Dear friends,

 Greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

We thank God for your love and partnership as we minister to His people in the hinterlands of our beloved Sri Lanka. What a world away we are from Livingstone, Zambia and Minotola, NJ. USA where Jeevani and I were leading lives in the comfort of relative familiarity not too long ago. All that changed when the Lord visited us separately and placed the unmistakable burden in our hearts to return to Sri Lanka.

 August will always be a special month for Jeevani and me due to the beautiful memories of our first meeting in 2007 when she arrived in Colombo on a God ordained trip. We knew instantly as we met that the Lord was bringing us together and it took me only five days to propose to her. The verdant green lawns of ‘The Galle Face Hotel’, overlooking the spectacular Indian Ocean, was the chosen setting when I went down on my knees with a red rose in my hands and asked Jeevani to travel with me on the journey God had ordained for me. I had never been more anxious in my life as when I nervously waited for her response. With tears in her eyes she said “yes I will”. God had answered our prayers and fulfilled his great plan for our lives and future. Within four months, on the 21^st of December we were married in Colombo in a very meaningful ceremony. Jeevani made a beautiful bride and we were privileged to have many Godly leaders of the body of Christ in Sri Lanka as well as numerous friends and relatives from across the globe attend our wedding and bless us. We have attached a couple of photographs of our wedding day for the benefit of those who have not seen them yet.

Jeevani and I have settled in Digana, off Kandy after our wedding. Since my return to Sri Lanka in December 2006, I have been the Pastor of the Good News Central Church (GNCC) and allied network Churches that were pioneered by my father in the late Seventies in obedience to God’s call. The nearly 300 member GNCC congregation that meets at Gurudeniya (10 km from Kandy) is comprised of people from the rural vicinities of Gurudeniya, Haragama, Heenagama and Moragolla. In the past  years we have been able to plant six satellite Churches in the area.

Our ministry is supported by a team of ten Pastors and nine associate workers. All of them are paid a subsistence allowance (in most cases at or less than Rs.5,000 / Approx US$ 50 a month) and have served God under tremendous financial hardship for years. Since they minister in rural areas where the congregations are extremely poor, the tithes and offerings cannot sustain the church or the wellbeing of the Pastor. The Lord has placed a deep conviction over us in this regard and we have covenanted with the Lord that we will seek favour with God and men to raise funds pay the workers a better wage. In the past year God has taught Jeevani and me to live lives of simplicity, so that our lifestyles will match those that we serve and serve with. We have also ceased to draw a salary from the Church and will refrain from doing so until we have a plan to pay our co-workers a higher wage. Can we please ask you to prayerfully consider financial support towards the livelihood enhancement of these Pastors and workers affiliated to GNCC?     

At the end of July, Jeevani and I visited one of our satellite Churches in the small village of Elkaduwa for a series of revival meetings. A deep sense of hopelessness and discouragement engulfed me as I was driving my van along the winding roads of the hill country. As we arrived at the house where we were to stay with its panoramic views and the cool breeze of the hills, we realized that my feeling of discouragement was the Lord’s way of providing us an understanding of the spiritual climate of the area. As we fasted and prayed God strengthened our spirits and assured us that he will go before us with a mighty hand.

We will never forget the moment we set eyes on the congregation that was waiting eagerly for us at Good News Church, Elkaduwa the next day. We were deeply moved by the plight of these simple men and women mired in economic hardship, burdened by sorrow, bound by sickness, held captive by oppressive spirits and desperately needing a touch from God. I was led to preach on the miraculous work of the Lord Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I challenged the people to let Him enter their lives and homes and witness the miraculous consequences. In that simple Church building of just four walls and a roof above, the power of God was made manifest and a strong anointing of healing and deliverance was graciously unleashed by the Holy Spirit. The strong faith of the people and their love for God was evident despite of their hardship and dire circumstances and the Lord did not permit his word to return empty. Over the past four weeks we have been receiving testimonies of God’s powerful work that night.

A dear sister, Priya, who has suffered from diabetes for 10 years was healed. She visited her doctor subsequently and has had this confirmed by a medical report. Sister Rita who suffered from nightmares and a spirit of fear was delivered instantly. The Lord dealt with specific domestic situations and set families free. The Young people were challenged and changed by words of knowledge the Lord revealed regarding their future and destiny in God. He poured his mercy on us so that we were transformed in his matchless love. As a result of the manifest Presence of God that night many have discovered their spiritual gifts and are exercising them. Some have received a new boldness to witness in the village. Pastor Jeram, who shepherds the congregation says he feels a new Zeal and enthusiasm for the ministry. The Lord has since added new souls to the Church in Elkaduwa. We praise God for his goodness and grace which are at work in little known villages.

In August we were privileged to host Dr Michael and Sandra Scantlebury from Canada in the Good News Central Church in Kandy. Dr Michael is a Pastor in Vancouver who has also authored many books. We were touched by his deep passion for the people in Sri Lanka. He had a word from God for the entire body of Christ for this territory. Many Pastors from the city from this region have been profoundly impacted by his ministry

On September 7, 8 & 9 of September, GNCC will be hosting the “Days of Fire” annual conference at GNCC, Gurudeniya. This conference is our means of blessing the wider Church body in the Central Province of Sri Lanka as we invite all the Churches in the area and people will carry the fire to their own Churches. This was the case last year when Pastor Nicky Raiborde from South Carolina, USA ministered powerfully. Our main speaker this year is Dr Amos Jayaratnam from the Tabernacle of Holiness, Singapore. We are expecting a mighty move of the Holy Spirit to touch and transform our churches, our city and our province. Will you please pray with us that it will be an impacting time for the Church here and the Lord will use this conference to empower the Church for the spiritual battles ahead.

We thank you for your friendship, prayers and financial support and remember you constantly in our prayers. We look forward to hearing from you and will keep you updated of all that the Lord is doing in Sri Lanka

 Love and Blessings,

Pradeep & Jeevani Perera