“We want them to catch the vision to aim high, live for God and bring a change in the Korku community”

Feeling called to take the Gospel to the indigenous Korku tribe in Maharashtra, a state located on the western coast of India, Ganesh Pandey joined the Indian Evangelical Mission and was involved in literacy work among the Korkus. Years later, he and his wife, Ida, enrolled in the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS) in India to complete his Master’s degree in Missiology and her Diploma in Integrated Christian Studies. “It was a time of reflection and equipping ourselves in our spiritual lives,” he said. They returned to work among the Korkus, and the Lord used them to translate “The JESUS Film” into the Korku language. They also translated and dubbed audio cassette messages based on the Lord’s teaching while involved in a hostel ministry for Korku children.

They returned to SAIACS for Ganesh’s doctoral degree where he wrote a thesis about missions among the Korkus. After graduating in 2005, they formed a trust called Central India Peoples Fellowship (CIPF) and returned to Maharashtra to continue their work among the Korkus through CIPF.

With a house provided by the Lord, Ganesh and Ida have opened their home to many in need, such as:

• Two Christian Korku women completing their university studies and are now a teacher and a nurse
• An unwed, pregnant Korku woman who was hated by the community stayed with the couple, had a healthy delivery and has gone on to Bible college after being motivated and counseled by Ida to move forward and live for God
• Today, five Korku boys and five girls from interior villages are living with the couple now, attending local schools and spending summers with their families. “We teach God's Word and motivate them to love God, live for God and do God's will in their lives. It is our joy to teach and mentor the future leaders of the Korkus. We want them to catch the vision to aim high, live for God and bring a change in the Korku community with the power of God's Word.”

In March 2008, the Lord provided a 3,050 square foot plot of land for CIPF’s ministry among the Korkus. When funds become available, the couple plans to build a Korku children’s home. The couple gives all the glory to God and praises Him for SAIACS, whose “emphasis on missions, leadership, holy living, integrity, accountability, discipline and responsibility has contributed much to our life and ministry thus far.”

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