Telugu Leadership Team - Shalem Israel, Chandra Bob and Oliver Green

TELUGU AND YOU?

Visakhapatnam is a very long name, for any city.  Located on the east coast of India, residents just shorten it to Visak to make it simpler.  When flying to Visak, travelers connect from a larger hub.  Leaving Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka State, we flew 300 miles north to Hyderabad, the capital of Andrah Pradesh State, and then slightly northeast another 200+ miles to Visak.  Located on the Bay of Bengal, Visak was far enough north to only receive a mild wave from the tsunami event, causing minimal damage to their extensive seacoast. 

A huge natural port serves not only the Indian Navy, but a vast new container seaport, providing significant work opportunities to this growing city.  New steel producing plants likewise have impacted this casual community, leading a huge economic awakening to this previously quiet city by the Bay.  Construction is seen everywhere, as entrepreneurs attempt to catch up to India’s  growth cycle found in many other major centers.

Most people would look at a potential Telugu Language Recording Project and immediately steer directly towards Hyderabad, India’s Hollywood.  Dozens of studios, plenty of talent, and certainly the best voices money can buy.  However, Evangelist Shalem Israel happens to live in Visak, and it was his enthusiasm that drew us to his city, where a superbly diversified group was organized to form the Telugu Language Recording Project Committee.  Although we go through the formalities of offering a potential Project, Shalem and his

 

Telugu Language Committee

friends had already decided this was God’s unique opportunity to bless the 100 million Telugu speakers with new media selections to empower Evangelism Outreach Events. 

Lane and Jill Anderson spent July 15 and 16 in the Board Room of the YMCA located on the ocean front.  Shalem was chosen as Project Coordinator with Mr. Chandra Bob chosen as Chairman and Pastor T Olive Green as Prayer Chairman.  Teams were organized for initial translation, and 5 films were selected for future Telugu ministry. 

No surprise, JOURNEY TO THE SKY, the story of India’s most famous Christian, was the first choice.  Next came MARK OF THE RED HAND, a family film, which was produced in Bangalore.  ELEPHANT BOY was also selected for children, as was an animated Bible story, JONAH & THE BIG STORM.  And what would a Project be without PILGRIM’S PROGRESS?  A very well balanced group of films which will minister to people of all ages.

Enthusiasm is extremely high with this group.  Won’t you please pray with us for God’s provision for the budget, allowing us to return in late February 2006.  Please feel free to send special gifts for this great opportunity.  Just imagine being part of a Project designated to target 100 million souls.  So please pray about it, and let the Lord direct your giving.  Huge task!  Great God!  Telugu and YOU?

HIS HAIR STOOD ON END

Sunday, following the Telugu Organizational meetings in Visakhapatnam, offered up a very full plate of Sunday worship.  At 3 separate services, we spent over 6 hours in church July 17.  Our 2^nd service was a 10:00 am Telugu worship in a very large church.  We were ushered on to the platform, and I was seated next to a very distinguished professor, the guest speaker, from a nearby Seminary.  What a speaker!  Although we could not understand one word, his enthusiasm was a joy to watch.  He was speaking about the Pilgrim places of India where Evangelists are in the front lines in the battle to win the hearts of Hindus, mostly in the dangerous northern States.  He spoke with passion and sought prayer and support for these brave servants and martyrs for our Lord.

It was my job to follow him and through an interpreter tell this Telugu group about our proposed Project.  Shortly after I sat down, he tapped me on the arm.  He whispered, “I just can’t tell you how excited I am to hear you announce this powerful Project for our Telugu people.”  He tapped again, “I’ve been praying for 5 years that someone would come and help us develop new audiovisual tools,” he said.  Again, he whispered, “You just don’t know how thrilled I am.  Look.”  He quietly rolled up his sleeve and pointed, all the hairs on his arm stood up, he was so physically moved. 

Here on the stage as the service was concluded I was in awe of our God for confirming so quickly His blessing on these new plans, an answer to 5 years worth of prayer by one of God’s educated Telugu leaders, who has learned the power of the media.

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OUR GREAT TASK

Dr IN Ezeka of South Africa writes:

“We’ve moved our church to a big auditorium, and still had to add 80 more chairs.  We are now holding 2 services, as the introduction of your films has increased awareness of Jesus Christ.  We have now purchased a Video Projector and a giant screen.  We just secured an Evangelism Bus to take the Teams out from place to place.  Our Team is kept busy with follow up ministry after each media showing.  We are also including feeding of the poor every Sunday.  We just thank you so very much, because evangelism has become our great task.  We are very excited about what God is doing.”

49 showings to 12,096 for 4,987 salvation decisions.

EMOTIONAL AUDIENCE           

EMOTIONAL AUDIENCE

Mr Kelly F Ngyah of Cameroon writes:

“It was such a wonderful experience to see how emotional the audience became when they grasped the message of the Filmstrip, THE JUDGE.  The spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ lives and moves along with the Torch Projector.  May God continue to bless InterComm.”

40 showings with 1,245 people receiving Christ.

YOUR PRAYERS TOUCHING ONE LIFE

Mrs Anne Mmari of Tanzania is one of God’s unique servants, who helped us succeed with the Kiswahili Language Recording Project many years ago in Dar es Salaam.  She wrote:

“I want to bring joy to you and the InterComm Prayer Supporters so you’ll know that you don’t toil in vain.  I marvel at the Holy Spirit.  He saw my agony.  I simply handed over the battle to Christ and asked Him personally to lead all the Heavenly forces of battle and come to my rescue, or I would die.  In the meantime, I was wondering if someone somewhere would be lifted up to pray for me.  Otherwise, certainly I would perish.  Yesterday, was a day of great agony in my life.  When I woke up this morning, however, the Lord intervened.  How worthy is His Name!  How wonderful is the redemptive work of the cross!  I bless the Lord Jesus Christ for His faithfulness.  He lifted you up in a time of need and allowed you to send the message to me that you and InterComm’s friends had prayed for me so that I could realize how faithfully He works.  Even across the world, He lifted up intercessors.  I’m also glad to announce to you that my husband, for whom you’ve been praying these many years, gave His life to Christ in January.  Glory to Jesus!  May the Lord bless each of you and enrich your ministry.  I am also praying for you.”

HEARTBEAT

 by Ken Anderson

I’m having quite an adjustment to retirement as compared to the momentum of my life for so many years in production of motion pictures.  I met many interesting people, one of which was a taxi driver in New Delhi, India.  Arrival on overseas flights often happens well after midnight, and there was always a cluster of taxi drivers, who informed the travelers that they specialized in trips out of the city.  “I need a taxi to Dehra Dun and then about 25 miles north to Herbertpur Hospital,” I said.  One driver bounded to his feet.  “I take you Sahib!” 

“How much?” I asked. “$27 bucks.” he answered.  I hesitated.  Fear came to the driver’s eyes.  “How much you pay?” he asked.  I realized it was 125 miles to the hospital, and his fare was far below what I had expected.  “I many times drive doctor Sahib to hospital.  He always pays $27 bucks.”  I gave an approving smile.  Then with a quick maneuver he took my suitcase, and we were on our way. 

Desperately tired I curled up on the back seat to sleep, but even at this late hour, the beeping of truck horns and the noise of ox cart drivers calling out to their oxen teams, pulling heavy loads of goods, had me sitting up the rest of the drive.  I soon discovered that his vocabulary was mostly limited to booking his taxi.

“Are you a believer in Jesus Christ like Dr. Lehman?”  I asked.  “Lehman Sahib, very big Christian.”  Then pointing to himself he said, “Sultan Jacobet leetle leetle Muslim who speak leetle leetle English.”

Upon my arrival at the hospital, the Lehmans were delighted to see I had ridden with Jacobet.  They  arranged for him to drive me back to New Delhi for $27 bucks.  I saw Jacobet around the hospital and felt a strong burden for him.  The hospital had an emphasis on evangelism and arranged a translator to expedite a witness. The hospital chaplain himself had converted from the Islamic religion and led the effort.

I asked about tracts for Muslims.  Only to learn that Jacobet was totally illiterate.  Through the years I speak leetle leetle English became my travel thesis.  The name Jacobet was given priority on my India prayer list. I was told that family beliefs are strong with Muslims, and if Jacobet were to become a Christian, he would be rejected by his family or perhaps be put to death. 

This experience brought me into stark realization of how precarious it is for today’s Christian leaders in attempting to bring just 1 soul out of the Muslim religion to Jesus Christ.