I think the most amazing thing about missionary work is seeing local people saved and transformed. Over the course of almost 15 years, I have witnessed this in India over and over again. Thousands of people have attended our Bible schools, returned to their homes and started preaching the Gospel. This has developed into the church network we have today and many lives transformed. It is wonderful!

And it brings us back to the understanding that we are all followers, leaders and multipliers. That is our calling! We are called to first become disciples, and then to make new disciples by leading them and multiplying what we ourselves have received.

The call to follow Jesus is clear. And when we do, we do so from the perspective of wanting to become more like Him. Jesus said: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). So, this is something that He does in our lives. Jesus makes us into something. We surrender to Him, start following Him and He makes us fishers of men. And in this process of following Jesus, the Holy Spirit molds us to be more and more like Jesus.

It has been so wonderful to see how many of the Indian men and women who have attended one of our Bible schools have started following Jesus in a wonderful way. Through one of our churches in Kolkata, over 70 new home groups have been started this year, with believers going out to their neighbors and relatives with the Gospel message. Attendance at services has increased by 40% since last year.

All this growth has happened since we started preaching about “being” a disciple and then “making” disciples. Simple, but so basic and important teaching!

I also want to encourage you. Let us not forget our call to discipleship! Often we are so busy with other things, but the call of Jesus is still the same, and just as simple. He calls us to ‘follow Him’.