Christians stand fast after years of violence, and the Gospel is spreading

(Image courtesy Mission India)

India (MNN) ― In some parts of India, who or what you put your faith in holds the power of life and death.

Orissa is one out of five states in India that has an active anti-conversion law. The violence that exploded between Hindus and Christians in August of 2008 has left bleeding wounds, and hostility remains. As more Indians convert to Christianity, attacks increase.

“Who you worship in India is a big deal,” says Dave Stravers, president of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India. “The testimony of believers to Jesus is the key factor here.”

Recently, a man was violently assaulted for distributing tracts. He was dragged to the police and told to stop.

In another village, a young man witnessed to four of his friends who then came to Christ. The five young men, mostly teenagers, met for regular prayer meetings. One day, a large group of Hindu activists interrupted their prayer by breaking down the door and beating them.

“Often the persecutors result to violence,” Straver says. “Almost every worker at some point gets physically attacked, beaten up. So we pray for the miracle of great courage.”

These stories echo the acts of genocide in 2008. “That was the typical reaction years ago, but now the new stories we are hearing are actually more encouraging,” says Stravers.

He shares a story of a Mission India church planter in a small village. Four families out of 72 came to Christ as Stravers ministered to them, and the rest of the villagers became terrified. They believed that Shiva, their village god, would punish the whole village because of these four families. Fear for their crops and their health caused great hostility.

The village leaders ordered the families to stop following Christ, but they refused. For the time being, the Christian families are meeting outside of the village to worship.

Members of Mission India are confident that as the fear of Shiva abates, more families will come to Christ in that village. The steadfastness of those four families is very encouraging, and they continue to witness to their neighbors.

Often pride of heritage and culture can be a barrier for the Gospel. Indians are extremely proud of their background, and their resistance to the Gospel can increase when it is presented by a foreigner.

“The fact that there are very few foreign workers in India for the past 30 years is actually positive,” says Stravers. “We try to help the workers in India in a way that does not give a foreign face to the Gospel.”

Poverty is also a barrier for new Christians. Most Christians in India are first generation and do not have great understanding of skills in ministry. They need access to Bibles and other materials that could aid in witnessing. They also would benefit from training. To see how you can help, click here.

Pray that new believers and the workers placed in India will be encouraged. They know that they will face persecution and resistance. Pray for courage and strength, and that they would look to the eternal significance of their work. Pray that the Gospel will continue to spread in India despite the restrictions and hostility toward it.

Police prevent believers from stopping the destruction of their church

India (MNN) ― In the "Hindu Heartland" of India, another church falls victim to anti-Christian attacks.

A group of villagers in Chhattisgarh recently destroyed a 300-person church.

"It took about an hour for a year's worth of labor to be just completely undone." says Lindsay Ackerman of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India.

Ackerman says the church was planted by one of Mission India's church-planting partners in India. Christ-followers had scrimped and saved all year for a new church building, and in February their dream came true.

"The church members had worked for over a year to secure the legal documents they needed to build their first small church," says Ackerman.

Soon, someone donated a piece of land, legal paperwork was completed, and construction began on the new church. Its doors opened two months ago, and believers had their first worship service in the new building.

"Suddenly with no warning, a group of 100 people from the nearby village showed up and demolished the church," Ackerman explains. Believers were helpless as their church fell to the ground.

"Police were actually present and were pushing believers away who were trying to stop attackers from tearing down their brand new church."

There seem to be many indications the Good News was involved.

"The Gospel had been spreading, and I'm sure that was a factor behind the attack," states Ackerman. "When people start to see that many people coming to Christ--the response to the Gospel, they want to do anything they can to stop it."

It's a difficult time in Chhattisgarh.

"This church was built with a lot of joy and hope," says Ackerman. "Right now, all that exists is just a heap of rubble, and they are discouraged."

However, believers are still holding worship services. In fact, they're worshipping God right next to the demolished structure.

Pray "that they would have a sense of Christ's presence in their midst, understanding that a building is not what their faith is all about."

Click here to read the latest updates and see how the Gospel is changing lives.

Organized violence not enough to stop Gospel work

Police join Hindu extremists in persecuting Christians.
(Image courtesy of Mission India)

India (MNN) ― It's not unusual to hear about persecution in India, especially in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

"In Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa--those states in what's called the 'Hindu Heartland,' there is a very organized violence against Christians, trying to stop the growth of the Church," says Dave Stravers with Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India.

However, reports of police helping Hindu extremists attack Christians in Madhya Pradesh is a little disconcerting.

Usually, Stravers explains, extremists go to police before they engage in violence against believers; then when the attack is reported and police are called in, they often arrest the Christians.

"This is the first time I've heard a case that confirmed police officers were part of the attackers," Stravers says.

A church pastor told Morning Star News that at the end of November, four police officers broke into his church during worship service and ordered Christians to leave. Close behind was a mob of Hindu extremists who told the leader "Jesus' name will not work in Madhya Pradesh" and warned against future mention of His name.

"The extremists further threatened to kill us, cut off our legs, burn down our houses. and expel us from the village if we speak the name of Jesus again and conduct meetings in the future," the church leader said.

When a church member tried to file a complaint at the local police station, an officer slapped him twice in the face.

"India has been resistant to the Gospel for centuries, and just in the last 10 or 15 years, places that once [had] just no Christians at all are now open to Christ, and people are coming to Jesus," says Stravers. "This is found to be very threatening by the Hindu and some community leaders."

Believers aren't holding back, though. Stravers says hundreds of volunteers want to share the Good News through Mission India's adult literacy classes and children's Bible clubs.

"They just need the training. They need to know how to carry out the ministry, and they need the literature and materials to do it," he explains. Click here if you can help.

"We can reach a child for $1 -- that's for the training and all of the materials," says Stravers. "We can reach an illiterate adult for $30 per person, bringing him from zero to fifth-grade reading level."

Pray that Great Commission work would keep moving forward despite persecution, and pray for courage for believers in India.

Stravers says, "The intention is not really to kill anyone or even to imprison them, but to stop the Message from going out; so we pray for courage."

In places like the "Hindu Heartland" where tolerance is threadbare and injustice is commonplace, Stravers says the storms of persecution only make believers tighten their grips on the Rock that is Jesus Christ.

"Their faith is increased, they're stiffened in their resolve, and if you go back 6 months later, you'll find the work is progressing even stronger than before," he explains.

Check out our Featured Links section to see how you can support and encourage believers in India.

Church leader attacked; missionaries threatened daily

Children's Bible Clubs are
introduced in a community
through a 10-day program.
(Image courtesy of MNI)

India (MNN) ― While believers were gathered at his home singing worship songs, a mob of Hindu extremists brutally attacked Raju,* a church leader trained by Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India.

Dave Stravers with Mission India said about 20 men broke into Raju's home wielding clubs. Radicals destroyed things in the home and then turned their rage to Raju. When his 12-year-old daughter asked the extremists why they were attacking her father, they began to beat her, too.

"Persecution is a growing reality in India," said Stravers. After violently attacking Raju and his family, extremists proceeded to drag the believer and his wife to a nearby Hindu temple.

"They smeared vermillion--which is like a finger-paint--on their foreheads and pushed their heads down…and forced them to worship the idols in the temple," Stravers explained.

"This is a pretty typical thing; it happens quite often in India," he added.

Last month, the Evangelical Fellowship of India observed weekly attacks on Christians. Hindu extremists throughout India threatened and beat believers, often accusing them of "forcible conversions."

Could this escalating violence lead to another Orissa-like situation?

"That possibility is always there, yes," Stravers admitted. "It's impossible to predict when that might happen or where, but it's always a possibility.

"In the meantime, you have these local acts of aggression that happen every week, and many cases every day. This is happening all over India."

One of Mission India's partners believes that a non-Christian relative may have told the attackers about Raju's worship group. Raju and his family are currently in hiding. Stravers said a similar pattern takes place in India whenever believers face persecution: they lie low for a few weeks until the chaos dies down, and then resume their work quietly.

"After a few weeks, people realize that these Christians aren't a threat and that they're actually bringing good to the communities," explained Stravers. "Ideally, Raju will go back to his ministry, and the church will start worshipping again."

Ask God to protect this believer and his family.

"We need to pray that they will take courage, that they will receive comfort and support from other believers," stated Stravers. Pray also that the Gospel would continue moving forward in India.

"India is right on the frontier of what God is doing to make the Great Commission the Great Completion in our day."

Stravers said India is hungry for God's Word. For one dollar, you can send a child to Mission India's Children's Bible Club. Many families learn about the Gospel through their children who attend these clubs.

Four years: shadow of anti-Christian pogrom lingers

India (MNN) ― Four years after the anti-Christian pogrom in India's Orissa State, 10,000 remain displaced.

Dave Stravers, president of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India, explains that in the wake of the violence, "Promises were made to these tribal villagers by government officials, but really not kept. People are afraid to go back because there are still threats of violence and even continuing violence in the area."

Justice has been slow in coming, so nearly 5,000 victims and survivors of the 2008 communal violence in Kandhamal district, Orissa, lent their voices of protest at a public rally marking the fourth anniversary of the violence and call for justice, peace, and harmony.

The attacks, led by Hindu extremists, caused 55,000 Christians to flee their homes. They have little recourse, Stravers says, because "these tribal Christians would be considered the bottom of the social ladder, so they don't have much political clout. They're discriminated against anyway, so they're just basically being ignored by the powers that be."

Asia News reports bear that out. Of the 3,232 complaints filed by victims and their families, district police accepted 48% of the cases. A scant 828 were registered as a first information report (FIR).

The numbers from Asia News also show that out of 245 cases dealt with by the Fast Track Court, convictions were obtained in 73 cases. Another 267 cases are still waiting to go to trial. Of the thousands accused in the pogroms, only 452 have been convicted; all the others were acquitted of the charges. Six have been sentenced to life in prison out of the 30 cases involving murder.

Despite the slow journey to justice, the work of Mission India continues, notes Stravers. "We still continue to work in all of Orissa, in all the different districts, including the tribal districts--all those places where you have these incidents of violence and our partners continue to work."

However, teams have had to be more careful in the days since the 2008 riots. "Obviously in those places where there has been this violence and continuing threats, there are many Christian workers that just don't feel that it's safe to carry on ministry. For us, that's the big prayer request."

Then, this news came: the Himachal Pradesh High Court struck down two provisions of the anti-conversion law. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported the decision on August 30.

Stravers says, "The changes that the Himachal Pradesh High Court delivered are really good for Orissa because they struck down a section of the law which makes it mandatory for any person seeking to convert to go and give prior notice to local authorities before he actually would be baptized."

On the other, "The court decision of Himachal Pradesh did not strike down the entire law, and people are unhappy about that." Stravers goes on to add, "The prayers are that these anti-conversion laws will continue to be struck down piece by piece, if necessary."

Yet, because the legal precedence has been set, they're hoping for a similar response to follow in neighboring states. "Orissa has the same law. Technically, in Orissa if you become a believer and you want to be baptized, you have to go to the chief of police and receive their permission first to do this. Of course, this sets you up for all kinds of intimidation/threats of violence."

Stravers knows their team. Regardless of what happens with the anti-conversion laws, the Gospel will still go forward. In fact, so far, "People are baptized, usually en masse, without first seeking permission because they're going to do it whether they get permission or not. So this section of the law is not routinely enforced."

Disruption their partners endure isn't on the same scale as the anti-Christian violence of 2008. However, it comes regularly. One of their literacy class teachers and his mother were recently assaulted and warned to stop their work or be driven out of the village. Stravers says what happened next is a near-daily occurrence throughout India. "They were both told, 'Convert back to Hinduism within a week or else leave the village and stop your work.' They're praying. They don't know quite what to do. It's a real situation of severe persecution for anyone who is aggressively bringing good news to people."

Pray for patience in this situation. Once the villagers learn to read, they will see the benefits of finishing this class. Pray for patience and wisdom for the teacher and his family. It's only a matter of time before something good comes from the Gospel seeds planted.

Stravers sums it up this way: "Jesus said repeatedly to His disciples, even when He was predicting persecution, 'Do not be afraid. Speak boldly because Jesus reigns.' So that's what we pray for."

Justice delayed...again

(Images courtesy Mission India)

India (MNN) ― August marks the three-year anniversary of the arrest of two Children's Bible Club leaders in Karnataka on false charges.

Late one night in 2009, a mob of 20 Hindu extremists burst into a training for Year-Long Children's Bible Club leaders working through Grand Rapids, Michigan-basedMission India. Shouting threats, they moved from room to room. The extremists dragged people out of bed, beat them mercilessly, and burned every book and Bible they could find.

When police finally arrived, they arrested two Children's Bible Club partners and charged them with coercing children to become Christians. Mission India President Dave Stravers says, "There's no basis for the charge. They were actually sound asleep in the middle of the night. It's during a training session, (but) there weren't even any non-Christians involved, so how could they be converting anyone?"

The pair is out on bail...and STILL awaiting trial. "This is normal. They claim there is a 20-year backlog in the Delhi court system, for instance," Stravers reports. The United Nations Development Program estimates that some 20 million legal cases are pending in India. the country has roughly 11 judges for every million people, so the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel" (hope for an end) isn't likely coming soon.

The problem is the expectation of those who are awaiting their day in court. Stravers explains, "Every month, they get on the train [for a] 12-hour train ride, sit all day in the court, and be told. 'No, no progress. A new date has been set.'" That's added expense and time lost to travel back and forth.

While the delay may be "normal" in Delhi, Stravers wonders if the "dragging feet" could be because  "judges and the accusers know that there is no case, so if the case actually comes to trial, all the charges will be dismissed. So they want to drag it out as long as possible to make life as difficult as possible."

The case is at a standstill in the courts. The most recent court date was postponed until September 21. It's harassment, pure and simple, Stravers argues.

However, it also revealed an indomitable spirit. "These people are still working hard, training Children's Bible Club leaders. We have a long list of Christian workers who are waiting to be trained." In fact, Karnataka State is one of Mission India's biggest fields of ministry. 

Why do the extremist Hindus oppose the Children's Bible Clubs? First, explains Stravers, "God is working. And this is why the persecution is happening, because the general population is so open to the Gospel and the Lord Jesus is doing His work in a really powerful way in India today."

Mission India provides in-depth training for volunteer Children's Bible Club leaders as well as materials to teach up to five age levels in nearly two dozen Indian languages.

The Children's Bible Clubs are introduced in a community through a 10-day program. In the clubs, children enjoy songs, skits, and play games. They also listen to Bible stories, memorize Scripture, and learn more about relationship with Jesus, which helps them discover a loving Savior.

So, Stravers says, by the end of the Children's Bible Club, many children make a decision to follow Jesus. They then share their new faith and are bringing their parents to Christ. As a result, every year new churches grow out of Children's Bible Clubs.

As far as their two workers go, the danger of this case is that it's a distraction. "We need to pray that the Lord will be faithful to them, that they'll feel the Lord's hand of protection. And when the persecution comes, [pray that] they will understand that this is not the devil winning any battles, [that]  they need to keep speaking boldly for Christ."

Pray that there will be no further delays in the courts. Pray that the false charges will be dropped. Pray for the safety of this year's Year-Long Children's Bible Club leaders who are being trained right now across India.

Check our Featured Links Section for more details about the Children's Bible Clubs.

Pakistan considers anti-conversion laws; India's Christians concerned

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

India (MNN) ― Shunned and hated in Pakistan, families who suffered through torture, kidnapping and increasing pressure to convert to Islam finally fled across the border to India.

The only difference is that instead of Christian families, those on the run were Hindu. That prompted a huge cry from the Indian government on their behalf.

Officially, the government's stance is that Pakistani Hindus arriving in India are on pilgrimage. However, this week, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari waded into the fray. After being briefed on the growing problem of mass migration, he told the Sindh government to amend the Constitution and write an "anti-conversion" law.

That is raising some alarms. Pakistan already has a "blasphemy" law which is frequently used to settle personal scores with Christians. Even though a new anti-conversion bill is supposed to protect minority religions, that's not how it's often enforced.  

On top of that, Dave Stravers with Grand Rapids, Michigan-basedMission India says if Pakistan comes up with its own "anti-conversion" law, it sets a precedent that neighboring states in India are likely to follow. Additionally, some Hindu leaders have grown more aware of the fast growth of Christians, especially in light of the Dalit Awakening in 2001. 

"They're worried that their culture is being eroded and their political influence, their power, is being eroded. So they want to stop it." 

Though India's constitution provides full religious freedom of worship and witness for all religions, there remains opposition. The rise of Hindutva extremism -- "India is Hindu only" -- resulted in hate campaigns against Christians and Muslims.

"Any law proposed in any India state will affect Christians first," Stravers notes. Harsh anti-conversion regulations in at least five states have done little to placate Hindu extremists. In many districts, the laws are often loosely worded and widely open to interpretation.  

In smaller villages, Christians are given a choice: reconvert to Hinduism, leave the village, or face death. The risk of violent mobs and riots exploding into days of rampage is high. Simmering tensions are threatening to explode with the smallest twitch. Stravers agrees, "Inter-religious conflict and inter-ethnic conflict in this (border) region is often violent.... It causes a lot of fear."

Yet, oppression has done little to stem the flow of the Gospel. Stravers marvels, "Christian workers have such a great deal of courage in the face of opposition." Pray that despite the intimidation and violence in many of India's states, Christians will unashamedly preach the Gospel.

Extremists teach children to pray against Bible Clubs in India

Mission Network News: "India (MNN) ― There's a saying that goes: '"Imitation is the sincerest (form) of flattery."

In this case, it's a new twist to Gospel work in India. President of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India, Dave Stravers, explains, "The Bible Club ministry is so effective that Hindu leaders in this area are trying to copy it by forming their own clubs for children: they're forming Hindu clubs.""

Read more...

A ministry team employs an unusual strategy in India

India (MNN) ― Disruptive violence against evangelists, pastors, and church gatherings continues to occur on a monthly basis in India, usually where the Christians live and work in remote or rural areas.

Mainly, the troublemakers are organized by extremist Hindu organizations who believe that those belonging to other faiths have no place in India and should be forced to leave.

According to Open Doors, it is likely that there's a higher degree of persecution because of the success Christianity is having among the low castes and untouchables, or Dalits. It means a loss of influence and power to Hindu leaders.

With the likelihood of rising oppression, Dave Stravers with Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India asks, "How do you engage in this battle in a way that will break down the barriers and enable people to understand what Jesus can mean for their life?"

India's secularism may be critical to answering that question. Stravers explains that "India has never been more open to the Gospel than now. The growth of churches has really stirred up some of these activists. We have a ministry in India that's doing this in a really effective way, and it seems to completely disarm the opponents."

Their strategy is unusual, Stravers admits. "How can you use children to fight a spiritual battle? That's the question." That's especially important when you consider that for the average family helped by Mission India, grinding poverty is a major problem. 40% of India's population under five is malnourished; a staggering 72% of Indian children never attend high school, and there are 60 million child laborers.

You start with education. Mission India has Bible Clubs and many other programs that build on relationship in the community. "There are literally tens of thousands of Christian volunteers that want to do this. They go every day, two hours a day, and  they get this relationship with the kids and then with their parents. We have many converts, and in most cases, we end up with a new church."

Teachers that run the clubs are trained from the local churches. Mission India provides all of the materials and training. Stravers says they're not shy about who they are and what they're about. Even so, "Hindu and Muslim parents are very willing for their children to attend these clubs because they know Christians have a reputation for education, and they know their kids need this kind of help if they're going to succeed in school."

So, when word gets out that a club is starting, there's immediately a throng of eager participants. "Children come after school to meet in a location. A Christian teacher from some nearby church tutors them in their lessons, leads them in some games, tells Bible stories, helps with learning memory verses, and sings songs." Most of these kids take their new material home, sing the songs, and otherwise live out the lessons they're learning. On more than one occasion, says Stravers, that has resulted in the parents coming to Christ, too.

Even though Christians are bracing for increasing persecution in the future, that's having very little effect on the zeal following this program. "The demand is four or five times what we can provide. It only costs a dollar to bring a child through one of our 10-Day Clubs." Stravers goes on to say they have to turn away thousands of churches for lack of funding, which supports training and resourcing.

However, their teams can't afford to stop. A future body of Christ hangs in the balance. "India has 350 million children under the age of 14, more than the entire population of the United States. The remarkable thing is that it's the Hindu children and the Muslim children who are the most eager to participate."

Learn more on our homepage in the Featured Links Section.

Karnataka Christians most targeted in India

India (MNN) ― Karnataka State is one of the most dangerous places in India for Christians, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India's (EFI) annual report.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to sole power in May 2008, anti-Christian attacks increased in the state and continue steadily increasing every year, according to the EFI. However, harassment doesn't always come in the form of violence. It is often subversive and emotionally draining.

Don Edwards, a spokesman with Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India, shares one case involving a group of their partners. "Two and a half years ago, we had a training going on in the same state of Karnataka where all the trouble is happening today. 10 of our partners were arrested, thrown in jail, and then released on bond waiting for a court hearing."

In late 2010, there was faint hope that a judge would throw out the Karnataka case in which the team was accused of "inciting communal violence and bribing people to become Christians" in August 2009 during a 3-day training session for the Children's Bible Club program.

The partners have to travel back to Karnataka to appear before the court to answer the charges. The months of delay, while not a direct threat, intimidates through inconvenience and expense.

Edwards says, "They have to drop everything and show up at the court at least once a month. That's been going on now for two and a half years. Every time they show up,at court, the court case is postponed. It's quite an act of harassment."

Once again, the team arrived in Karnataka on Thursday, January 19. "There was another court hearing. It was postponed for another five days. The court hearing has now been postponed until next Tuesday, January 24. We certainly would appreciate any prayers from those who would remember Mission India's ministry, especially in the state of Karnataka."

The charges they face could be determined under India's Penal Code, Section 295-A which reads, in part: the offense is "deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs."   

While legal protections against violations of religious freedom exist in India, corruption impacts how the laws are enforced, a fact noted by the U.S. State Department. Edwards notes, "It could be interpreted any way by the judge and whoever is the political power broker in the state at the time. That particular crime of 'intending to outrage religious feelings' is punishable by imprisonment for three years, or a fine, or both."

The accusations are false: the team was sleeping at the time they were arrested, so they could not have been inciting communal violence. "That's just one of the charges leveled against this particular group and often is leveled against people when they're attacked by Hindu fundamentalists and the government arrests the Christians rather than those who are committing the violence."

There is openness to the Gospel, and the church is growing. Edwards urges you to pray "that this case would be dismissed and these Christians would no longer be harassed simply because they  were conducting training for Christians to share the Gospel."

Mission India has long waiting lists of people who want to participate in their literacy program, Bible Club, and other outreach programs. Growth is only limited by resources, however. Here are links to help Mission India move forward.

India marks a bloody 3-year anniversary

India (MNN) ― This week, thousands of Christians marked the third anniversary of the mass violence in Orissa State, India.

During the pogrom, Hindu extremists brutally murdered at least 100 Christians, raped and pillaged 300 houses of worship and burned 5,000 homes. The riots also led to the displacement of over 56,000 Christians.

Dave Stravers with Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission Indiasays while the buildings are no longer ablaze, the scars remain. "The overt violence is not continuing, except now in isolated cases. In several of the places, the villages are still empty. People have not returned to their homes; they're permanent refugees because it's just not safe for them to go back."

Hindu nationalists named the anniversary of the attacks (which began August 23, 2008) as the day of "Protection of Religion." They handed out leaflets that reminded Hindus that their faith is under attack by Christians. Stravers says the plan to eliminate Christians is not surprising. "Over the last year, persecution has probably worsened from what it was just a couple of years ago all over the country. We feel that it's a confirmation of all the reports that we hear from all over India of people coming to Christ."

These nationals represent a militant action in a secular country, but it's not one to be discounted, says Stravers. "It's a small minority of people who are concerned that, for the first time in history, their traditional religious beliefs are being challenged. People are getting new hope. They're hearing the good news about Jesus and they're open."

According to Stravers, the same group is trying to get the anti-conversion laws implemented in more than the half dozen states that already have them. "There have been members of Parliament in the capital that have advocated nationwide anti-conversion legislation. This has not gained any massive support among the politicians."

Stravers explains that the laws that are in existence are not enforced uniformly, but they do cause disruption among their workers. In fact, just two weeks ago, "Fifteen people were baptized, and they were all arrested. The person who baptized them was arrested. They were charged with violating the law. They were in jail for a couple of days, then released on bail. Their case has not been settled. "

Stravers adds d that "this kind of intimidation and harassment is intended to discourage people who are considering Christ." Still, "It's not stopping the movement at all' in fact, we see the response to Christianity accelerating. The general population is all very open to the Gospel."

Their ministry comes alongside church leaders with training to help them not only share the hope of Christ, but also plant churches and disciple new believers.

Children's Bible Clubs are also fast becoming the foundation of ministry due to the 4/14 Window, a time when a child between the ages of 4 and 14 is most open and responsive to the Gospel.
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