By Jessey and Brittany Vemula, missionaries in India

In January we held orphan Sunday, when the church members are asked to bring clothes for the orphans and poor children in the slums.  We have received 63 pairs of children’s clothes altogether.

One day, when we went to distribute clothes , we saw a man (pictured left)who was laying under a tree in terrible conditions.  He was in a situation where he couldn’t even move his body to get rid of the hundreds of flies on his face.  When I tried to approach to talk with him, a lady walked up to me and said that his name was Swamy, and that she was his wife.  She said he had been lying there for the past 5 years, unable to speak. But, he could hear us.

So I told him why we were there, and about Jesus and the salvation that he needed.  Swamy’s wife started to talk to us and said, “I cannot take care of him anymore.  I want him dead, by why hasn’t God killed him yet?  Why is he still alive?”

Even after I got home, that question was still ringing in my ears.  I told my wife (Brittany) that it was a legitimate question she had asked me.  Why did God keep her husband alive and let him go through all that he was going through?  My wife immediately replied, “He was waiting for us.”  YES!  God kept him alive because he needed someone to come and share about the one true God, Jesus Christ.

Indeed, he died 11 days later.  I was shocked to hear that answer from my wife, and it made me think-how many more people in India are waiting for us to come and tell them about Jesus before they die?

It is true that Jesus needs you.  He calls each and every one of us to go and tell others about Him.  Your neighbors, friends, and family members may be waiting for you to tell them about Jesus Christ.  Will you tell them about HIM before they disappear for good?

Jessey and Brittany live in southern India and have a mission to evangelize the lost, plant churches, work in the orphanage the family has started, and minister among those trapped in the sex trade or suffering with HIV/AIDS or leprosy.  They also help oversee the 42 church plants that Jessey’s father began, and are working on equipping and educating pastors with the goal of planting more churches in remote areas.  If you would like information on how you can support their ministry, go to generalbaptist.com