Indian Churches Prayer
and Gospel Ministries
Bestavarapeta, India
I am Joseph Gantepogu the son of Mathew Gantepogu, a ministerial staff member on the CNM High School at Bestavarapeta. My grandfather, the late Jospeh Gantepogu, worked as an assistant and cook for missionaries of the American Baptist Missions, as they worked with remote and backward regions of Andhra Pradesh. He was a staunch Christian that dedicated his entire life to teach the Christian lifestyle. He was blessed with many children out of which my father was the sixth one who was with him for his entire life. As grandchildren we enjoyed our grandfather sharing the Bible stories and teaching us how to pray.
My parents were married ten years before I was born. My mother, Mariya, was so eager to have a male child she would burn midnight oil, praying with tears, to have her womb blessed by the Lord. Because the Lord blessed her to conceive my mother dedicated her eldest son to God. This is why I was named Joseph, which means fruitful bough. Because of the influences from our local society I was attracted towards the vices in life and became an irresponsible student. My parents explained that I was a child dedicated to God but I never paid attention to any of their inspiring guidance toward God, and I lived my own life.
My wife Jyoshna and I decided then to start the Indian Churches Prayer and Gospel Ministries. We are assisted by my brother Sam Samuel and his wife Harsitha who were influenced by me and they also committed their lives to the service of God. This boosted the moral and strength in the ministry as we collectively share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sam is blessed with good communication skills and he is equally tale