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God can use you as an instrument in his hands, to reach out to the lost, in the most unlikely places.

“The vision challenge for this month of May is to be available and reach out to

the expatriate communities around us; to share the gospel with

them and to train them to go back home with the

good news”

The expatriate presence in the Arabian Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, represents a significant part of the region’s population. Workers from South Asian countries namely India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka form the majority of the workforce. Saudi Arabia while having the highest nationalization record for the region also has the largest expat workforce estimated at around 5 million which includes their families residing in the country. In the UAE and Qatar, around 70% of the workforce is from the expatriate community, while in Kuwait and Bahrain, recent census indicate that the population is comprised almost equally of nationals and foreigners.

The labor force in most organizations is comprised of workers from the South Asian countries who are very often recruited through agents and required to work under extreme conditions. It is common to find laborers who have paid significant sums of money to agents for an employment visa in the Middle East and on arrival are left to fend for themselves. Most of the accommodation camps are crowded and it is not surprising to find up to even 15 or 20 people in bunker beds in a room. With low salaries, debt and needs back home, these workers live on the bare minimum.

Such workers are a fertile ground for the gospel. The results from reaching out to these communities are very encouraging. Many of them, in their need for hope turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. While sharing the gospel publicly is not allowed in the region, several Christian brothers take the initiative to visit such camps and meet with the people sharing the good news at great personal risk.

Many of these workers return home and testify of the salvation they have

received. New Testament churches, initiated by brothers who have received the Lord in the Middle East and returned home, have been reported in Nepal and in India. These assemblies would usually start with their families and neighbors and in time reach out to the surrounding area. The growth of such assemblies is generally metamorphic.

There are various challenges to this ministry and these include language and communication, physical demands such as in transportation to and from assembly gathering to remote locations, financial support and others. However the fruits of the ministry outweigh the challenges.

The Vision Challenge for this month of May, is to reach out to such expat communities around us, where ever we are; share the gospel with them and train them to go back to their home countries with the good news.

Vission Challenge : Reaching HOME with the Good News

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Brother Selvaraj has truly built a 20-20 vision of reaching from door to door and house to house (Acts 20:20). 

This ministry in Puthokote had its beginning with a gospel outreach in the Middle East. Today that humble ministry bears fruits in several parts of Tamil Nadu. The ways of the Lord are beyond our thinking, yet he takes the available and brings forth the unexpected.

This month’s Mission Challenge takes us to South India and the ministry of Brother Selevaraj who serves the Lord, in Tamil Nadu’s Puthokote district.

Selvaraj came to the Middle East in the mid 90s to work as a heavy equipment operator in a telecommunications and networking company. Like many of the thousands that come to the Arabian Gulf, Selvaraj too came to cash in from the region’s oil wealth.

God, however, had a much a greater purpose for him. While working in the middle east, he was approached by a few believers from the Indian community, who were active in sharing the gospel. After much thought and some initial resistance, he accepted the Lord as his Savior. In the time that he spent in the Middle East, since coming to the Lord, Selvaraj had spared no effort in reaching out to people in labor camps and construction sites. As a result, the Lord opened many doors for sharing the gospel and several came forward to hear and receive good news.

A third generation of believers have risen through this ministry which started in the Middle East. Three of the brothers who came to the Lord through Selvaraj have now returned back to Tamil Nadu and are actively involved in gospel outreach. God has even used one of them (John Peter) to start a home church.

Selvaraj returned to Puthokote in 2006 and is now a full time evangelist commended by the local assembly. He is married and blessed with two children. God has used him mightily in spreading the good news and to this effect a local assembly has been formed in his village.

There has been stiff resistance, surprisingly from the catholic community to this ministry. Most recently he was arrested on false charges of attempted murder, while building the local assembly hall. Like Paul and Barnabbas, Selvaraj along with another brother, spent their time in jail praising God and sharing the gospel with the local police. He has been released and has continued the work on the construction of the assembly hall.

P R E V I O U S I S S U E S

January 2010 - Uyghurs of Kazhakstan

February 2010 - Rescue the perishing..Care for the dying

March 2010 - The Good News to the Islamic world

April 2010 - The Nation of Argentina for the Lord

If you would like to obtain the previous issues of V2M or if you have friends who may be interested in receiving this newsletter, please let us know at vision2missionministry@gmail.com

We welcome your feedback.

Mission Challenge : The Ministry of Brother Selvaraj