Terri Rider, Missionary to Dalits

 Terri (with her mother Dee) came to Saturday night worship  (and Sunday morning) to share the word of her ministry to the Dalits in India. She explained the Hindu caste system and her ministry with the Dalits (the Untouchables).  Although their population is larger than the population of the United States, they are denied health coverage, educational opportunities, and the children are often victimized.

Terri told of first going to India in 2003 for a short-term medical trip.  She thought she would never go again, but she was called again in 2004 and this time enjoyed it more.  She has now been serving in India for 5 years working with Ideas in Hyderabad India. 

 Her primary focus is "partnering with a local organization to assist with developing and implementing a training program to raise up leaders within the local church body to become a lay pastor.  The lay pastor's goal is to start their own church in an unreached village."

 Their goal is to train 1000 lay trainees each year.  In addition to working jobs, these trainees must study.  95% of Good Shepherd Church consists of 1st generation Christians who face persecution, reduced food rations just by following Christ.  But, without adequate pastoral leadership, the church back slips.  So, the training of these lay pastors is crucial to the success of Christianity in India.

 Through St. Mark's Christmas Alternatives Mission Giving, the church was able to continue to minister to AIDS patients,

 Feed 200 believers in 4 villages for a Love Feast,

 And purchase a sewing machine to train young girls from the slums in a skill to prevent them from being sold into human trafficking.

 Terri teaches an adult class once a week with the AIDS patients.  Since many are illiterate, she needs to leave them with a visual image for each lesson.  For example, she came in one day dragging a large bag of trash which represented all of our sins which weigh us down.  When we forgive ourselves, we can move on not burdened by guilt.  She has witnessed many miracles among the Dalits including the baptism of two AIDS patients with 3 more the following week in August.

Terri often thinks of the Dalits, living in homes made of sewer pipes, as being like the Israelites needing to be set free. 2 Corinthians 4:6 "For it is the God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness' who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."

 Afterwards, we viewed a display and saw more photos of her life's work.

 Mark 16: 15 "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Romans 15: 13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

For an audio:  http://www.discoverstmark.org/308226.ihtml