After Four Years of Prayer - Gospel for Asia

GFA native missionary Prem Vatsa and his church prayed for four years to receive the land for this building.

Benny Moses, a Gospel for Asia regional leader, dedicated a new church building in a village in Andhra Pradesh, India, on September 22. All of the believers rejoiced, because after four years of prayer, this day brought to reality an incredible dream of having a large enough place to worship.

When GFA native missionary Prem Vatsa came to this village in 1996, he would have never guessed that he would eventually need such a large building. Most of the people worshipped idols and were not at all open to the Gospel. So Prem rented a small room to live in, and he prayed for several days. Then he began distributing tracts and sharing the message of Christ with the villagers.

Soon, one of the villagers, Mani Sajiv, and his family decided to follow the Lord. Mani’s family began meeting with Prem to pray for the village and do outreach. Through their witness, many more people came to Christ, and Prem built a small hut to use for worship services.

In 1999, 21 people were regularly attending services, and everyone could no longer fit in the tiny shelter. At this time, Prem and the believers fasted and prayed for 10 days that the Lord would provide them land for a new building. After the fast, they continued faithfully praying about their need for another four years.

In 2003, the Lord worked a miracle and a villager offered his land to the church. With this enormous barrier out of the way, the church shared its need with GFA leaders in India. The leaders approved a building project, and funds were sent so construction could begin.

In June 2005, the church held a ceremony to lay the building’s cornerstone. Prem and the believers could not wait for their new facility to be completed. More people were choosing to follow Christ, and they would all be able to worship together in the larger building. However, they would have to wait longer than they expected.

Throughout the construction process, the church faced many disruptions caused by those who oppose Christianity. Even though they often felt discouraged, Prem and the believers trusted the Lord to finish the work He had started.

Finally, in September 2007, the Lord answered their prayer and the building was ready. Everyone gathered for a joyous celebration. Today, they can worship safely and freely together each week. The congregation is growing exponentially, and they are thankful to have plenty of room. They also praise the Lord that they have a permanent symbol of what He is doing in their village.

Prem requests prayer that many more people will come to know the Lord through the church’s ministry.

Churches are springing up all across Asia. Read about another building dedication.

Learn more about Andhra Pradesh, India, the state where Prem Vatsa serves.