Making an impact in India

Dear Brethren in Christ,

I bring greetings from the staff and students of Visakha Valley Bible College. We are pleased to share these updates with you as we come to the end of this year. First of all, please allow me to express our sincere appreciation for your kind prayers. They mean so much to us. It strengthens our hearts to know that brethren on the other side of the world are praying daily for our courage and our endurance in the work.

Student Progress & Classes:

Brethren, we continue to have both regular students and auditing students. By the grace of God, we have been able to conduct all our classes regularly according to the curriculum and the yearly plan. We strongly believe in teamwork, and with the dedicated efforts of each teacher, we have been able to train these men in sound biblical faith and in living faithful Christian lives.

Throughout this year, classes have continued without interruption. At present, the students are also attending sewing classes. This batch of students will complete their course of study in April 2026, and we have scheduled their graduation ceremony for the 10th of April. As usual, our International Director, brother Keith, will be the guest of honor. We are expecting to see 14 students completing the program.

 At this time, I must also mention the outstanding leadership of the Elders of Bear Valley. Their guidance has been a great reason for the tremendous accomplishments seen in many parts of the world. We deeply appreciate the dedicated service of brethren Mark Reynolds and Keith in this great ministry. May God continue to bless them richly.

Campaign Week:

We are greatly encouraged by the invitations from our past students, who are now serving in various congregations, asking us to join them in spreading the good news and strengthening their local churches. What a wonderful opportunity—both to help a congregation grow and to involve our current preaching students in hands-on ministry.

Our Gospel Campaign is an essential part of the curriculum. Every student participates in this week-long effort along with other practical programs. Truly, the students enjoyed doing door-to-door outreach, sharing God’s plan of salvation, and teaching about the importance of the Church and Christian living. We are thankful to report that 7 families were restored to the church, and 4 new souls were added as a result of the campaign. Our students did a phenomenal job under the guidance of the faculty.

Short Course:

We also successfully conducted a short course on The Preacher’s Life and Work. It was a wonderful time of learning as the students studied the character, responsibilities, and mission of a gospel preacher—proclaiming the Word, teaching faithfully, establishing congregations, and reaching out to the community and surrounding villages.

We rejoice greatly in the positive outcomes of this effort and are deeply thankful for your partnership in this glorious work.

School Facility Need:

Looking back, the school was originally established on property owned by my father, brother Samuel Raju. Over the years, many improvements were made to ensure it could serve as a long-term mission facility. After my father passed away and the properties were divided, this particular property came into my brother’s share. He has graciously allowed us to use it until now, but for more than a year he has been requesting that we vacate.

I shared this situation with you during my visit last year. Now the time has finally come for us to move. We have located a new property, and after discussions with the owner, he has agreed to rent it for the preaching school. Some modifications will be necessary to set up classrooms and to prepare a space in the yard that can be used as a classroom or dining area. Please keep this need in your kind consideration.

Although I tried my best to convince my brother to allow us to continue here, it did not work out as I hoped. The new facility is about one kilometer away, still within the same suburb.

Trust & Support:

We cannot imagine the last 16 years of preacher training without your love and support. We are grateful to the Elders at Strickland for their trust and spiritual oversight, and to the Elders of Lake Houston and Farmersville Churches of Christ for their continued love.

Your dedication and sacrifices are deeply appreciated. Each time I visit, I am uplifted by the opportunity to speak with you face-to-face, to hear your hearts, and to witness your commitment to reaching souls all over the world. It strengthens my faith and renews my determination. I also wish to express our deep appreciation to brother Jerry and sister Paula for their long-standing partnership in teaching at the school. Their efforts laid a strong foundation that has helped shape the bright future of this institution. Their financial encouragement has also been a great blessing.

We thank God for each one of you. On behalf of all the students, staff, and faculty, please accept our heartfelt gratitude. Through your trust and support, our joint mission of training men and establishing the Lord’s church continues with great anticipation and fruitful results. Despite opposition, dangers, political pressures, and unexpected challenges—even from the government—we remain steadfast in the Lord. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Kindly convey our heartfelt gratitude to all the brethren in your congregations as well as to your families, God bless.

In Christian love,

John Dean Muppidi

Skinner's Garden Children Home

Visakha Valley Bible College

Andhra Pradesh, India

Cell: +91 99899 22844