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 13th 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 14th 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 15th 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 17th 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 19th 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 22nd 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 24th 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 25th 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
