But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24.
When God stirred our hearts to go back to India and direct the STN program, Flory and I had no idea what to expect. We knew we would be challenged in one way or another but to quote China missionary C.T Studd, “Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell.”
15,000 Reached in India
Between September 2015 through December, STN India has reached approximately 15,000 people with the Gospel, directed by His hand alone. We were able to visit 25 churches in the North, South and Northwest parts of India, sharing God’s Word, fellowshipping with His people and interacting with STN graduates assisting them in promoting STN India. In this endeavor, we have driven 8,000 miles. God has provided our home, transportation and divine appointments to minister both to the men and women in India.
In November Flory and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary and house dedication with the local church. We were able to obtain all the legal documents necessary to make our home in India and had our first STN Board meeting to establish the direction of the ministry. There have been many opportunities for me to preach in local and village churches. In February, I was able to preach to a group of 3000 at an Annual School function and ministered to 20 Pastors in the outskirts of Hyderabad.
In late October-early November we had the pleasure of hosting Tammy Werth from our TBBF family. She attended several meetings in different locations, shared her testimony were Flory holds several of her regular meetings, and visited the STN India office. Tammy was able to visit a museum and did a little site-seeing.
Flory has been very busy as well. In December of 2015, Flory lead a group study at a ladies meeting in Kanpur, and then throughout the year she has been able to minister to children at a Christian Orphanage and an old age, gifting them with Bibles and books. She was also able to minister the Word at a one-day women’s retreat. At another one-day ladies meeting in a remote village, 65 ladies attended while Flory shared God’s good news! God has opened many doors for Flory to share with the ladies in areas such as Vijayawada, Patmos and Kallur! All in all, there were 12 ladies seminars along with monthly Bible studies at El Shaddai.
Below are several additional opportunities this past year:
- Preached at EHOW
- Meet with elders of local assemblies.
- Toured West Bengal and met with STN graduates
- Flory taught at a Ladies seminar where 120 ladies attended.
- Baptized 7 individuals in September
- Participated and led several counseling sessions via phone and in-person
In closing, we would like to end it by quoting the Apostle Paul, “and they reported all that God had done with them.”
To God Be the Glory,
Ryder Kumar
Ryder Kumar is serving as our International Director. As one of the founding members of Shepherding the Nations, it was Ryder's vision to see pastors trained and equipped for ministry that became the foundation of Shepherding the Nations.
Shepherding the Nations has identified qualified and called men who are already working in unreached areas of India and Nepal. We are providing the training to better equip them and the financial resources to support them in their ministries.
Our directors have been equipped to teach our ten-volume training curriculum. These key men are training indigenous pastors and church planters while also providing accountability, resources materials, and support. 
During our training program, we provide our ten volume set of curriculum from the Biblical Training Centre for Pastors (BTCP) in their local language. We also provide essentials resources such as Bible Concordance and Study Bible. We have been able to provide these books to all of our pastors through the generous donations of our donors. These books can be purchased for about $10 each or an entire set for $100.