It was on October 1, 1970 that a 29 year soldier in the Indian Army, serving his country in the Himalayan mountains of North India, had a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus (SAVED) that changed his whole life.

So dramatic was the change, that within a period of 3 months he began telling people (WITNESSING) wherever he could find them, about the change in his life and how Jesus could change their lives too because He was the Saviour of the world. This soldier was none other than P G Vargis.

The Call - One evening, as he sat to pray with his wife on a mountain side, he saw flames of fire on the distant Himalayan mountains in the beautiful north Indian state of Kashmir. He knew the fire on the mountain indicated people dwelling there.

A question pierced his heart, "Who will tell them about Jesus Christ ?"

Faith Response - Brother Vargis did not hesitate to obey God's call. He resigned from the Army. His wife, Lilly also resigned from the teacher's job she was offered and joined him in Kashmir.

KATRA - Kashmir

With empty pockets but with the faith of Abraham they set out with their 10 month old child to KATRA, one of the sacred pilgrimage centers in India. Katra had no Christians. P.G. Vargis and Lilly had nobody to send or encourage them, but they knew that the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob was with them.

Katra soon saw a mighty move of God. This stronghold of the enemy showed signs of crumbling as within a year 100 people were baptized. Vargis walked all over the inaccessible mountains and penetrated the interior Himalayan villages with the Good News ( GOSPEL ) of Jesus Christ. Within another year, churches were planted in 12 mountain villages.

The Fire Spreads - There was now indeed fire on the Himalayas and the fire could not be contained! Vargis knew that God now wanted them to move to the plains of India.They moved to the Punjab. God continued to bring in co-warriors to work with them and so the work grew and prospered.