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Committed to the Word
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Pastor Rishi Manaat has served as a GFA World missionary for nine years. When he graduated from Bible college, he spent 40 days in fasting and prayer asking God where he wanted him to serve. The Lord directed Rishi to Andhra Pradesh, India.
The people Rishi ministers to live in a simple, agrarian society. They cultivate rice and raise goats to feed their families and earn a few rupees.
Rishi began his ministry handing out tracts and talking to people about the Gospel. Initially, no one wanted to hear his message. Some time later, a desperate family remembered his words and sought him out to pray for a mentally ill woman in their family. The woman was healed after seven days of fasting and prayer.
Today, Pastor Rishi and his wife, Gitika, are still pouring their lives into sharing the love of Christ with the people in Andhra Pradesh. They spend a portion of each week visiting and praying with the people in this village.
Pastor Rishi lives in a small parsonage next door to the GFA-affiliated church that was built in 2003. This arrangement allows him to be available to people who come to him at all hours asking for help or a special prayer.
On Sunday, Pastor Rishi leads more than 120 believers in a rousing worship service. These believers will often praise God for more than an hour.
Rishi also teaches his congregation about the importance of prayer. The prayers at this service are not perfunctory. These believers spend time pouring their joys and burdens out to God.
Of course, the teaching and preaching of the Word is an important time during the service. Pastor Rishi graduated from a GFA World Bible college, where he spent three years studying God's Word and learning how to teach it to others.
Rishi is committed making the name of Jesus known to those who have never heard of Him. Because of this, there is now a thriving group of believers in a place where 10 years before, no one had ever heard the Gospel.
posted 04/10/2007