Pastors and church leaders in India are witnessing God’s miraculous works as World Challenge teams help them disciple new believers. 

Rabhya* was confronting with a terrible possibility in her life. Her husband had been diagnosed with tuberculosis and had become very ill.

In India, a TB diagnosis can be a death sentence for those who cannot afford to receive proper medical care. The hospital bills would’ve been too much for Rabhya and her husband, so they were left to survive the illness as best they could, but her husband was slowly drowning in this sickness, unable to grasp enough air in each breath.

A Christian approached the couple and asked if they would be interested in attending church. They were, and the visit made such an impression on them both, that Rabhya and her husband both submitted themselves to Christ. Shortly after, God healed her husband.

Life in the thirty years since has not always been easy. The couple had four children together, but one boy died. Their two daughters married, and one is doing well, but the younger daughter had her husband leave her and their two children for another woman. She moved back in with her parents, and they grieved with her. Every step of the way, though, God has been present every step of the way.

Rabhya said, “As I was praying for God's provision for my family, God did great miracles in my family.”

Four years ago, Rabhya’s husband passed away, and World Challenge’s partners stepped in to help her with a monthly pension and medical support as part of their widows program. This became particularly critical for Rabhya during the pandemic when marketplaces were locked down and people were not allowed to travel. Now that lockdowns have eased and she can go out again, she has been attending a literacy class provided by World Challenge’s partners in order to be able to read the Bible.

She said, “I praise God for all his help. Thank you for all your support. I will be praying for you. Pray for our family. God bless you.”

Helping the pastors who partner with us reach people in their churches like Rabhya is one of World Challenge’s major focuses. Our team leaders walk alongside pastors through discipleship processes and help them plan ways to help their church members. A pastor in northern India who partners with World Challenge has been discipled since 2020. In turn, he has been successfully using the discipleship lessons as the basis of his weekly church sermons.

This pastor told us, “Each lesson is inspiring me and changing me to grow into the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ! Each lesson is encouraging our village believers in light of persecutions.”

He is also using the discipleship material in his outreach to other unreached areas and says, “God has enabled me to hold pastor fellowships in my district. We pray for each other and encourage each other by the Word of God, despite much opposition. I love to share the love of God through your discipleship messages.”

While doing this, he has started several small Bible classes and started to raise up evangelists in the house churches of several villages that he visits. When he meets other pastors, he offers to pass along the lessons he has learned. Currently, he is regularly meeting with and mentoring three other pastors and 12 new evangelists, preparing them to go to unreached villages. 

“They will evangelize, then disciple-make and plant a house church in each village,” he explained. “God is doing many wonderful works, and you have been a great part in God’s ministry here.”

Those evangelists will hopefully lead people to church like some believers did many years ago for Rabhya and her husband, opening doors for God to heal, restore and move miraculously among his people in India.

*For our ministry partners’ security, we don’t release names or locations in highly sensitive areas.