Harvesters International Ministries’ Board of Directors is pleased to announce the addition of two new Asian partners effective this month. The Board had met with Edwin Kancherla of Christian Youth Services Center at the August 2009 Board Meeting and after a personal visitation by Ed Gillespie and Ed Hirshman in November of this year and a recommendation by them, the Board unanimously voted to accept partnership at the December 4th-5th Board Meeting held on Hilton Head Island.
Ministry to the Widows
Christian Youth Services Center is a ministry that was started by Edwin’s father, John, who passed away in 2006, and Edwin directs the ministry, with his mother’s assistance. It is located in Andhra Pradesh province on the eastern side of India. The initial focus of the ministry was an outreach to young people through 50 different churches, but since its inception, the ministry has grown and is now branching out into several other areas such as college outreach, medical clinics, and assisting widows as well as operating a vocational training facility comprised of a typing and computer center and a sewing center that teaches all aspects of tailoring, and embroidery. There is also a Christian Library that serves as an excellent outreach ministry for sharing tracts to those who do not know the Lord. John had a vision to build a school for Pastor’s children on the grounds of another Christian school in Hyderabad and there is always ongoing assistance to the poor and needy as a way of showing Christ’s love. In addition to the weekly church services and Bible studies, there are many youth rallies and outings as well as church planting. A second center has sprouted up about 1 1/2 hours from the Eluru center which is reaching many Hindu children. We are excited about our partnership with CYSC and hope to be able to assist Edwin and his mother with continuing to fulfill the vision that John originally had for the ministry.
Our second new partnership is a ministry known as Pakistan Outreach Ministry (POM) located outside of Lahore, very close to the India border. The ministry is under the leadership of “Pastor Joseph” (not his real name), who Ed Hirshman, our director, met at a missions’ conference in Virginia this past spring. As a young man, Pastor Joseph had a dream of himself sharing the Gospel and this dream has become a reality. What started with a small Bible study group has blossomed into a ministry of 18 pastors (8 of whom receive no financial support), 45 house churches and a vibrant children’s ministry. POM holds quarterly outreaches and is ministering to 20 widows and 25 orphans, and it is currently supporting 8 students in Bible school. Discipleship is a major focus of the ministry as Pastor Joseph has a vision to reach the remote villages where the Gospel has not been preached, but without trained disciples this will not become a reality. Church planting is the second major focus, for once a new area is reached, the people need to be fed spiritually and more disciples need to be mentored.
One of the main ways to reach people for Christ in this 97% Muslim nation is through medical clinics. POM desires to have regular mobile medical clinics that can go into the remote areas of Eastern Pakistan and serve the people, showing and sharing the love of Christ. In addition to the clinics, as school is high on the list of priorities, for there is little hope for most children if they cannot receive an education.
We are excited about these new partnerships that the Lord has led Harvesters to, and we continue to feel Him leading us to partners within the 10/40 window. We are in the process of preparing prayer cards for these partners as well as ministry information sheets. If you would like to receive more information about partnering with either CYSC or POM (Pakistan), you may contact us at info@him-usa.org. Please pray that the Lord would enable us to meet the needs of these new partners so they may reach out to those who do not know Him in some of the darkest places on earth.