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A Passion for Missions

Raj Paul Kosaraju

The dream of every evangelist is to minister to the masses but often we overlook what may seem to be
an insignificant introduction and incidental crossings. The motive in ministry is paramount to the
effectiveness and fruitfulness of a ministry and is often scrutinized by the Lord. Though pressed by
schedule constraints and pressures of life, we must be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. One of
those O
 moments began a move of the Spirit in my ministry in 2004 that is yet alive, seven years
later at this writing. Less than a hundred people were present to hear the ministry of a visiting pastor
from India at a friend͛s church which met in a hotel conference room. Having helped plant the start-up,
I had flown to Kansas City from Chicago to attend and share my testimony of ministering to Mother
Theresa. The meeting was not well advertised but a woman had been prompted by the Holy Spirit to
attend through a post card left on a car windshield, not realizing that destiny was about to be unveiled
and prophetic vision to be awakened after years of dormancy. After a brief introduction following
service, it was discovered she had ministry contacts in target nations and we recognized it was a divine
appointment. Later she revealed that the Lord had given her a word one month prior to that night that
a new day was dawning in her life and ministry was about to unfold. The Lord said she would be running
with the horsemen, that He was putting some stardust on the vision and it would shine in the Heavens.
Her life was very isolated, a life of prayer and she had to step back from ministry due to family concerns,
so the prophesy was startling but the Lord had been dealing for a number of years concerning a
Heavenly calling in waiting.

The witnesses and sign language of the Holy Spirit were remarkable and it grew increasingly clear there
was more to the Lord͛s purpose in the crossing than I understood. Many times we watch for the story to
unfold after a prophetic word, but forget we are in the Script and have a part to play. I called to share a
dream I had where she was trying to tell me something. She revealed that she had been receiving direct
revelation about my ministry but was not comfortable with sharing it until I called to share the dream.
Casually she asked if I had ever thought of being involved in mass evangelism. Not your normal
conversation. I began to realize she had no idea who I was or that I was involved in crusade evangelism
in India and ministered regularly in meetings attended by 4-10,000. Recovering from that surprise, she
then asked if I had thought of going to Nepal. Maoists in Nepal had just laid down their weapons after
ten years of resistance to the monarchy and were being integrated into the government as members of
the Parliament. It was a pivotal time for Nepal and it had been a subject of prayer for a future trip. A

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vision was being birthed through the leadership of the Spirit and the Still Small Voice, and one that
would be put to the test.

Several months following this meeting, I returned to India for business and ministry. Once again the
Lord would speak through her concerning my ministry. The night before my departure, she spoke
prophetically that something significant was going to occur in my ministry as I returned to India and it
would have a paparazzi affect indicating an increase in the scope of ministry. The next morning, she
wrote to say a friend from India had e-mailed she heard from only occasionally and used the word
͚paparazzi͛ in her e-mail. God again was confirming the word of His servant. The advent of a new
ministry colleague was being announced as I was soon to meet the infamous Michael Vijayakumar,
known for his factionalist political career and conversion from brutal tyrant to crusade evangelist. We
toured India for several months ministering in crusades many times attended by over 100,000. The
stardust had fallen. Yet the heart of the evangelist compelled me to go to the highways and byways and
minister in remote areas, including a church planting in rural Andhra Pradesh, only five years earlier
occupied primarily by headhunters, many now serving God. Plans were made for a crusade tour with
Michael and Teresa, my new American ministry partner, to include Nepal, however ongoing unrest in
Nepal was a deterrent and the Lord intervened through a dream warning that Nepal was not to be
visited at that time. In the dream, Sister Teresa saw Asian soldiers holding patrons hostage in a hotel.
That was in fact the situation at a five-star hotel in Kathmandu that very day, as was reported in the
news. Bhutan however was an open door and in my visit there, I met a pastor who was translating
Bhutan͛s first Bible into‘Dzongkha, the official language of Bhutan.

They say that you can never have vision if you look behind you because the past never sees the future,
but that morning, the Lord chose to speak through a rear view mirror. I had not contacted Teresa for
several weeks and called to discuss some issues, forgetting it was Sunday morning in the US. She had
left worship as the Lord was stirring her and noticed a message had been left from India on her
BlackBerry. The Spirit guided her specifically to take the call down the street from the church she was
visiting. In our conversation, the Lord began to minister that there was a New Beginning for her as it
seemed plans for the crusade meetings were being delayed. Looking up, she glanced in the rear view
mirror and saw the words NEW BEGINNING on the sign of the church behind her car. Yet again the Lord
had manifested in a profound way. (Raj, I don͛t know if you want to share about your ͚time out͛ ʹ you
had the attack the next day after this call. Even without that being included, this moment is always
inspiring to me.)

It is a fact that all men die, but only a few men truly live. Compelled with a passion for missions, one can
be more afraid of living without the presence of God than dying in His will. We are in a race for every
soul in these last hours of history and the final frontiers are being penetrated. Incorrigible nations are
humbling themselves and opening the doors for the Gospel. The uniting of faith, giftings and anointings
across the globe, spiritual bonds are breaking the cultural barriers and are vital links in fulfilling His Last
Mandate to go into all the world. Don͛t overlook what may be happening at the back of the sanctuary
or conference hall, though it be small. Destiny may be waiting.

Also contributed by Sister Teresa Wright on Raj Paul Kosaraju.