Disciples for the Harvest

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Recap of more than 20 years of missions

David became a representative/mobilizer for Gospel Recordings (which is now Global Recordings Network (GRN)) in 1999.  In 2003, because of David's GRN connections, he was asked to be an adjunct professor for Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in order to take a team to the "outermost parts" of India. It was there that David met Swapan, a GRN missionary field recordist.  It was exciting to watch ethnic people hear recordings about Jesus in their own languages and dialects. The group also shared with Christian pastors and missionaries how they could obtain the recordings in the languages of the people to which they ministered. Colleen and David went back to India in 2008. David had written a training manual, "Overcoming Dinosaur Thinking to Receive God's Blessings". It was later changed to "The Secret of Right Relationships: Overcoming Sinful Old Bad Habits".  The name was changed because people with little education didn't know what dinosaurs were. The manual was translated into Hindi, Marathi, and Tamil. David invited Swapan to accompany them because David knew grass root church planters from several rural areas who spoke various ethnic languages would come to their meetings. From these meetings, Swapan recruited language helpers and after the Derbys went home, Swapan returned to work with the language helpers to make first time ever recorded Bible stories in their mother languages.

Swapan told David that he had contacts throughout India in remote places that really needed the type of training David created.  Swapan said he would take care of all of the arrangements if David would come back.  This was when the idea for Disciples for the Harvest (DFH) was born.

David returned to work with Swapan three times after this. But the Indian immigration authorities put David on a permanent blacklist in 2011, but Swapan continues the work that he and David started. Swapan and his helpers are willing to go to remote and often dangerous areas where it is difficult, if not impossible, for foreign missionaries to go.

Since 2011, DFH under Swapan's leadership has trained more than 50,000 people of which about 15,000 are Christian leaders, pastors, or grass-root church planters. Many of the trainees that have attended his workshops have less than a fourth-grade education and live on less than $1.25 a day. The average attendance of our workshops in remote areas of Northern India was 50 before the pandemic, and the cost of conducting the training was around $300. The $300 includes the travel of our trainers by train, bus, car, auto rickshaw, and motor bike to get to the training; food and lodging while traveling; and simple meals and snacks for the people attending the workshops.  That was what it cost back in 2003.  We know that with inflation today the cost would be considerably more.

The goal of the training is to help Christians overcome their sinful habits and to help each attendee realize that he or she is a sinner and that Jesus personally died for him or her on the cross. Coming from a Hindu background they know they were lost, and by accepting Jesus they are saved. However, many of them do not personally consider themselves to be sinners because they don't understand what sin is. They think they are good if they never murdered anyone, stole anything, or committed adultery. They don't understand that sin is also being impatient; getting angry when we don't get our own way; twisting the truth to get out of trouble or twisting the truth to make ourselves look better than we really are; or being judgmental. These are sinful bad habits that displease God. And, to live a more holy life, they need to become aware of them and to overcome them.

The GRN-India center shut down in 2015, and Swapan could no longer make recordings, but he continues as the Indian Coordinator for Disciples for the Harvest.

Because of Covid-19, Inia was put on a nation-wide lockdown in March of 2020 to contain the virus spread. But due to the hardships of the lockdown many people died of malnutrition related illnesses. Without work, people didn't have the money to buy food, and the cost of food and other resources had almost doubled due to supply and demand. Swapan was unable to travel to do trainings. So, he used the money he would have normally spent on training to help families he knew were suffering. He also sent money to his pastor friends throughout India so they could do the same. Swapan provided weekly provisions of rice, flour, cooking oil, lentils, sugar, biscuits, salt, potatoes, onions, spices, tea, etc. to poor pastors and believers.

From the beginning of the pandemic up to June of 2021, Disciples for the Harvest has provided food packages to nearly 1,000 families. The need is great. Please pray for Swapan, his family, and his network so more and more people join them in this effort.

On May 6, 2021, CNBC reported a spike in India's Covid-19 cases. It stated at the time, half of all of the world's confirmed new cases were coming from India and acknowledged that the total number was underreported due to India's poverty and lack of medical care in much of the nation.  Praise God that the pandemic is now over! Since the Summer of 2021 Swapan was able to begin traveling to do training again.  Persecution from anti-Christian groups have increased over the last few years.

Advancing Native Missions (ANM) contacted David in 2012 offering to publish the American edition of the workbook he had used in India. This turned into a good relationship and ANM accepted David's application for DFH to become one of its partner missions in India. ANM is a great blessing to Swapan and David. Not only has it published David's book, but handles the donations received. Besides DFH, ANM partners with about 80 other native missions in India. Also, ANM's Indian leadership connects with Swapan when they travel to India to give Swapan support and encouragement.

You may make tax deductible donations to support the work of Disciples for the Harvest in India through our partner 24:14 World. Go to www.2414world.com/donate and click  on the dropdown arrow under Donation Codes*, and scroll down to: Discipleship for the Harvest (600DFH).

You may also mail your tax deductible donations for Disciples for the Harvest through 24:14 World. Please send your donation to: 24:14 World, PO Box 6160 Charlottesville, VA 22906. (Phone: 434.872.3520) Please attach a note to your donation saying "for Disciples for the Harvest #600DFH". 

If you don't care to get a tax deductible receipt, you may give your donation to directly to David Derby.

GRN USA wants everyone to have the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus in their own heart language. We place a high value on storytelling---just like Jesus did. It's an effective way to communicate the good news, especially to groups without written languages and to those with oral traditions.

To hear Bible Stories recorded in more than 6,4000 languages, visit www.5fish.mobi or download the 5fish app to access free audio resources.

In addition to DFH and GRN-USA, David is also the Missions Pastor of French Creek Community Church in Meadville, Pennsylvania and the author of The Secret of Right Relationships: Overcoming Dinosaur Thinking. It is Bible-based and emphasizes relationships, leadership, and discipleship. In it he seeks to help you apply daily Christian principles. Each chapter promises to help you identify sinful habits in yourself and others. (There may be many that you did not realize you had.)

David's goal in writing the book is to assist i discovering how God wants you to overcome negative instinctual habits in order to help you develop healthier relationships. The book is an excellent self-read and a good resource for many small groups and Sunday schools. We ask for a $12 donation per copy.

David always has some with him. He can arrange to have multiple copies sent to you from ANM Publishers. Call David at 814-547-5812 or email him at davidderby@zoominternet.net.

David is available to speak and present at your church, school, organization, or business. He can customize his program to fit your schedule and needs.

David and Colleen Derby

DFH Founders

GRN USA Volunteer Mobilizers

French Creek Community Church Missions Pastor

davidderby@zoominternet.net

We praise God for the quilting ministry Colleen has of making and selling small crafts. She then gives her profits to Swapan to help very poor and orphan children in a few places where there are no existing ministries to help.