HAOKIP FAMILY NEWS LETTER (July 2011)

Greeting dear friends!

It’s been a very long time since you last heard from us. Hope this news reaches you in good health. We thank you for all your endless prayers and support, as a result of which we are able to continue in the ministry.

Our Family Photo

Paothang’s story -

Justice and Advocacy
2010 will be remembered for the number of changes in my ministry. Getting actively involved in Justice and Advocacy through the All India Christian Council enabled me to connect with various civil societies in addressing the issues of Religious Freedom and Persecution, and also issues of Religious and Ethnic Minorities both nationally and regionally. We have been able to conduct several
seminars and are also involved in rehabilitating the persecuted Christians from the state of Orissa. Besides networking with national and international groups to address the issues of Justice and Advocacy, we also have various projects like legal awareness seminars across the nation, legal assistance and other socio-economic programs.

Nationally, the Good shepherd Community Churches continues to grow and now has over three thousand churches with about 1200 pastors. In 2010 we are able to establish a few churches in Jammu & Kashmir region. In the same year we are able to complete a cycle of trainings for our
pastors with a four year Diploma in Pastoral Ministry. To meet the growing leadership training needs, we have been able to purchase lands and began construction work in two more places for our Regional Training Centre. We hope to train more lay leaders this coming three years. We have also
set a goal of training 10,000 lay leaders across the nation, who will be involved in planting more churches.

(Photo Above - Paothang baptising a new believer in Nagpur.)

Locally, the church I started along with a few families in the OM campus in 2004 has now grown to over 120 families this year. Process has begun to build our own church building in the campus. We need much prayer for the financial resources and other paper work to actualize the start of the
church construction. Our projects include; raising support for rural pastors, discipleship, church construction, reaching out to our neighborhood and caring for our members, etc.

Ruby’s Story:
In March 2010, I (Ruby) went to Khandamal, Orissa with my friend from Myanmar (Burma) to pay a visit to the churches that have been under recent attacks by fundamentalist elements. One particular village out of the 20 or more villages we visited caught our attention. It was a make-shift
village provided for by a Christian man to rehabilitate 14 families who were not allowed to return to their homesteads by Hindu fanatics. They longed to have a church built before the arrival of monsoon (rainy season in May). We both raised funds and by God’s grace we inaugurated the
church on 2nd October 2010. The following month we travelled west to Mumbai (Bombay) for a
meaningful prayer ministry. I then went on a visit to north east India (Manipur) for further ministry work and also meeting relatives. I accompanied my elder sister in conducting a one-day seminar on the occasion of Father’s Day. As a result of which, the people began meeting for prayers every morning. After this we headed to Pinebrook Retreat Centre near Shillong (Meghalaya) where we held a 3-day camp for women, attended by 32 married women for their spiritual revival. Almost all of
them had the unhealthy habit of chewing tobacco and betel nut. By the end of the retreat, however, all of them, including 3 women who swore to never give this up, repented and did exactly that during the
bonfire. 10 women, who were not born-again as yet, committed their The shed where the members of
Badabanga Baptist Church held their worship services.

Feeding the Badabanga Church and representatives from the surrounding 9 churches on the inauguration of the new church

 
(Photo on the Left - The new Badabanga church with Ruby, Pastor Para and Puiteinew church)

My last stop was in Guwahati (Assam), where my sister preached and I led an action song at a church there. In October 2010 I went on a visit to Pune for a one day All India Christian Council Seminar at the Union Biblical Seminary. The following day I attended a 5-day family conference of the Good Shepherd Community Church (GSCC) in collaboration with Rising Brook Baptist Church, UK, where I learned various crafts from the workshops and also had meaningful prayer sessions.

In March 2011 I headed to Manipur to attend my nephew’s wedding. Later, my friend took me to her home in Myanmar, where I spoke in a large Presbyterian church at Bokkan/Zohmun. After this, we headed to Tahan where we attended the Chapchar Kut (An Annual Mizo Cultural-Festival) at Methodist Centenary Church where we enjoyed performances from various popular Mizo artists, and also enjoyed the cultural dances and a beauty contest. At a Ladies camp in Leilon village, in Manipur, during the Good Friday week we held a 3-day Women’s Camp, attended by more than 50 women both single and married a majority of whom were nominal Christians. It was heartening to see many of them come to the Lord on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday we witnessed a great period of reconciliation between spouses, between mothers-in-law and their daughters-in-law, and between mothers and daughters. Many of them also made a vow to stop chewing tobacco and betel nut, as earlier they would lie to their husbands to fund this habit.

At Kakching (Manipur), we held a 5-day GSCC seminar for pastors and mission workers, all of whom were firstgeneration Christian with a Hindu background. I taught on the topic of ‘Personal Evangelism’ and received positive feedbacks. As they have never had a women’s seminar conducted here, they expressed their desires to have one soon. Kindly pray that God may provide the required resources.

I returned to Hyderabad in May. Since the past 7 years I, along with my 3 faithful friends, we have been conducting ladies’ meeting in different homes once a month as a part of the Kuki (ethnic Manipur) church. I have also been appointed as one of the GSCC (Hyderabad) Women’s leader to carry out “Triplets Prayer” (prayer with 3 persons). 

(Photo Left - Ruby giving a seminar on ‘Personal Evangelism’ in a GSCC seminar in Kaching) 

Children’s Corner:

Tim completed his Masters of Arts in Communication this year and passed in the first division. Presently, he is helping the All India Christian Council office as the Research and Communication intern. He has not decided on his next move yet. We will appreciate your prayers for him.

Ann graduated in 2010 with a BA Honors in Psychology. The past year she has been preparing to write the Indian Civil Services exam. She recently gave the preliminary exam in June and is now pursuing coaching in New Delhi. Please pray that God will give her wisdom and success in her studies.

Prayer requests:

• For Ruby as she works on conducting women’s conferences in Manipur later this year.
• For Ruby’s desire to help the persecuted Christians and raise funds to build churches that were destroyed during the Khandhamal, Orissaviolence in 2008.
• For Tim as he works in a new environment and guidance for his future.
• For Ann as she prepares for the Civil Services exam. She needs much wisdom and perseverance as she prepares for this important exam.
• Wisdom and guidance for Paothang as he involves himself in major leadership both nationally and locally for the Good Shepherd Church movement.
•  For a replacement for Ben Spots who has been helping Paothang in the Aicc office in the area of Research and Communication. Ben’s departure has left a great void in the field of Justice and Advocacy work.
• Wisdom for Paothang on how to go forward with his Ph.D studies which has been on hold due to the heavy demands of his responsibilities

In His Grace,
Paothang, Ruby, Timothy and Ann Haokip

"...my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God…" Isaiah 41 vs. 9-11

Contact:
Rev. Paothang Haokip
OM India
Logos Bhavan
Jeedimetla village
Secunderabad,
Andhra Pradesh – 500067
India

Home landline no. (+91) 040-27940275

Paothang’s Mobile no. (+91) 9440061775

Email – phaokip@gmail.com

Dear praying friends,

We are delighted to witness what God is doing in India as we work for His Glory. We hope that 2009 has started well for you and we pray for God’s blessings in your lives through the rest of the year. 2008 was an eventful year for us as a family and we are eager to give you an annual report.

Church Meetings

In 2008, my wife, Ruby and I were invited for several significant Christian meetings. From January 17-20, 2008, we were at the Kuki Baptist Convention (KBC), located in the north-eastern state of Manipur for their Golden Jubilee Celebration. It was wonderful to return to the church that I attended as a child and be part of this significant celebration. Over 10,000 people were present and I was delighted to serve as their resource person.

After the Golden Jubilee Celebrations, Ruby and I traveled to Sita village, Manipur for a three-day conference. This conference was special to us since Sita is the village of our heritage. We were glad for the opportunity to revisit it. At the conference, both Ruby and I took several sessions and were blessed by the people’s warm fellowship. This was the first conference organized in ten years since a conflict began between two militant groups of local tribes.

In February 2008, Ruby traveled to a village in Myanmar (Burma) for a women’s church meeting. In spite of ill health and inclement weather, God used Ruby and a team of women to share about Him with the people of this village. The meeting was a great blessing to the audience as well as to Ruby. Several people decided to renew their personal faith in Christ.

Good Shepherd Community Church

Our Good Shepherd Community Church located in Jeedimetla Village, Andhra Pradesh, continues to grow. We now have nearly 100 families attending our church regularly and 170 children attending our Junior Church (Sunday School). Our church’s youth group is growing as well and we are excited to see many new young adults join the group. In February 2009, we started the Men’s Fellowship group which meets every month. The Men’s fellowship group has already conducted a two-day seminar on the topic of family for its members.

With the induction of Rev. Samson George as my Associate Pastor, I have been relieved from the need to supervise our local GSCC’s daily activities. My role as the senior pastor remains to lead the elders of the church and encourage them to minister through God’s Word and prayer.

In November 2008, we organized a Kid’s Camp for our Junior Church which was attended by 200 children. On November 14, 2008, it was our privilege to witness, George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization, unveil the foundation stone of our upcoming church building.

Pastors’ Training Seminars

As one of the General Secretaries of the GSCC movement, my passion remains to teach and equip our rural pastors and Christian workers. We now have 11 regions where we conduct pastoral training twice in a year. I have a wonderful time teaching at these seminars and fellowshiping with the rural pastors. As the number of people speaking the English language in urban cities is burgeoning, it is my burden to see English language GSCC congregations established in the major cities of India with the wider outlook of meeting the urban population’s spiritual needs and raising awareness about rural GSCC workers/pastors.

Work among the Kuki People

There are many people from our native Kuki people tribe in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. My wife and I have started a fellowship group where we offer spiritual counseling and prayer for these people. We are glad for the opportunity to connect with people from our own tribe and support them in every way we can. I also oversee the functioning of the remaining 10 Kuki fellowship groups which are spread across India. As part of our Kuki Fellowship’s 10^th Anniversary Celebration, we plan to organize a leadership seminar for our fellowship groups’ leaders.

Family News

Joyfully, Ruby and I celebrated our 22^nd wedding anniversary in December 2008. We praise God for His faithfulness all through these years in our life. Our son, Timothy (age 21) looks forward to receiving his Bachelors degree within the next two months having scored a high grade on his final exams. He plans to pursue a Masters degree in Communications. Our daughter, Ann is in college studying for a Bachelors degree in Psychology. In early February 2009, Ann was among four students who were selected from her college for a premium Student Exchange Program offered by the NationalUniversity in Singapore. Ann will leave on June 22, 2009, and will return on August 1, 2009. Please pray that she will have a wonderful time on this trip and will return safely.

Thank you for your prayers and support for us. Please continue to pray that God will use us as a family for His glory.

Paothang, Ruby, Timothy and Ann Haokip.

OM India, Logos Bhavan, Jeedimetla Village, Medchal Road, Secunderabad – 500055.

Tel. 040-2786-2786 (Office), 2794-0275 (Home), Mobile 94400-61775. Email: haokip@yahoo.com

Family news

Haokips In Touch

January 2008

Good Shepherd Community Church

OM India, Logos Bhavan

Medchal Road, Jeedimetla Village

Secunderabad 500055

AP India

DearFriends,

New Year greetings to you! Yes, 2008 is here and we thank God for His unceasing grace and mercies given us in the past year.

2007 began with three meaningful events in the ministry:

# the Purpose Driven Church seminar by the Saddleback Community Church team.

# the Global Leadership Summit, a one day meeting with Pastor Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church.

# a one-week seminar: Called to Awaken the Laity at SaRang Community Church, Seoul, Korea.

On the first Sunday of March, we celebrated the third anniversary of the Good Shepherd Community Church English Service at Logos Bhavan. We would like to see a strengthening of the six house fellowships called Life Groups. The church is encouraged by the baptisms of a few people from other faith during the past few months.

During May, Ruby was in Dehra Dun, Uttarkhand attending Adult Literacy training. Timothy is now doing his second year of college doing a B.A in Mass Communication. Ann has just begun college studying Psychology in Delhi. I have been traveling across the country and will soon leave for the north east of India.

Remember us in your prayers:

1. Personal Growth- I am pursuing a Ph.D in Christianity under the University of Mysore. My main concern is the impact of Christianity among the north east tribals of India.

2. Nathan- Back in the day (1982), Ruby had to leave M/V Logos because of the sudden death of her sister-in-law and took care of her nephew, baby Nathan. Today, he is a talented artist + musician and is doing his M.Div. in Bible school.
3. Pastors Training- the growth of local churches across India has seen a growth in challenges too. Each pastor attends a five-day seminar twice a year to equip them for ministry. This requires large organizational work and funds to run the program. Presently, 14 seminars are carried out in seven different areas. Pray that the church grows both quantitatively and qualitatively.

4. Church Building- No matter the size, a church building serves as an identity. We need churches to be built in villages and one at the centre also. A plot on the Logos Bhavan campus has been set aside for the church building. We need the right timing and provision for the building.

5. Pastors’ support- Currently only a few pastors are being supported. Pastors in the rural areas who do not receive full support need our prayers.

6. Need of a Pastor- GSCC Logos Bhavan is growing and needs a committed and anointed person to join the ministry and serve as a full-time pastor to the congregation.

I will end with the words of Apostle Paul in Corinthians 4:1-

“Therefore, since through God’s mercies we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.”

(NIV)

In His Grace,

HAOKIP IN TOUCH

As the monsoon begins, our city has cooled down. The weatherman forecasts heavy rains which will be greatly welcomed by the drier parts of the state. The thought of possible scarcity of ground water due to the dry summer has been a real threat to many. This reminds us of our total dependence upon the Lord, the Provider of our daily needs.

Family News:
With the completion of one year in our own (mortgaged) house, we are grateful to the Lord for His provision in its construction, however simple the house may be.

To escape the summer heat and with the intention of meeting loved ones, Ruby, Tim and Anne visited Mizoram and Manipur during the holidays. The children got to meet some of their cousins in Mizoram for the very first time. The three of them took part in the centenary celebration of the first revival in the state of Mizoram, a state that has sent out many missionaries.
Soon after their return, Paothang left for Maui, Hawaii, to attend the Haggai Institute of Advanced Leadership Training seminar. A whole month was spent for his training and travel. He thoroughly enjoyed the seminar and the place.

Tim has taken up B.A. in Mass Communication at Loyola Academy Degree and PG College, while Anne is in her 12th year. She topped her previous class with a good ranking in the state. Both of them are working on their music to use it in the ministry. At the moment, Anne plays the rhythm guitar for our church.

Ministry:
I. Good Shepherd Community Church (Local/National)
The Good Shepherd Community Church, Local Church (English Congregation) is held at Logos Bhavan, OM Campus, Jeedimetla village. In the month of February this year the church completed two years. We had a wonderful celebration of God’s faithfulness. Starting two and half years back with a dozen families we have now grown to more than 60 families. On our second anniversary we were able to bring in more people into the Leadership Team that comprises 5 Elders and 5 more people who are responsible for the various ministries of the Church, viz, Women, Youth, Children, Music, Finance and Hospitality.

We have six homes hosting Bible study/prayer groups known as ‘LIFE Group’ (Learning, Interacting, Fellowshipping and Experiencing). Two of these are being led by the Women’s Fellowship. The youth of the Church meet once every month under the name ‘Youth Afire’. The purpose statement of the Good Shepherd Community Church, Jeedimetla is to “Worship God, Teach and Live the Scriptures, Care for one another and Proclaim the Gospel”.

Besides being the pastor of the local congregation, Paothang is one of the General Secretaries (GS) of the National Church Leadership Team. Presently, there are three General Secretaries, each of them looking after one region (North, South and the Centre). As GS of the Central Region, Paothang also directly oversees work in the states of Maharastra and Rajasthan.

II. North East Christian Fellowships, Hyderabad.
There are a good number of Christians from the north east of India in the city of Hyderabad/Secunderabad for various purposes. They are here for their jobs (Govt., Public and Private sectors), education or business. We are actively involved with two such Fellowships, i.e., the Kuki Christian Fellowship and Mizo Christian Fellowship. Paothang holds the overall leadership in the Kuki fellowship and an advisory level in the Mizo fellowship. Ruby leads the Kuki women’s group, whose ministry includes a regular visit to over a dozen families in their times of joy and sorrow. They meet every second Saturday for a special time of fellowship, Bible study, sharing and prayer.

Prayer Requests:
Õ for the various ministries of our church, particularly our witnessing among the student community of the nearby colleges, hostels and families in Jeedimetla.
Õ for Paothang’s Ph.D (in Christianity) research work with the University of Mysore, south India.
Õ for good health and guidance in each and every moment, particularly for Tim and Anne in their academic pursuits.
Õ for the 2nd conference of All India Kuki Christian Fellowship’s youth to be held in the month of October at Guwahati, Assam, North East India.
Õ for reconciliation among the various rival militant factions and peace in the state of Manipur.
Once again we want to thank you for your partnership with us in reaching the people of India with the Gospel of hope and salvation.

In His Grace,
Paothang, Ruby, Tim and Anne.