It is the middle of December and the graduation ceremonies for the graduates of the three training centres in north India took place a few days ago. The young people are now back in their villages and many of them are preparing to serve their people as preachers, evangelists and pastors. Nearly all do not have a support group behind them. But most trust in the call of God that they have heard deep within. Will the One who calls them not also provide for them, so that they can follow the call? Two of the three training centres must be closed because of the lack of funds. One will be taken over by IN.touch and will prepare 10 students for service next year. The others must wait. It’s a pity!

The growth of house churches in north India nevertheless continues, although probably more slowly next year because of this. In the mean time there are a significant number of house churches outside of Himachal Pradesh in other Indian states, and even 13 in Nepal including two large ones with together more than 100 believers. This happens because Nepalese guest workers are converted in house churches, and then return home, share their new faith and start a local house church.

Two nursery schools were handed over to local workers in the course of the year. They are now in the hands of new believers who trust in their God to bless them and enable them to take care of these nursery schools.

Because of this we were able to start two new nursery schools in the district of Srimaur. Many Muslims also live in this district and already many strong and lively house churches have come into being among them. The new nursery schools have however been opened in an area where the gospel has yet no foot-hold. We are working in more than 10 unreached people groups and there will be more. “People from all nations and races shall worship God for ever.” The entire work has long been growing over a wide area.


I am just back from south India and can report that we will begin work already this month with a nursery school for the Paniyans instead of outreach to the Irulas. The Irulas have by no means been forgotten. We will take the next step with them in March 2008.

God’s heart is simply much bigger. He wants all people to come to a knowledge of the truth. Therefore I am convinced that we also have a calling to bring the gospel to the Kattunaickans since we had our first contact with them during our visit to Kerala. There are more than 500 reclusive and backward tribes among the native peoples of India. Most of them have never heard the gospel.


In November we held a three-day workshop for the first time in Kerala with predominantly local leaders. A missionary couple from Globe Europe who live in Chennai also took part. To lead such a workshop was a real challenge for us, but we experienced how God works and enabled us to do it. It was about bringing together people who already work with the Irula people to learn from their experience; about avoiding mistakes and combining forces; about learning more about the Irula people. We were not able to establish any personal contact with the Irulas on this occasion, partly because there are very few Irula people in the area. There were many different ideas and concepts which could only be clarified during the workshop.

The work needs your prayers! That there has already been much prayer, we can see from the resulting fruit. The work also urgently needs more finance and perhaps also your ideas and advice on how to raise money. Two plots of land are still waiting for us to erect a school building. Only the funds are missing. We also need more financial support personally so that my wife Patty can give up her job and get fully involved in the mission work. I realised in November how valuable she is in this respect.

This would be a real breakthrough – for IN.touch and the missions work in India.

With warm greetings

Armin Weissenfels