Special Guest - Binu Vadasserikara with Excel Ministries, India - "Reaching the Next Generation"

Join us "around the table" as we welcome Brother Binu along with Bro. Ernie to discuss Excel Ministries and the impact they are having around the world! 

What if the surest way to change a community is to start with its children—and to serve every family without strings? We welcome Brother Binu Joseph from Kerala, South India, a founding leader of Excel Ministries, to share how a child-first, youth-centered strategy is equipping 300,000 kids each year with Scripture, mentorship, and practical help that strengthens whole neighborhoods.

You’ll hear how Excel built its own VBS curriculum from scratch, translated songs and lessons across more than a dozen languages, and created Excel Hope, a scholarship stream that funds education for children of every faith background. No pressure, no bait-and-switch—just credible love and long-term commitment. We dig into “Thy Word,” a pathway that helps beginners memorize 150 Bible verses in 150 days, then advances them through guided stages with mentors and courses that turn head knowledge into daily practice. Along the way, we talk media-savvy teen discipleship, action songs that make truth stick, and why honoring India’s laws has opened more doors than breaking them ever could.

The conversation widens to family culture and daily devotion—how strong home rhythms in Kerala anchor kids amid tech, trends, and peer pressure. We trace Excel’s growth from local clubs to chapters in India, Nepal, the Gulf, the UK and Ireland, the US, and Canada, and we spotlight outreach in public schools around drug and alcohol awareness. There’s a powerful testimony too: two girls who came home from VBS singing ended up leading their father—now a pastor—into a new life near the tea plantations.

If you care about youth ministry, missions, multilingual outreach, or practical ways the church can bless society, this story offers a blueprint: start early, teach clearly, serve widely, and stay faithful. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves kids and education, and leave a review to help more people discover voices like Brother Joseph’s.

Ways to Give at www.m3mi.org...Thank you for your seed!  :)

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:43

We are running the table today with a very special guest, and I'm gonna let Brother Ernie introduce him in just a moment, but we've got Sister Mingum Sister Pemb Sister Sindy Black Single. So in a very, very special guest. We're so excited to have him on here today. Brother Ernie, why don't you introduce Brother Joseph?

Origins Of Excel Ministries

SPEAKER_01 1:06

This is Brother Benu Joseph from the city of Kumbanad in the state of Kerala in South India. He is one of the founding ministers of XL Ministry. He's on the leadership team. And they've been busy for Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 1:22

Say his name one more time.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Benu Joseph.

SPEAKER_04 1:24

Benu Joseph. Okay. All right. So we're so glad to have you joining us today. And you said I could call you Joseph. Because we're from the South. And so all the mother would just start. It's just like me. My name is spelled different. So I'm always, you know, somebody looks up my name on their phone and pops up. So you don't, you never want that. You never want that. I understand your pain when you're trying to deal with us with names and stuff. So I get it. So we're so glad to have you. And and I'm going to let Brother Ernie just kind of lead the conversation because he's actually been there with you and worked in the ministry with Excel. And kind of just tell us what you've experienced, Brother Ernie, with him, and let him just tell us some of the things that they've experienced and what's going on there with their ministry.

Building VBS And Multilingual Outreach

SPEAKER_01 2:11

I first came into contact with XL Ministries. Another one of the founders, Brother Anil Matai. Anil Mattai. Anil Mattai from El Antor. He visited Peace Church and wanted to come to a men's retreat. And I was teaching at the retreat. And so after one of the classes, one day he asked me if I would come to Kerala, India, and speak to the leadership team there. So I agreed. I had no idea how how powerful and anointed the ministry was. I was just grateful for the invitation. I believe that was 2014, but I didn't come to Kerala until 2016. Children uh we have youth ministries in the USA. We do. We have children's ministries. But Excel Ministry, as far as uh reaching children and youth and helping them to get grounded in the word and their experience with Christ, Excel ministries is second to no one. They have a genuine burden, and their prayer team is always, always working for the Lord. And Benu Joseph here, Brother Joseph, he is one of the founding of the team ministry team. And so would you tell us a little bit, Benu, about your first projects and then what you have evolved into doing currently? Sister, they have got ministry going. And in India there are laws that you cannot violate if you want to operate in ministry. And they have learned how to work in that environment and do the work of the Lord and and stay where the government doesn't have to come after them and say, Don't do this and don't do that. And God is prospering them. Under that. So tell us a little bit about the beginning of Excel Ministries and your first outreach to children and then the programs you have grown into.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Thank you, Sister Diana, for this wonderful opportunity to be with you. And thank you, Pastor Yenny. Excel Ministries, mainly we focus on children and youth. This started in 2007, almost 19 years before. Basically, you know, a lot of children, because they don't have the word, they never heard about Jesus. So that was a beginning. We thought of doing something for the children. That was maybe from the scratch, we started to make a curriculum, make the songs, make the syllabus. So 2008, we had the VBS and VBS training, vacation Bible school for children. That was a beginning. And uh we have Excel Ministries is a registered charitable organization in India, and we reach to many different languages. Most of you know that India have more languages, more than 1,500 languages. And 200 major languages among them, having Bible and Bible literatures, and many other languages doesn't have Bible or Bible literature. Still uh translations and everything is going on. And uh Pastor Yenny was with us uh traveling to different places, encouraging us in the ministry also. We focused among the youth. Uh we train the youth and uh we equip them for the Lord and to do the ministry. We have a ministry called Excel Hope. Excel Hope is actually actually uh we help the children for their education. Financially, you know, children are there, they don't have the m finance to go for the educ studies and all. So we encourage and we teach them, we provide them the finance so that they can complete their studies.

Excel Hope: Education Beyond Conversion

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Let me say something here. Hope the Excel Hope plan is not limited to Christian children. At least 50% of them are not Christian. They may be uh Muslim, they they may be uh Sikh, they may be Hindus, and they don't tell them we'll only help you if you convert. No, we will help you because you need the help. Yeah, yeah. And and so they extend a hand out, and in that way, what impressed me so much about that is whether they ever become Christians or not, they will say Christianity is good for a nation because it lifts up everyone. Right, right. It helps everyone improve their lives.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

Yeah, yeah. It should be that way, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:05

I mean, yes, yeah. It's a humanitarian concern, you know, helping the children for their education.

SPEAKER_05 7:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

Yeah. So we could reach many children, we could train up many children. Last 14 years, we are training up the children for their studies, and many of them grown up, they got a job, and uh some of them started to s you know support some other children. Yeah, that's the way it's it's moving on.

SPEAKER_05 7:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

And uh sometimes we are feeding children because there are some people, some children with malnutrition. So we feed them too. So that's also a part of Excel ministries. And uh we have uh plenty of children. We have Excel clubs, you know, children's clubs. So the children will come, they have a fellowship, they will learn the word. Sometimes, uh, you know, we will teach them English, maybe the grammar, maybe the how to take care of their body hygiene, and a lot of other things we teach them. And uh last uh 19 years we were able to train and equip many young generations. That's something amazing. Uh and uh we have some publications too. We publish uh books and materials for parents and for children. When we have uh VBs in different languages, major languages of India, and we translate the songs and everything. Excel VBS is one of the ministry which we do in the vacation. In Bangalore?

SPEAKER_01 8:32

Yeah. I I preached in a church in Bangalore. They had five interpreters.

SPEAKER_04 8:38

Yeah, six and the same. He was showing me the videos earlier. He said sometimes they have between five and ten interpreters because there's that many languages there. And and they probably could have even more after that.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

It's worse than going from Texas to Mississippi. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:57

So everybody's no, because Mississippi people can't talk.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

India is having almost 29 uh states. Oh wow. And uh every state got at least 10 languages, 10 different different languages.

SPEAKER_04 9:11

29 states each state has at least 10 different languages, I can imagine.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

And the sub-languages also are there, tribal languages.

SPEAKER_04 9:19

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

And if you go to the tribal villages, they speak some tribal languages. Maybe one lakh people, two lakh people, they have their own language. You don't understand what they say.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

They don't understand lack.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Yeah. Oh, thousands.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

A lack is like a hundred thousand, hundred thousand. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 9:35

Let me ask you a question though. Did you were you born into a Christian family, or how did you become exposed to the gospel?

SPEAKER_00 9:45

Yeah, India is having a Christian heritage of uh AD 52. It goes back to the history, it says uh Saint Thomas, the disciple of Jesus, came to India, the southern part, Kerala, and uh he started to evangelize when he accepted Jesus and he started some churches. The history says they started seven and a half churches, Saint Thomas. And he died at Mailapur in Tamil Nadu. And uh from AD 52, there are Christians in India. The Christian history goes back to AD 52.

SPEAKER_04 10:22

So AD 52, that's actually after Jesus. Yeah, yeah, yes. Right, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

In Cochin is one of the oldest uh synagogues every Jewish temple.

SPEAKER_04 10:33

So were you so were you always a Christian?

Language Diversity And Cultural Context

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Yeah, me a Christian. And in Kerala, almost uh 17 to 20 percentage are Christians. In Kerala, it's a southern state. But if you take overall India, maybe three three point five or four percentage Christians. Because India got a huge population, you know.

SPEAKER_04 10:55

And what's the main religion there?

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Uh Hinduism is the main religion. Hinduism and uh Buddhism is the Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam, then Christianity. Five major religions are there, but Hinduism is the leading one. And they have a different kind of belief, they have different gods and goddesses. Almost uh maybe uh 300,000 god and goddesses in Hindu religion.

SPEAKER_04 11:24

It's a lot.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Yeah, they have a different faith. Maybe some of them uh worship the nature, some of them worship the different god and deities. That's the way they go, but mostly people, you know, they love peace. They they live in peace. Especially in the southern part of India, Kerala. It's a state is known as God's own country. God's own country.

SPEAKER_04 11:48

Like Texas, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:49

Oh, it's it it they've taken me to to Munar. I I I I land in Travendram and Cochin, and I've seen every place between between there and and Kumbanad and Tirubala and many towns I can't remember the names, up into the tea plantations, up in the mountains, up to Munar. It's be it's been if you want to be, as a Christian, if you want to be a tourist in India, you need to get friendly with XL Ministries.

SPEAKER_05 12:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:26

Because they will be marvelous hosts. And and you you will learn much about Indian India culture culture in in in the Bible. I'm trying to remember the name they had for coaching, where Solomon's ships went and got gold and peacocks from India.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

Yeah, it says in in the book of Esther, it says Hind Hind, Hind Hind land of Hind. Land of Hind, that's it. In Esther, it referred and it says it is India. Oh and you know, India never permits the foreigners to come and evangelize or convert people in India. So there are some restrictions. But you can be a tourist, you can visit. It's a beautiful land with different cultures. Especially Kerala is a God's own country. People live in peace, and they are you know, you know, the the the climate is very nice, the natural beauty is amazing. They know how to treat a tourist. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:25

Yeah, I love to see that. I love to see that.

SPEAKER_00 13:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:28

Wow. Uh so what made you want to get into this type of ministry? I mean, what drew you into wanting to start Excel?

SPEAKER_00 13:36

Because, you know, we we thought of focusing on the next generation. Mostly the churches focus on adults. They give the Bible study and everything. But at home, we spend more money for the education of children. But in the church, we give less priority for the children. Actually, they are the next generation and they are the next church. We don't focus on them. That thought provoked us, and so we started Excel Ministries. Pastor Anil is also with me, and we together giving the leadership for the ministry. And Pastor Thambi Matthew, he is a chairman of Excel Ministries, he's uh also a member and a fatherly figure for us. So that's the way we works together. We are a wider stream, you know, we train up youngsters, we train up ministers so that they can be a blessing for the next generation, for the youth and children.

Media, Music, And Action Songs

SPEAKER_04 14:26

So, how many, how would you say, how many many, how many kids do you guys serve right now? Schools and things like that? Yeah, everyone are you out?

SPEAKER_00 14:35

Every year we reach 300,000 children in different languages.

SPEAKER_04 14:39

300,000.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

3,000 in different languages. More than 13 languages we we do the ministry. We teach them and we give the word. And we go to the schools and give aniture campaigns. A campaign against the drugs and uh alcohol and all. So in different media we reach them.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

I wished we had some things to show you. They they took me to uh one of the Bible colleges, and there at the Bible college, the students are involved, understanding Excel ministry, the students in Bible college, they write original songs for the children to learn. Oh. Themes that go along with the vacation Bible schools curriculum that they establish. They they have the songs, have demonstrations, dances go with each song.

SPEAKER_04 15:31

These these people have the burden to write this music and choreograph these dances and yeah, that's what I saw in the videos he was showing how they were doing not just the songs, but they had dances that went with the songs and we call it action songs. I love that. That really gets their attention, you know. And I think maybe our kids only get that at VBS one time a year, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:56

So yeah.

Why Focus On Children And Youth

SPEAKER_00 15:57

And we have uh media, excel VBS and media in YouTube. Yeah. We publish songs and uh a lot of uh stories and everything for the children in different languages. That also is a part of Excel Ministries. Yes. And now we have a new project called Excel Diver. Through the Diver, we teach the children the word. Thy word.

SPEAKER_04 16:17

Thy words.

SPEAKER_00 16:18

Thy word. That was it about HISP word, you know. Teaching children, you know, and uh equipping them to learn the Bible verse. Every day learning Bible verses. How many Bible verses do they learn? I think there are 150 days schedule, the first stage.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

They learn 150 Bible verses, 150 Bible verses in 150 days. Now listen, I've been trying to get I'm not looking up your curriculum because uh this is for children on purpose, because this old man.

SPEAKER_04 16:52

Yeah. But the point is, is that we're you know, we're we're we're you know, teaching them women's Bible study, and you're finding now that there was a gap there somewhere from when I was in Sunday school and other people were in Sunday school where they didn't even learn the books of the Bible.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Oh, name.

SPEAKER_04 17:11

So they don't even know the names of the books of the Bible. So when you somebody go to chapters on the symbol of the book of their names, get confused. Let me get so somebody has got tabs, so she's just gonna, oh my god, it's limited. And I'm like, no, I want you to know the Bible. I told her, I said, don't, don't, I don't want nobody looking at their tabs. I want you to we do Bible drills, you know.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

That's a common thing. When when I first came into the church and was dating my wife, the the pastor, just to keep people sharp, now he was not a man with a Bible college degree, okay? But he'd say, and I want you to look up a scripture for me in the book of Hezekiah. And people would be going crazy, looking for the book of Hezekiah. After a while, I'd say, Did you find it? Yes, you didn't find it. You didn't find the book of Hezekiah. If you read your Bible, you'd know there's no such thing as a book of Hezekiah.

SPEAKER_04 18:07

I'm gonna do that. Yeah, I'm gonna do that. Yeah, no, but but my point is I think that's so important because developing into a relationship with Jesus requires, requires you to be in the word.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Yeah, yes, basic knowledge.

SPEAKER_04 18:24

You just can't, you just can't be separate. Those two things just can't be separate. And and so that's what we're learning right now is that that just that foundational truth of scripture.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

What are the stages of thy word?

SPEAKER_04 18:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:39

They go through this thy word program, it has several stages. It's amazing. Tell us.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

Yeah, almost there are four stages. Once they complete this thy word project, then they will be added to another stage, adult stage, and we will be, you know, systematically discipling them.

“Thy Word” Memorization Pathway

SPEAKER_04 18:54

That also is a part of the So say just on stage one alone for these children who know it nothing about the faith.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

Right.

SPEAKER_04 19:04

You're just teaching them. So what what are some of the things that they will learn just in stage one?

SPEAKER_00 19:09

Yeah, we will give some. There will be mendors. The menders will guide them and teach them too. Some mendors will be there. They will guide them properly, and they will teach them, then they will uh teach the Bible verse. In the next stage, we will give some co you know, some courses so that there will be discipline in Bible knowledge, you know. That's the way we do.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

What what when they What does it take for them to become a legend? It takes m many, many months. How how many scriptures do they memorize to become considered the child can earn the status?

SPEAKER_00 19:43

I think the first stage 150 Bible verses, one fifty.

SPEAKER_04 19:47

150 Bible verses.

Training Workers: School Of Child Evangelism

SPEAKER_00 19:49

Yeah. So that's uh that's that's a project diver. In the meanwhile, we have a training program called Excel School of Child Evangelism. There we train young men and women for the children ministry and youth ministry. That's a regular course, and some people they do online also. So for the last 15 years, we have this regular batch. Five, eight, ten people will be there staying with us. One year they will have the training program. After that, they will be practically trained and they'll be sended out to different places for the ministry.

SPEAKER_04 20:23

I love that. I love that. So you start you start from the beginning learning about the word. Then you then you go into the next, you know, with with the youth and working with the youth. But but there should always be a progression from when you learn about Jesus to then you go and tell people about Jesus. And I I think I love that there's there's something to do after you get paid for. Right, right, right. So it's not just head knowledge, you actually put hands and feet to it.

SPEAKER_00 20:52

Right.

SPEAKER_04 20:53

That's awesome. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

That that also is there.

SPEAKER_04 20:56

So what is your what is your favorite part about what you do right now?

Teen Focus In A Tech-Saturated World

SPEAKER_00 21:00

The favorite part is uh training up the teenagers, focusing on teenagers. They are the focus group now. Children between 10 to 17. So we focus them, we train them because that's the age most of them went away.

SPEAKER_04 21:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:18

So even we need to focus on this generation. Age 10 to 17.

SPEAKER_04 21:24

So, what's some of the things that you work on with them?

SPEAKER_00 21:27

Yeah, in the same nowadays, you know, the media is so vast and the children are addicted to media, and a lot of this different teachings and isms and cultic teaching, mobile app and games and everything is there. So we need to teach them well. Then only we can you know lead them in a godly way.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

They are very, very tech savvy. And if you want to talk about successful technological evangelization, their their approach is A one top flight.

SPEAKER_04 22:03

I'm excited just to look at the program.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

If you're going to visit India as a tourist especially, and you want to see India and you want to see what uh what the uh ministry is, XL ministry. You need to coordinate with them.

SPEAKER_05 22:23

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

Because on on the campus now they they have two apartments now on the campus. People can stay there. You can stay there and stay there in the apartments. I was there, but they didn't make me stay in the apartment. Benu and his wife put me in their home.

SPEAKER_04 22:41

Put that with you for how many?

SPEAKER_01 22:42

And oh no, they put air conditioner in there. They I ate every day like a king. Uh you know, and and uh I I visited. Oh, the museum at Travandrum was marvelous. Yeah. When you see the detail involved in their work, the handicraft, you know. Oh, you can see some of this work must have taken 200 years, maybe by two or three different artisans. But no computers, no things like that. They did it by hand, and yet they are perfect geometrically perfect. And and beautiful. They're very artistic. The things that they do. And and also I've been to see one of the palaces. That was that was amazing. Yeah. And the shops in Munar. Yeah, talked about that. One of the things I'd like to do when we go back is go to see the Taj Mahal.

SPEAKER_04 23:44

Oh, you have to.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

It's in Delhi, Delhi.

Global Chapters And Mission Fields

SPEAKER_04 23:47

Yeah. Yeah, that you have to count, you have to go see that. That's because that's one of the what seven wonders of the world. So when you say you have like 300,000 kids, how much area do you encompass? How far out does Excel go to? How many different countries does it go out to?

SPEAKER_00 24:06

Uh presently we have a ministry in India, uh, Nepal. We have a Middle East chapter for Gulf countries like Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat. And we have a UK Ireland chapter. And we have a chapter in the US and Canada also.

SPEAKER_05 24:23

Oh, nice. Nice. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 24:26

So different continents we have, the chapters and we operate. We have Excel mission, mission field we have, missionaries have we have. We have some fellowships. So we are developing a mission station so that uh we can equip equip and train more children. Someday maybe a small school so that we can teach the village children.

SPEAKER_05 24:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

Because education is uh you know something that we need to give to them so that their life will be blessed.

SPEAKER_05 24:51

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 24:52

I love that about them. You don't have to be as much as we believe in Christ, okay, we're never gonna move from that. But they understand and they're doing a great job of helping Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and other faiths, and what they're doing is okay, so they'll never become a Christian, maybe. But but they're making an impact for India overall for the good. So they're blessing the nation of India, whether they come to church or not. They're going to be blessed by the efforts educating the children, training them, their drug awareness program in public schools, alcohol and drug awareness, they do. They do Bible clubs, and so some of the kids in the Bible club may be Muslim, maybe Hindu. There's no pressure for them.

SPEAKER_05 25:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

We are making trying to make them better citizens. And yeah, and they and they become better citizens in general. So in my mind, you correct me. But what I understand is they intend to bless India as a nation. India may never convert as a nation, but they'll be blessed because they'll educate their children.

SPEAKER_05 26:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

They stay with them till they graduate from college, till they get their degree or they graduate from trade school. They stay with them that long.

SPEAKER_00 26:22

With the parents only.

unknown 26:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

And till now, most of their children, they obey the parents. Even though they're grown up and they're married, still they obey and respect the parents. They live together mostly.

SPEAKER_04 26:33

Yeah. So they learn the principles.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

Yeah, yeah. The morality is high, the family or industry is high. And um their uh the the culture and the the the the faith, different religion, they're so deeply rooted. That's the way they grow.

SPEAKER_05 26:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

They have the religious harmony. In Kerala, we see the religious harmony everywhere. People live together, the different religious people live together, they share their things, they celebrate their no, they celebrate together, that's all happens.

Persecution, Protection, And Legal Realities

SPEAKER_04 27:06

Yeah, that's so nice. That's so nice. Alright, we do have a question. Our sister Audia had a question. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 27:12

I was wondering, the parents, how do how are they reacting to their children becoming Christians, say if they come from a Hindu or Muslim home? How accepting are they of their children doing this?

SPEAKER_00 27:28

There are a lot of uh young children. They dedicate their life for the law and they face a lot of opposition from the parents and the family members. Sometimes even they send them out because they don't accept the religion, the Christians. That happens. And in some places, the persecution rate is high. Christians are facing persecution, and if once one family is coming to Jesus or saving knowledge, the whole village will push them out. That happens, you know. Even some killings, a murder, everything happens in India. Not in the southern part, it's in the northern part of India. So we need to pray for the India so that the Christians be safe, uh, the the persecution may get stopped.

SPEAKER_04 28:16

Okay, so what do you do as a ministry if you have someone that's that you know, as a result of what they they're doing with you, that that happens to you? Do y'all have the resources to do you know something with them or help them?

SPEAKER_00 28:32

We can help to an extent, but uh now then we need to give the case, uh file the case, and all sometimes you don't know. Oh, the police, they may not take the right action. That's also another problem happens in India. If you go through the social media that we see around, the the from the part of police also they may not get the uh justice because they change the religion that all makes more issues. Yeah. But there are some organizations they are trying to help them out. Those who are going through the persecution, they they offer the help. Sometimes they you know go to the in the court to to to as a as educate. Legislation they do it, and uh it goes on. We need to prepare more for these matters. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

unknown 29:21

That's all.

SPEAKER_02 29:22

So so if they're a young child and they come back to their parents after coming to BBS and say, This is what I learned, I want to continue this, and the parents push them out, do they have a place to go?

SPEAKER_00 29:42

Yeah, mostly that may not happen if the children are very less. And parents will not understand the depth of their decision too.

SPEAKER_02 29:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:50

So no such cases happen, but if they are grown up above 15, yeah, this may happen. Uh sometimes the Christian organization will help them, or uh they will be taken care of by the some some children's homes, Christian children's homes like that.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

That's what I was wondering. Do you have any kind of Christian children around?

Testimony: VBS Joy To Pastoral Calling

SPEAKER_00 30:09

Yeah, we we have many, we have many. But the government is so strict to uh you know to abide in the rules and regulations when you take care of the children. Because uh child protection is one of the important uh projects of government, you know. They give all the security for the children to leave and learn and study and everything.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

Learning to function under a government that is not necessarily pro-Christian, but you want to have growth, so you have to learn how to function under those laws. You know, and and and uh that was stressed to me the first time that I went to India as a tourist. And I will say when you're a guest in another country, if you cannot abide by their laws, you need to go home. Because you're not gonna make an impact for Jesus by being obnoxious and intentionally going against them. You're not going to do that.

SPEAKER_05 31:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:13

You you you go with the flow and God will take care of the rest. If you can't trust God for that, you don't need to go.

SPEAKER_00 31:20

Yeah, we need to keep and abide in the laws of the country. That's important.

SPEAKER_03 31:27

All right, another question? No, not another question, but a testimony. I went to India with with Ernie and and Banu, and before I went, they told me a story about two little girls that had gone to vacation bible school. They came out of the really nice that mother was the was another nice man and he did a lot of things that was these little girls came then hmm from vacation bible school, just singing and happy. And then he says, Why are you so happy? And they said, Come with us and see. So he went one time and some, and then he went another time. Then man is now a pastor of a church with his little girls. So vacation Bible school is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

We we met that man and it it was a first it was a Bible club, and then in they got an open door for a VBS, and starting with these children, and he was a drunk and he was upset. Why are you children so happy? But do you know Christ found him? Yeah, right, filled him with the Holy Ghost, and he is now the pastor of and believe it's near uh tea plantation. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Near a tea plantation. So there is a way to abide by the law and still see Christ grow. Yeah. Right, right.

SPEAKER_04 32:59

Because he's not limited by our limitations, right?

SPEAKER_01 33:02

Correct.

SPEAKER_04 33:03

He he has he has a plan.

SPEAKER_01 33:05

Yeah. I have I have loved going to India, and Mama has loved going. But we were coached very well about be sure you obide by these laws. Yeah. You, you know, like we don't witness to the waiters, we don't approach people on the street.

unknown 33:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:23

We are there as guests of Excel ministry, and whatever we do under their covering, that's okay. Yeah, yeah. But not there you don't have you don't go there and just have street meetings at will.

Respecting Local Laws While Serving

SPEAKER_04 33:35

Yeah. No, we're just not gonna happen. We went to Israel in December. We had to go through a six-week course just to learn the rules and the customs and and some of the ideology that they have that's different so that you don't, you're not going there to proselytize, you're going there on a mission.

SPEAKER_05 33:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:54

Um but you're as a tourist.

SPEAKER_05 33:57

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The scene, the media.

Vision: From 13 To 50 Languages

SPEAKER_04 33:59

Yeah, same thing. So that's exciting. Okay, so as we're closing up because we're already 35 minutes in, can you believe that? I want to ask you this. All these wonderful things that you're doing, you've you have done. What is the vision for going forward? What else do you have that the Lord has shown you to do for your ministry that you haven't seen come to fruition yet?

SPEAKER_00 34:25

Yeah. We have a future fruit plan of uh expanding the languages. Now only are we 13 languages, maybe within few years we are expanding it to 30 to 50 languages. So we are trying to reach the young generation, training them, equipping them, leading them to Jesus so that they will be blessed in their future. So the families will be uh know Jesus through their life. That's what we are planning. And more prayers we need, you know, people how to pray and the people how to stand together, then only we can build it. And it's amazing that, you know, God is doing something great through excellent ministries in India.

Family Devotion And Cultural Strength

SPEAKER_01 35:05

Sounds like he said their family structure is so strong. Culturally speaking, the Mali elams were already very, very strong of family tradition. You couple that with Jesus Christ, and it's become such a great thing for the church.

SPEAKER_05 35:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:22

Such strong family tradition. You know, as mom and dad go, so go the children. So, you know, we have daily devotion at home. Everyone should, but not everyone does. But when I stayed with uh this family, there's devotion every night. No one goes to bed. The day is not done until there has been family prayer and family worship. And and uh we had Malayali guests at Peace Church. The first thing he asked me is, How is the family structure here? We want to be in church somewhere where the family structure is strong. A lot of times Malayalis don't go to church outside of their own group of people because their own traditions are so strong. And so to have some Malayali Christians at Peace Church spoke speaks very well for Peace Church, but the idea that when they come looking, when this guy came looking, we're new to the community. We want a church to where there is good, strong family structure.

SPEAKER_04 36:29

Yeah, we can use some of that. Yes, that topic.

SPEAKER_01 36:34

And I said many times, you need to rub off on us. Yes, there are things that we can teach you, but there's a multitude of things you can also teach us.

SPEAKER_00 36:42

Yeah. Every culture is different, you know. We need to learn different things from each culture. So thank you. It's amazing to be here.

SPEAKER_04 36:50

Yeah, we're so grateful to have you come and share your story.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 36:54

I'm gonna actually look up your program because I'm gonna teach these girls books of the Bible and how to learn 150 verses of the Bible.

SPEAKER_01 37:06

Be careful because they're gonna want you to memorize 150 first.

SPEAKER_04 37:11

I can do it. I'm excited. But I we appreciate your time. Thank you for being here, brother.

SPEAKER_01 37:16

Amen.

SPEAKER_04 37:16

Thank you, Brother Ernie, for bringing them to us.

SPEAKER_01 37:19

It's our pleasure to have them. I know that's a great ministry.

unknown 37:23

Yeah.

Closing, Prayer Request, And Contacts

SPEAKER_04 37:24

Thank you so much. So thank you so much. All right, so we're gonna end this podcast. Ask you to go and pray for Excel Ministries in India, Brother Joseph and his family and everyone that works together there to just keep them lifted up in prayer. Uh, is there a way that people can give to your ministry? Do you have a yeah? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:47

But they can still pray and they can contact if they need. We have the email email for uh Excel Ministries. They can contact us through email ID.

SPEAKER_01 37:57

They're they're on Facebook also. XL Ministries is on Facebook.

SPEAKER_04 38:01

Okay, so we can do that. So we can definitely pray and then we can get with you to see about if we get help any other way.

SPEAKER_01 38:07

Right.

SPEAKER_03 38:08

And see if we can come.

SPEAKER_01 38:10

XL E X.

SPEAKER_03 38:12

E X C E L?

SPEAKER_01 38:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 38:14

Ministries? Not two L.

SPEAKER_01 38:16

Yeah. One L. E. X-E L.

SPEAKER_04 38:19

Oh, that's all that on there. Okay, all right. Well, thank you so much, Brother Joseph. Thank you for being here. All right, so we're gonna end the podcast today.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

We say to go show some love, show some compassion, give mercy, and go be Jesus today.

SPEAKER_04 38:37

Hey S D U family. If you've enjoyed this podcast today, would you please like hello and share our podcast link? We would love to hear your feet.