Until May of 2023, Nathan and Azusa lived and worked in southwest Japan for more than 20 years. They served in a Japanese church for about 12 years, where Nathan did the work of a pastor while working other full-time jobs in English education and, most recently, in forestry. Azusa was a busy home school mom of four and served the women in the church. They are now in Japan as full-time missionaries where they plan to continue serving in their church and beyond.
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Stratton Update on the Siloam Home for Orphans and Widows in Sathupally, India
Dear Praying Friends,
In the mid-1980s, long before we were a part of Siloam International Christian Church (our church in Japan), the pastor-missionary there (Karl Hoessel) along with an Indian pastor helped founded a home for widows and orphans in Sathupally, India. It is called the Siloam Home for Orphans and Widows and has generally served about seventy widows and orphans at a time over the years. Our Japanese church was its main source of financial support through much of its existance. However, because it was such a financial burden for the church, we have looked for ways to share the burden with others.
Thanks to my friend and ABWE missionary Norman Smith, who did a major fundraiser for the home in Sathupally, word has gotten out, and more people have been involved in sharing the financial burden together (see https://stratton.life/post/prayer_news05182020/). Since that time many people from the U.S. (and beyond) have given towards the needs of the home in India.
A little over a week ago I received a message from Takahiro, a faithful brother in Christ at our church in Japan, who informed me that our friends in India at the home were struggling financially due to the effects of flooding in their area. Donations had been down on the U.S. side, and I was beginning to be concerned.
In the past, when donations toward the home were down, I used our Facebook/Meta ministry page to share with others about the need, but because of increasing persecution of Christians in India, I took down all of the information about the Siloam Home for Widows and Orphans. I was wondering what I could do to get the word out without endangering the local Christian workers and residents of the home in Sathupally.
Within the past week, we received a large anonymous donation toward the home in India along with other donations from faithful people. Praise the Lord! These gifts will greatly help our brothers and sisters there, particularly in this season of damaged crops and extra need.
These donations are a huge blessing and help, but more will be needed in the near future. If you would like to support the work that is being done in Sathupally and its surrounding villages, please look at the following link https://give.abwe.org/projects/siloam-home-orphans-and-widows.
Even if you are not able to support them financially, there is a great need for regular prayer.
Please pray for
- Protection of the persecuted church in India
- Protection of the leaders, evangelists, and other workers in Sathupally and surrounding villages
- Spiritual maturity in those gospel workers in Sathupally
- Many orphans and widows to become true disciples of Christ
- Regular, consistent financial support
- Silaom Church in Japan, that they would have wisdom and resources as they seek the best way to serve the home in Sathupally
- The Christmas gift-sending event (and BBQ) that the Japanese church is holding in order to send gifts to the home
We appreciate you taking the time to read this.
If you have any questions, please email me at this address (nate.stratton@abwego.org).
Joyful,
Nate Stratton
*NOTE: Feel free to share this with others whom you trust via email, but not through public social media sites. We do not want to endanger our brothers and sisters in India.
