Nazaf Grah, North India
November 2011
By Elijah Challenge Coordinator Hanok Masih
Our November Feeding Event at Nazaf Grah was conducted among lower middle class Hindus. After some research we found out there was no church in this area—not even a home church. Pastor Arun, an Elijah Challenge-trained and supported pastor expressed his deep desire to conduct a Feeding Event and plant a church there.
Brother Simon Haqq shares the good news to the poor
Over 250 people attended the event, and between 55 and 60 people gave their lives to the Lord. Two of our Elijah Challenge-trained pastors started ministering to the sick and needy, and the rest went to eat. I believe because this is a poor area when people heard free food was being distributed, they started pouring in. This was a new experience for us and we were concerned that we would be short on food as we were serving a lot of good food. In other villages when people get healed they send for their families and friends even after the event. But this time more people came for the free food. This usually happens when we conduct a Feeding Event in a poor village. I was informed by the pastor that many children had a good satisfying meal for the first time in years.
We had to stop serving food and we invited the newcomers to hear the gospel. We had about another 200 people out of which over 70 expressed interest to know more about Christ.
We do not have the number of people who were healed, but this Sunday we will hear testimonies. The good thing is that everybody ate and none of them went home without eating. God blessed and increased our food and a new church was planted!
The miracle of food being multiplied happens in many of our Feeding Events. Once during a Christmas event some drunkards came and took our food by force. We had arranged food for over 500 people. Sister Shwetna was with us. She said “don’t disturb Brother Simon as he was preaching; I will come and pray and the Lord will bless everything.” We ended up washing over 800 plates. The cook received Jesus and now provides free services for our meetings in Delhi.
76 churches have been planted just in the state of Uttar Pradesh by our Elijah Challenge-trained believers, leaders and pastors.They are not supported by us, but are under our spiritual covering.