thegospeltoindia.com

Please read the full report from Jones Newsletter PDF | December 2010 here.

Greetings and thankfulness to all. I wish each of you a happy and thankful holiday season. Of all our holidays in the USA, Thanksgiving, is truly American and reflects God’s providential care over the formation and continuation of our great nation. It is right, godly, and good for us to reflect and to be thankful for all that God has done, is doing, and will do for each of us. As a Christian, a citizen of His Holy Nation—The Church we above all have so much to be eternally thankful to God our Father, Jesus our Savior and the Holy Spirit the surety of our souls. As we come to the end of another blessed year I am grateful to God for so many things. I am thankful for His love, His overabiding care, His Church and the trust He has placed on the Church to go into all the world and proclaim the gracious news that salvation has come down to man. I am also so thankful for each of you who take the time to read this newsletter, pray for the work and give sacrificially that so our work continues to grow and prosper in the work of God.

I have just returned from India (November 15) and I am busy giving presentations and seeking to confirm and raise additional support for the plans we have for the coming year. If you know of congregations or if your congregation would like a PowerPoint presentation please give me a call. In the year 2010 we have seen our labors bear much fruit as God gives us the increase in souls, opportunities and precious children that need our care in the years to come. Briefly let me update you on what we have accomplished together with God’s help in the open and receptive country of India.

THEOPHILUS BIBLICAL INSTITUTE
October 2010 saw our first graduating class from our two year school of preaching located in Dibrugarh, Assam— India. These young men (married and single) have studied a strenuous Bible curriculum for two years. In addition they have had the opportunity to prepare themselves with a vocational trade that they may be tent-making preachers in their villages, towns and cities of India. They understand the great mission that lays ahead of them. They have accepted the challenge to bring the Word of God to a people lost in idolatry. Most will return to their own small villages and begin the Lord’s church or assist the local congregation in the preaching of the Gospel. They understand that by working with their own hands they can provide for their families and at the same time teach from house to house and establish the Lord’s church among their own tribes, languages and people. They do not try out for a work. They do not negotiate a ‘preaching contract”. The labor of the Gospel is in their conviction and not in whether they receive foreign or even local support. They understand preaching and teaching is a matter of being compelled by the Love of Christ and not by the dollar or the rupee or any material gain. They are ready for persecution and they leave our school with the sword of the Spirit firmly in their hand. They will not grow mega churches but small village congregations meeting in bamboo huts, mud huts or rented facilities. From village to village—like a prairie fire— the Gospel will spread throughout India and the world. Because of your gifts and spiritual donations this graduation was possible. With your continued help many more men will graduate to go forth with the Word of God. Many will be saved and stand justified at the great white throne judgment because you cared to support this school. May God bless you as you have blessed these graduates.

DARJEELING BIBLICAL INSTITUTE
In 1923-1924 a large tea estate was planted and organized in the Dar-jeeling District of West Bengal, India. The Estate barons named section No. 26 Dhajea Tea Estate.
From its beginning Hinduism dominated the poor people who work the tea garden. Through the caste system these “avadasi”(untouchables) people were basically serfs tied to the land by conditioning, lack of education, and the concept of Dharma. Over time denominations came into the area speaking to them of a God and a Savior name Jesus Christ. Thousands left the religion of Idols to follow the denominations developing in the mountains of Darjeeling. With few Bibles and faulty translations many followed the false teachings propagated by the denomina-tional religions. Several men began churches based on their own understanding of scripture ——— they had much to learn but they were headed in the right direction. These good people were seeking to find the path of God and the narrow road that leads to life. God was with them and opened a door for us to go in and teach these basically illiterate people the way of the cross and the oneness of the body of Christ.

Just a few months ago we were able through our graduates from our schools of preaching to go into the area and conduct meetings. In June, I was invited to come and speak to a large group of denominational “pastors” about the New Testa-ment Church and the pattern for all to follow. From those meetings over twenty de-nominational preachers (some weeping) desired to be taught correctly the way of God. They begged of us to start a school and teach them the way of the Church and then help them teach the members of their former congregations. God opened a door so big it was daunting to go through. I was already short of funds for the works I was doing at present. How could I take on another financial burden of about $3000.00 per month. But we have walked through this great open door in faith and belief that God will provide the funding for this new school The Dar-jeeling Bible Institute.

In August I returned to the area. A former denominational preacher gave us the meeting house he had built and it is there that we studied with 20 potential stu-dents for one month. Each student was given a test of 200 Bible questions. An 80 was required for admittance. After testing and interviews I accepted 12 for-mer “pastors” into the Darjeeling Bible Institute.

The school is doing well. Many people have been converted to the New Testament Church. Denominational names have been removed from build-ings and signs and the Church that Jesus built gladly bears His name. I do not think I go too far to say that we have a restoration movement taking place in these hills and mountains like we did in the hills and mountains of America two centuries ago.

Persecution has come to the growing number of Christians. Denomina-tional groups have joined together and threatened the new converts. A petition to the police to have us removed for disturbing the religious peace of the area was placed against us but we persevered. Physical threats are being made but our brothers and sisters are remaining faithful.

I will return along with two brothers (Steven Hill and Kirk Bull) in Janu-ary to conduct 10 days of evangelism, Gospel Meetings and debates among the villagers—both Hindu and denominations. Daily the students at the school are going out preaching and teaching the lost. As we enter the year 2011 I need a congregation to step up and oversee this work and provide funds that this great work may continue. We need workers to go into the area. I need funds to buy Bibles, print tracts, establish a medical clinic and provide for the teachers who are training the men in the Dar-jeeling Bible School. Please consider sponsoring this work or a portion of it. Thousands of souls in the years to come will be truly “eternally” grateful for our actions today. It is today we have the open door tomor-row it may close. Walk through this door with me and help me continue this restoration movement as well as causing the idols to fall down one by one to the Almighty God we serve !

The Mustard Seed

2010 was a year of growth and gratitude at the Mustard Seed Village. Our building program went far slower that we wanted due to lack of funds and a very, very long rainy season. The longest on record. However in one year we have constructed four children's cottages, three administrative cottages, dining hall, bath houses, and a generator house. At present we are constructing another children’s cottage and the foundation of our medical clinic is now finished. We hope in 2011 to complete three cottages, the administration/ classroom building and a storage facility. 2010 was also the year we grew as a family. The children (now 30),the housemothers, administrators, cook and maintenance man, and adopted families in the United States along with myself have come together as one loving family. The children are wonderful! To see their contented faces and know they feel safe, secure and wanted brings tears to the eyes of the strongest man. They are doing well in school. They do their chores as scheduled and when told. It is humbling to hear them sing songs in the devotionals we have each evening. They help each other, look out for each other and truly enjoy being together.

Just three weeks ago I brought a new child to the Village. Her name is Bruni (which means last born). She is 10 years old. Her mother had given her out as a domesticated servant. I asked her to get her back and let me have her. Bruni ask me to give her another name. I called her Angel. When she arrived at the MSV she was gladly welcome by all and within a couple of days has become a vital part of our family. I have also accepted a little seven year old boy from West Bengal. He has no mother but a father who is neglecting him. I will pick him on my next trip in January. Our goal is to have another 25 children in the coming year. Orphans and destitute children are everywhere. When we build they will come. Please make a commitment in 2011 to help all you can to make the Mustard Seed Village all that it can be. I need funds to build three more cottages, a medical clinic, the administration/classroom building, a K-12 Christian school and a church facility in the coming 2-3 years. Of course, the daily care of all at the village is a growing cost. While prices are far less in India then in the USA they mount up. All together at the MSV by the end of the year we will have 70 people to feed two times each day. In addition we have shelter, clothing, medical and a host of other concerns. Every gift is very much needed, greatly appreciated and carefully used for the glory of God in caring for the orphans and widows who live and work at the Mustard Seed Village. Our adoption program is going great. At present all 30 children are adopted. The cost is 35.00 per month to adopt a child and then $100.00 in January to purchase clothes for the children. As we add more children we will need more adopted parents. If you are interested in this program give me a call, email or a letter. Thank you for all you do!

DISASTER STRIKES AT THE MUSTARD SEED VILLAGE

On December 3, around 10 PM a candle in one of our children’s cottages (The West Cottage) caught some clothing on fire then jumped to the bamboo wall. In a matter of minutes the fire was raging through the cot-tage totally destroying everything. By the grace of God the children and the house mother escaped unharmed. Sister Yapak woke up to see flames in her bedroom. She ran outside screaming for help. The adminis-trators and others rushed to gather the chil-dren out through the windows around the cottages.
Due to the primitive jungle area we are lo-cated there is no running water and only a well and bucket could be used to fight the flames. It was impossible. Thankfully the fire did not leap to other cottages in the area.
The lost of the cottage is a great lost. Before the cottage burned we were already over crowded with children we just could not turn down. Now we have 15 children in cottages designed for 8 children and a widowed house mother.
The children and housemother lost every-thing they owned. All the furnishing burned.

The children’s clothes, school uniforms, bed coverings, blankets, personal metal chest, school books—everything was lost. I need to rebuild this cottage immediately and build new furniture for 10 children. I need to quickly replace the blankets’ clothing and school materials of the children. We can rebuild the cottage and replace all the burned items for about $5000.00 . If anyone can help immediately with this re-covery please send a check earmarked for Cottage Restoration. If you need additional information please give me a call.
Above all let us thank our God for His pro-tection of our children.