Karnataka Gospel Mission (KGM)

In spite of strong opposition from their family over concern about them going to such an economically depressed area where severe Hindu persecution was prevalent, they left with their 3-month old daughter, almost no money and all their earthly belongings in two suitcases. If that were not a big enough challenge, they had to learn the local language which was entirely foreign to them.

The Lord led them to the small town of Byndoor where they rented a tiny little house. They learned the local language by interacting with neighborhood kids and, at the same time, began telling them about Jesus. After planting these seeds, they eventually were able to share the gospel with parents and other adults.

Not until after two years of dedicated, hard work did they have their first convert. That is when the Lord used a near tragic incident with their 3-year old daughter to open doors. She fell into a 40-foot well at a Hindu neighbor’s house. Miraculously she was pulled out an hour later with only a few scratches. In India when an incident like this happens it is standard practice for the owner of the home where the incident occurred to be sued. So their neighbors, fully expecting to be sued, were shocked and amazed when, instead Bobby and Rekha put them at ease, assured them that it wasn’t their fault and explained that their Lord had saved their daughter’s life. By showing God’s love in these actions, doors were opened for Bobby and Rekha to share with more people and begin seeing some come to Christ.

Over the next seven years, with much faith and perseverance, more responded to their message of the Good News. People left their Hindu religion and culture and committed their lives to Christ. For most, it wasn’t a simple or easy decision. Often, they chose to follow Christ at the expense of being kicked out of their families and losing their jobs. Bobby began discipling several of the most dedicated men over an extended period of time. These men then went out and started new churches.

From those painfully slow and modest beginnings the ministry has now grown to 24 church plants (they refer to them as mission stations) that are scattered over a 200-mile radius mostly in the western half of the state. These church plants include about 800 believers.

During this time of growth, their ministry to the children led them to take in several orphan children. This caught the eye of an elderly Muslim man who had a heart for children. The man insisted Bobby and Rekha buy his nearby property which consisted of a compound on ¾ acres, a nice sized house, and two out buildings. Though they had no money, he wanted them to have this property so they could expand their children’s ministry. In the end, he sold them the property at a price well below its value and told them to pay him without interest whenever they could. This became the official beginning of The Good Samaritan Children’s Home.

Since then the Lord has continued to provide miraculously. Over the years the loan was paid off and the property is now home to a large, beautiful church building/training center (the largest and only one of this size within hundreds of miles), a new well equipped building for the children’s home, and guest quarters. And this is still just the beginning of all God has done! With the ouster of the radical Hindu political party at the national level in 2011 and then last year at the state level, Karnataka Gospel Mission can now share the Gospel openly in someplaces. More than that, opportunities are continuing to open up every day. With the Lord’s continuing hand on the ministry and CTC’s partners providing the resources, prayers and encouragement, they are “Expecting great things from God, and attempting great things for God”!