Great Things He Hath Done

Greetings,  ministering partners and brothers and sisters in Christ. We are ever grateful to God for the awesome power of technology that allows us to communicate in real time, around the Globe. We know that Daniel’s prophecy has truly come to pass when we think of knowledge increasing. As we consider the plight of many of the great Missionary pioneers in ages past. Those who have paved the way for the undertaking of modern Missions with their blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice we have nothing to complain about.  There was a time when Missionaries had to wait months to send and receive even urgent letters from home. As we daily check our e-mails from the Mission field, use our cell phones to converse with family and friends, and every time we send an update blog we realize how fortunate we are.  As we read letters of encouragement from our brethren and gain renewed strength to continue our Missionary journey we praise God for the power of technology that is being used in these last days as a vehicle to quickly finish the work.

The Month of January was an extremely busy Month for us in India. We were able to establish a new company in a place called Innanimangalam. This was a large Village of mostly higher caste Hindus (which are normally harder to reach). We preached for 2 weeks in this village and had a warm reception from the people. Old and young crowded the open upstairs Apartment of a rented house as night by night we dug deeper and deeper into God’s word and shared the precious messages for the last days. At the end we had 10 people who were baptized and another 10 preparing for baptism.

We were also able to dedicate the 2nd Church building sponsored by The Metro New York Men’s Prayer Ministry. This is the only Church of any denomination for many kilometers around. We had more than 150 individuals of mostly Hindu background in attendance for the dedication ceremony. I vividly remember 2 women who brought their offering with them that they had been keeping for some time, to give to God since they finally had a Church to give it to. This is another new group that has been formed and we hope to return soon to work and strengthen this place.

A friend of our invited us to a program in a place called Nelli Kuppam where we provided school supplies to many children affected by the AIDS virus. It was a touching scene as we saw many of the children who were scarred with sores and who were orphans. Please remember these children in your prayers.

In the book of Nehemiah we find the story of a man of opportunity. Nehemiah was called and chosen by God to rebuild the broken down wall of Jerusalem that had been destroyed by Israel’s enemies for over 100 years. After reading this most eloquent and touching story, we realized that all around Villupuram  there were broken down walls that also needed rebuilding. There were a few Churches that were started and because of discouragement and lack of care were closed and fell into disrepair.   The people scattered as sheep without a shepherd. By God’s help we also renovated and reopened 3 Churches and re-gathered the scattered believers.

This has been our second Missionary journey to India. And I want to share with you brethren that truly God has blessed this humble work and has caused it to grow ‘exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think’ Ephesians 3:20. If this were to be our last Missionary journey and we were commissioned by God to again resume our home labors, I could honestly say that I have learned many bible promises to last me a lifetime.

Jesus gave a specific charge to His disciples in the book of Luke 22:35 as they went out on their 1st extensive missionary journey and here is the account:Luk_22:35  And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything? And they said, Nothing.  Jesus gave His disciples power over the demonic spirits, power to preach the Gospel, heal the sick and cleanse the lepers. But they were not to take with them any money as they went out into the vineyard. They were to simply go forward and as they needed they were to trust in God to provide.

When we came to India on our 1st term of service in 2010 we were in somewhat of a similar situation. We had no money to do mission work, no pledge of support from any individual or Church. The only thing that we had were the promises of God’s power to provide for His children found both in the bible and the SOP. I remembered trying to share our Missionary vision with friends and brethren but in the end all we had to  our name was $400 and a ticket to India.  But after almost 2 years of full time Mission work, we like the disciples in Christ time who went out without purse, or script, or shoes can report to you that we too have not lacked anything.

As I pen these words to you today my eyes fill up with tears as I recount the goodness of God to us. By the grace of God we have been able to build 2 new Churches in Villupuram, start new companies of Adventists in un entered towns, conduct almost 15 Evangelistic meetings in new places, baptize new believers into God’s last day truth, restart the work in areas where it has languished, build homes for many desperately poor Adventist, provide gifts of food and clothing to many hundreds of needy children and widows, helped many widows regain a new start in life by starting their own small business,  and the list goes on and on.  Today, I have come to learn that God will equip us with all that we need to do His work, but we must 1st show that we trust Him by going forward in faith.  My wife and 10 year old son have both travelled with me to India. In the face of disease and sickness, heat, weariness and  discouragement they have stood strong and have faced all with invincible faith and courage and have proved a great source of strength for me when at times I felt as a cart beneath sheaves.

To you our ministering partners, I am encouraged by your prayerful support of this Ministry. We know that we are in the midst of unprecedented economic woes, but still there are those who sacrifice to advance the cause of God and specifically the work in India.  We owe you a tremendous debt of gratitude and from the bottom of our hearts we say thank you. Of absolute certain we can see the prophecy fulfilling that lay people are helping other laypeople to finish the work and usher in the second coming of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We have partnered with the metro New York Men’s Prayer Ministry on last year and they have been a tremendous blessing to the overall work in India and have been the sponsors for the Church building projects and various other projects.

By the grace of God we have just arrived back home in the US. Our 6 Month time has quickly come to an end and, in order to stay in compliance with Indian law we had to make a mandatory departure from the Country. We are home for a few months to regroup and to re-plan and so we ask for your prayers. We also ask you to pray for the work that is continuing in Villupuram in our absence and please remember us with your continued sacrificial giving as we seek to expand and strengthen the work that has already begun in the name of The Lord.

We are also privileged to once again have a re-airing of our interview with 3ABN Television Network. If you had not yet had an opportunity to see it, this interview will be broadcast on 3ABN  TV and on 3ABN.org at the link http://3abn.org/ . On Thursday February 16, 2011 at 7AM, 2PM & 10 PM.

May God bless you and your Family and keep you in His care until then.

Gavin, Marion & Noah Simpson

3goingforward Ministries.

Children With AIDS

http://youtu.be/d-jzQPJQfDI