Dear Friends,
This week, we resume our South Asia prayer series. Please intercede with us for Hepziba Arputharaj from India.
Home to 1.41 billion people, India is expected to supersede China, by mid-April, as the world’s most populous nation, a position that comes with both promise and peril. India also has the world’s largest Hindu (80% of Indian) and third largest Muslim (14%) populations. Although only 2% of Indians are Christians – many of whom live in India’s northeastern or southern states – 2% of 1.41 billion people means that the Church in India is 28 million-strong and growing! Join us in praying for our Indian sisters and brothers as they proclaim Christ’s gospel and minster in His name, often amid poverty and persecution.
Hepziba is pursuing a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary (Kentucky, USA). Her dissertation focuses on healthy communication in Christian families as a means of broader social transformation. Upon graduation, Hepziba will teach at Great Harvest Bible College (Chennai, Tamil Nadu) and work with local churches to strengthen families through training seminars.
In addition to her studies, Hepziba serves as Program Coordinator of the Eternus Foundation, which provides education for underprivileged children in Chennai. Hepziba and her husband Elayaraj have a twelve-year-old son, Jeremiah, and a ten-year-old daughter, Jessica.
Hepziba shares the following message:
Dear ScholarLeaders Family,
Greetings!
I am Hepziba Arputharaj from Tamil Nadu, India. My husband Elayaraj and I have been pursuing PhDs in Intercultural Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary since 2020. We are blessed with a son, Jeremiah, and daughter, Jessica.
We are so thankful to God for His mercies and provisions through ScholarLeaders International that enable us to focus more on our studies. I also extend my sincere thanks to each one of you – scholars, leaders, donors, and fellow scholars-in-the-making – for your earnest prayers for my studies, family, and country.
By God’s grace, my family was able to visit our relatives and friends in India over the summer. It was a great time of healing and comfort to be home and to grieve through the loss of my father and the many challenges of loss and sickness that my family went through while I was away.
In addition, we visited people and places from our former ministries, sharing from our educational experiences here, as well as teaching and preaching at different churches and gatherings.
Prayer Requests
Pray for our studies. I am in the third year of my coursework.
Pray for our family to grow in Christ, serve His purposes, and be a source of blessing and encouragement to people around us here in Wilmore, Kentucky and beyond.
Christians in my country are going through a challenging time, as opposition and persecution increase day by day. Pray that the Church can be wise in handling these difficult times while standing firm in the truth as His witnesses and providing holistic care for the people.
Pray for the national and local leaders in India, that they may serve selflessly and commit themselves to the cause of the poor and marginalized, instead of just helping the rich become richer. Also, pray against all forms of corruption in my homeland.
Pray for women and children in India, particularly those reeling under poverty, oppression, domestic violence, and all sorts of social evils, such as child marriage, dowry practices, and gender inequalities.
Sincerely,
Hepziba Arputharaj