REPORT 11/2015

 

RECEIVED 15TH AUGUST, 2015

 

Hi Col,

 

Greetings from your family and church members here in Imphal, Manipur.

It was good to have a telephonic conversation with you yesterday while I was on my way to a remote village for preaching, it was very great encouraging. And I am so happy for your call this morning. Last night on my arrival to the village, I was trying to call you before my preaching, but since the village was to interior and there was not telephone network. Therefore I was not able to call you last night.

 

Col, I forgot to inform you this morning while we were talking, that even today since from 4 A.M, in the morning till late at night there is another curfew imposed by the people in Manipur. As I was too overwhelming about the progress of our ministry I forgot to inform you this curfew.

Because of all this curfew, general strikes, and ban, that is frequently imposed in Manipur, it is too hard to live in a state like ours, we struggles a lot for surviving. All our previous preaching engagements were mostly cancelled and even many of our previous ministry schedules were also cancelling due to this frequent strike and curfew. But in the midst of all these bad, unstable and unforeseen circumstances, God has given us a precious time to be found in His ministry and we still could perform great work for the extension of His Kingdom. Out of all these intolerable hard situations, God hasn’t forgotten us neither leaving us alone. He is still with us and working through us. 

 
FROM THE HARVESTING FIELD

 

Col, I got an invitation to preach in one village which is situated in the south east district of Manipur. Very primitive village with no modern amenities and no proper communication due to its remote location, the road that leads to this village still lies in a worst and dilapidated condition. I preached in this same village in the year 2005, and I am known preacher to many people of the village. However, there are many new people and even the pastor of the church is new person. The pastor that I knew him when I first preached in the year 2005 was moved to some other village. But many of the villagers and members of the church still know me very well. The church is an Independent church and falls under no organization, as the village is an independent and local church, but strongly believed in conservative evangelical doctrine. They came to know the revival that is happening through some sources. Therefore the whole church members and the villagers all agreed to invite me to preach in their church. As they all wanted me to preach in their church and according to their church resolution they invited me. They send a man who knew me very well, and this man came to my house two days ago, with the church invitation in his hand. He stayed in my house for one day as he came a bit late. I request pastor David to go with me and to accompanied me, he Pastor David accepted my request and he came with me.

 

Due to the very bad road condition and for the long distance from Imphal, we arrived the village 30 minutes later than the program schedules. But members of the church were so happy to see me. As soon as we arrived the village, many people came towards our jeep to welcome us. On our arrival at the village, we were directed to the pastor’s quarter. At the pastor quarter we were serving a tea just before we began our church service. I asked the pastor, what is your position as far as the doctrine of the Bible is concern? And where do you stand on the word of God as far as the Biblical teaching is concerned? I also did self-introduction about myself to him, telling him that, do you know that I am a Spirit filled Pentecostal, charismatic preacher? He said oh yes I realized that, and I kept telling him what is your doctrine? He told me that he is a conservative evangelical background. I kept asking him that you being a conservative evangelical background how come you invited me a charismatic preacher? He told me, my church members wanted you to be a speaker in our church.

I kept asking him, what will be your response if God perform His miracles and as a result your members, slain and baptized in the Holy Spirit? He smile and told me that, it will never happen, as I always told my church members that speaking in tongues, and baptism in the Holy Spirit is a wrong teaching and not sound and Biblical teaching. So my church members were much aware of my teaching. But I smile back to him and told him, do you believed the power and miracles of God?  He smile but didn’t answer to my question. I said we will watch and see what will happen. And we were all happy to walked towards the church compound. Oh I forgot to tell you one thing, there was a heavy rain yesterday before I even arrived the village, and the rain continued to pour down heavily till we finished our program. Even in the midst of the heavy down pouring of rain, people from the neighboring villages too were seen coming to listened the word of God, walked by foot on a muddy, slippery road with no umbrella and no cars.

Col, while we were talking on the phone yesterday while I was driving on the way to the village. You asked me the total population of the members of the church. The man from the village told me that, the strength of their church total population is 105. But I was so happy and surprised to see that there were nearly 200 people in the church. The pastor told me that many people from the neighboring villages did come to listened the word of God. You see how thirsty and hungry they were in the word of God. Since we were already late and I have to come back to Imphal. We immediately start the program and I was given the time to preached. I did preached about 25 minutes particularly about sin and the need of salvation, as there were unsaved people from the neighboring villages. Than I made an alter called, all those unsaved person about 55 people came forward to the pulpit and received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Master. Than  I continued my preaching, focused about the importance of the believers being baptized in the Holy Spirit, and the miracles of God into the believer’s life.

 

After about another 20 minutes of preaching focusing the importance of the believers baptism in the Holy Spirit. I told the whole congregation to seek God’s face and to pray for themselves. Than we all stood up sing some worship songs and I start praying in my Spirit and the pastor of the church who stood just next to me, started speaking in tongues and singing songs worshipping God in tongues. At that very moment about 75% of the members were speaking in tongues and slain in the Spirit. Than I was so happy and thanking God in my spirit, praying without ceasing, praying for the people for their baptism in the Holy Spirit. However, I did not lay my hand on anyone, just praying for everyone from where I was. At about 15 minutes 90% of the congregation were slain in the spirit and they were all spoke in tongues. Singing Hallelujah and praising God by this time people in the church shouted to the top of their voices praising God and singing songs and praising God our Father with their hearts and souls.

Col, at that very moment I was speaking in my spirit with tears of joy, Oh what a wonderful time we have in God, if my beloved brother Colin see this, how joyful and happy in God he would be to see all this fruit of our ministry.

Col, you know in the beginning I asked the pastor, what will be your response if God perform His miracles and if your members slain in the Spirit of God? His answered to me with confident was, none of his member will be slain nor speak in tongues. He even told me I always preached to my members that speaking in tongues and slain in the spirit is totally a wrong doctrine and my members were much aware of that. But now he is the first person who spoke in tongue and got baptism in the Holy Spirit. Praise God, and let us give all the glory to God in the Highest.

Col, we came back very late at night from the village after the ministry and arrived home at 12 midnight. Pastor David was a bit tired, but he was happy and surprised to see the miracles of God. A man from the village was so happy and he came back with us last night to show us the right way, as we can get lost in the middle of the night in the forest. He is still with us in my house as he cannot go back due to the curfew.

Col, due to problem occurred again in my computer, it took me so long to send you this email. My computer is playing up again.

 

Bless you my brother.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you very soon, and to see you again in September.

 

Your missionary brother,

 

Minthang Suantak.

 

REPORT 12

RECEIVED 20TH AUGUST, 2015

 

Hi Col,

 

Greetings from your family and church members here in Imphal, Manipur. It was so good talking with you over the phone this morning.

Col, again there is another strict curfew today, all the shops in Imphal city were shutter down and the roads look so deserted. There is a great possibilities that even tomorrow there can be another ban and curfew. We felt very irritated and suppressive due to all these hectic ban and curfew, as we could not perform much in our ministry, where there is lots of ministry engagement on the line.

 

FROM THE HARVESTING FIELDS

Col, as I told you over the phone that on Monday the 17th August, we had a big and very great successful ministry right here in our VCC Diplomat center. We invited several Muslim brothers to whom our evangelists and missionaries have already preached Salvation gospel to them, but not yet fully converted. But ready to received the gospel and prepare to follow our Lord Jesus Christ if they were fully convinced. Therefore, on Monday the 17th August, we arranged a one day counseling and discussion seminar with our Muslim brothers. They joyfully accepted our invitation and our brother Evangelist Kiran brought all the five Muslim brothers to my office chamber. I invited Pastor Manigun Sayed the first ever Manipur Muslim converted into Christianity to be the main counselor as he is the right person. His knowledge about the Muslim religion and the Quran is unabated. He Pastor Manigun Sayed is very talented man with sufficient knowledge about the Muslim religion and the Quran. Being a strong and fundamental Muslim religion before his conversion, he studied Islam. Therefore, he is the right person to give an authentic counseling to our Muslim brothers. I also invited Pastor David to help us, so the four of us, that is me (Minthang Suantak) Pastor Manigun Sayed, pastor David and Evangelist Kiran we were all busy on that day in teaching and did counseling to these five Muslim brothers.

 

 We started the counseling from morning 11 till 9 P.M. at night as there was lots of questions from them and sometime big arguments and discussions. The full whole day, we were physically exhausted but our spirit were recharged when we see our beloved Muslim brother so emotionally received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Master. The other four were not that much convinced in my finding. But one man was fully converted as he confessed his sin publicly and hold on to God our Father in accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Master. The name of the man who fully converted into Christianity by accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Master is Mr X after accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Master, request us to give another spiritual counseling to his wife and daughters very soon from now. We with much exciting told him that, bring them here and we will be so happy to arrange a counseling program just for your family. Mr, X was very happy, and next week we will again organized another counselling program for his family here at our Diplomat Center.

 

To my great expectation and as per my observation, I fully believed that the other four men will also very soon converted into Christianity as they will be also coming back for the second counseling program on the day when we will arranged the other round of counseling program for Mr. Abdul X family. Because the other four men promised that they will surely come back for the second round counseling program when we arranged it for Mr. Abdul X family. These four men also told us that they will bring some of their close friends and relative. Since Muslim community is very strict it is hard as we couldn’t do it freely or publicly. Everything must be under a very strict confident.

 

Now our brother Mr. X is a very happy man and he will join the nearest church from his locality, and we will always help him to find a proper church and will do our best to protect his identity. We strongly believed that very soon his whole family will be a happy family. Col, kindly pray for our new brother Mr X for his spiritual life and that he will be one of the great disciple of our Lord. Col, remember that I am the Advisor of All Manipur Muslim Christian Organization. This position did give me a greater influence amongst the Muslim Christian communities.

 

Col, even though today being a very strong curfew, however late in the evening with Pastor David and Mr. Lian we went to Mantripukhri Bengali colony and Lamphel to have home fellowship with the believers there as they invited me to preached and have a Bible study. We had a home fellowship and I did a Bible study to encouraged them in their spiritual walks. They were so happy and encouraging spiritually.

 

It is now 10:35 P.M. at night and I just arrived home with Pastor David and Lian. Both Pastor David and Mr. Lian the police man had a late dinner with me at my home and they just left it. Col, I typed this email since yesterday, however as you know my computer is playing up again, so I could not finished typing and couldn’t send you yesterday. But by God’s favor I can send you now.

Col, Bible College is the greatest need of the hour in our ministry here in Manipur and the North East. As we keep having new convert these people need to be train up properly and they need a place to  study, while they were kick out from their own families. Therefore, please see the possibilities of re-starting a Bible college at any cost, trying form every angles. May the good Lord continue to bless you my brother. Looking forward to hearing from you very soon and to see you again in September with the team from Australia.

 

Shalom,

 

Your Missionary brother,

 

Minthang Suantak.

 

REPORT 13

RECEIVED 29TH AUGUST, 2015

 

Hi Col,

 

Greetings from your family and church members here in Imphal, Manipur. It was really encouraging to have a telephonic talked with you this morning.

 

FROM THE HARVESTING FIELDS

Col, due to the endless general strikes, bandh, and curfew which is frequently imposed almost every day in our state Manipur, God is now giving us a good chance to minister His word to the people without any much break. In the midst of all this political instability which causes a lot of unrest to the common people. We can always see the powerful hands of God, leading, guiding, protecting and giving us a great opportunity to minister His word to the people for the extension of His Kingdom here on earth. He (God) even brings in people at our Diplomat center to hear the word of God.
We always thank God from the depths of our hearts, for leading us through in all our ministry and life.

Col, as I told you on the phone the other day. I was invited to preach at one of the home groups at Porompat which is only a 15 minute drive from my house. I went there and fortunately during my preaching at the home group, one particular person who was the former M.P., came and listened my preaching. He was not a Christian but he was so touched by my preaching. He lived next door to where we had a home group. He and his family invited me to have fellowship and to do counseling to the former M.P. and to his whole families. I gladly accepted their invitation. We immediately fixed the date for the counseling at the residence of former M.P. on Tuesday the 25th, August. I went there with some of my good friends. All the family members of the former M.P accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Master. We praise God for this successful ministry in saving souls for Christ, in the midst of hectic problems, bandh and curfew. Praise be to God, now the whole family of the former M.P became a Christian and live a happy family life.

Col, as I told you over the phone last week, that we did counseling to five Muslim brothers, after one full day teaching, preaching, discussing and counseling all the five Muslim brothers accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord. Out of these five brothers, one particular brother by the name Mr. Abdul X was very serious and strongly committed his whole life to Christ. But as I already told you the other four brothers, though they confessed it, according to my finding they were not so sure and serious in their faith. I doubted their faith. In the meantime, brother Mr. Abdul X request us to arrange a second round of similar counseling for his wife and children. As he fully trusted Jesus Christ as his Lord of his life, he wanted all his families to received Jesus Christ as their Lord and live a happy Christian life with his families. We immediately accepted the request of brother Abdul X to arranged a second round of counseling at our Diplomat Center. Taking advantages of arranging second round of counseling I also make a request to the other four brothers who were not so serious and not so strong in their faith in Christ. I invited them to kindly come back for the second round of counseling. They happily accepted my request.

As per our agreement we arranged the second round of counseling at our Diplomat center yesterday the 27th August. Yesterday for the second round of counseling altogether 7 person came for the counseling. Out of these 7 persons, five of them were men and two women. The counseling started exactly at 10 a.m. in the morning in my office chamber and did lasted till 9:30, P.M. at night. It was me (Rev. Minthang Suantak) Pastor David and Pastor Manigun Sayed who did all the teaching and counseling to these 7 persons. We also had a tea break and provide them lunch as we wanted to have a close intimation for them to feel free, and to be able to express what is in their hearts without any hesitation. To cut the long story short, we told them that they are free to ask us any questions relating to the Bible and Christian religion. We also told them that they should feel free to ask us any doubts they have about Christianity and the Bible with spiritual matters. They did asked us many questions every doubts they have in relation to the Biblical teaching, the personality of Christ and the person and works of the Holy Spirit. Col, I can assured you that God has put the right answers in our hearts and we did not have one wrong answers to all their questions. With all the answers we gave, make them very satisfied and they were so happy and relieved from many burdens and doubts they had. We have the wisdom of God and strong Biblical teaching knowledge and experiences.  At the end of the day, we taught them small gospel song chorus. After they were able to sing the song I request every one of them to stand up worship God with singing the gospel song chorus we taught them. While they were singing and worshiping I prayed for them and to my surprised one man started speaking in tongue, praying in tongue and praising God in tongue. As I look at the man another man followed and the other woman started speaking in tongue worshiping God in tongue. In a few minutes time ever yone of them were slain in the spirit and my office chamber was filled with spiritual atmosphere, as the worshiping of God in spiritual language  was excellent by those seven persons. They all confessed that they received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Master. Then I led every one of them in a Salvation prayer. After the Salvation prayer, they kept singing the short chorus of gospel song we taught them and still slain and filled in the spirit. They were all baptized in the Holy Spirit. My room was filled with the loud shouting of Hallelujah Amen.

Col, pastor Manigun Sayed was so surprised to see those seven people slain in the Spirit and got spiritual baptism. As you know Pastor Manigun Sayed is from a strong Baptist background, but a good friend of mine and always associating in my ministry. It was good for pastor Manigun Sayed to experience and to see that happened in front of him. It was a good eye opener for him spiritually. Col, I was so glad to see all the 7 person, Muslim converted into Christianity yesterday right in my office chamber and slain in the Spirit.

 
Col, today some of our church members from different districts came to visit us. We had a good discussion therefore I was not able to send this report immediately. Col, thank you so much for your prayers for me and for all these 7 Muslim for their conversation, it is only because of your dynamic prayers that these 7 Muslims cane to the Lord. Col, you are the real backbone of our VCC ministry. You are our great mentor, our big brother, a great supporter for VCC. As you keep saying now we start seeing the fruit of our hard labour and we will reap the harvest together.

 

Col, may the good Lord continue to bless you always is our prayers. Looking forward to hearing from you very soon and to see you again in September with the team. Eagerly waiting for your safe arrival with the team here in Imphal, our church board members cannot wait the time to see you all.

Shalom.

 

Your missionary brother,

 

 

Minthang Suantak.

 

REPORT 14

 

Hi Col.

Greetings from your family and church members here in Imphal, Manipur.

Due to the unstable governance of our state, people in Manipur are restless and there is problem everywhere in our state. Last night all the member legislative assembly including ministers houses and M.P, in Churachandpur district and Sadar Hills were set aflame fully by the angry mob. Several people were killed and even burnt alive. The condition of our state situation is bad to worst, it has been nearly three months from now since the problem started. All the institutions, schools, colleges were still closed down since from the first week of July till today. It even cause dangers to the life of a common people, as communal tension can flame up anytime due to the instability of our state government.
Keep praying for us.

FROM  THE  HARVESTING  FIELDS.

Col, on Saturday the 29th,August, we went to Sekmaijing for one day open air preaching. There were some good Christian that we know them well and a friend of mine. We told them that we want to ministers the word of God to those people in that area who never heard the gospel of our Lord. According to our understanding they the local few Christian arranged an open air meeting, in which I went there with some of my friends and I did the preaching. We had about 75 people listening the gospel, at the end of my preaching I made an alter call and above 40 people came forward and I led them in a salvation prayer.

After that we were hurried to leave the place to my father village. But I seriously informed the local Christians to shepherd the new believers. I also told the new believers that, in case if they need me, please inform me anytime. But please make sure that you inform me at least one week before the schedule time as I am always engaged in the ministry, I need to know that you want me to be here at least one week ahead of the timing.

On Saturday the 29th,August, in the afternoon after the preaching we went to my father village. We spent time with our villagers and families, we spend both Sunday morning and evening worship service at my father village with our church members. After dinner late at night we came back home in Imphal. Col, yesterday in my office we had an important visitors, they were no other than our three Muslim brothers, who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Master last week through our counseling. Out of the 7 person we did counseling and who strongly received Jesus Christ as their Lord, three brothers came to visit us yesterday in my office. They told me the hardship, problems and rejection they encountered.

Col, it is too dangers for our Muslim brothers and sisters to stay in their locality among their own Muslim people, after accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord. Now some of the local Muslim people notice a bit of changes in the life of these our dear brothers and sisters who are now committed their lives to Christ and the local people started threatening them in a vigorous deadly words. They were now worried about their safety.

One young Muslim boy in his mid 20th, by the name Mr, Md, Mustakim, who accepted Jesus Christ through our counseling is now kicked out from his family and locality. He was wondering searching for a place to stay, but never cease to speak and preached the gospel of salvation to his own Muslim friends. Despite of all the deadly threatening words from the Muslims, he kept on preaching to his own Muslim friends and to his own family. That is why he is kicked out from his family and locality, he is now in a great danger. But we arranged a safe place for him to stay in undisclosed place. When you come I will take you to where this boy is staying.

Col, this young boy Mr, Md, Mustakim is waiting eagerly for us to re-start our Bible college. Once we re-start our Bible college he can study in our college have a place to study to equip himself for the ministry and a shelter as well. So it is important to see the possibilities of re-starting a Bible college at any cost, since the need of the Bible college for our ministry is too important and necessary, and it is the need of the hour.

I also comfort and encouraged our three Muslim brothers who came to our office yesterday with a heart of trouble for their safety.
I told them, that you don’t have to worry about anything, just keep trusting God never let your faith in Christ decrease. Keep up the good work of God, keep trusting Him, never let down your faith in Him, but always increase your faith in Christ and keep it stronger each time, even when you are in a great danger. Never forget that God is always by your side, and never forget to inform me anytime when you are in need of help. God will never let you down and will never forsake you in times of your need.

Col, I also shared my testimony to them, how I have gone through the bitter wilderness in my life, when I was ignored and left alone by my so called friends. I told them I was rejected by my own friends with whom I started the ministry. I narrated to them that, I live a life of absolute misery and loneliness having nothing to do, badly rejected by my own friends. My life was not very far from that of Job in the Bible. But God never let me down and He lifted me again and now I am here to help you all. Like Joseph in the Bible, he was sold out by his own brothers and was kept in the prison. But God lifted him up from the dark prison cell. The day when God released him from prison and make him ruler over the land and people his own brothers came to him for food. Now Joseph said to his brothers, “ come close to me,,,, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,” because it was to save lives that God send me ahead of you. So then it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt…..Gen,45: 4-8.

Col, I told them now I am here to be for you and to help you whenever you need me. With this words of my bitter experienced, they were fully confident in God and their faith in Christ is stronger and never mind to live a tough life for the sake of the gospel, through learning from my own personal and painful experiences.

Col, I also told them that I am always ready to help you all anytime when you all need me, either late at night, early morning, or anytime. Please call me whenever you need me. I am not afraid of anything, I have all what I need in Christ, I will stand anywhere on your behalf and I will never ever be far from you.

I gave them my two cell phone numbers, and told them that my phone is never switch off. Ring me anytime whenever you need me and I will be there. Only if I am away from home for a ministry and in case if I am in a place where there is no net work coverage. Contact my office staffs or my family they will know how to trace me easily, than I will come for you all. Col, with this encouraging and comfortable words they were so happy, and strong in their faith. Col, they even asked me about my bitter experienced, when I shared a bit, they were so encouraged and more bold to step forward for the ministry for the extension of God’s kingdom.

I also told them that we are not alone, we have many loving brothers and sisters and a great big wonderful families in Australia, who loved us so much and care for our welfare and for our spiritual growth. They will never let us down and will always ready to help us. On top of that never forget we have a GREAT BIG WONDERFUL LOVING GOD. He will never let us down nor will never forsake us. I did my best to help and comfort them and request them never lose their faith and never let their faith in Christ decrease. I told them even in times of great dangers, hardships and difficulties, never give up your faith in Christ. Be always strong and increase your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Col, they were very happy and feel very much comfort about my experiences and encouraging words. At the end of our conversation, we gave them something to eat and pastor Manigun Sayed and pastor David did said a words of encouragement to them. After that I prayed for them and they all went their ways.
Pray that God will continue to bless them and make them strong in their faith in Christ.

Col, thank you so much for the brand new laptop computer that you will buy and the other secondhand one for the office purpose. May the good Lord continue to bless you always is our prayers for you.

Looking forward to hearing from you very soon and to see you again in September. Bless you my brother.

Your missionary brother
Minthang Suantak.