Graham & Carol Houghton (India/China)
Over the past 20 years, in many of my meetings with people, especially business people; rather than trying to understand the wonders of SAIACS (South Asian Institute of Advanced Christian Studies) and the mysteries of higher education, I’ve noticed that when there is a pause, someone will invariably say, “I’m sure SAIACS is great; but tell me, what are your graduates doing?”
Ah yes, that is the heart of the matter!  So let me tell you about Sushil and Sarah Tyagi (pronounced Tee-ah-gee).

They came to SAIACS early in 2000 and Sushil graduated with an M.A. in Christian Studies.  Then they returned to New Delhi to work with a small group named Nicodemus Ministry, taken from the story in John 3 where we are told of one who came to see Jesus, surreptitiously, in the night.   It should be no surprise, then, to learn that they work among Muslims.

 “Lord is been good to us, in our family and ministry.  As since some time I have been sharing that we are in process to start a small discipleship and Bible training centre, particularly to train and equip people to reach Urdu speaking Muslims of North India.  After much looking around, Lord has led us to a place called Baghpat (first city on top from Delhi beside Yamuna River).  This city is totally un-reached from Christianity and have hardly any Church in the district.  Some local Muslim and Hindu people has invited us to come and work in that area.  Though our aim is not just to impact that district or city through that centre but to impact whole North India to reach for Christ.”
Then after a week or two comes this email:
 
       “I am always amazed by the way Lord works and allow His people to reach the nations ‘ethnos.’  While there is so much we hear about persecution and anti-conversion bill and so on, on the other hand Lord is opening doors in many ways to take the good news.”
        “Two weeks back we got information that government has selected us as an NGO to do evaluation survey of sanitation and health and hygiene conditions of the three most un-reached districts of a North Indian State.  This means physically visiting over 450 villages, meeting villagers and village leader.  We have invited 50 Pastors from the region to do the survey and prayer walk the area.”
         “So this week I had intensive and hectic long meetings with the top officials of these Districts to check out the survey plan and to make physical arrangements for the 50 Selected Pastors from this region to do this survey.”
        “We want to get these pastors engaged in the community to get to know the community, Village leaders and district authorities and to also get the first hand experience of the problems communities going through.  We believe this first hand experience will give them the burden and vision to pray for these people, for their physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs.” Please keep these next two weeks in your prayer, that the Holy Spirit may fill the Church of the region to pray and reach out the communities to share the love of Jesus.
        Yours for the harvest!!   Sushil & Sarah Tyagi”

All of that ought to bring tears to your eyes.  Is it worth the effort?  You tell me?