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.
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 ourpastors 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.
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.
(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. 9-11Paothang, Ruby, Timothy and Ann Haokip
Contact:
Rev. Paothang Haokip
OM India
Logos Bhavan
Jeedimetla village
Secunderabad,
Andhra Pradesh – 500067
India
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
