When we arrived in Chhatarpur, the area was in the midst of a Hindu festival that took place over several days and was called Holi, the Festival of Colors. During the festival, the people gather in groups, march through the village, and throw coloring on each other, and this is a sign of brotherhood. As a result, we stayed inside Gabriel’s house for most of the day because he did not think it would be safe for us to be out in the village, as there was too high of risk of an incident occurring. At one point during the day, a group of about 30 young men marched right by Gabriel’s house, stopping a short distance away to sing, dance, and douse each other with bright colors. In a way, the festival turned out to be a blessing, because Howard and I had a great opportunity to have an in-depth discussion with Gabriel and Suzana about their ministry.
One component of the ministry is a sewing program, and some of the money from Media Presbyterian Church was used to purchase sewing machines that are used in the program. The girls that are part of the program live at Gabriel and Suzana’s house rent-free for six to seven months while they learn how to sew. This program gives the girls the ability to make clothing for their families, sell clothing that they have made for income, and also teach other girls how to sew.
In addition to the sewing program, Gabriel and Suzana teach in the local villages. They provide instruction on personal hygiene, nutrition, growing vegetables, and how to properly prepare and cook food. Right now they teach the programs in the open in the villages, but they want to construct a building on farmland they own on the outskirts of Chhatarpur and conduct the programs there. They will provide transportation for the people in the villages to and from their farm. Their reasoning for having programs at their farm is that doing so will minimize the chance that militants will learn of them and thus they will be able to avoid the persecution that would result.
Gabriel also preaches at conferences and provides pastoral training at various locations throughout North India. This is what he considers to be one of his primary ministries, and he feels that in his later years he has a duty to train new pastors and impart his knowledge on them. Gabriel tries to support the pastors who come to these sessions, and he will do this by providing the pastors with food, lodging, books, and even one-way travel. Gabriel has recently translated several books from English to Hindi so that they can be better understood by the pastors. Gabriel also wants to write some of his own books that would feature his sermons and Lent messages. Gabriel’s conferences are quite successful, and people will come from places as far as Nepal to attend them.
Gabriel will also speak in the villages where the Buldely language is spoken. The people in those villages did not have a New Testament in their language, so Gabriel translated a New Testament into the Buldely language for them. However, he does not have the money to get it published, but he has shared the translated New Testament with some people who can help get it published for him.
Gabriel also conducts his ministry in the local prison. He is often not permitted into the prison, but the superintendent of the jail in Chhatarpur has a son who is interested in Christianity, so he has a bit of a soft spot for Gabriel’s ministry, and Gabriel is sometimes admitted into the prison. While he is there, Gabriel distributes New Testaments, the Book of Proverbs, preaches the Gospel, and sings some Christian songs with the prisoners in the Hindi language.
Another aspect of Gabriel’s ministry involves a school in Chhatarpur, which is called The Christian English College. Students from pre-school through 12th grade attend the school. The Christian English College was established by an American missionary in 1976, and it is an English medium school, which basically means that the curriculum is taught in English except for the one class that teaches the Hindu language. Gabriel serves as the business manager of the school (this is a non-paying position). The school has about 1100 students and a staff of 75 faculty members. The students are predominantly Hindu and Muslim, but they enroll in the Christian school because of the quality of the education. Gabriel’s goal in regard to the school is to plant some form of foundation in the students and then let God take care of the rest.
Gabriel is a Bishop in the Federation of Evangelical Churches of India. One of their churches is located in Chhatarpur, and he will conduct special services there such as for weddings, funerals, baptisms, and Holy Communion. Gabriel is often asked to preach at Christmas and other special holidays.
Finally, Gabriel has his medical ministry, which consists of going to villages with others that form a medical team. The team sets up a table and some chairs, registers those seeking treatment, examines them, dispenses medicine, and explains how to properly use the medicine. The team will not conduct laboratory tests or give injections. If a patient has a serious condition, Gabriel will suggest that they go to the hospital. He will take them to the Christian Hospital if they can’t afford the regular one. Gabriel will also check on patients in the hospital to make sure they are receiving good care.
Gabriel’s faith and enthusiasm for God are truly inspiring, and allow him to accomplish much in the Lord’s name. Gabriel is in the process of writing a book about his life and experiences, and he is looking for someone who could edit the book for him and help him publish it. Please pray for him in this regard, and in all aspects of his ministry.