Born and brought up by missionary parents, Prabhu accepted the Lord at the age of 16. After completing his studies in Plastic Technology, he left Chennai for the city of Bombay to go to Canada. One of his friends took him to a slum, the appalling condition moved his heart and he heard God's call to serve Him. In stead of going to Canada, he left everything and started working among the slums.

Born to Christian parents Nancy was brought up in Bombay. She accepted the Lord at the age of 18 and dedicated her life for the full time ministry. After completing her Masters in English and a Bachelors degree in Education, Nancy was teaching, when she met Prabhu and got married in 1980.

It was in one of the slums in Worli, Bombay that Prabhu met a blind man and led him to the Lord; and as he was being baptised and was coming out of the baptism tank that Prabhu heard the Lord asking him, " Today, Param is added in to My Body, where are the millions of disabled people in My Body?" In obedience to this call, he started the ministry among blind people.

Prabhu and Nancy carried on with the ministry of India Fellowship For The Visually Handicapped which has grown to be a missionary movement with 50 missionaries working in 12 states of India. They moved into Chennai in 1989 the year the Lord guided them to extend the ministry to other disabled people as well as to expand this ministry to other countries, which is called as International Fellowship for the Handicapped , which is registered in the UK with its headquarters in India.

Prabhu as the Executive Director and Nancy as the Educational Director, they continue to share the vision with church leaders, through seminars, run workshops and Training Institute to train those who wish to work among disabled people. It has its work in 35 countries of Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America.

They have pioneered the production and distribution of Braille Scriptures in all the Indian languages through Bible Society of India along with the consultants Dr. Tony and Rona Gibb who established the Compass Braille in U K. This press is now producing Braille Scripture in all the Asian Languages.

Their vision - The Gospel for every disabled person - Every church with disabled people

Their daughters, Paran, aged 21 years has completed B SC Microbiology and is planning for her Masters and Shemida, 15 years has completed her Secondary School and is planning to study Psychology in her Higher Secondary School. Both of them continue to be part of this vision the Lord gave their parents.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF RAYAN VISIT TO SRILANKA
I. THE SHOCKING REALITY

• A certain blind man, born again, studied in Serampore Bible College was a dynamic young man with a great vision and dreams of becoming a pastor. But no denomination accepted him. He worked as a teacher in a denominational School, lived and died. The only crime he did was being born blind!!!
• Sudar had to discontinue his medical course as he was a bomb blast victim in the North. He was lonely and depressed when Rev. Reggie met him and brought him to Colombo. Made enquiries and found out that he is eligible to do the Pharmacy Course. Got him admission in the college and as he was returning home with him, this question shook him "Which is your church?" Reggie had not begun to share the gospel. Prabhu & Nancy's vision for the church is the right and appropriate one which we need to catch up and pass it on" shared Reggie.

II. GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS DISABLED PEOPLE

• Gamage, a Buddhist convert testified, "When my wife was pregnant I took her along with me to a School for the Blind as part of Ceylon Bible Society promotion. But later when my people heard that my wife had visited the School, they yelled at me for doing such a nasty thing, because they thought it will have an adverse effect on the child and there could be a possibility of the child being born disabled. Though from a Buddhist background he was able to refute the argument and later showed the beautiful baby girl to his relatives and was able to testify that everything is in the hands of God.
• After the seminar, a Pentecostal pastor Sylvannes came to us and said, "I come from a Christian family, but I had this concept that disabled people are sinners and I never bothered about them. Though some of our pastors tried to convince me, I refused to listen to them. Today God spoke to me through His word. My attitude has changed."
• Another pastor Gregory testified, "Every Thursday I meet disabled people only for healing, praying and I am shocked to hear how I have neglected sharing the gospel. How foolish I was to be concerned only about their body and not their soul. I was under the impression that the disabled people ought to be brought inside the church only after healing them. What a misconception! Today, God has opened my eyes."
• "I thought that they were sinners." "I never thought that disabled people are normal people.
• Most of them shared their ignorance about the need of evangelising and integrating disabled people. It was a shock for us to know that people have become so immuned to the situation that they are oblivious of the whole situation.

III. FEEDBACK FROM PASTORS AND LEADERS

• The pastor of the St. Mark's church, Rev. Moses commented "It is a very important ministry of the Church, which we have neglected and we need to rise up and embrace disabled people in our churches."
• Manuel Raja, who has a disabled child, commented, "I wish the world will hear this message and for that we need to start it from the church." He wanted us to stay for a week and teach the Biblical concept to all the pastors.
• "What you are doing is a unique ministry. With the change of our attitude, I am sure we can evangelise disabled people." The Catholic nuns also shared how blessed they were to hear the Biblical Basis. They wanted us to speak to the School children, where they teach "Our attitude is the main problem," confessed the Mother Superior.
• Rev. Gnanaraja, "I was working among deaf people, but after hearing Prabhu and Nancy I have received the vision and have decided to work among all disabled people. There is a need for interdenominational pastor's seminar, which I can help in arranging."

CONCLUSION: We believe that the Lord has taken us at the right time to reveal that if the church fails to catch the disabled people, the devil will snatch them so very easily. We need to unite all our efforts in prayer and communicate this message as quickly as possible in every possible means and methods. This impending revelation though distressed us initially, has led us to the feet of the Cross, where we have been recharged to cater to this great need with His Power, Wisdom and Strength. Continue to uphold us in your prayers.