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Sister Madhu served our Lord Jesus Christ faithfully and fruitfully as the personal assistant of Pastor Simon Haq whom we support. This touching tribute was written by Dr. Paul Rains in Missouri with whom Simon Haq has been associated in ministry for many years. |
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“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15 |
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Madhu was in her prime, much too young to die at the age of 33. As a teenager she found Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. She committed to serve Him, and that she did! After she found Christ her parents did as well. From the beginning of her Christian walk she assisted in the work and ministry of Simon Haqq and his team. She never married. She spent her Christian life devoted to the gospel ministry. Simon Haqq is our long term associate in India. For many years he has been assisted by his co-worker Madhu. She has served multiple roles in keeping the ministry running effectively. She truly had the gift of “helps.” |
Simon Haqq, as a church planter, pastor, and evangelist, works with hundreds of Christian ministries across North India. Sometimes when they come to the capital city of Delhi they need a place to stay. They are too poor to afford a hotel. So they often will stop at the ministry headquarters of Simon Haqq. Here there are “bedrooms” available – usually mats on an open floor – where they can spend the night. Sometimes they will spend several days in fellowship and worship. It is a place for spiritual renewal and encouragement. They can sleep and eat with Simon Haqq and his team of associates. |
The jewel among all these co-workers has been Madhu. She is the one who would answer the doorbell in the middle of the night and welcome a visiting pastor or Christian from a small Indian village. She would offer tea and provide warm hospitality. She would bed them down and in the morning give a delicious breakfast. She would never allow any of her guests to leave without having a meal. |
Madhu had a spirit of God that just shined for all to see. Even her smile was an inspiration. In the effective ministry which Simon Haqq leads, she became his “right-hand” in accomplishing so many of the necessary details. This ministry runs on a shoestring, and Madhu was in charge of managing the finances. She was meticulous, accounting for every rupee. |
She was a prayer warrior. She would pray and often fast for particular needs for hours on end until there was a glorious breakthrough! Yes she tended to the finances, she was a hostess, she helped plan the ministry calendar, she was a prayer warrior, and she tended to the details in such a seamless fashion that her work usually went unnoticed. She was a young lady who absolutely loved the Lord. |
Because her English was weak and my Hindi is nonexistent, my conversations with her could only be rather superficial. But I observed her, I interacted with her contagious smile, and I knew that she was a woman of God. She was so effective in the work which God called her to do. |
On more than one continent this past week people are mourning her loss. It’s hard to believe that she is not with us. She apparently died of a rare and not fully understood intestinal disease that she had struggled with for over a year. The cause of her death is still not totally clear to the doctors. On her way to the hospital she turned to Simon Haqq and said, “If something should happen to me, promise that you will not cancel any of the meetings and that you will continue with the ministry.” |
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Simon has told me on the phone that he intends to keep her wishes, though it will be hard. He is scheduled to preach, and his grief makes this difficult. Pray for him. Next week some of the audiences to whom he will speak will have people who will have known Madhu. They too are grieving her loss. |
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She is now with the One Whom she loves the most. One of God’s gifts to me is that I had an opportunity to know her. Her life inspires me to have that same level of dedication to the cause of Christ. We pray for Madhu’s family, for her friends and co-workers in the Lord’s ministry, that He would give comfort to all during this time of grief. Amen. Paul Rains |
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