Back in Kenya !

This is the ninth day since my arrival in Kenya on the 18th of June 2011. Every day has been busy and I give honor and glory to the Lord. My flight from Philadelphia through London to Nairobi was good. There was a group of teenagers accompanied by their youth pastor and two other 

men in the plane from a church in Tennessee. One of the young ladies sat beside me and we had a beautiful conversation. This group were on their way to a place in the south of Kenya and I did have the opportunity to teach this lady a few words in the Swahili language of Kenya. She has a great passion for souls and I am amazed by a new generation of young people emerging in the sharing of Christ's love to the nations.

 

My coming to Kenya has turned out to be a big blessing to the ministry. I have had several meetings with the team in the past few days and I am impressed by the zeal and commitment of the ICCM team. I am also impressed by the respect all team members have for one another. The ministry is encouraged and so happy to have me back so soon. I have been involved in teaching at the School of Ministry and I spend a lot of my time in preparations for the lessons and in the classroom. At present I am teaching on Eastern Religions and focussed on Islam and Hinduism; and on evangelism to these groups of peoples.

 

Tomorrow, Monday the 27th, we are hosting a meeting with the pastors of Eldoret town. I will talk more on pastoral roles and responsibilities; and impart more the spirit of unity and co-operative work within the body. We will also focus on our activities for 2012 and draw out plans for a 'Praise and worship celebration' with pastor Brett Rush and Dawn Rush in January of 2012.

 

Our free medical camps in 2012 will be held in the month of February and the team is already in the process of praying.

 

Its been raining heavily and on my way back from the Mercy Health center, tons of hailstones, the size of marbles, hit the car with deafening noise. The roads were flooded and this time of the year rain and mud are part of the life in Eldoret. The temperatures have gone down to the thirties in Eldoret.

 

On Tuesday I will, together with the team visit the Little Roses Nursery School and we shall also be having a special meeting with the chairman of the ICCM board in Kenya.

 

On Wednesday, the 29th I will travel to Nairobi, fly out to Dubai and meet up with my wife Mercy on our way to India. I am in constant contact with my wife over the phone. Thank God for the communications system. Talking to Mercy and hearing her voice is a special joy to me. We shall be back in the USA on the 15th of July. Please remember to pray for us.

 

ICCM Project

The Mercy Health center needs to be expanded. We have lots of patients that need special care and we plan to put up wards for women, children, and men. It will be a heavy financial undertaking. In the past few days I have seen several people given intravenous quinine for severe malaria at our clinic. These patients need to be on bed as the treatment progresses. Women have come for childbirth and we need the facility for the poor people in the village. We have drawn the plan and marked out the land for the construction. We need an initial $20,000.00 to commence the work.  Please join us in prayers in this great task.

We are very grateful for your prayers and love. Its been a joy having you with us in ministry to Africa and India. Thank you for loving us; thank you for loving ICCM.

In my meditations this day I have been looking at the 2nd chapter in the book of Revelations. Verse 7 talks of the reward for the overcomers : "to eat of the tree of Life which is in the midst of the paradise of God". Eating of the tree of life will enable us to live with God forever. Isn't it great ? God has given us the ability to overcome the temptations and the attacks of the devil by the blood of Jesus Christ. I want to eat of the Tree of Life; and we all want to eat of the Tree of Life and live with God forever.  We want to continue loving Him with our first love; and serve Him with all our hearts.

God bless you very much.
Lots of love from Eldoret, Kenya.
O.M./Pastor Panicker/Joy

Easter Greetings !

Every year at this time we see articles on the internet and on magazines/newspapers questioning the authenticity of Jesus' resurrection. Yesterday I was watching a science program - scientists were trying to explain away the ten plagues in the days of Moses scientifically; as if those plagues could have happened naturally, not necessarily from God .
Don't we live at a time when the world questions 'TRUTH' - truth that has historical and archeological evidence. Isn't it a time when more confusion  and lies breed through the media. (Some day similar questions might arise, like, did Abraham Lincoln really exist ? Hmmm, was George Washington real ??) Haters of God and haters of 'good' seem to have an upper hand in every sphere of society. They seem to influence the thoughts of the common man, and steer the direction forwards.

This is the 'Easter' season. Lets get back to the REAL TRUTH. JESUS is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.
Jesus died on the cross, he was buried, and he resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures. This is the truth. He ascended to heaven, and he continues to live on in the hearts of those who believe in him as the Son of God.

The way of the cross may not be an easy one. But we have the assurance of our destination.
On the road that leads to everlasting life is Jesus himself - walking with you and holding you up in his marvelous love. He is with you every step along the way.

Happy Resurrection Sunday.

We love you and we pray for you.

Back home to my family and friends !

Away from home for three months and the days flew by. I look back and God has favored me so much in this trip and He has remained faithful. I have been to the poorest and most unhygienic places and the blood of Jesus kept me safe from any sickness or disease. In places with problems of insecurity He watched over me. All glory to the Lord.

Yesterday, the 18th of March was a very interesting and fulfilling day in the city of Nairobi. One of my Hindu friends visited me and we spend about three hours together. He had so many questions - we sat at the lobby of the hotel. Interesting questions that needed attention and answers.
1. My contract ends in April and I need to get another job. What can I do - should I get back to India ?
2. I want to get married, but I have no girlfriends ? I don't know how to make friends ?( he is now 32years old).
3. There were some people who hurt me years back - I want to take revenge on them. I am angry with them. Is that okay ? Is that a sin ?
4. I have sexual feelings - Is it okay for me to get involved with a girl out there ?
5. If I don't get married and I have those feelings, can I have sex with anybody to satisfy my feelings ?
6. Is anything wrong - is it a sin to watch porn on the internet ?
7. If I get married, is anything wrong for me to watch porn on the internet ? I am married then !!
8. If I pray to Jesus will He hear me ? I have many needs and I don't have any peace.
9. Have you seen Jesus in your life ?
10. I want to pray to Krishna and to Jesus - I will give Krishna about 20 minutes and a few minutes to Jesus everyday. It is better for me to pray to more gods because somebody will hear me. What is wrong with that - ?
11. Your friend in the wheelchair with the crippled legs - he is always so happy - is it because of Jesus ? How can that happen ?

He had a lot of questions ?

After I spoke with him and explained matters, he finally tells me - please pray for me. He was on his knees and with all sincerity he accepted the prayers and Jesus. He then told me that he felt a peace in his heart. He went away so happy and satisfied having heard all the answers. I did advice him to keep himself pure. Sex outside marriage was sin and God hated it. I told him that porn manipulated the mind and he would lack concentration in his work, and loose purpose in life.  If he got married  and got into the habit of watching porn, his marriage would be a disaster !
You cannot pray to several gods because you CANNOT serve two masters. He stood amazed at the answers and suggestions I had given him. There was no way he could challenge the truths in the Bible.
Yes I asked God to bring a woman into his life to be his wife; I also gave him suggestions on how to approach a lady and win her over and to be good friends; and on how to behave with the opposite sex.  It was all an interesting talk and I enjoyed my time with him. All glory to the Lord.

In the evening I was invited by one of our Islamic converts for dinner. She had prepared an elaborate dinner with salads and there was ice-cream and cake. Before dinner I spend about two hours with her giving her counsel from the Word of God. She has been enriched in the presence of God. While at dinner I called up my wife Mercy to talk to her. It was such a joy.

Well, in the next few hours I will be at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi for my flight. I have missed my family and my friends for a long time. I have missed my church Shiloh.  I will be communicating with you after my arrival and it may take about two weeks before I actually do anything. Just worn out - all my muscles aching - my eyes kind of sleepy - hot flashes (wonder if this is normal for a man !!) all over my body ! BUT I am very thankful to the Lord and I am so happy that God was glorified in all that was done in the past three months. I am coming home as a victorious soldier from the battleground. Thank you for praying, and thank you for loving me. Jesus is Lord indeed.

God's greatness !

This is the last stretch of my journey which began in December of 2010. Two months in Kenya; the free medical camps; almost four weeks in India, and finally back in Kenya. India was fantastic; and so were the meetings in Kenya.
I was most blessed in that the Lord was holding my hands all the way and I did witness the glory of God. In the state of Punjab in India, in a place called Ludhiana I prayed for a lot of people after the ministry of the Word. People were so hungry and many in the crowd were from Hindu families - non-Christians. Finally a special group came up in front for prayers - all women. Through my translator I heard of their problems. These were women who had problems in conceiving; some had blocked fallopian tubes; others were infertile; and there were those with feminine issues. The presence of the Holy Spirit was so mighty in our midst. I called up a young lady of 19yrs., a believer who lived a pure life to stand together with me as I prayed. She was a lady of great faith and had been following me in all my meetings in Punjab. Her face was radiant and she confessed that she had been blessed so much and had learned a lot in the meetings. She was a convert from the Sikh religion.

I needed some help from her as I prayed for the women - I needed her to lay her hands, on my behalf, on the womb of each woman as I prayed for them. This she did with a lot of reverence. I prayed short specific prayers and in most cases breaking curses from the lives of these women in the name of Jesus. I did sincerely ask the Lord to have mercy and to open the wombs of these women. Honestly I felt nothing supernatural except that the Lord's presence was so mightily felt in our midst.

At the end of the prayers, one lady who was a medical doctor, came up to me and said that she had felt a lot of warmth in her womb while I prayed. A special 'heat'  filled her womb - something burning but pleasant.  Just then, the young lady who placed her hands said that she felt 'a kick' from the womb as I prayed. One after another all the other ladies gave the same testimony. A warmth - a heat - ; and the young lady felt that 'kick' from the womb of every woman in her hands.  I stood amazed and I began to praise the Lord.
This was a very special experience and I meditated about it in my heart giving glory to the Lord.

I am in Kenya now and the young lady has called me to say that many of the women had communicated with her to say that they are now pregnant. With God all things are possible. I long to get back to Punjab next year to see the wonderful miracles, the beautiful little babies. All glory and honor to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

I fly out of Kenya on the 19th and I arrive home in Quarryville on the 20th. Please keep me in your prayers. I will be sending you pictures after my arrival in the USA. Thank you so much for being with me in this journey.

Love you all.

Off to the state of Kerala, India.

In about 4 hours I will be in a train travelling to the state of Kerala, and the journey will last about 15 hours from where I am, Bangalore. I will have meetings from Saturday to Monday and on Tuesday I fly out to Mumbai.

The flight into India was so good. Meetings started on the same day I arrived here in Karnataka. From Karnataka we moved on to the state of Andhra Pradesh. Very long journeys by road. The first two meetings were at Hindu strongholds controlled by the BJP, and the pastors kept reminding me of the security situation. Thank God we were protected and I had a lot of people from the 'backward' castes of India come forwards for prayers. There were tears of joy on many faces. Others cried because of the heavy problems they had in their lives with no one to help or go to. Believe me - the meeting which began about 8pm went till almost midnight the first day. I continued praying after ministering the Word till 12.20am the second day.  God gave me the strength and so many people wanted to be personally prayed for. It was a great joy to lay hands on the sick and needy, and to lift them up before the throne of God. Then followed the two days of the pastors conference. Over 300 pastors from the states of Andhra and Karnataka participated at the conference. I spoke in all four sessions each day; never got tired and I was energized in the spirit. Pastors were challenged and motivated and so many personally thanked me for the teachings and inspiration. I have already been 'booked' for a major conference in 2012. All the glory to our Father in heaven.
There were challenges  : the village was so primitive. People looked like they were living in the 17th century. Most people were very illiterate. The only thing that bothered me were the hygienic conditions. Breakfast on the last day, yesterday, was in the most terrible place I could imagine. The man was serving food with his dirty hands to every person. I gulped in the food. But a look into the kitchen brought the food back to my mouth. While cooking, the man was also cleaning his teeth with his fingers. Then the inevitable happened. He spat on the floor - unbelievable  and horrific. I gave myself over 15 minutes to see if my body reacted in any negative way. Thank God, so far - so good. Please do not forget to pray for me.
Love you all.

Kenya - February 2011

In our town of Eldoret it is hot, windy and dusty. My naturally tanned skin is tanned once more in the natural sunlight and heat. I normally have my nose covered when the dust blows like a whirlwind. Its not just the dust, but the exhaust fumes of motor vehicles cloud the atmosphere.
We have been busy in the ministry and most of the places we have visited are hot and dry. We see little children and woman walk with empty plastic containers .walking for miles to fetch water from streams or rivers. In the Turkana region and the North Eastern part of Kenya people are starving - no food and no water.
Lots of street children roaming the streets of Eldoret. I have never seen so many on the streets ever before.
Prices of food and other commodities have risen sharply. Our greedy and ruthless politicians are engaged in  a never-ending battle for power.
The story of the church is not good either. Too many false prophets and self-proclaimed apostles misleading the illiterate, innocent and the ignorant. Scripture is misinterpreted for personal gain. There seems to be no spiritual authority in Kenya at this point of time. God, have mercy, is my prayer !

The pastors conferences we hosted is bearing fruit. ICCM is trying to unite the pastors and churches in our little town of Eldoret. The Word has convicted many pastors who live in sin and we are seeing a revival in personal lives.

We have also gotten involved with the street kids in a small way. Apart from sharing the love of Jesus we have also involved ourselves in feeding them on occasion. As they see us walk on the streets they wave and are happy. We wave back and wish we could do something more.

This evening, pastor Shem and I visited the Nyayo ward at the main hospital in town. Many mothers were seated on the beds with their sick children. One child, about 3 years old is in the fourth stage of cancer. As I lay my hands on the child to pray I felt the heat radiating from the child's body. She is on chemo, and an oxygen tube helps her in breathing. She is so weak. We prayed for God's mercy on this child. The next child was a few months old and had some severe form of pneumonia. She looked so pale and 'not so lively'. We looked up to heaven for this child, and we prayed for the others. The mothers looked weary and tired; and hopelessness radiated from the eyes of many.  We thank God for the opportunity given to us to visit the sick children this day and to encourage the mothers. Interestingly the wards are cleaner and brighter.

Thank you for your prayers. Next week on the 18th (friday) I fly out to India for ministry.  I will be in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra, Maharashtra, and Punjab. Training of pastors and speaking in evangelistic meetings will be my main objective. I will be ministering to many first generation converts. Please keep me in your prayers.
Tomorrow, Sunday the 13th, pastor Christoper and I will be ministering at the ICCM church in the village of Soy. We have purchased some provision for the people. Almost all the people we minister in this area are very poor indeed.
Hey -we appreciate your prayers and support. The Lord shine His face upon you and give you peace.
Love you all.
O.M.

Free medical camps.

13th January: Our guests - Dr.Schmitt, Randy Varain, and Erin arrived safe in Nairobi. Pastor Andrew and I were at the airport to receive them. It is a great joy to have them with us. Arrived at the guest house about 11.30pm from the airport. It must have been 1am when we went to bed.
The ICCM team and the medical staff arrived in Mlolongo from Eldoret - a seven hour journey by road. 

14th January : The medical camp at Mlolongo commenced. The area is extremely hot, dusty, and dirty. The river is completely dry. 269 people were treated; 150 committed themselves to Christ; 53 were counseled for HIV. There is a lot of excitement.
Earlier in the morning we had a 'thought' from Psalms 23, and we all prayed. After the camp was done for the day we had meetings with the teams. Shared the Word from 1st John :3, and we prayed together. We were all very tired.
At the guest house : Had a good dinner. Later in his room, when Dr. Schmitt put on the switch for hot water, the 'instant' heater 'exploded'. All the wires were burned and the doctor had to have a cold shower.

On my part I made sure that all three were safe and well. I had a fight with mosquitoes !!
We are all in the same 'spirit'; and getting along so smoothly/happily. I thank God for the three from the USA - just wonderful people with humility, love, and a zeal to serve.

The week !

The week went by fast. I had many meetings with the ICCM team, and the program for the free medical camps are set. We have all the government permits. The team from the USA will arrive on the 13th and we have booked/reserved rooms in Nairobi at a very safe and clean guest house. (For safety reasons I will not mention names of guest houses or hotels).
Yesterday, Friday, I walked long distances from town to seek help with medicines.  The team traveled to confirm the program and to see pastors. Ravi, our administrator at the clinic, is busy packing medicines together with the medical staff.
I have received a few very encouraging e-mails from friends in PA. Communication with family and friends provide extra joy and energy in my case. On Sunday I will minister the Word at the ICCM Fellowship in Eldoret town. Funds for the car is coming in and you can be a partner in blessing us here.
Though windy and dusty, heavy clouds are building up over Eldoret. In my prayers I have been mentioning you before the Lord.

Safe in Kenya !

The flight was good. Arrived in Nairobi on the 30th of December 2010. 31st evening was interesting- the streets of Nairobi were filled with people. At about midnight the taxis hooted, people screamed, danced, and shouted with joy. Displays of fireworks filled the sky, and I was watching all these from my hotel window. Churches were overflowing with people; and there was a broadcast over the television networks of worship and praises in the open grounds and at the Kenyatta Conference Center. Most of the participants were young teenagers/adults. Very encouraging to see the thousands of young people coming to God in worship to welcome the New Year.
On Sunday the 2nd of January 2011, I was privileged to share the Word at the Mlolongo ICCM church. Traveled by matatu (Kenyan Taxi) on Monday morning to Eldoret. The driver was "flying" on the good road. (The roads were repaired some months ago.)  In Eldoret I was welcomed by the team. We have already had some meetings, and today, Tuesday, we had our first 'home-cell' in the year 2011.

Still trusting God to buy a car/van for use in the ministry. It is a necessity, something I had postponed for the last few years. Donations are welcome.
Blessings and much love.