Help Prazwal

Hi, my name is Prazwal Chinnam, I am an international student in my last year of studies at Moody Bible Institute. And my family and I need help.

I grew up in a small coastal town called Machilipatnam on the southern shores of India. I am married to a wonderful woman named, Samhitha, and last December, we were blessed with our daughter, Aviyah.

Growing up in the church, I was always actively involved, but only as a nominal Christian. For almost 15 years my heart was far from God. However, in 2005, I felt God calling me to become a true citizen of His kingdom. And on April 9th, 2006, I wholeheartedly accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.

As I grew in my faith, I pursued theological education and graduated with a degree in theology. I worked as an associate pastor at a church in India for four years. And while I was happy with my work, I couldn’t escape the feeling that God was calling me to something more.

During the COVID pandemic, I sought the Lord and felt strongly led to pursue training in worship ministry. As I researched local worship ministry programs, I discovered that no Bible schools in India offered a degree in this field. So, I felt compelled to come to America to study at the Moody Bible Institute. God confirmed this calling when despite the challenges of immigration during the COVID-19 pandemic, he miraculously opened doors for me. Visas were exceedingly rare, but I got one.

Moody has been an answer to prayer. I am receiving the equipping I so desired! Rich theological, practical, and musical training that equips me to lead the people of God well. Coming to the states has also blessed me through the local church. I attend Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, where I am actively involved in worship ministry and get a hand-on opportunity to serve the body of Christ.

Many churches fall into the false dichotomy of choosing between an emotive experience of God and solid, biblically edifying worship. But my time at Moody and Calvary is teaching me how to bridge this gap, crafting worship services that are not only engaging but deeply rooted in the truth of God’s Word and promises. I am now interning with Calvary this summer to learn and grow as a worship leader.

God has been so faithful in providing these incredible blessings, but as you may know, being an international student has its own set of unique challenges. My visa status limits my employment options to only on campus jobs, and only for very limited hours. Furthermore, my wife is not legally allowed to work as a student dependent.

Despite these challenges, we have made it through two years of schooling—mainly by relying upon a scholarship for international students. We expected to receive this scholarship all four years of my program. However, in my junior year, due to the impact of COVID-19, the funding for my scholarship ran out, and the scholarship was discontinued. This has left my family and me in a tough spot, practically and financially. We cannot afford the last three semesters; but to go back to India now would make the tens of thousands of dollars, and all the sacrifices we’ve made to be here seem meaningless….

Calvary Memorial Church has already been very helpful—with help from the benevolence fund, a baby shower, and many generous acts of service and gifts from congregants. And Moody has been very patient and worked with us as we have struggled to make payments. But a large gap remains between our resources and our need.

So, through prayer, and with guidance from my pastors, we have turned to the family of God, through kick-starter, to raise funds to complete my education in music and worship.

Would you please prayerfully consider helping us in our goal to raise $18,000? That’s the amount we need to pay our bills from last fall, and to register for my final semester.

We are trusting God to help us. Will you be a part of it?

To my Calvary Family: