A pastor’s decades-long prayer for a church home, finally answered.  

For more than 30 years, Pastor Ravi* carried a simple prayer in his heart. He prayed for a church building. 

Not for recognition, and not because ministry would be easier. He simply longed for a place where believers could gather, worship, pray, and grow together in faith. But long before Ravi prayed for a building, God was already writing a different story. 

Ravi had been raised practicing ancestral worship, while his wife, Anjali*, had been raised in a Christian home. Throughout their marriage, Anjali faithfully prayed for her husband and shared with him the hope she had found in Christ. Then tragedy struck their family again and again. 

Ravi lost his father and mother. Three of his children died. Then he lost his cattle, the family’s livelihood. When their fourth child became seriously ill, Ravi felt overwhelmed by the weight of so much loss. 

In that desperate season, Anjali urged him to invite a local pastor from a neighboring village to pray over their home. With no one in their own village who could help, seeking a Christian pastor was no small decision, but with nowhere else to turn, Ravi agreed. 

When the pastor came, he prayed with the family and shared the hope of Jesus Christ. Through that encounter, Ravi surrendered his life to Christ. 

It changed everything. But following Jesus came at a cost. 

Ravi and Anjali became the first Christian family in their village, and the community responded with rejection. For a time, they could not walk the streets, visit shops, or draw water from the well during the day—only after dark, when no one else was around. Yet even in those difficult years, God was at work. 

The same people who publicly opposed Ravi’s faith began quietly seeking him out for prayer. One by one, villagers came with burdens, illnesses, and family struggles—unwilling to be seen with Christians, but willing to ask for help. 

Ravi and Anjali prayed faithfully. And slowly, hearts began to soften. 

In 1992, Ravi started meeting with just three members of his family for prayer and worship. What began as a tiny fellowship gradually grew as more people chose to follow Jesus. For years, the congregation met in Ravi’s home, where space was limited and many people couldn’t fit—especially during the rainy season. 

Still, the ministry continued to grow. Today, that fellowship of three family members has grown to 30 families—approximately 120 adults and 30 children. 

Despite the church’s growth, resources remain scarce. The monthly offering is only about ten dollars, and most families contribute through vegetables and provisions. Yet God’s faithfulness has never depended on the size of an offering. 

Over the years, new ministries launched to reach the next generation, and evening prayer meetings and fasting gatherings became regular parts of church life. When believers from all the small groups in the village and surrounding area gather for joint worship, attendance can reach 300 to 400 people. 

Through every challenge and every season of growth, Ravi continued praying one prayer: Lord, provide a home for Your church. 

Then, after more than three decades of waiting, God answered. Through God’s people, faithful investors of ICM, Ravi’s congregation finally received a church building of their own. 

When asked what the building means to him, Ravi became overwhelmed with emotion. 

“In the place where people shamed me and called me a fool,” he said, “God has prepared a table before them. Every time I look at this building, I am overwhelmed because it is a testimony of God’s faithfulness.” 

What began with one pastor visiting a hurting family has become a thriving church that is impacting lives throughout the region. 

And your generosity made that possible. 

You helped provide far more than bricks and mortar. You helped create a place where children can learn about Jesus, where believers can gather to pray, where new disciples can grow in their faith, and where future generations will hear the Gospel. 

As ICM celebrates 40 years of ministry, stories like Ravi’s remind us what God can do through faithful prayers, faithful leaders, and faithful partners. Thank you for being part of a legacy that continues to bring hope to communities around the world. 

Names changed for security purposes.