“My wife Rosy and I went to teach The Elijah Challenge in a needy area called Umerkote, located near the border with Chhattisgarh State. It was through a telephone contact with the Senior Pastor who had labored there for 35 years that we were able to go there, He was very glad to receive us inasmuch as no other mission had ventured into this remote area dominated by Maoists.
There we were glad to see around 150 to 170 servants of God accompanied by their wives. For this Training Event some pastors and leaders had traveled from distant places 80 to 90 kilometers away. The Senior Pastor although from a charismatic background had never come across such teaching before. He shared with us that the servants of God under him were strengthened by this teaching, and now they are ready to go forward to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God just as Jesus commanded the disciples in Luke 10:9.
In Umerkote the Christian population is 1%. The servants of God there are struggling to win souls due to Hindu persecution. So The Elijah Challenge Training is providing them with a powerful weapon in order to preach the gospel very effectively and fruitfully. I was very glad to witness unusual unity among the servants of God in Umarkote—something I have not seen in other areas where I have taught The Elijah Challenge. I have gone to many places in the past to hold the Training, but here I witnessed wonderful unity among pastors and leaders from various missions and denominations.
The pastors who helped to organize the event told us it was the first time for such a large gathering. They did not expect the servants of God to come from so far. Hearing this I was sure that what was happening was the work of our Almighty God. We received much feedback about The Elijah Challenge Training from some of the servants of God. It was special and very new to them.
At the Training when I first called for the sick to come forward to be healed, the servants of God just looked at each other, perhaps wondering what was going to happen. But when the person who came forward was instantly healed, their expressions changed quickly. Many people with infirmities were healed.
Among the infirmities were partial blindness, arthritis, back pain, chest pain, and throat infection. A woman was there who had been unable to see for a long time. I asked my wife Rosy to lay hands on her eyes along with other servants of God. I taught them there how to minister healing by laying hands on the sick person in Jesus’ name. Praise God her eyesight was miraculously restored.
A young evangelist was present who had an infection for the last six months. He was miraculously healed. A servant of God had severe pain in his hip and back. He had difficulty riding his bicycle and motorbike. He had suffered for a long time, and although he had taken a lot of medication the pain stubbornly persisted. Praise to our Almighty God he was healed.
Now we are planning to teach The Elijah Challenge in bordering Chhattisgarh State. We thank God that beginning this year we have been experiencing new things in each event.”
-Coordinator for Elijah Challenge Orissa, April 2017