Have you seen the news? You can help!

The Help Network is sending aid directly to our friends in India. Donate here

The COVID crisis in India is catastrophic— people are being sent away from packed hospitals, families plea for help on social media, and makeshift crematoriums are burning day and night. But in the darkness, there is light. God is working through His Church even now. Any donations made to the Help Network during this time will be sent directly to our teams and partners in India— these families are without work, without wages, and without an end to the crisis in sight. But they are not without faith! Please help us support our brothers and sisters!

But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:17-18

Pray for India!

URGENT: After speaking with our friends in Southern India this week, we have learned that the political and social situation there is just as dire as the awful second wave of COVID-19. The entire infrastructure of the nation is suffering along with millions of people. As for our friends specifically, they are experiencing a massive increase in direct oppression, threats, and censorship, both online and in person as the government struggles to control the crisis. They have asked us to pray directly against the spiritual battle being waged around them.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST IN INDIA. They are discouraged, scared and isolated. Pray that God will light up the darkness that surrounds them, break the bonds of evil, and continue to fuel the spread of the Gospel in their communities. Pray that He will knit together and strengthen church families as they weather the storm together. He is vastly above and beyond the obstacles they face! Please also pray that in the midst of the chaos, the Holy Spirit will fill our brothers and sisters with supernatural peace and joy, and the passion to continue in faith. Pray against the illness that is ravaging India— God is the healer!

As usual, our friends also ask for prayer as they continue to seek out ways to help and serve their struggling neighbors, even as they struggle themselves. PLEASE JOIN US in praying for them!

“I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and will execute justice for the needy. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name; the upright shall dwell in your presence.” -Psalm‬ ‭140:12-13‬ ‭

Plans, Persistence, and Political Tension

Our visit to the north was quick, but productive. The political environment in that area is tense with elections coming up, and we could definitely see and feel the effects of that tension.

Nevertheless, we were able to visit a class and finally meet the two new teachers that have joined the Help Network since our last visit to the north. What a blessing! They demonstrated some lessons, and gave the kids a chance to show off their newfound English skills. They asked for impromptu tips and trainings, and we did our best to encourage and direct them. As always, we are in awe of their dedication and love for children, even in the face of so much opposition.

We were also able to spend some quality time with our long-time friends and partners. We shared tea and some amazing meals, but more importantly, we were able to brainstorm innovative ways to make the Help Network more accessible and useful for the teachers in that area. They are spread out among villages on the outskirts of the city, and we’d like to make sure they are never lacking access to curriculum or support. There are exciting things ahead!

Please pray for our partners and all believers in the north of India. They fervently ask for prayer regarding the political situation in their area— they are in danger every day, and their ministry actions put a target on their backs. Pray that the upcoming elections bring a government that is more lenient toward religious minorities, and less tolerant of violent oppression. Pray for the future of the Help Network as we continue to work on our next steps. And pray for us as we begin to wrap up our visit to India. Thank you, friends!

Hitting the ground running

It’s been a busy few days for the Help Network! We were blessed to reconnect with our friends in the south and worship together at church. Attending these worship services remains one of our favorite things to do in India— there is no cultural or language boundary deep enough to divide us while we worship in song! After church, we enjoyed a home-cooked meal, visited a children’s worship program, and prayed with our friends over some of their future ministry plans and ideas.

Although visiting and catching up are always delightful, we had work to do during our first couple days here. We held a training workshop with 6 new teachers who are just beginning to build spoken English classes in their communities. Several of them travelled hours to attend, so it was a wonderful blessing to be all together. We look forward to staying in touch with these new partners, and visiting them during future trips. Please join us in praying that the Holy Spirit strengthens and equips them to do the work He has set before them. And pray also for the people God will bring into their classes and lives— may the Gospel shine bright in those communities!

No rest for us yet! We are off to visit our friends in the north, to catch up with them and see the wonderful things God is doing there. Please continue to pray for our health and energy— travel is hard, and we are feeling it! THANK YOU for your prayers and support. God is so good!

Gratefully,

The Help Network

Made it, 2018!

The Help Network team has arrived! After traveling for almost 24 hours it feels great to be back! We’re taking the day to rest and be ready for the work God has planned for this week. Please pray with us for those we will meet and interact with and for health and safety of the next week. We will be training a group of teachers how to use the Help Network curriculum and we have some travel planned to other parts India to meet with the hands and feet of the Help Network. Thank you all for your support!

 -The help network team

Support our November trip!

Friends,

This has been an exciting two years for the Help Network-- we are anxiously awaiting our visit to India in November! In 2017, our partners in Bangalore travelled to Bangkok, Thailand to share the conversational English curriculum and train potential teachers there.  Additionally, they launched a prison ministry in 2018, which we hope to learn more about in person!

We plan to spend time in both North and South India, to see the great work which is being done daily, and to encourage our partners as they bring English and the love of Christ to their communities.  In the North, we’ll see classes being taught, and possibly help our partners gain access to new schools.  In the South, we hope to see the new prison ministry, learn about how we can assist with the teaching situation at a local Muslim school, and run an English curriculum seminar for three new teachers. This should be a busy trip!

As always, we need your prayers and financial support to cover teacher expenses throughout the year and travel expenses for this trip.  You can pray for our teachers as they convey life changing information in locations that may be hostile to anything that seems Western in nature, like English.  You can pray for us as we travel 44 hours in airplanes to encourage our brothers and sisters as they do His work in their Hindu nation.  Please pray about how you might be involved in this growing ministry! 

To donate online, please use this link and follow the instructions on the page: www.thehelpnetwork.org/support

Or contact us as decisions will be made soon regarding travel.

-The Help Network Team

Flood Relief in Southern India

If you've seen the news lately, you know that images of flood-ravaged southern India are heartbreaking. The devastation has left thousands of people homeless and hungry.

Our church partners near the flood zone are already acting to help those in need in their community-- this video shows the distribution of thirty 50lb bags of rice to affected families through a local outreach.

The Help Network is sending funds their way so they can continue to reach out with the love of Christ. If you'd like to support flood victims in India, consider giving through our website, by clicking here. Your gift will go directly into the hands that need it. Pray for the families who are trying to piece their lives back together, and for the followers of Christ who are being called to put their faith into action. God is good, all the time!

-The Help Network

Updates from India!

​God is good to his children in India.

We received updates from teachers in both the north and the south recently! In the south, Flora shared with us some details about a new ministry she has been called to reach— a home for the abandoned elderly, run by the Little Sisters of the poor. “Spent 1 hour with them, she says, “spoke to them on English classes. The sisters are waiting for permission from the higher authority. However we prayed with them and supplied some nutri biscuits and bought some provisions for the month. We shall visit them once in every month from now.”

She also sent an update on the growing English school she teaches through church. The class is now 50 children strong! They have a new building under construction for the classes, which she hopes may be completed before our visit in November.

In the north, Prince tells us he is now teaching English in two locations, with each class ranging between 40 and 50 students from the local community.

Please pray for our friends! Pray for God‘s will in Flora’s entry into the ministry for the elderly. Pray that the administration is welcoming to her and to possible English classes. Pray for more of these kinds of growing relationships. Pray also for Prince as he expands to two English classrooms! We know that God’s work here on earth often looks like small steps and sacrificial love— we are blessed to watch Him work through Prince and Flora!

A Full Class!

Today we received a nice update from one of our teachers in Northern India. This picture is of a spoken English class he teaches once a week for the children of his community. He tells us he has around 40 children attending each week—that means 40 relationships being built, and 40 souls being served in practical ways through the love of Christ.

Please continue to pray with us for our brothers and sisters working in India— for their safety, boldness, and wisdom. Pray that God will continue to direct our steps as we seek ways to support and encourage them as the Help Network.

Finally, please also continue to pray for our team, as we begin praying about this year’s plans. God is good— he has been keeping us humble and reliant on Him this year, and all the while reminding us constantly of His steadfast love. We look forward to updating you on His plans for the Help Network as they unfold!

Trip Delay

Please Pray for the help network team!

We have recently learned of some illness in our team that will postpone this year’s trip. Of course we are disappointed, but we are reminded that the most important work continues regardless! We trust in God’s timing, and His ultimate plan. In the meantime, the funds we have raised will continue to go toward supporting our teachers in India, and toward saving for our travel when we are able.

Please pray that God will intercede on our behalf, and restore complete health. Pray for peace in the minds and hearts of our families. God is good!

The help network team

Giving Tuesday

Hello friends! It’s “Giving Tuesday,”— a made-up holiday with a heart! If you’re looking for a grass-roots cause to support, consider donating to the Help Network. Our partners are servants of Christ in India who bring spoken English education to those who need it most, and the light of the Gospel to some of the world’s darkest places. If you haven’t yet, visit our website to read more: www.thehelpnetwork.org

URGENT: As of today, we are $1800 short of being able to send our full team to India for our January trip. On that trip, we will be connecting with current Help Network teachers in both the north and the south, as well as meeting with churches, schools, and other organizations who are interested in using Help Network curriculum. These yearly trips are vital to building relationships, providing coaching and encouragement, and of course, connecting as brothers and sisters in Christ. We also use that time to deliver materials, hear feedback, and observe classes if possible. This “face time” is necessary to the ministry— we are devoted to remaining a true network, which means relationships come first.

Please pray about giving to the Help Network! We would love to count you among our partners.

Updates!

This week we got some exciting updates from India!

In the South: God continues to work through Flora and David as they serve Him faithfully. A Muslim school in the area has agreed to partner with the Help Network, and invite Flora and her team to teach conversational English to their students. Amazing! Please pray with us that these connections will be fruitful, and that real relationships will grow!

In the North: The picture above is of a small school in a slum near Varanasi, where Help Network teachers serve local kids via free English lessons. We hope to visit this area on our next trip. 

Prayer: 
Please pray with us that God's will be done in all of the connections made through the Help Network. The staff and students at the Muslim school in the south, and the students living in poverty in the north--all of them will see a bit of Jesus when they connect with Help Network teachers. We believe in the liberating power of education, but our hearts are focused on the ultimate liberation that is in Christ alone. We pray for our partners as they do dangerous work, and we pray for the relationships that will grow through their actions, fueled by the Holy Spirit. 

Please also join us in praying for the logistics of our upcoming trip. We are just starting the fundraising process, and as always, we ask that God directs the details. 

The Best is Yet to Come

​This morning Flora spoke at the Pakistani church, and made some incredible connections. She met three families who are already providing free education, meals, and uniforms for impoverished children in their communities. They want to provide English as well! We are overjoyed to hear this-- the Help Network is designed to allow people to serve their own communities, in the ways they know are best, without having the pressures of foreign oversight. We want to be a channel of resources, encouragement and prayer!

Flora says: "They are doing it for their community. I have spoken to them about Jim and his team who are supporting us for the same purpose. Jim, your team is expanding! We are excited to work for God under your mentorship. Thank you church in America for entrusting this responsibility on us! That's not all, the best is yet to come.

Continue to pray for us as we are visiting the Sri Lankan church tomorrow."

Please keep praying for God to direct Flora's words as well as her steps! Pray for the three families who are considering becoming part of the Help Network. Pray for the Sri Lankan church Flora and David will be visiting tomorrow. Praise God!

The Help Network is spreading!

We got a wonderful update from Flora today! She and David have just arrived in Thailand, to begin training our new partner, Yo, to use the Help Network conversational English curriculum. Yo runs a ministry for Pakistani refugees just outside of Bangkok. She reached out to us to see if there was any way we could help her bring English to the disenfranchised and displaced people she serves. Flora was the initial contact point for Yo, so we knew it only made sense for Flora to be the one to travel to Thailand. This was a leap of faith for Flora, and God is moving in big ways through her bravery and obedience.

Flora tells it like this: "We met a man who is called 'the father of the Christian community' in Thailand. He was there to meet us at our hotel, though we did not know he was coming.  They prayed for us. He does not speak any English, so Yo translated for us.  Yo greeted us with her daughter. After that, a Pakistani pastor came over and enquired about us. We shared our vision to him, and he immediately opened up his church for us tomorrow."  

Crazy! What an honor to share the Help Network vision and pray with influential believers in a community that may not have been so welcoming. We are humbled to see our friends working boldly in love for the lost, and honored to be partnered with them in this ministry! 

Please join us tonight as we pray for the appointments God has aligned for Flora and David during their stay in Thailand. Pray specifically for the Pakistani church they will be speaking at tomorrow. Pray for the believers there, and for clarity in how God wants to connect us. Pray for Yo and the difficult calling she has been given. God chooses to work through his church, as weak and broken as we are, to do His own work in this world. He is so good, and we are in awe. 

Thank you to all of you who support Flora's work in prayer and finances. Let us continue to lift her up!

We are home

​We are home! Thank you to all of you who prayed for our safety and travel! Thank you especially to those who have been praying for all our ministry partners working for the Lord in India--they will continue to need those prayers!

The theme of this trip seemed to be one of encouragement. We got the chance to watch Help Network teachers in action, which is the biggest blessing to us, since we spend most of our time on the other side of the world. It was so wonderfully encouraging to hear Sushma share with us how spoken English has changed her life, and then even more so to watch her teach little ones. We are still rejoicing over that! We were also blessed to visit the orphanage, share a lesson with the children, and encourage the tireless servants working there on their behalf. Sharing tea is good for the soul! In the jungle, we were especially humbled to visit the tiny, growing community of Christians, who rarely get an opportunity to share their faith in a safe environment. To pray over them, worship beside them, and encourage them in their pursuit of Christ is a blessing too profound to articulate.

Also during this trip, we had many exciting conversations with Flora and other partners about the future of the Help Network. The Spirit has been moving, and He seems to be setting plans in to motion. Please pray with us that we can stay focused and keep up with His will! Pray specifically about possible Help Network work in Thailand, and Flora's future visions for opportunities in her city in India. Please also begin praying for our next trip, tentatively scheduled for November 2017! Pray that God will align people, schedules, and financial support! He is always faithful to do so!

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:23-25‬ ‭

The Jungle

It was such a blessing to spend the last two days of our trip back in the jungle--coffee-growing country! This area is stunningly beautiful and lush, but it's also a land under a burden of darkness. The small community of believers here must worship in secret, and battle every obstacle imaginable to growing in their faith. They face social exclusion, banishment from their families, witchcraft, and physical violence. We were reunited with some friends we met on our last trip, and worshipped alongside them in a small house church service. There were a handful of new faces joining us this year, which is a source of joy that is difficult to describe! We were honored to pray over our brothers and sisters in Christ, and raise them up before God.

We were humbled by our visit, and reminded that our motives and hopes are rooted in a life beyond this one. English may be our ministry, but the Gospel is our heart. We praise God for what he's doing here! Please pray for our friends and the seeds of the Gospel that are being planted. Pray for protection and good spiritual soil, and pray that believers continue to have the energy and passion to reach out and support each other.

Please also pray for us as we prepare to leave India tomorrow! God is good, and we know He will be with us as we travel. Thank you!

BEING in India

Although it sometimes chafes our American drive to always be productive and efficient, we have learned that God's plan for our time in India often includes periods of just BEING in India-- times when "the mission" feels like it's on hold.  Over the last couple days, we have had several important conversations with friends and partners, and made exciting plans for the future of the Help Network, but in between those times of "work," we've been blessed with opportunities just to look around. We've walked up and down busy streets, listened to conversations in a multitude of languages, and lived out the mundane. We walked to the ATM machine a few blocks from our hotel, waited for a taxi in the commercial district, stood in lines for public restrooms-- all moments that allow us to remember the humanity of this place.

We may have our visions and agendas, and we do what we can to surrender our will in favor of God's, but we always benefit from simple, humble living. God is always faithful to provide moments like that.

Alas, they don't often last long! Soon we head outside of the city to visit some believers in a rural area, where believing in Christ could cost you your family, your job, or possibly your life. Please pray that God directs our steps, and keeps us humble and aware. Pray for the people we are visiting-- spiritual warfare is real. We will not be able to post from there, so expect an update when we return to the city! We are grateful to have friends praying on the other side of the world! Thank you!

Grateful for craziness

Today was a day of fellowship and some surprises! We drove across the city (no small feat, believe me) and shared tea with new friends. We had plans to to visit one particular orphanage, to share about the Help Network curriculum, but those plans fell through. As usual, God's plans succeeded, and a different orphanage welcomed us warmly! We taught a short lesson for 180 wonderful children, and prayed over them and their hardworking teachers and caregivers.

One thing we have come to expect while in India is sudden changes in the plan. Though it's difficult to adjust quickly, we always end up seeing the fruit from these "detours"! We are grateful for the craziness of today, and so grateful to have met so many amazing kids. Keep them in your prayers!

Fruit

​Happy Sunday!

​We had a busy morning! We attended three church services with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and got to reconnect with many old friends. It's always encouraging to worship alongside other believers, whether or not you speak the same language!

​But the highlight of our day was yet to come! After church, we met a young woman named Sushma, one of our Help Network English teachers. This meeting was an incredible blessing to us, because Sushma was one of the original Help Network students ten years ago! As a child, she attended one of our first English lessons, and continued to come to classes taught by Flora. When she turned 18, she was hand picked by Flora (and by God!) to become a teacher herself. She tells us that she deeply loves sharing the Gospel with children, and blessing them the way she feels that she has been blessed. It was amazing and humbling to hear her story, and we were so honored to watch her work with some local kids!

Please join us in praying for Sushma--she has already experienced some of the heavy spiritual and social pressures that inevitably comes along with serving the Lord in this place. We are humbled by her faith. God is so good!

Made it!

We have arrived safely! Thank you for your prayers! It has been wonderful to reconnect with our friends and share some incredible food. This will be a busy week-- we have some school visits planned, as well as a little bit of in-country travel. We are already seeing some of the ways God is moving and using our amazing partners. He is so good! Please continue to pray for them, as they are up against incredible opposition, politically and spiritually. Please also pray for our health and our schedule as we wait on God to direct our steps this week.