Gilgal Praise brings message of hope from India

By: L.A. Williams

Monroe--- Four Indian girls from Gilgal Children’s Home, all with beautiful voices and tragic pasts, will share a message of hope at Lee Park Baptist Church in Monroe this month — a two-fold message about how their needs are being met and about the unmet needs of thousands of others throughout the world.

The teens, known as Gilgal Praise, say God has changed their lives through the ministry of C.V. John.

A third-generation evangelist, John had been studying the Bible and preaching for more than a decade, reaching thousands in northeast India when he said the Lord gave him an even more powerful vision for spreading the Gospel, a vision that began with some of the world’s least powerful people — orphans.

Founder of New Life Ministries, India, John opened his first children’s home in 1979 not only to help meet the physical needs of the parentless, but to introduce them to the love of Christ and challenge them to take the news to others in their own communities and to more remote areas. Now there are five Gilgal homes across India, which have served more than 1,000 needy children, many of whom are adults now and working as church planters, pastors, missionaries, doctors, engineers and administrators — altogether reaching far more people than John could have with his preaching alone.

In the last 20 years, New Life Ministries has planted 300 churches, supports 300 indigenous missionaries, cares for more than 800 children in five homes and has established two schools and a Bible college.
In 1992, John co-founded Advancing Native Missions in the United States to help native mission groups who are ministering to unreached populations all over the world.

John said he has always had a heart for his homeland, but that God has called him further to be a blessing “not only to India but also to all nations of the world through the ministry of Advancing Native Missions.”

Traveling with Gilgal Praise is one way he can spread the word and give people a chance to join the work of ANM.

The four teens, along with Judy Lalruotmawi, a well-known Christian singer from Manipur, India, have been in the United States on their Operation Child Hope Tour since mid-July, singing in churches and at home fellowship events and sharing their hope that other orphans would find support. All four girls plan careers in mission work or children’s ministry.

Their U.S. tour included a stop in Nashville where they recorded a CD that will be released in mid-September. While some of their songs are sung in native Indian languages (Hmar, Kuki and Hindi), they all speak English and sing many songs in English, including “Orphans of God,” released by contemporary Christian artists Avalon this year. The 10-song CD also includes their testimonies.

Leading the girls on their tour are ANM missionaries John and Lynn Parker, who lived in the Charlotte area for a number of years and served a stint with N.C.-based Operation Warm-up.

Lynn Parker said traveling with the girls has been tiring, but also very inspiring. She said the girls take every opportunity to share their message.

“They want you to see from their lives what God has done and want you to know you can bring that same hope to another child’s life,” Parker said.

She said the response so far has been overwhelming and more than 55 children have been sponsored. Proceeds from Gilgal Praise CD sales will benefit needy children around the world.

The group will sing Monday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m., at Lee Park Baptist Church in Monroe. The church is at 1407 Lockhart St., just off U.S. 74 across from Carolinas Medical Center - Union. The pastor is the Rev. Chris Justice.

To find out more about Gilgal Praise, see the Advancing Native Ministries Web site at www.adnamis.org and click on Operation Child Hope Tour. For more information about the Aug. 28 event, the last Gilgal Praise concert in the Charlotte area before the group heads west, call (704) 282-6269. (8/16/2006)

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