Prayer Gram

Dear Friend,

We have received a disturbing report from South India and we need your urgent prayers. Beginning in September about 300 anti-Christian militants showed their aggression toward our staff and construction crews at the Operation Goodwill construction site. We need your fervent prayers for the safety for our Alpha Ministries’ staff and team working at this location in South India.

Operation Goodwill is a project assisting the homeless and needy people after the Tsunami hit on December 2004. With your help and partnership we have helped hundreds of families to recover from the devastation through buckets-of-love [Relief package with basic groceries].

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritans Purse of Canada contacted us in December, 2005 to build 35 homes in this region of South India. From the beginning we faced a lot of opposition from local government authorities, local gang leaders, and anti-Christian militants. They opposed our existence at this place just as soon as the project started.

The Lord helped us obtain the necessary permits to construct 34 homes. This is a great miracle in itself. This last year we faced a lot of battles just to begin construction. We faced bad weather, legal government bureaucracy, and anti-Christian militants. Praise the Lord that prayer continues to be mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. With the help of our Savior, the construction of the homes is complete!

I was in India about a month ago and had the opportunity to visit the Operation Goodwill site with my family. Alpha Ministries gave us a tour of the beautiful homes. It gave us great joy to hear that the families that will occupy these homes have never lived in a stable home with a concrete roof. I praise the Lord for His provision for these displaced families who will have a place to call home.

In September as we were finishing the roads and the boundary walls, the anti Christian militants with the help of local political leaders demolished the newly constructed boundary wall. The demolition gang threatened our contractor and told the laborers to leave the premises. Our staffs were warned to vacate the place within 24 hours or face their rage.

We registered complaints with the local police and have asked for police protection. The situation remains tense. We received a stop work order on the construction from the local government authorities. We have appointed legal council to deal with the problem.

Our staff and local believers are on watch and in constant prayer at the project site. Please join me in praying for complete restoration of our staff and the ongoing construction work. The only hope we have of seeing a lasting change is through the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Pray for the souls of these people who carried out the destruction - they too need the love of God. “Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” -2Cr 2:14

Sincerely,
Benny C. Mathews
Executive Director
Alpha Ministries Inc.,