Hello! Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! I hope everything is going well for you! During the summer of 1998, I was called to Christian ministry and service in India where we were able to minister directly with the people through Christian love, service projects, and the Gospel message through a four-week short-term mission trip. It was truly an amazing experience to be involved in what God is doing in that country! Now, I am very excited to share with you that I’ve been called to a second opportunity to serve in India during the summer of 2000. The Indian destination is the city of Hyderabad. Once the capital of an ancient Muslim kingdom, Hyderabad is a city bustling with four million people, including Muslims, Hindus, and a minority of Christians. Hyderabad is the perfect example of the diverse lingual, ethnic, and religious mixture that makes up India, the second most populous nation in the world. The Christian Church in India is small in numbers, but I can tell you from my first experience in India that its faith is one of the strongest I’ve seen. The Christians I met in India are truly on fire for God, despite continuing political and cultural backlash towards their faith, and they are eager and enthusiastic towards the work of God in their lives and their community. All this is evidence to an incredible movement of God’s Spirit to a people who thirst for the salvation that we share in Christ. The programme is called SIDE BY SIDE, and I will get to work "side by side" with local youth to help them develop their faith and improve their living conditions in a concrete, hands-on way. The mission objective of the programme is to build genuine relationships founded in God’s love and forged in the experience of cross-cultural living, working, and worshipping "side by side", and to strengthen the church through the Christian faith and ministry of its youth. Here’s how it works. I will join about fifteen other people in July for four days of intensive training. Then we will travel to India for three weeks to work on necessary improvements in the country. I will grow in cultural understanding through working side by side with local youth, and I will grow in my Christian faith through serving others and spending time in worship and Bible studies in the evenings. The Christian message is as invaluable to India and its people as it is in our own lives, and this is an opportunity to take that message there in a personal and very tangible way. The program concludes with IMPACT, a Youth Encounter annual youth and family mission festival, where our team will join with other Youth Encounter domestic and international team ministries to share our experiences and how God has worked in our lives. I know that I am definitely looking forward to this opportunity to return to India and to serve God in this way, and I’d really appreciate it if you would become involved in this awesome mission project along with me. Would you consider being a personal prayer and financial sponsor of mine? First, please pray that I may have a safe journey, that I may grow in my faith, and that I may provide valuable service to the people of India. James 5:16 says, "the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective". Second, please consider helping financially. It costs nearly $3000 for me to participate in SIDE BY SIDE, and that does not include personal money needed for such expenses as immunisations, travel credentials, and travel to and from Minneapolis, MN. I would be grateful for ANY financial support that you can offer, as without your support, this opportunity cannot come to fruition. Would you prayerfully consider supporting me in this service opportunity? Again, your support, both in prayers and financial giving, is crucial to making this project in missions a reality. More information about SIDE BY SIDE is available on this web site from Youth Encounter. If you decide to become a sponsor, then all you need to do is to point your browser towards the easy-to-use printable sponsorship form and send it to Youth Encounter with your gift. Checks should be made payable to Youth Encounter. All gifts are tax deductible, and must be received no later than 31 May 2000 by Youth Encounter. I am eager and excited about serving God’s people in India once again this summer, and I am confident that God will be glorified through the work that we all put towards building His Kingdom here on earth. Thank you for your consideration of becoming a part of my ministry with SIDE BY SIDE! In Christian Service, Nathan Roemer
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