THE HEART OF ASIAN OUTREACH / Peter U, Chairman

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION

As parents we are entrusted to protect, guide and nurture our children, preparing them for the divine purpose God has for them. God will equip us in preparing the next generation to take up the torch and become the instruments by which the Gospel is carried to the ends of the earth. Right from the old testament to the new testament there is evidence of this. John Maxwell said this, “The best leaders lead today with tomorrow in mind by making sure they invest in leaders who will carry their legacy forward.” Parenting your children is the most important thing you will ever do, so let’s prepare them so that God can use them in the way He has planned.

Psalm 78:4: “We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.”

Ps Paul Silvanus’s dad had a huge impact on his life and his desire to serve God. The biggest thing that influenced him was seeing his dad on his knees, deep in prayer first thing in the morning. His father went on to become a pastor and an evangelist, and as a boy he would often follow his father into the villages to share the Gospel. His father would stand in the open and preach the Word boldly and Paul saw his love and passion for winning souls. Paul watched his methods, style, strategy and approach in sharing the Gospel. He had such a unique way of presenting Jesus to the Hindus. His father never asked him to follow his footsteps but seeing all this, all Paul wanted to do was to follow his dad’s footsteps, catching the fire of his dad’s love and passion for the unsaved.

Ps Paul’s journey in ministry started when he was a university student; he would use every opportunity he had to share the Gospel with other students. After graduating he continued to reach out to the students, cycling 50km each day around the various campuses. He did this for eight years while working part-time to support himself. God then took him into pastoral ministry for three years in a local church and here Ps Paul came to see the life and needs of the downtrodden people in the slums. It was heartbreaking for him.

In 1994 he joined a mission organization, and on his first mission trip to Odisha to evaluate the living conditions of the missionaries and pastors he was shocked when he saw their poor and pathetic living conditions. The organization that sent them out hardly gave them any financial aid. He spent long arduous hours travelling by bus and train, and everywhere he went it was the same. One day while travelling they stopped in a jungle area to spend the night as there were no hotels or any form of accommodation. Lying on the hard ground the Lord spoke to him about what he had seen. The spirit of God asked him, “Now you have seen the plight of my servants what is your response?” His reply was “Lord if you give me an opportunity and strengthen me I promise to take care of your servants.”

The Lord led him to start Apostolic Faith Mission, training and sending out pastors, leaders and missionaries. The Lord enlarged his territory to all over India, planting churches where the name of the Lord was not known. He now travels even more, spending long hours on the train and bus. However, he never misses an opportunity to share the Gospel. Many a person has accepted the Lord during his long journeys. As Ps Paul gets older, these long journeys do take a toll on his health but the minute he steps on the train or bus, he prays for renewed strength and is immediately refreshed.

Ps Paul and his team have planted 300 churches in 11 states in India and is overseeing 110 pastors in these areas and discipling 330 student pastors. Besides this he is operating 6 slum Day Care centers in various parts for children and a Leper Ministry. He is constantly travelling around visiting them, encouraging them, motivating them, counsels them and planning strategies and new ideas with them. He stays in their home so he can fellowship with their families and have a closeness with them. He has kept his promise to the Lord. Through all this Ps Paul has learnt a deep sense of humility at what God has called him to do and he has never felt the presence of God more than out in the mission fields. We pray that the Lord will continue to use this man of God to Reach, Touch and Transform lives throughout India.

Through all this, Ps Paul has learnt a deep sense of humility at what God has called him to do and he has never felt the presence of God more than when out in the mission fields. To the Foot Soldiers, Ps Paul is family and they share a closeness with him. We pray that the Lord will continue to use this man of God to Reach, Touch and Transform lives throughout India.

John 15:12-13: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”