Dear Partners,

Thank you for your partnership with RIMI. We give praise to God for his Faithfulness in 2018 and know He will continue to be faithful in 2019. The past few months have been productive. In February, our annual board meeting was held at the Southern Baptist Convention Center in Nashville, TN.

God willing, we will have our Annual graduation celebration at the Mission India Theological Seminary in Nagpur, India on March 16, 2019 and the Bible College graduation celebrations will be held on March 23, 2019 throughout India. I praise God that over 600 students were trained this academic year. They will continue to advance His Kingdom in India and beyond. Mony and I will be in India from March 6 until April 12 to visit the field, encourage our leaders and to speak at various meetings.

As we look forward to RIMI’s future with eager anticipation, I am reminded of Isaiah 40:31 “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint”. The metaphor that Isaiah used here to express the benefits of trusting God is an EAGLE. Eagles are focused, have long vision, can soar high over storms and are committed to nurture their young. Eagles are fearless! My dear friends, are we trusting God? Are we resting in God? Do we put hope in God in all situations? Are we focused in our calling? Do we have the capacity and faith to soar high on our ministry challenges? Are we nurturing young leaders? For the next twenty years, together we dream Big dreams for God. We dream to develop 100,000 Christ-like leaders, establish 25,000 house churches, serve 50,000 poor and needy children, help 100,000 families with microfinance loans, and impact all of South Asia with the love of Christ.

My dear partners we must remember, we have

only One Life. Each day we are getting closer to our EXPIRY DATE (Death) or the arrival of our Savior (1Thessalonians 4:16-17). We need faithful men and women, like eagles, who are focused on the vision to be the next generation leaders. They must be biblically sound, Spirit-filled, and humble to TRUST God in everything and serve in God’s power with absolute integrity. Will you help us raise such leaders? Please continue to pray for our ministry and we pray for God’s blessing over you and your family.

Partnering Together,

Saji LukosFounder/President

From the Heart of the President

Legacy Giving

Spring 2019

R I M I N e w sRIMIRIMI

REACHING INDIA AND BEYONDREACHING INDIA AND BEYOND

Now to him who is able to do far more abuNdaNtly thaN all that we ask or thiNk, accordiNg to the power at work withiN us,EphEsians 3:20

At our recent board meeting, we had an exciting time at the SBC (Southern Baptist Covention) headquarters. We learned a great deal about various legacy giving options. Below is a list of some common giving sources. If you are thinking about giving a gift to RIMI from one of these areas, please contact the office and we will work with you to maximize the value of your gift, while helping you minimize paying taxes. Also, certain options may even allow you to give a gift, and still receive income from that gift for life!

• Investments - stocks, bonds, mutual funds• Real Estate - residential, commerical• Business Interests - C Corp., S Corp., LLC, LLP• Personal Property - art, jewelry, cars, collections,

boats, planes• Complex Assets - privately held company, hedge

funds, restricted stock, limited partnership• Miscellaneous - life insurance, oil and gas interest,

horses, copyrights, patents

Only one life ‘twill soon be past.Only what’s done

for Christ will last.

Charles Studd MIssionary to China

Celebrating god’s FaithFulness: Past, Present, and Future

RIMI News2

Prayer Requests• March 2019 Bible School and Seminary Graduations• Funds to fully support all of the missions work • Completion of 4 church halls this year. 2

Maharashtra, 1 Uttar Pradesh, 1 Madhya Pradesh• Completion of Married Student housing • Hospital to be fully functional

Praises• Kiran and Nancy Wesley arrived in the US safely• God’s continued provision• Silver Jubilee US and India celebrations• 600 students trained 2018-2019 academic year

International Women’s DayTrinity Church organized a one-day Women’s Revival Meeting in Wadi, Nagpur on March 8, 2019, I n t e r n a t i o n a l Women’s Day. About 300 ladies from different

areas of Nagpur district attended. Mrs. Mercy Thomas was the keynote speaker. The meeting was organized to encourage the women, especially those who are in ministry, to be strong and courageous in the Lord as they fulfill the call. Mrs. Thomas delivered a wonderful sermon based on Romans 16: 20.

The testimony of Mrs. Ancy was powerful and moving. Her son had a paralytic attack due to cerebral palsy when he was 8 months old. The doctors said he

wouldn’t survive past five years of age. However, the Lord miraculously healed him. He is now married and serving the Lord. Recently, Ancy was diagnosed with fourth stage cancer in the stomach. The tumor was between the intestines. Her doctors said there is no hope. Believers around the world prayed for her. Praise God, the tumor disappeared and she is now cancer free.

The attendees were truly enriched by the Word, encouraged by the testimonies, and rededicated their lives to remain strong and faithful to serve such an awesome God who counted them worthy to be witnesses of the Gospel. It was a day well-spent! Your prayers and support help make these meetings possible.

“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD”

Jeremiah 30:17

Street Music to Sunday WorshipChetan Pradhan comes from a Hindu family. He is a good guitarist and enjoys playing music. His family was torn apart when his father left to marry another woman. Chetan, his mother and sister were devastated, with no one to look after them. The family lost peace and joy.

Chetan stepped up as the breadwinner of the household. Chetan joined a local street band, where he played guitar and sang on the streets and in hotels. He was making money, but he kept company with immoral friends and became addicted to drugs.One day, a pastor spoke with Chetan and declared that Chetan’s family would experience peace and joy if Chetan accepted Jesus Christ as Lord. As well, Christ could set Chetan free from his addictions. The pastor then invited Chetan to visit church.

Chetan decided to visit the Cannan Church in

Gangtok. He had a good experience and continued to attend regularly. Through the church, Cheetan found out about the Mission India Bible College in Sikkim. Having a desire to learn more about Jesus Christ, he enrolled himself in our Bible College.

After coming to our College, he not only learned more about Jesus, he learned the purpose for his life. He soon gave his life to Christ, got baptized, and stopped all bad habits. Chetan completed his Diploma in Theology in 2015.

Today, Chetan has become a successful worship leader in Gangtok. Many churches invite him to lead worship at conventions. God is using him mightily. He continues to serve in Cannan Church as their worship leader. Hundreds are blessed by his ministry. He is also a light to his family. His mother and sister also accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior are living peaceful Christian lives. All Glory to Christ alone for changing his life and making Chetan a channel of blessing.

Reaching Indians Ministries International 3

Saji’s Travel ScheduleMar 6 - Apr 10 IndiaAug 6 - Aug 26 IndiaOct 30 - Dec 5 India

Aug 2-4 RIMI Partner Retreat, WISep 19-20 RIMI Board Meeting, ILSep 21 RIMI Annual Banquet, IL

Praises• Kiran and Nancy Wesley arrived in the US safely• God’s continued provision• Silver Jubilee US and India celebrations• 600 students trained 2018-2019 academic year

Pain to JoyMy name is Rimipi Bhagat. I am 23 and from a Hindu family. I have two brothers. My father went to be with the Lord in 2016. My mother then started working as a daily laborer doing housecleaning.

Soon after my father’s death, my older brother started

drinking heavily. Every day he would come home late and quarrel with us. He had bad friends - his life was becoming worse. Seeing all this, my younger brother planned to commit suicide. My mother and I were so discouraged and shed many tears for our family. We visited many temples and made holy pilgrimages, but nothing brought the peace we so desperately sought.

After a while, I started having a burning sensation every morning from 3am to 6am in both of my hands and then I could not sleep. That problem continued for years even after seeing many doctors. I had many

sleepless nights because of this problem. This caused my blood pressure to get dangerously low. My mother took me to hospitals and local witch doctors thinking they could help, but they couldn’t.

One day, a girl named Pooja told me about Jesus Christ and she requested me to come to her church so that the pastor could pray for me. I trusted her words and went to see pastor Ratnamani. He was so kind. He prayed for me and asked me to continue to visit the church and told me that the Lord Jesus will heal you completely and give peace to your family. That night, I slept well for the first time in 3 years.

And as I continued to visit the church, the Lord healed me completely. I accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord of my life and I shared this to my mother. She is now also a believer. By God’s grace, we can see the peace of Jesus in our house and I believe God is also working in my brother’s lives. Pray that they also would accept the Lord as their personal Savior.

If you would like a personal visit by Saji, or any of our other staff or board members, please contact the RIMI office and we will be glad to help.

Sanitation ProjectIn many of the rural villages where we work, they do not have indoor plumbing. In some areas, they do not even have an outdoor bathroom. Many people are bitten or attacked by snakes and other animals when they go to the bathroom. Thus, basic outdoor toilets are a great

need. Thanks to Willow Creek, one of our new minstry partners, we have been able to build a number of public toilets in the areas where we are working. The people are so happy to have these, and it gives an opportunity to share about Christ. Just think, something so basic and ordinary as a toilet can be used as way to spread the Gospel. If you would like to help, just give us a call.

MITS Campus ClassroomIn November

2018, we held the inauguration of the classrooms. Thank you to all

who gave.

Over 2,500 people attended the conferences. God’s presence was evident the whole time. The youth were blessed by the teaching of Dr. Surjith Thomas, a medical doctor working in the rural communities of North India, and Satish Patel, an influential government

officer from the state of Gujarat where Prime Minister Modi hails from. Thomas is a revival preacher and reaching young people all over India.

Maryann Lukos gave a powerful message on the topic of “Stand Out for the Truth.” She was able to reconnect with many of the grown-up Mercy Home children who are now working in different places. They reunited at the campus and donated a special gift for the ministry.

It was a touching experience to see the young people taking ownership for the ministry.

After the youth conference, we had the Mission India Family Conference. It was a powerful celebration of God’s faithfulness by listening to many testimonies and

watching many videos of the ministry from its inception. Over 1,500 leaders attended the conference. Great speakers like Dr. George Kuruvilla, Dr. Prabhu Singh, and Rev. T. J. Samuel spoke on the topic of celebrating God’s Faithfulness: Past, Present, and Future. They encouraged and challenged to dream big dreams for the future by trusting in God’s faithfulness. We were able to support many youth for educational scholarships, provide marriage help for brides-to-be, ministry tools for missionaries, and sewing machines for poor women. Together, we were able to help over 100 people.

One highlight was the gathering of the seminary alumni - over 200 graduates came from different parts of India. God is transforming the nation through these graduates who are pastors, bible teachers, school administrators, evangelists, social workers, and entrepreneurs.

Another highlight was the visit of Dr. Joel Woodruff, President of the C. S. Lewis Institute based in Washington, D.C. He was exploring opportunities to serve the church in India. Over 200 leaders from various denominations participated in the promotional meetings in four cities – Nagpur, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Mumbai. They all requested opening CSLI chapters in these cities for strengthening the local churches.

Thank you for investing in these conferences. We are grateful for all your prayers and gifts. Words cannot express the impact of the conference now and in the future. Delegates left the campus encouraged, comforted, blessed, and challenged to do great things for our great God! You can watch the highlight video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewZ20R64vGw.

RIMI News4

Upcoming Events Follow Us Partner RetreatAugust 2-4, 2019Covenant Harbor, Lake Geneva, WIBoard MeetingSeptember 19-20, 2019RIMI Office, Lindenhurst, ILAnnual BanquetSeptember 21, 2019 Chevy Chase Country Club, Wheeling, IL

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

We’d love to share more of what God

is doing with you!

Facebook.com/ReachingIndians

Twitter: @ReachingIndians

Contact UsPhone: (847) 265-0630

Fax: (847) 265-0642

Website: rimi.org

E-mail: ministry@rimi.org

Postal: 1949 Old Elm Road Lindenhurst, Illinois 60046

Silver Jubilee Youth and Leadership Conference

Key Projects This Year• Married Student

Housing $750,000 24 units, 4 levels

• Meghalaya Bible College $150,000

• Siliguri Bible College $150,000

• Hospital and Nursing School $300,000 5 Deparments (Ophthalmology, Gynecology, Intensive Care, Minor Operations, Pediatrics)

Maryann teaching the youth

Gifts for Widows

Celebrating in Native Dance