"Sorrowful and hope-filled" | April 30, 2014

Dear friends,

Thank you for your continued prayer for Dr. Richard and RREACH. There is much on our hearts and minds this morning, and we ask you to join us in earnest prayer for the following needs:

Home-going:

Late last week Dr. Richard made the prayerful decision to cancel a trip to southeast Asia in order to join his family by his ailing mother's bedside. Mrs. Manorama Richard went to be with her Lord on Tuesday, and Dr. Richard shared his thoughts this way: "Loud applause from this first born son for his beloved mother's graduation into heaven today w/ HIGH HONORS. Sorrowful & hope-filled."

Dr. Richard and his mother, Manorama (Mrs. John) Richard, at his Dallas Seminary graduation.

Manorama Richard was born on April 9, 1924, in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India to Mr. & Mrs. Masilamani Mudaliar. Having personally embraced the Lord Jesus as her personal Savior in 1957, she wished to share God’s salvation to all her immediate and extended family.

She lived her early years in Secunderabad, A.P., was educated in Chennai and Delhi, and then married David John Richard on May 31, 1950. After the birth of their son Ramesh, they moved from Hyderabad to Chennai for her husband’s employment with the Indian Airlines. Ramani, Ravi, and Rajiv were added to the family there. She would personally lead all four children to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Called to serve with her husband in full time vocational ministry, Manorama and her family moved to New Delhi in 1972. After fruitful worldwide service, the Richards immigrated to Syracuse, New York, in 1991 and to Richardson, Texas, in 1995. The core Richard family includes four children, eight grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

Please join us in praising God for Mrs. Richard's life, which was marked by a devotion to God. Also, please hold her family up in prayer. Mrs. Richard's memorial service will take place this evening in Richardson, TX.

Cancelled trip:

In southeast Asia, Dr. Richard was to take part in important meetings regarding the 2016 Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers and also teach at GPA Myanmar.

Two RREACH representatives attended the Congress meetings on Dr. Richard's behalf, and have reported the meetings are completed and were mutually encouraging. Praise God!

GPA Myanmar:

GPA Myanmar is underway with 25 fine young pastors from across the country attending. Please pray for the pastors who are attending, that their ministries would be strengthened and changed because of their time at GPA Myanmar and that the Lord would provide immediate opportunities for them to multiply their training to other pastors in their communities and regions.

For His glory,

Edie Ross

Prayer coordinator

Received: April 29, 2021

A quick update: GProCongress and the Dallas GPA | April 9, 2014

Dear friends,

Thank you for continuing to lift up Dr. Richard and the ministry of RREACH in prayer. April has just begun and already it has been a very busy month, especially relating to the 2014 Dallas GPA and the Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers, which, the Lord willing, will take place in June 2016.

CONGRESS: The Lord willing, RREACH will announce the new location for the GProCongress on May 31, 2014 at www.pastoraltrainerscongress.org. Please be in prayer as discussions with one potential host site in particular take place throughout this month.

Also, with just over two years until the opening ceremonies of this historic congress, there is much to be done. Please join us in praising God for the fine work that already has been accomplished toward this effort, and pray that He would send just the right people to help Dr. Richard and RREACH complete the task at hand.

DALLAS GPA: Since our last update, we are happy to announce that RREACH now has *24 pastors who have received their visas, including the most recent - Pastor V from Liberia! Unfortunately, Pastor M from NE India was denied his visa, and Pastor G from Cameroon was unable to get a second appointment and cannot come. Please pray for pastors M and G during this discouraging time.

Please be in prayer for those pastors who have been accepted and received their visas - that they would be successful in raising their half of their airfare to Dallas. Also pray that God would protect them and would be preparing their hearts for the Dallas GPA.

Please pray for this upcoming visa appointment:

April 10: Pastor J from Gambia (he has been rejected once. This will be his second interview.)

Finally, please pray for the following logistical requests related to the 2014 Dallas GPA:

That our entire Dallas GPA budget would be raised by June 28, 2014.

For at least 40 tables to be sponsored at the Dallas GPA graduation banquet.

For all technology to work well prior to and during the Dallas GPA.

For all host family spots to be filled by families excited to meet and show hospitality to these pastors.

For His glory,

Edie Ross

Prayer coordinator

*Pastors with secured visas represent the following countries: Angola, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Haiti, Hungary, Lebanon, Liberia, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Zimbabwe

Received: April 29, 2021

"Because of the Dallas GPA..." | March 21, 2014

Dear friends,

We are excited to announce we have accepted 27 candidates, including 20* who have secured visas. We are blessed that two newly accepted candidates from Cuba and Brazil already had US visas.

Since our last post on the Dallas GPA, we have the following updates:

Pastor J from Gambia and Pastor G from Cameroon both are planning to reapply for their visas. Their first applications were rejected. Please pray for favorable outcomes in both cases.

Pastor R from Bangladesh was granted his visa!

Please pray for these upcoming visa appointments:

March 24: Pastor A, from Nepal

March 28: Pastor K, from Bhutan

Thank you for your continued prayer as we work through the process of accepting candidates and helping them obtain visas to attend. We rejoice greatly over each one who is able to come, as we know from experience what attending the Dallas GPA means to these pastors and their ministries.

In fact, just recently we had a visit from 2013 Dallas GPA graduate Pastor A, from India. He had this to say about his experience in Dallas last year, as recorded by RREACH staff:

After the Dallas GPA last year, many began telling Pastor A they could see a difference in him. When he asked how, they said he was handling things differently. When challenges come up, he’s calmer and less angry. He still is driven and energetic, but he handles problems without getting so excited.

Pastor A also identified several other ways God changed him through the Dallas GPA, including his preaching (he said he preaches more on the Bible now than his own thoughts) and his leadership.

'Because of the Dallas GPA, I am a leader who thinks about others first,' he said.

Thank you for your prayers!

For His glory,

Edie Ross

Prayer Coordinator

* Pastors with secured visas represent the following countries: Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Hungary, Lebanon, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cuba, Haiti and Angola.

Received: April 29, 2021