a flash, as Brother Ron and Sister Linda hosted us and tried to do everything needful for us as we prepared to depart. Sister Gillian helped her Sister Linda and Brother in law Ron to make our time of leaving a bit less complicated and not nearly so stressful. We cannot begin to express how wonderful these souls are who struggle to care for us and our needs so unselfishly. Thank you Lord for the love and dedication of these whom you have made unto us such a blessing and a Joy.

We boarded the plane bound for India on the 15rh of May and arrived in India on the 16^th. Our Journey was uneventful and we arrived on the 16^th of May. Air India the following day on the same flight crashed killing all aboard, except six souls while attempting a landing during a thunder storm.

After a three hour rest, we arose and attended services in New Delhi.  I preached and taught as did Brother Larry. The temperature in India was a record high for May at 115 degrees during the day and cooling at night to a temperature of 98 degrees. Disciple Vimal Jaitley was a gracious and wonderful host, blessing us with looking to our every need; while his wife also blessed us with good food and trying to help us in every way. Sister Jaitley is a true handmaiden of the Lord and a very patient woman. After Church we traveled to the home of Rajesh for lunch that he and his wife had prepared and we once again were blessed to be in his home after an eight year absence.

We then met with Disciple Vimal and Disciple KK Kapoor to go over the schedule and discovered we needed very much to make some changes to the original schedule which really didn’t leave enough time in New Delhi to do the work needful. We made the changes and rescheduled the travel arrangements and then checked with Philippine Embassy for Larry’s Visa to that nation, as he was unable to obtain it before our departure from America. We then did some repacking for our journey to south India and the Chennia and Sivagangai and Erode areas. We emptied our suitcases and put what was needful in our packs and showered, did laundry and tried to rest before our departure on the 19^th of May for Chennia.

The two and half day train ride to Chennia India was interesting, as our locomotive, broke down and it delayed us by a day. Then we had to be rerouted due to flooding in the Chennia area. On the 21^st of May we arrived in Chennia India. It was extremely hot there also (in fact schools had canceled for two weeks due to the extreme heat). The entire city of Chennia, home to over 5million people was on total water rationing: all homes receive any form of water only on Sundays. This condition creates many difficulties to the poor people who need water to sustain life. We could buy bottled water, but the people lack the funds to do so and are limited to what they can store as they hand pump all they can save on Sunday to last them through the week.

We arrived in the afternoon and then studied with our Disciple Abraham through the night until about 11pm, before retiring to rest. We are staying within Disciple Abraham again this journey and his wife Stella and their two daughter’s do all they can to make us comfortable. We are humbled to be treated so very well. We shall always be grateful to Sister Stella for all she does to make our life easier.

Larry and I purchased some cots to sleep upon and a fan to blow the hot air around at night to keep the mosquito at bay. Then we would travel each night to visit members in their homes for home study. On Sunday the 23^rd of May we traveled by bus to the Church and preached and taught to those gathered to worship the Lord; whom we had baptized and set up eight years ago. It was a joy to meet with them once again and share in the Word of God. We continued the home visits during the week and then on the 26^th traveled to Kurahipadi, a village some miles north of Chennia. (About 5 and a half hours north) Kurahipadi is a farming village and small city in comparison to Chennia. We met near a refugee camp and there we taught the Word of God to interested souls and shared in the love of God with all who were gathered. Then we traveled back to Chennai, arriving at 3am and walked the two and half miles back to Abraham’s home.

I was blessed to spend my Birthday on the 28^th preaching and teaching and also attending a wedding. We were blessed to teach many good souls following the wedding and then traveled back to Abraham’s home and packed for our journey to the city of Sivagangai, which is seven and half hours journey south of Chennia.

On Sunday we were blessed once again to be in the Church we had set up eight years ago. The local church is progressing and being blessed by the Evangelist who is faithfully serving the flock. The Evangelist is named D. Dayanithi and has been a faithful and indeed a wonderful Servant of Christ and His Church. He has built his flock up from a core group of five souls to almost forty souls and although not all are baptized; all are seeking the Lord and hearing the Word of the Lord and not the teachings of man. During our weeks stay in Sivagangai. We were blessed to have two Sunday’s here and every night we held services and taught the people. The only other Christian churches here are the church of south India and the Catholic Church. On our journey here in 2002 we baptized five souls: D. Dayanithi, S.S. Rajkumar, D. Jeevanantham, D. Maria Selvam, and K. Nathiya Nahomi; on December 1, 2002. We were blessed on June 6, 2010 to baptize three more precious souls and the Spirit of God called D. Dayanithi to the responsibility of Disciple and he was ordained this same day to Disciple of India.

Every night, the members had us over for a dinner they had specially prepared for us and blessed us with their fellowship and love. Our Brothers and Sisters here are not wealthy in money; however they are rich in the Spirit of God! It touches our very souls to find such Christian love and charity and I am reminded in truth of the words of the Apostle Paul in second Corinthians 8:1-6, wherein he said, “How that in great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave themselves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God.”  In spite of the hardship and deep poverty here, they sought to care for us and to listen with joyful hearts to the Word of God. Each night they came with a hunger and thirst for the Word of God and indeed the Spirit of God provided and all were filled. Truly God is great and His Mercy has no bounds. On the sixth of June, 2010 of our Lord we baptized three precious souls unto the lord. Victor Rajakumar, Elizabeth, and Esther were baptized near Sivagangai and the Spirit and Power of the Lord bore witness to their conversion and their faith. It was a blessed time for all and we give glory and honor unto God.

In the evening Brother Larry, K. K. Kapoor, Vimal Jaitley and Myself preached one final time before the flock gathered in Sivagangai and Disciple Dayanithi completed our words with his and his appreciation for our coming to Sivagangai. He then took us to the train station for our trip back to Chennia and onto Erode on the following day.

It is my deepest prayer that those who read these words will rejoice and find within them the Spirit and Blessings of God. We send them to edify and bless each of you who read them and to give honor and glory unto God who is the author and creator of all good things in this life. The trials, afflictions, and problems of this life melt away in His Grace and in His Love. We have known His Blessings and His Protection upon our journey. We have felt His Spirit in our meetings and we have shared in the Healings He has provided for the people who love Him and seek Him. We appreciate the prayers and support each of you has provided to make all of this possible. We shall write more from our journey before we depart India. May God Bless and keep each of you and May you rejoice in all that God Has Provided and done during this time.  May His Peace be unto each of you and may each of you stand steadfast in His Word and in His Will.

Your Brother in Christ, Apostle Norman D. Lyles

Construction work on the East African Headquarters

Missionary work in Kenya

Missionary work in Africa

Today Brothers as we are preparing ourselves and our last details before we depart Sivagangai, we traveled to one of our members place of work. They are a husband and wife team who labor as teachers for the developmentally disabled children. They labor for a private school (an unusual thing in India) which was started two years ago to help the children with serious learning disabilities. We prayed for the students, teachers, and school. They take care of over 85 students and we certainly were blessed to be invited to speak to the teachers and students and pray for them. These are the children society has forgotten pretty much in India, however these Christian people have not. We certainly appreciated the opportunity to pray and speak with them. We gave them (the teachers ) our names and addresses and did all we could to encourage them.

Today in the afternoon after lunch it is 1pm, we shall counsel with the pastor and new Disciple Dayanithi and then email you one last time from here with the details concerning the certificates (I have Larry putting them on the blanks and then we will email them to you. We thank you for your prayers, your support and your love. Truly nothing could be accomplished without your faithfulness to support and help the Lord’s Work. May God richly bless you for all you do. Today as or before we depart, we will send the necessary forms for the certificates. God Bless you.

Your Brother in Christ, Norm

Received a quick e-mail from India today.  Things are going well.  Baptized several new members and ordained a new Disciple in the last few days.  The Lord has blessed over the last few months and years.

Greetings in the Name of Christ our Lord. Blessings to all. We are in Chennai South India at this time and it is HOT. We are doing well and the Lord is with us. Want to thank each and everyone for their prayers on our behalf. Without your prayers and support this mission would not be possible. We thank our Lord for His blessings. There is much we must do here for the Lord. Keep us in your prayers. We left New Delhi on the 19th of May. Brothers Vimal Jaitly and K.K. Kapoor are traveling with us. We thank the Lord they had the time to travel with us. We will be back in Delhi on the 17th of June where we will labor for the Lord until we move on to the Philippines.
Apostle Larry T. Gosier.