Dear Pastors, Churches, and praying friends:
We thank God for His amazing grace, and His goodness toward us in our daily ministry and travels. We hope the same with you as we pray every day and thank God for you all.
The months of July-August were so filled with appointments for almost every day of the week, that I was just too exhausted. Esther and our daughter Melony were traveling and attending to the churches' pulpit supply and needs in other areas of the ministry. The years beyond the berm for these six churches is showing significantly, but the Lord is also challenging them to keep faith and take up the responsibility more seriously and practically. The brighter side is that the young men who are helping the pulpit supply are getting good hands-on experience in the Lord's work. The pastors of their churches are also needing to see that they are doctrinally grounded and apt to teach.
Prayers are coveted for Pastor Prabhaker Neerudu regarding his brain cancer which has recurred the third time. After going through the surgery and having been advised for chem-radiation, the doctors are reluctant to do it the third time, especially because it has to do with the brain, and said that he can only be healed by "your God." And he has been doing better since then and improving miraculously. And we ask you to join with us in Praising our Almighty God who is Jehovah-Rapha. The family is holding up, and the church is learning to move forward, requiring much guidance, so they look to me (us) for help at this juncture. Therefore, your continued prayers are coveted for him and his family, and Bethesda Baptist Church.
As I have mentioned that my PR/Green Card requires me to enter into the country every six months, I will be heading back to India the day after Thankgiving. Esther is still there and she'll be coming this month and staying here until the middle of next year.
While I'm here I continue the work of the Second Tentative Telugu Bible online with the volunteers from the churches, and also conduct some mid-week services. We are praying and ask you to join us to finish the second Tentative Edition (100 copies), and get it ready for the final mass printing project.
Our school is progressing with my sister Mary managing it with her daughter, her daughter-in-law, and some other junior staff. Prayers are requested for the ACE material that needs to be sent from the US, which gets scrutinized and sometimes not delivered if the customs officer deems them as books for "religious conversion" which is punishable by law. And if it does pass, they incur heavy customs on it, so whenever we travel back we try to carry a portion of the material to save such problems.
There is a very good prospect of starting two new Children's Homes in two different places of the mission. At present they are under discussion, which I'll make known when it gets underway.
We are deeply grateful to you for your prayers and faithful support of the ministry in India. And we assure you of our daily prayers for you with thanksgiving to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Serving the Saviour
Bro. Rufus Saripalli and family
P.S.: Our home church East Side Baptist is changing its name to East to West Baptist Church. The Lord gave us a much larger property at a different location (2100 Sand Road, Vernon, TX). As for now, the website and mailing address is the same. I will keep you informed of the gradual changes for communication.
