June 2010
A China Figurine for Father’s Day
After church today I enjoyed the last of my ‘China Figurines’ with my egg salad sandwich. OK, so it wasn’t real ceramic but nevertheless it was kind of crunchy!
Often, our friends at home remember us in tangible ways knowing we miss some of the things from back home.
For example, I lamented over the lack of real coffee and also mused about a time I was eating a grilled cheese that Margaret had prepared and asked her, “Where’s the Strubbs?” (gotta be the best kosher pickles in the world!).
Anyway, I was really blessed when Margaret came back from her Canada visit last time and brought me a package of Starbucks with a coffee press, along with a can of Tim Horton’s, all sent by dear friends who clearly knew how to reach my heart, but the ‘China Figurines’ were something else.
One of our friends, Mary Louise, must have picked up on the grilled cheese story because a while ago she emailed me to say a fragile ‘package’ was on the way by mail and hoped it arrived safe.
Well, about two weeks later, a somewhat battered ‘Ashley China’ carton arrived in the mail and the customs label said it contained a ‘China Figurine,’ which is I suppose is what one would expect coming from Ashley’s, a famous China shop in Toronto. However, as I peeled away the multiple layers of wrapping I didn’t find a figurine at all but instead was amazed to discover a plastic container of baby Strubb’s pickles! Oh my, did they ever taste good. That same day we had grilled cheese and the first of my prized China figurines but alas, the last one was to be my Father’s day treat!
Church Planting Pastor’s Conference
A leadership and teacher training conference was held in Vijayawada for the lead pastors of the church planting ministry in India.
The focus was in training the pastors in preparation for the upcoming Telugu School of Ministry (TSM) seminars and also on vision casting for the future of the Pentecostal Assemblies of India (PAOI).
The TSM seminar, which started the following day with 25 pastors in a village 80km from Vijayawada, is strategically geared to provide basic theological training for Telugu speaking pastors who are part of the Church Planting Ministry of the PAOI.
Praise & Prayer
For 25 students at the Telugu School of Ministry.
Charitable Status
TCC and PAOI are still facing hurdles to register as charities with the Indian government.
Student Recruitment
TCC is conducting a special drive to recruit more students that are committed to work with the PAOI church planting ministry.
Pastor’s Conference
Pastors at the TSM Seminar
“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves.” Proverbs 29:18 (MSG)
March 2010
Touching Lives — One by One
Most of India’s poorest people live in rural farming and tribal communities and many of them are homeless or orphaned children, with very little hope for the future.
That is why the Pentecostal Assemblies of India (PAOI) is committed to follow Jesus’ teaching by serving the physical and social needs of these precious people, so that they will be able to learn of His love and eternal hope.
PAOI church buildings are used not only for Sunday worship but as a multi purpose center in the heart of the community, serving the needs of its people. Examples include the sewing centers featured in our last newsletter, as well as food and clothing distribution, and church sponsored orphanages and widow’s homes.
But many PAOI churches are unable to do this because they do not have a building, meeting instead in mud huts or covered shelters.
PAOI is working hard to raise funds to replace these mud hut churches with buildings so that they too can become a beacon of light and service to their community.
Note: PAOI oversees the church planting ministry of the PAOC work in Hyderabad, India.
Pastor Daniel Back in the Pulpit!
Great news! Last Sunday, Pastor Daniel, who was critically injured in a motorcycle accident several weeks ago, was back leading the worship service at his church in Rajahmundry.
Thank you so much for your prayers that led to his speedy recovery.
Special Prayer Request
Charitable Status – Trinity Christian College & PAOI
Trinity Christian College and the PAOI are both registered as separate trusts and have applied for charitable status with the Indian government. This is so that they can receive donations not only from local Indian citizens but, more importantly, to accept contributions from foreign sources such as the PAOC.
However, the state Charities Commissioner, a Hindu man, has denied their application and insists that they must first register with the Hindu Endowments Act, meaning they would be subject to Hindu religious oversight and administration.
An appeal to that ruling will be made later next week. Please pray that the authorities will look favorably on their appeal.
Upcoming Events
March 19-21
Visit of Ryan and Meagan Detwiller from Thailand
March 28
Palm Sunday
April 2
Good Friday
April 4
Easter Sunday
April 9
Ordination ceremony for 15 PAOI church planting pastors in Rajahmundry
April 12-17
Trinity Christian College—Final exams
April 26
Trinity Christian College—Graduation
February 2010
Helping People Help Themselves
The ancient Chinese proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Last month Margaret and I attended the graduation ceremony for 20 women graduates from the Pentecostal Assemblies of India (PAOI) sponsored Sewing Course in rural Kotagudem. PAOI provided the sewing machines and a teacher for the six month course, designed to help low income women in the rural villages help themselves by learning new skills. PAOI will also pay half the cost of a sewing machine for the graduates, so that they can make clothes and other items for sale, providing a much needed boost to their family income.
Later this month a second course will be launched to serve women of another rural village near Rajamundry. Note: PAOI oversees the church planting ministry of the PAOC work in Hyderabad, India.
Church Planter in Major Accident
A week ago we were blessed to minister with Pastor Daniel, one of our pioneering church planting pastors, at two of his three village churches near Rajamundry. The following day, Pastor Daniel was critically injured when the motorcycle he was riding was hit by a bus. Phone calls and emails went to you and other Christians around the world and, thanks to your prayers, God brought Pastor Daniel out of danger but he will be remain in hospital for some time with head and leg injuries.
We returned to Rajamundry yesterday to visit Pastor Daniel in hospital, and to convey your love and words of encouragement to his wife and daughters, and to the churches.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Upcoming Events
February 6-8
Ministering at the church in Vishakhapatnam
February 11-13
Launching new Sewing Course for women near Rajamundry
February 17-27
Visit by Tony’s brother Terry, a pastor from Edinburgh, Scotland
February 20-22
Ministering with Terry at church plants in Nellore
April 2 Good Friday
April 4 Easter Sunday
April 16 Trinity Christian College Graduation
Prayer Requests
State of Andhra Pradesh
The ongoing political crisis over the proposed bifurcation of the state.
Trinity Christian College
Faculty, staff, and students during the final semester.
Church Planting Ministry
Pastor Daniel and his family. The financial resources to pay his hospital and other medical expenses.
January 2010
I am happy to report that God has heard your prayers and intervened to keep Pastor Daniel out of danger. With God’s help, the doctors were able to stabilize Pastor Daniel and he is no longer in critical condition. He will remain in hospital for some time but the future appears positive. It is truly a miracle that he survived because he went right under the front wheel of the bus and the motorcycle he was riding was completely destroyed.
Margaret and I will return to Rajamundry this weekend to visit and pray with Pastor Daniel. We will also visit his two churches to share words of encouragement with the congregations. We know that God has a purpose in everything and through all of this He will be glorified.
Thank you everyone for your prayers.
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Please take a moment right now to pray for one of our church planting pastors who was seriously injured in an accident earlier today. Pastor Daniel, who pastors 2 village churches near Rajamundry, India, was traveling by motorcycle on church business when he was hit by a bus. He sustained serious head and leg injuries and is currently in critical condition. Pastor Daniel is a graduate of Trinity Christian College and is married with five daughters.
Margaret and I were in Rajamundry yesterday ministering with Pastor Daniel at his thriving village churches, one of which is in his own home, and while there we took the attached picture of him and his family. It was when we returned home to Hyderabad today that we learned of the accident.
Please pray for God’s healing touch on Pastor Daniel and for his wife and daughters as they try to cope with the reality of this terrible accident.
December 20, 2009
Thank you for your prayers. As you know I (Tony) have been under the weather for several weeks, suffering from the tropical disease Chikungunya
It is a very debilitating disease that drained me of my energy as well as a few inches off my waist and at least 20lbs of the excess I had built up fellowshipping with many of you during our home assignment this past summer in Canada! Thankfully, I am almost back to normal with just a few aches and lingering pain that should dissipate over the next while.
This will be the first Christmas ever that we have been away from our family and friends so we will of course miss everyone but we will be in touch by phone, Skype, and email.
Many blessings to every one of you and we wish you a wonderful Christmas season.
Brahmin Goes to Bible College
As a young boy, Pranay Roy was destined to be a Brahmin priest but God had other plans and he is now a 2nd year B. Th. Student at Trinity Christian College (TCC) in Hyderabad, India.
Born into the Indian Brahmin caste, Pranay’s parents died when he was 7 years old leaving him and his older brother Pradeep homeless. They were sent to Prem Sewa Sangh, a boys home in Nagpur, central India, that was founded by PAOC missionary Frank Jeulich.
Frank began his work 30 years ago with four boys in a tent and since then Prem Sewa has grown to be the home of almost 1,000 boys, with a school, computer lab, workshops, and medical facilities. It provides a loving Christian home to prepare young men as future leaders of India. Prem Sewa graduates enter various professions and trades, and many become pastors and church planters.
So when Pranay and Pradeep began their new lives in that loving Christian community it wasn’t long before both of them gave their hearts to Jesus.
After completing their state recognized education at Prem Sewa, Pradeep went on to become a chartered accountant but Pranay felt the call to full time ministry and Frank agreed to support him by sending him to TCC.
Wearing a wide smile wherever he goes, Pranay has a passion to tell others about Jesus and when he graduates hopes to become part of the PAOC Church Planting Ministry in India.
Thanks to the collaborative work of PAOC, Frank Juelich, and Trinity Christian College, young men like Pranay are being prepared for the ministry to reach the millions of lost in India.
Political Unrest in Andhra Pradesh
Separatism is a familiar word to most Canadians but it is certainly not unique to that country. In a striking similarity, separatists in India are vying for the division of Andhra Pradesh (AP) into two separate states based on, you guessed it, language!
Proponents of separation have caused riots in the capital city of Hyderabad, burning buses and cars, destroying buildings, and attacking police.
The Indian government has indicated its approval of the split but the state is in turmoil with MPs resigning en masse to support a united AP.
One has to wonder. Do the words of Jesus in Mark 3:24 not resonate a prophecy that history has proven true?
Upcoming Events
December 18
Last day of the 2009 Winter Semester at Trinity Christian College (TCC)
December 18 to January 4
TCC closed for the Christmas holidays.
January 1
Speaking at Faith Baptist Church in Tarnaka, India
January 4
2010 Semester begins at TCC
January 16-18
Church planting ministry leadership meetings in Vijayawada.
January 26
Republic day
Prayer Requests
State of Andhra Pradesh
Political stability over the proposed splitting of the state into two separate states.
Trinity Christian College
Faculty, staff, and students as they prepare for the next semester.
Church Planting Ministry
Pastors to plant more churches in the unreached areas of the State.
Trinity Christian College
This is the final week of the 2009 winter semester and both faculty and students are looking forward to the Christmas break at home with their families.
Merry Christmas
Margaret and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and to wish you a wonderful Holy Spirit filled Christmas.
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December 2009
Sorry that I have not sent any messages in a while but I have been somewhat under the weather for the past two weeks with fever, chills, nausea, body aches, and of course the accompanying diarrhea. The doctor says is either a viral infection or malaria. I thought I had it licked a week ago but after a two day hiatus it was back again. I think I’m finally getting to the end but with hardly eating I am weak and spend more time in bed than on my feet.
I so grateful to my dear wife Margaret for tending to me and putting up with my constant needs, although it has been a strain on her as she cannot get out much. Thanks also to our friends at Safe Haven Worship Center in Pickering for sending us a CD set of Pastor Sam Martin’s teaching series. Not being able to get to church we are able to hear some great sermons on our laptop.
On another positive note, I’m pleased to tell you that we finally have a car (although in my current state I have not been able to drive it yet). It’s a 1997 Indian built Maruti, similar in size to a Honda Civic, but nowhere near the engineering quality. Nevertheless, it is transportation and for that we are very grateful.
Blessings to you all. I will have a newsletter coming soon.
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November 2009
It is early Sunday morning in Hyderabad and I am sending this from our new (to us anyway) apartment, complete with a western toilet and its resident gecko. We arrived safely early yesterday morning after two consecutive and sleepless overnight flights on British Airways (which from our first hand experience seems to be the favored airline for parents of the loudest screaming kids on the planet). All in all though, we had good travels and were happy to see many of our dears friends back on this side of the world and after a solid night’s sleep we woke about an hour ago to the Adhan, the Muslim call to prayer.
While it is only one bedroom, our apartment is very clean and finally a place we can call our home away from home. Our next challenge is to find some means of transportation. We’ve thought about another motorcycle but, even though that would be fine with me, for obvious reasons Margaret isn’t too thrilled about the idea. So probably a half decent second hand car will be the goal.
It was great to see so many of you over the summer months of our home assignment and we are so grateful for your continued prayers and support.
Blessings,
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October 2009
Just a quick reminder to let you know we are getting ready to leave for Hyderabad November 5. We are anxious to get back to India and resume the tasks that God has set for us and appreciate your continued prayers and support. We have three speaking engagements left between now and the time we leave and if you are able we would love to see you at one of them to say our farewells.
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Sunday October 25 @ 6pm, at Agincourt Pentecostal Church, 2885 Kennedy Road, Toronto, ON
Thursday October 29 @ 11am, at Agincourt Pentecostal Church, 2885 Kennedy Road, Toronto, ON
Sunday November 1 @ 10:30am, at Evangel Temple, 320 Bridge Street West, Napanee, ON
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Many blessings
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September 2009
Tragedy Strikes Andhra Pradesh
The state of Andhra Pradesh, which is our home state while in India, is mourning the loss of its “Favorite son” and Chief Minister, YS Rajasek-hara Reddy, who was killed on September 2, when the helicopter flying him to a remote region of the state crashed during violent weather.
Affectionately known as “YSR, Reddy’s death is a tragic loss to the state’s 80 million people but will be of significant impact on its 4 million Christians.
He was not only a popular Chief Minister but, in a country dominated by Hinduism and its 350 million gods, YSR was also one of the very few Christian leaders to attain such a high political office.
Let us believe that the Lord will appoint the right person to be the successor of YSR.
Home Assignment
It has certainly been a busy summer for us while on Home Assignment in Canada.
One of our first functions was the wedding of our dear friends and support team members, Altaz Valani and Debbie Lee, who were married by yours truly at a magnificent ceremony on May 15 at Agincourt Pentecostal Church in Toronto.
Then, in June we both at-tended the PAOC Transitions course for new missionaries at Humber Col-lege in Toronto.
We have visited many churches and homes to share the vision the Lord has placed in our hearts for India and we are blessed by the churches, family, and friends who have partnered with us to take the Gospel message to the unreached people groups of that land.
May the Lord continue to bless you as you have blessed us. (Genesis 12:3)
New Home for Trinity Christian College
After weeks of site searches, and prayers from many of you, Trinity Christian College (TCC) finally has a new home in Hyderabad.
At four times the size of its predecessor, the new campus occupies three floors of a four-storey office building and allows for expansion to accommodate many more students, a spacious library, and a computer lab.
Did You Know…
That there are more than six thousand people groups in the world that have never heard the Gospel message and one third of them are in India?
Upcoming Events
September 13 @ 10:30am:
Speaking at 8th Anniversary of Hope Community Church in Toronto
September 14-20:
San Francisco visiting our son Gary and his family
October 25 @ 6pm:
Speaking at Agincourt Pentecostal Church‟s Missions Convention, Toronto
November 1 @ 10:30am:
Speaking at Evangel Temple‟s Missions Convention, Napanee, ON
November 5:
Leave for India
November 9:
Start of winter semester at Trinity Christian College
Prayer Requests
State of Andhra Pradesh:
God’s comfort and guidance as the people elect a new Chief Minister.
Trinity Christian College:
Faculty, staff, and students as they prepare for the next semester.
Church Planting Ministry:
Pastors to plant more churches in the unreached areas of the state.
Thank you for your prayers for us!
Tony and Margaret Baker