Arun and his wife, Shobha, traveled to India on December 26 upon hearing of Dr. Massey’s condition. They arrived in time to spend precious final moments with him, expressing their love and appreciation. Surrounded by family, Dr. Massey blessed each of them before peacefully passing into glory at the age of 92.

He is survived by his wife, Suzana Massey, and their children: Arun Massey (wife Shobha and daughter Melissa), Arpana (children Abhishai and wife Michael, and daughter Abigail), and Amit Massey (wife Amy and sons William and Adric). Please keep Suzana and the entire Massey family in your prayers as they navigate this time of grief and transition.

Below, Arun Massey shares more about his father’s legacy and impact on the Friends movement and beyond.

Dr. Gabriel Massey’s legacy is one of deep commitment to Christ and the church. He joined the Friends movement when I was young, and he grew up working alongside American missionaries from Ohio Yearly Meeting (now known as EFC-ER) in ministry. He initially pursued a career in pharmacy, earning his bachelor’s degree, but later followed God’s call into full-time ministry. While working at a Friends Mission Hospital, he completed his Doctorate in Theology, as well as a Master’s in Literature. Gabriel’s ministry impact extended far beyond his local community. Dr. Massey served as the Director of the Federation of Evangelical Churches in India, a board member for multiple Christian organizations, and a respected leader throughout India. He also helped establish a Christian English College with Friends missionaries and, in 1995, became the manager of Christian English College in Chhatarpur, India. Under his leadership, the school grew from 400 to 3,000 students and became one of the most well-known educational institutions in the region. Until his passing, he continued overseeing its operations.

Arun has returned to Cleveland, while Shobha remains in India with Caring Hands ministry, organizing a three-day women’s conference where she is the main speaker. The team there continues to serve in ministry, identifying children in need of support to complete their education, training staff for greater effectiveness, and expanding outreach.

Please pray for:

• Arun’s mother, Suzana, as she grieves and adjusts to this new season.
• Arun and Shobha’s ministries in India and the U.S.
• The children and families Arun and Shobha serve, that they may find ways to support their education and spiritual growth.
• Their daughter, Melissa, as she continues her studies and commutes long distances for school.

One way we can show our support for Suzana right now is by contributing to a love gift that EFM is collecting in honor of her husband. Please prayerfully consider giving towards this love gift. You can make a contribution by clicking here or by following the instructions below.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. Dr. Massey’s life was dedicated to advancing God’s kingdom, and we are honored to carry on the work he was so passionate about.

All offerings marked “G. Massey Love Gift” will be passed on to Suzana in full. There are three ways to give:

• Online. Visit https://catalog.friendsmission.com/gmassey and select “Donate Now.”
• Credit Card. This may be given online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office (303-421-8100) to give your information to a live person.
• Check. Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Make sure to mark your check “S. Massey Love Gift”. Pay to the order of “EFM.”

The post Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Gabriel Massey first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

D.K. and Choity Sarkar| EFM India

This is D.K. and Choity Sarkar from Kolkata, India. I would like to introduce you to one of my co-workers, who is very young and active in our ministry. His name is Pastor Chandan Mondal. He has been working with EFM Kolkata since 2017. He lives in Shyamnagar. He started a small house church there. Within a couple of years, his church grew very well. He worked among the young people of that area. He started a Bible school and an online prayer fellowship that meets in the early morning.

Now, his online prayer meeting is very popular, and he also has a Facebook Live. He has more than four thousand followers. He built up eight lay leaders, and with their help, he could start four new churches in different areas. He has a wife, a daughter, and a son. His daughter is now in the teacher’s training school. She is a very good worship leader.

May God Bless his ministry!

Chandan’s Family

Shyamnagar Friends Church

Special Prayer Time for Healing

Public Testimony of Baptism

Uttar Hashia Friends Church

Shyamnagar Coaching Center

Download this month’s prayer letter here…

The post November 2024 Prayer Letter first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Greetings from Kolkata, India. Thank you very much for your kind prayers and support for our ministry in Kolkata. Because of your sincere prayers and support, God blesses our ministry. This year, we could start two more churches and eight house churches. Thank you very much. Please watch this video, I hope this video will help you to pray specifically for our ministry. There are so many unreached people who do not know the salvation of Jesus. We need to go to these people, and for that, we need your prayers and support. I praise God that you open your hearts for this work. God bless you all.

Thank you,

D.K. and Choity Sarkar

The post Sarkar July 2024 Ministry Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

I am thankful to all the people who have already extended their financial help for our ministry. I met you in person when I was on deputation in 2023. My experience was so good and exciting that I still remember those days. I cannot forget you. I ask you to continue to pray for us and our ministry. I also pray for you. God bless you all.

I am writing about our ministry so that you can pray specifically for our ministry. At present, we have nineteen churches and around fifty-eight house churches. We have five tutorial centers. Fifteen of our leaders and people are doing business to be self-supported. Praise the Lord.

New churches – We could start three new churches in North 24 Parganas. One is  Indrapuri Friends Church. Our evangelists Suvankar Halder and his wife Priyanka Halder are taking care of the church. The other church is Nababgunj Friends Church. Pastor Chandan Mondal of Shyamnagar Friends Church is looking after the church. The third one is Sheorafully Friends Church. Pastor Tapan Nandi is looking after that church.

Sheorafuly Friends Church

Nababgunju Friends Church

Indrapuri Friends Church

Bible Schools – We could start two Bible schools in this year. One is Friends Bible School, Mankundu, Hooghly. Pastor Tapan Nandi started this school to equip the young members of his church. His vision is to use these graduates in eight house churches he has. In the same way, Pastor Chandan Mondal of Shyamnagar Friends Church started another Bible School named Friends Bible School Shyamnagar. His vision is also to prepare the young boys and girls with the word of God. He also hopes for the students to join in his churches and house churches.

Both Bible schools follow a common curriculum in their Bible schools.

Bhadreswar Friends Bible School

Shyamnagar Friends Bible School

Jiban Tari (The correspondence Bible course) – This Bible course is for school-going students. It has five steps. Pastors are responsible for the distribution of the course. Now the number of students is more and we need to take the help of Pastor Tapan Nandi for the smooth running of the course.

Suman Paswan – Suman is a young man of Kolkata Friends Church. He has a boy and a daughter. He is working as a builder. He has time and passion for the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church has decided to send him an evening Bible school so that he will be able to help the church and the pastor. Please pray for him.

India’s situation is going to be worse. It seems that the same Prime Minister and his party will be in charge for another five years. If that is so then the Christians will face a more difficult situation. Please pray for India.

Please pray especially for R.C and O. M. P. They are working in the state of Uttarakhand. The rate of persecution is very high there. They work secretly. They need our prayers.

Once again, I am thankful to each one of you. Please pray for me, I am going to Bhutan to see the believers there. They are also in a difficult situation.

Thank you,

D.K. and Choity Sarkar

The post Sarkar Ministry Report from January to March 2024 first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

Greetings in the matchless name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is an honor for me to write to you all after my deputation in the USA. I thank each one of you for your love, prayer, and hospitality when I was in the USA. It was the best time for me and my wife when we were in your house. I am grateful to you all.

At this time I would like to talk about our present ministry. Our time in the United States, was a great encouragement to me and for my coworkers in West Bengal and two other states in India.

West Bengal Ministry

We are working among the Bangali Hindu people and at present we have eight Bengali speaking churches here in West Bengal. There are also thirty-three house churches here in West Bengal.

We are also working among the Muslim people in the district of Murshidabad and Nadia. At present there are three churches in these two districts. The members are all from the Muslim background. There are also five house fellowships in these two districts among the Muslim people.

We are also working among the Dalit (untouchable) people of West Bengal. They are in South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas. Mostly they do the work which high-caste people will not do. They also catch fish from the rivers and ocean. There are three churches and eleven house churches in these two districts.

The biggest group is the Santhally group. They are in Malda district. There are five churches and twenty-three house churches in this district. All the people speak in Santhally language.

Ministry in the Red-light area – Choity my wife started a ministry among the girls in the Red-light area. She started with five girls and now there are thirty-five girls. These girls are working in an NGO, named Inology. Choity is a board member of Inology. She teaches the girls the word of God, Christian songs, etc. She also conducts VBS once a year with these girls. There are eleven girls who came to the Lord through this ministry. They are all happy. Others are struggling, they need your prayers.

Children’s Ministry – We have five tutorial centers in the poor village churches. Two in Malda district among the Santhally people, one is in Nazatt among the Dalit people, one is in Shyamnagar among the Hindu people, and another one is in Murshidabad district among the Muslim people. More than two hundred children are receiving the benefit of the tutorial center. The teachers help them to prepare the next day’s lesson at the school and they learn the word of God and Christian songs. The tutorial centers are very good tools for evangelism. The children and the parents are always invited to the church for prayers and participate in different church programs. People came to the Lord through these tutorial centers. Praise the Lord.

Our sister NGO – Seed Welfare Society is our sister organization. We work together. Seed is committed to helping orphans and poor children. There are fifty-six poor and orphaned children in the hostel. EFM Kolkata is providing Christian teachings to these children.

Beyond West Bengal Ministry

By the grace of God, we could expand our ministry to other states in India. The reports are:

Andhra Pradesh – At the beginning of 2023, we started our ministry in Andhra Pradesh. This state is in the Southern part of India. Our evangelist Peter Sethi is doing a good job there.

Uttarakhand – Uttarakhand is situated in the northern part of India. There are lots of persecutions. Despite all these persecutions, our evangelist Raj Chand is doing a good job there. He could establish four house churches. He needs our prayers.

Uttar Predesh – The highest persecution is going on in Uttar Pradesh. The whole state is made of the Hindu religion. Our Evangelist O P Prakash is newly sifted there from Uttarakhand. He is doing a good job. He needs our prayers.

Thank You!

We praise God for his grace and mercies for us and for our ministry. I would like to thank each one of you from the bottom of my heart. We are also grateful to you. Because of your prayers and monetary support, we could make it. But still, there is a great need in India. People are there who did not come to Jesus Christ. To bring these people to Christ, we need your prayers and support. Many of you are giving spontaneously to EFM for our ministry. Please continue to give. Your sacrifice will not be in vain. Those who are still planning to give, please start giving, and those who are not giving anything please think and pray how you can take part in God’s ministry.

God bless each one of you and your family. May the Christmas and the New Year bring peace, joy, happiness, and prosperity in your life. Thanks.

With the greetings of Christmas,

D.K. Sarkar

Kolkata, West Bengal, India

The post Sarkar December 2023 Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

If you would like to partner financially with with DK and Choity to get their ongoing monthly support from 88% to 100%, there are four ways to give:

• Online. Visit https://catalog.friendsmission.com/sarkar. You’ll be given the opportunity to indicate whether you are making a recurring or one-time gift.
• Credit Card. This may be given online (as stated above) or by calling the EFM office (303-421-8100) to give your information to a live person.
• Automatic Bank Transfer. Download the form aquí and email it to Debby McElroy (EFM Bookkeeper) at debby@friendsmission.com. Please note that ACH payments are processed on the 10th or 25th of the month.
• Check. Mail a check to EFM, P.O. Box 771139, Wichita, KS 67277. Make sure to mark your check “Sarkar Support” and note if you will be giving on a recurring basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Pay to the order of “EFM.”
  Thank you for the ways in which you have already blessed the Sarkars. May the Lord bless you too!

The post Final Sarkar Deputation Update first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

In our last update we reported that the Sarkars and their ministry are 77% funded. That was a significant improvement compared to their funding status when they arrived to the U.S. However, that percentage has not changed in the last couple of weeks and the time is drawing near for their return to India. So, I encourage you, if you haven’t already, to let us know as soon as possible how the Lord is leading you to support D.K. and Choity.

Thank you for the ways in which you have already blessed the Sarkars. May the Lord bless you too!

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Dan Cammack

Field Director

The post Sarkar Deputation Update #3 first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

They arrived in Indiana earlier this week and will travel to Colorado on May 13.

D. K. shares a few updates below:

• Towards the end of April, we were in northern Idaho and very lucky to have Maurice Roberts, our coach, take good care of us. We were able to have a good visit with Anthem Hayden.
• Last weekend we flew to southern Idaho and visited Boise Friends Sunday morning and had an event at Meridian Friends that evening. We also met new supporters at an event on Saturday night. We are thankful for Edee White (Jan Cammack’s Aunt) for hosting us during this time.

Thank you for being part of this journey with D.K. and Choity. You are not only a blessing to them but also to those who are being reached for Christ through their ministry. The Lord bless and keep you as well!

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Dan Cammack
Field Director

The post Sarkar Deputation Update #2 first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

The following is a wonderful report on the installation of Tube Wells from The Gautam Family in India! Tube Wells were one of the items in our 2022 Christmas Catalog. EFM is excited to share this report and thankful for your donations!

Glory to God

Thank you for your generous giving towards the need for tube wells in Bihar.

One tube well was given to Ranchi, Jharkhand which is a new ministry field. The water table there is very low due to the rocky area.

Here is another tube well that was given to a village in Bihar.

Here is a photo of the new fellowship started in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Praise and glory goes to our Lord Jesus Christ for giving us this new field in Jharkhand. Please pray for Jharkhand and Bihar! Thank you!

You Co-labourers in Christ, 

The Gautam Family

The post A Christmas Catalog Report: Tube Wells first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.

We are excited to share that D. K. and Choity have a new ministry video that can be used on a Sunday morning, in a small group, or anywhere you find it to be helpful. You can watch it aquí.

D. K. shares a few updates below:

• We had very good visits with Netarts Friends Church, Vancouver First Friends Church, and West Chehalem Friends Church. We are looking forward to visiting Friendsview, attending a Spring Rally put on by Friends Women, and attending Newberg Friends and Rosedale Friends Church this Sunday.
• On Easter Sunday, we attended service at Tigard Community Friends Church. We were able to talk with some people about our ministry in India and the challenges we face there. It was a very good experience for us.
• Jan Cammack is taking very good care of us, and we are thankful for her. She has helped Choity and I get dental and doctor wellness visits and is making sure that we get to all of our appointments with churches and partners. We are grateful for her.
• Ministry in Kolkata continues while we are in the U.S. Kolkata Church shared an Easter breakfast together and seven people made a public testimony of water baptism in the river Ganges. I have included pictures to the right.

D. K also shares a prayer request:

• One of our most senior pastors, named Tapan Mondal has got a stroke. He took lots of responsibility in my absence during the Holy Week. Please pray for his recovery.

On April 18 they will head to Idaho to begin the next part of their deputation.

Thank you for being part of this journey with D.K. and Choity. You are not only a blessing to them but also to those who are being reached for Christ through their ministry. The Lord bless and keep you as well!

Your fellow servant in Christ,

Dan Cammack
Field Director

The post Sarkar Deputation Update #1 first appeared on FRIENDSMISSION.COM.