New believers persecuted for faith

Remember to pray for
 those who are persecuted.

South Asia (GFA/MNN) ― Last year, 100 million believers worldwide suffered persecution for their faith, many of them living in South Asia, according to the Open Doors World Watch List. Six of the countries in which Gospel for Asia missionaries work are listed in the top 40 countries where persecution is most intense.

For men, women, and children in these countries, following Christ often means being fired from jobs, disowned by families, beaten, imprisoned, or even sentenced to death. They stand firm in their faith, declaring Jesus to be worth all their suffering.

Gospel for Asia missionary Dipal ministers in an area dominated by devout followers of a traditional Asian religion. There are three temples in just one village he visits.

The strict religiosity did not keep Dipal from sharing the love of Christ with the villagers, though. Many of them were interested in the literature Dipal gave to them, and they invited him to teach them more about Jesus.

After hearing the Word of God, 15 families decided to follow the Lord and publicly proclaim their decision.

One young man, Rebanta, who had been ill for the previous six months passed away shortly after he chose to embrace God’s love.

“Why did you all become Christians?” the more extreme religious villagers asked Rebanta’s family. “You lost your son because you became a Christian.”

The fanatic group would not stop at voicing their disapproval. They interrupted the burial service and would not let the family bury their son because that act would betray their religious traditions.

Finally, Rebanta’s family gave in to the pressure. They cremated Rebanta instead of burying him, according to the practice of their ancestors. The family doesn’t spend time with other believers anymore, and they no longer go to church. Ultimately, they decided against following Jesus.

Some of the fanatics threatened Dipal, too, and warned him against coming to their village. Dipal continues to visit the community, despite the threats. He encourages the believers with prayer.

While some of the other new believers were shaken by the opposition, they remain unmoved. They said they will follow Christ until they die.

As persecution happens all around us, pray that our brothers and sisters in Christ will continue to stand firm in their faith. Pray that families in Christ will not be shaken by the pressure of others.

GFA-supported church leader released from wrongful imprisonment

Believers honored Pastor Samuel with flowers
 following his release. (Image courtesy of GFA)

India (GFA/MNN) ― After spending 8 years in prison under false charges, a pastor supported by Gospel for Asia (GFA) is finally free.

Jharkhand, India, is home to thousands of insurgent Maoists fighting for communist control. After a vicious fight that left 19 policemen dead, authorities were on the lookout for rebels behind the attacks. Thinking they found one in 2004, the supposed insurgent was arrested and put in prison.

But the man authorities arrested wasn't a rebel: he was a GFA-supported missionary named Samuel. Though believers did everything they could to get Samuel released, days dragged into years.

Fast-forward to 2010: Pastor Samuel was officially cleared of all charges. But national strikes and more delayed court hearings kept him behind bars. He was unable to return to his wife and 8-year old daughter.

"I was totally depressed in this situation, but the Lord helped me to realize He has a special plan for me to be in the prison," Samuel wrote.

"The Lord is helping me to share the love of Jesus with the prisoners. Through my ministry, I see the transformation that is happening in the lives of the prisoners."

Instead of sulking, Samuel kept sharing the Gospel with fellow prisoners. He soon gained the trust and appreciation of jail authorities. Through Pastor Samuel's influence, many inmates found new hope in Christ.

Pray that these new believers would grow in their relationship with Christ.

GFA trains, equips, and sends out national missionaries throughout Asia to reach their people for Christ. You can learn more about their program and sponsor a national missionary here. Now that he's free, Pastor Samuel intends to keep sharing the Good News.

"Many of our missionaries face extremely difficult and unexpected circumstances," says GFA President K.P. Yohannan. "But they know these are normal challenges for servants of God working in such unreached areas where the powers of darkness are so strong.

"These missionaries are willing to face these unexplainable circumstances and continue on. And God is blessing their sacrifice."

Pray for national missionaries facing persecution in India. Ask God to comfort and strengthen them and their families.

Ethnic and communal violence spreads fear throughout India

Assam violence (File photo courtesy of Gospel For Asia)

India (MNN) ― The beauty of India's Assam state is belied by its bloody history.

Ethnic and religious violence in that region has forced the military to respond and impose a curfew after days of rioting.

At least 50 died and hundreds were injured in the clashes that lasted a week and a half--clashes between Muslim settlers and the Hindu-leaning Bodos. The Bodos are one part of three larger indigenous secessionist movements.  

Although the issues that lead to conflict are complex, Danny Punnose with Gospel For Asia simplifies what's been going on there. "There's always tribal fighting between tribes, or land disputes. This is a very common thing up in the northeast part of India in those areas. But the violence is getting a little more severe where people are actually being killed and there's rioting happening. So the army has been called out to give a sense of security, but also a sense of protection."

Stories of Muslim-Hindu violence spread like wildfire through social media outlets, which also sparked panic that led to days of more rioting. Government officials had been trying to encourage people to ignore the inflammatory stories, to no avail. Punnose goes on to say that "there are rumors that violence is going to break out there because there are lots of Assamese workers and students down in the south." As the trouble had been escalating and spreading, thousands who were from the Northeast fled the southern city of Bangalore last week.

Nearly 400,000 people are in makeshift camps, displaced by the escalating fighting. In the meantime, curfews have been imposed in some areas. "Everything [comes] to a standstill. It's the only way to contain certain elements of the violence," says Punnose, adding that  those who violate curfew risk their lives. "They think that you are part of the underground, or the underground thinks you're part of the army, so you're caught in the crossfire."

In some areas, curfews have been relaxed to certain hours. Although the violence seems to have calmed somewhat, it would take very little to ignite uprisings. Issues are deeply polarizing. Punnose says until the uneasy calm can be trusted, much of their work is also at a standstill.

Solutions won't easily be reached, he goes on to say. "It's very, very deeply ingrained. It's not just the caste system: it's tribal, and it's land. It's so many levels of the dynamics of this, and then you've got violence and you've got strikes."

GFA is asking for prayer. "Pray for the leaders of the nation to have wisdom to know how to handle this. You're not talking about people just being upset with each other. This is thousands of years of ingrained prejudice and animosity and anger."

Although their teams can't get out, Punnose says they are readying themselves for response. "Pray that God would give us opportunities to share the love of Christ, whether it's praying for people or counseling people, or maybe it's relief work to help people get back on their feet."

75 dead from ethnic riots

India (MNN) ― Ethnic rioting between the Bodo tribespeople and Muslims in the Indian state of Assam has left 75 dead and 500 villages in ashes.

The attacks started a month ago on July 6 after a Muslim man in Assam was shot and killed.

Since then, a leader from each group has been killed. Four Bodo people were found brutally murdered by machetes.

The feud between the immigrant Muslims and the Bodo tribespeople runs deep over land disputes in Northeastern India. But such violence from the feud is now at a new level.

Gospel for Asia (GFA) calls the violence in Assam a “major national crisis.”

400,000 villagers in Assam have fled for their lives. 235 relief camps have been set up for displaced people.

Several GFA churches for Bodo Christians have been destroyed. On top of that, rioters have also devastated 15 believers’ homes.

GFA has around 60 congregations in a danger zone where violence is occurring. They also have 70 missionaries in the region.

Compassion Services through GFA are working to bring aid relief to displaced villagers and victims. As they bring the aid, GFA says they are seeking to give people the hope of Christ in this time of trial.

The ethnic rioting piggybacks on flooding that hit the Bodo region earlier. GFA missionaries are still helping many recover from both disasters. They ask for prayer.

Please pray for the safety of Christians and villagers in Assam. Pray for peace to come to the region.

Good news in missionary abduction case

(Images courtesy of Gospel For Asia.
 Cover photo of church, Story photo of Assam map.)

India (GFA/MNN) ―Kidnapping, threats, terror, and ransom demands: all part of a typical action movie.

In this case, it was only too real for Gospel For Asiamissionary Ponnachan George.

Kidnapped at gunpoint on July 23 from the Bible school campus operated by Gospel for Asia, the terrorists released him on Sunday, July 29. GFA founder and president K.P. Yohannan says in Assam, India, "The chance of him coming out alive was actually a very small percentage. It's a real miracle. The local police, the state government, all authorities, and even the Central Government...everyone got involved."

GFA also broke with its usual low-profile policy for the protection of the victim in such cases as the Indian news media begins to report on George's abduction. With concerns that the attention from national press may further endanger his life, believers prayed more urgently. Yohannan explains, "When you go public with it, then they will say, 'If anybody talks about it, then for sure, without the ransom we're looking for,  we'll just kill him."

God answered in a big way, says Yohanna. "Finally, after almost a week, [George] was released. Of course, blindfolded, his hands tied back, left on the roadside" -- and without the huge ransom they demanded!  

There's only one reason this situation ended well. Initially, when word of the kidnapping occurred, GFA sent out an emergency e-mail to its supporters urgently soliciting prayer for the safe release of George. The mission agency maintains a policy of non-negotiation with terrorists for money. Although this was the riskiest case, in other instances GFA has relied solely on prayer and fasting, and God has answered through miraculous releases before.

Interestingly, Yohannan says the entire local police force, army personnel, and high-level officials--both from the state and federal governments and even the Prime Minister--got involved in the case. Not only that, but the main extremist groups, known for employing this method of operation, distanced themselves from the action, too. "Most of these leaders came forward to the media and said, 'None of these groups have done it. It's some splinter group that lives in the deep of the forests that is doing this.' That kind of support, even from the ex-terrorists, was quite a surprise."

Shortly after the release, Yohannan spoke with Pastor Ponnachan and asked him to share his thoughts during captivity. Overcome, he wept for a long time, unable to say much. "Finally he said, 'I thought about Christ suffering on the Cross, and I said to myself, 'I came here as Jesus came from Heaven to suffer and give His life. It's a one-way ticket my leaders gave me to be here to serve God."

George thanked God and the Body of Christ for the massive fasting and prayer that took place on his behalf. Yohannan added that George had surrendered his life to the Lord. "'This is the end of the journey. Fine, Lord.' This kind of statement makes me weep and say, 'Lord, thank You. This is a real life and a real call.'"

The pastor knew his life on hanging on a slender thread. The terrorists blindfolded him and tied his hands behind his back. They forced him to walk for hours deep into the forest to their hideout. Throughout Ponnachan's entire ordeal, his captors repeatedly told him they were going to shoot him and would not spare him.

In the end, God's direct intervention through the collective voices calling for his safe return held sway.  Pastor Ponnachan's work with GFA has done a lot of good for a lot of people: schools, literacy programs, training, water wells, and many other community development projects. 

Yohannan says, "This leader provides us 300 missionaries, 200 parishes or churches, some 4,000 children at our Bridge of Hope centers, and three radio broadcasts."

Could there be another attack coming? It's possible, because the area is volatile. However, Yohannan says, that won't deter their team. The strength behind their team's faith in Christ and love for the needy was stronger than ever on Sunday. "When they released him, all our workers, all our leaders, continued to stay there--they didn't run away. [They spent the night] there and regrouped and declared, 'We are here for life. We're not going anywhere.'"

Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org) is a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to serving the needy in word and deed to demonstrate the love of Jesus in developing countries in Asia. 

GFA-supported national missionaries are seeing incredible fruit in the lives of people to whom they are proclaiming the Love of Jesus Christ. Although they often risk persecution, these missionaries boldly carry on, counting it a privilege to suffer for Christ.

Gospel for Asia has 67 Bible colleges throughout South Asia, where thousands of men and women are studying God's Word and undergoing intensive training in preparation for ministry. 

Most of the Bible college graduates will go on to minister in areas where the love of Christ has never been proclaimed.

2012 brings push for bill that could protect India's Christians

India (MNN) ― Christians in India celebrated Christmas under the threat of violence. While there were isolated incidents reported, nothing on the scale of the Orissa pogrom of 2008 emerged.

Despite relief, they've begun this year with a push toward passing the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill 2011.

Government reports show more than 6,000 incidents of communal violence were reported in India in the past ten years. That's a pattern that's likely to continue.  KP Yohannann with Gospel for Asia says, "Personally, I don't expect this to change because more and more, people are choosing to follow Christ."

   

He goes on to say that, "Our people are facing persecution. Even recently, people walking into Sunday morning service, disrupting it, and attacking the missionaries and the pastors, threatening Christian families to renounce their faith." But he adds, "It is not as widespread as it was."

Some areas are more volatile than others. "Orissa has been, for years, what you call a 'boiling pot.' Whether the government is BJP or Congress, it seems that the fundamentalists seem to have a tremendous amount of network established."

In Kandhamal district, anti-Christians called for a general strike that would "Stop Christmas." GFA workers were worried that riots would erupt. Many fled their villages and took refuge in surrounding areas.

It's the same area that was most severely persecuted in the attacks against Christians in 2008. Throughout Orissa, more than 120 men, women, and children were murdered, and hundreds of homes and churches were destroyed.

These concerns are why the All India Christian Council (AICC) is pushing for the Bill to be presented to Parliament soon. It was drafted by the National Advisory Council and is now with the Union government.

Religious minorities and many members of civil society support it as a way to curb communal violence and bring justice to the victims. The problem, Yohannan says, is that, "People use religion, especially of the illiterate, innocent people, as a means to capture political ground and power. Religious fanaticism always is used by the crafty politicians to get power."

But it's really bigger than politics, Yohannan points out. Because GFA workers are tirelessly sharing the hope of Christ, people are coming to faith in Him. That means the opposition isn't so much extremists. "It's a really strong spiritual warfare. I think the strongest weapon we can use against this thing is prayer and fasting. Then, as Hebrews says, 'Come alongside the suffering brethren, and love them, embrace them, help them.'"

Passage of the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill would protect some of the more vulnerable populations. However, Yohannan says this is not merely a political issue. "These communities, Muslim communities, Hindu and all, I think more and more people will come to know Jesus Christ, no matter what."

  

Pray for the believers in Orissa, that they will not fear and will remain strong in the Lord during this time. Pray that they will be lights shining in the darkness and that the Lord will protect them.

Nepal's government makes promises for a new future...again

Nepal (MNN) ― Thousands of former Maoist rebels are going home. A truce between political parties was the catalyst to talks on how to restructure Nepal.

The rebel stand down is significant considering the elections in 2008 yielded not one, but five coalition governments.

Yet, no constitution to govern the country is in place. Nepal's Constituent Assembly failed to meet its own deadlines for a draft time and again. Lawmakers amended the interim Constitution and gave themselves another allowance. 

Danny Punnose with Gospel For Asia says it's the last one. "What's happened so far is there's been deadlock for years now. The Supreme Court and others have given extensions, and now it's to the place where if they don't get this first draft even written, the present government will be dissolved." The deadline now to write the Constitution is May 30. 

After that, if nothing is in place, "You go back to no one leading the country, which is kind of a dangerous thing right now." 

The uncertainty has neighboring countries jittery, especially in light of the chaos that comes with lack of leadership. 

Punnose explains, "Usually, when people get scared and things get out of hand, what happens is the first default option is a strike or a national shutdown of everything. It does cause transportation difficulty. Prices and goods go up. Our people can't travel to the churches and things like that."

Aside from the crisis of government, another issue cropped up. According to a report from Compass Direct News, days before the deadline, the Nepal Defense Army (NDA)--a militant armed group that has terrorized Christians and Muslims--set off an explosive in front of a charity office, attacked preachers, and razed a church building.  

Christians are often scapegoats in times of uncertainty. However, that won't stop Gospel teams from working. They're more concerned with the possibility that Nepal's Maoist political party will call a bandh--a strike enforced by threats of violence.

The last time Maoists called a bandh, they threatened to continue it until they had complete control of the government. To that threat, Punnose says, "I think what we find is that they don't want to write the draft, because then whatever they write as adding into freedoms of faith and those kinds of things, they have to stand by it. It's easier to put it off than to actually uphold what you know you have to do."

A bandh makes it impossible for Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries to work. Church services are also cancelled.

"We need to pray that God would give wisdom and grace to these political leaders to be able to write this constitution and then uphold what they've written," says Punnose. Pray also that "when they write, there would be freedom of faith within the constitution."

Elected officials say Maoists are stalling and blocking any attempt to create legislation. Gospel for Asia leaders in Nepal are asking for prayer. "Pray for the country as a whole, that there wouldn't be a lockdown or a strike that just shuts down everything, because it does hinder the ministry from going forward."

Punnose also asks for prayer that the citizens of Nepal would have true freedom of religion and that the country would not turn back to its old system of having a national faith. "Pray for the protection of Gospel for Asia workers, plus the others what are working there, that God would protect them."

Prayer over sick child results in attack, beating

Mission Network News: "Asia (MNN) ― A missionary supported by Gospel For Asia was recently attacked by a 50-person mob while praying over a sick child in an undisclosed Asian nation.

The missionary, Matthew Kishard, serves as a pastor in a small village. He was distributing tracts in a neighboring village when a family asked him to come and pray for their child who had fallen ill."

Read more...

A Captive Audience

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

These prisoners are reading Gospel literature for probably the first time.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- Pastor Anek and his team of Bible college students had been praying long and hard for the opportunity to share Christ’s love at the jail in their area. God answered their prayer when, at long last, local authorities gladly extended an invitation for the Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries to visit.

On the day of the event, 1,200 prisoners and their superintendents filled t
he conference hall. Although Pastor Anek and his team weren’t permitted to speak directly from God’s Word, they effectively communicated the Gospel through skits, traditional dances and Bible stories. The event also incorporated food and games.

The prisoners and guards were captivated throughout the entire message; there was no disturbance of any kind, and everyone stayed until the end. The presence of the Lord was evident.

The jail superintendents thanked the team when the day was done, and Pastor Anek is now even more eager to bring Christ’s love to the prisoners.

Pastor Anek asks for prayer for more opportunities to reach out to the prisoners and for the Lord to work in their hearts so they can be saved.

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Read about a pastor who ministers behind bars.www.gfa.org/news/articles/missionary-ministers-to-inmates-while-behind-bars/
Learn about other ways Bible college students serve!www.gfa.org/news/articles/bible-college-students-clean/

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Imprisonment Didn't Deter Pastor's Ministry

According to OneNewsNow.com, a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor in South Asia was recently released from prison after serving 17 months for being falsely accused of being part of an insurgent terrorist group. But Roshan Kuma made the most of his time behind bars. "While he was in prison, he was actually sharing the gospel with all the inmates," said GFA spokesman Daniel Punnose. "And so he was kind of doing prison ministry while being in prison. And by God's grace, a lot of the prisoners were able to give their hearts to Christ because of his testimony." Punnose explained that the prison conditions were poor and many prisoners were difficult to handle, so the fact that Kuma endured and effectively presented the gospel to them was an "indication of his character." Despite his imprisonment, his church of about 100 members continued to grow during his absence.

Pastor Takes a Beating, Remains Joyful

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

Kavi is one of many who have experienced hardships for Christ’s sake. This pastor endured the brutal anti-Christian attacks that took place in Orissa, India, in 2008.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- Gospel for Asia-supported pastor Kavi Das, who serves in a volatile region in South Asia, endured a harsh beating while sharing the love of Christ with his neighbors. The unprovoked attack came without warning from a man Kavi was speaking to.

Kavi is doing well and is on the mend. The local GFA leader visited the pastor to encourage him in his ministry.

Kavi isn’t new to persecution. He has faced threats for showing films about Jesus, also, along with actively proclaiming the saving grace of God.  

“For the sake of the Gospel, he has gone through a lot of opposition and scary situations in his life,” said a GFA field correspondent.

Even with all the persecution, Kavi remains joyful as he thinks about the way the Lord will continue to grow his ministry in the coming days.

Please keep Kavi—and all the other national missionaries facing inevitable persecution—in your prayers.


 

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Believers face persecution in all forms, even after death.

http://www.gfa.org/news/articles/believers-burial-wishes-enrage-villagers/

A group of Bible college students were attacked by a mob out for blood.

http://www.gfa.org/news/articles/prayer-sought-for-students-missionary-attacked-while-sharing-the-gospel/

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Two Mission Church Buildings Destroyed

Gospel for AsiaFor Immediate Release
SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- One Gospel for Asia-supported missionary suffered an attack on his church building, and another missionary saw his church building destroyed this summer.

Church Vandalized

Dozens of churches, like the one shown here, have been destroyed by extremists in Orissa, India. The latest incident occurred during the first week of August.

The first incident occurred on June 25. When pastor Chandan Dutta showed up to lead worship the next day, he noticed that all the windows in the church were destroyed. The door was also damaged where the vandals attempted to break in.

Chandan reported the incident to the local police, but they have yet to identify the culprits.

 This was not the first challenge to Chandan's ministry. In 2009 he was confronted by an angry mob of 200 people who took him to a nearby religious temple, accused him of forcing people to convert to Christianity and demanded he answer numerous questions about his activities. The incident happened after Chandan passed out some Gospel tracts. During the lengthy illegal trial at the temple, Chandan shared the Gospel, explaining the love of Jesus as outlined in Psalm 23 and the book of John.

 His accusers let him go that day, but warned him not to preach the Gospel or hand out any more tracts. In spite of their harsh treatment, many people continue turning to Christ as a result of Chandan's ministry.

 He is asking for prayer that his opponents won't interfere with the ministry, but instead, will fully comprehend God's love for them. He is also asking for prayer that he will be able to relocate his parsonage next to the church so that he can better guard the building.
Another Church Destroyed in Orissa

Another church in Orissa, India has been destroyed. This time, it was in an area about 200 miles northeast of Kandhamal, where much of the violence against Christians raged in 2008.

The destruction of the church was believed to be directed by a local anti-Christian leader with strong ties to the traditional faith of the area. His anti-Christian rebel group was angry that people from different castes were meeting together for worship. The church building was constructed on land donated by a Dalit ("Untouchable")  man, which also angered the anti-Christian group. This particular group holds fast to the tradition of segregation based on caste, although that system was outlawed more than 60 years ago.

 The leaders of GFA's ministry in Orissa ask for prayer for the believers who lost their church to remain unified and devoted to the Lord. They are also asking for wisdom and provision to rebuild the church building.

 Orissa is a difficult state for missionaries. In 2008, this same anti-Christian rebel group went on a rampage after their leader was murdered. They killed hundreds of Christians and burned down thousands of churches, homes and businesses owned by believers.

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See how GFA-supported missionaries are helping rebuild Orissa.

http://www.gfa.org/persecution/rebuild-orissa/

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

In Hiding from His Own Family

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

Rasul was able to escape before his family members could beat him, but this believer was not so fortunate. When his father found out he was going to church, he beat him and threatened to kill him.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" -Ps. 27:1 (NKJV)

His heart pounding, Rasul Gupta hurried into hiding to escape from angry family members who wanted to beat him. What did they have against him? He chose to follow Christ.

A few months ago, Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Pallab Singh met Rasul, a member of the Brahmin caste, and the two struck up a conversation. As they talked, Pallab had the opportunity to share about how Jesus had touched his life.

 He also explained the Gospel to his new friend. After thinking about Pallab's words, Rasul ended up deciding to surrender his life to the Lord. At the church where Pallab serves as pastor, Rasul testified that he wanted to follow Jesus, and he joined the congregation.

But his new faith sparked frustration from his family members. Staunchly devoted to their traditional religion, his parents, in-laws and even his wife chastised Rasul for his decision to serve Christ. Like many other Brahmins, they believe any connection with Christianity, which is often considered a low-caste religion, would make them impure.

On July 25, Rasul's family members told him he must deny Christ and stop attending the church. His father-in-law and his uncle planned to beat him. Thankfully, Rasul was able to flee and find refuge at the home of a believer from his church.

Two days later, Rasul had the opportunity to meet the GFA regional leader, who prayed for Rasul and encouraged him to trust God.

Rasul is still staying at the fellow believer's home. His friends have gravely warned him not to return home because his whole family is waiting to torture him.

Rasul's situation is unique. Many women in South Asia face opposition from their entire families when they choose to follow Christ, it is much less common for a man to face the anger and abuse of all his family members-even his wife.

Pastor Pallab and other GFA leaders in the area request prayer for Rasul to stand firm in the Lord during this trying time and for God to protect him from harm. Also, please pray for his family members to come to know Christ very soon. 

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• Like Rasul, Namisha comes from the highest caste and suffered the rejection of relatives when she chose to follow Christ.
• Read more stories about believers who have faced persecution for their faith in Christ.

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Man Has Beef with God

The people of Kanohraj* village wanted to kill Daruka for sharing God's love until a dead cow changed their minds.

The Gospel for Asia-supported missionary often encountered hostility from the villagers when he went out to share Christ, but he remained steadfast in prayer and fasting to see the village reached.

His faithfulness paid off when he met Santosh Singh, who owned a farm with many cows. Daruka shared the Gospel with him and gave him a tract called "Heart of Man." Santosh soaked in the message of salvation in Christ, and from then on he invited Daruka to visit his home every Tuesday to pray for him and his family.

As Santosh learned more about Jesus and listened to the Word of God, the Lord opened his heart to receive Him. But when a tragic incident happened to Santosh's livestock, he began to question his newfound faith.

One by one, an unexplained disease took the lives of the cows in his herd. When the last one died, a discouraged Santosh made up his mind to turn back to his traditional religion. But when Pastor Daruka heard about the situation, he knew God Almighty could change the circumstances. So he prayed for Santosh's dead cow.

Miraculously, the Lord brought the animal back to life! Seeing this miracle, Santosh's faith quickly deepened, and he decided to put his full trust in the Lord. His entire family came to know of God's saving grace as well.

Once the people of Kanohraj found out about the miracle of the resurrected cow, they no longer sought to kill Daruka. Instead Daruka's church began to grow, and his ministry continues to flourish under God's care.

*name of village has been changed for security purposes.

• Learn how a cow can help provide for a needy family.
• Read how God answered a single mother's prayer for a cow.

House of Worship on Hold

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

The opposition of anti-Christian extremists has left the church building for Pastor Kirit's congregation unfinished.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Kirit Mistry and his congregation are facing unbending opposition from anti-Christian extremists in their village.

First, the extremists stopped the construction of the church building Kirit's congregation was erecting. Pastor Kirit and the believers need the church to be completed as soon possible, but the extremists have shut down the construction and are even preventing the Christians from meeting for prayer in the unfinished building.

To add insult to injury, the extremists started questioning other villagers about the activities that occur in the church. They are also threatening to put statues of their deities in the church building, Pastor Kirit informed a GFA correspondent.

In the face of this persecution, Pastor Kirit and the other GFA-supported missionaries in this region request prayer for the following:

-that a political leader, whom Christians in this area met with on July 5, will support the believers.
-that God will change the hearts of the anti-Christian extremists, and they will put their faith in Him.
-that the church building will be finished soon.
-that the Lord will protect the pastors, missionaries and believers in this area.

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• Find out how you can be praying for church buildings in South Asia.
• Read about other believers in South Asia who have been facing persecution.

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Their Changed Lives Landed Him in Jail; Their Testimonies Freed Him

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

GFA-supported missionary Murli Ghulam is shown with his wife and children. He was arrested while conducting a prayer meeting. The testimonies of those who came to know the Lord through him helped him get released from jail.

SOUTH ASIA (ANS) -- Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Murli Ghulam was released from prison, but he is restricted from traveling outside his own village. Additional details about Murli's ministry and the events leading to his release are also being reported.

Murli was arrested on July 2 as he was leading a prayer meeting in a believer's home and charged with bribing and forcing people to convert to Christianity. The charge was brought by anti-Christian extremists in his village. Murli lives in an area with strict laws that make it difficult to share the love of Jesus with people from the area's traditional religions. These statutes, which are often used as a basis of arresting Christian pastors, are known as "freedom of religion laws" and outline what steps must be taken to change one's faith. In some places where there are "freedom of religion laws," individuals are legally obligated to submit paperwork to the government before they are allowed to publicly follow Christ.

As a result of Murli's ministry, dozens of people have embraced the love of Christ. When this happens, it generally stirs up the anger of the local followers of the traditional faiths, who often complain about the missionary's activities to the police. This appears to be what happened to Murli.

Changes Lives Show Christ's Power
After his release, Murlie told a GFA correspondent about several dramatic answers to prayer that have occurred as part of his ministry, which may have brought the wrath of anti-Christian extremists down on him.

Sheenu Manim's Story

Sheenu Manim used to wander around her village asking every young man she met "Will you marry me?" Sheenu had a mental illness, and no one knew how to help her. In January, 2010, some people from her village brought Sheenu to Murli and asked him to pray for her. He prayed for the healing power of Jesus Christ to fall on the 25-year-old's life, and God answered his prayer. From that day on, Sheenu was in her right mind and began proclaiming the love of Christ in her village and telling everyone about His healing in her life. A group of anti-Christian extremists asked her who prayed for her healing, and she gladly told them about Murli and gave them his phone number.

Panjit Lukkise's Story

Panjit Lukkise was the target of a witchdoctor's vengeful wrath. The witchdoctor summoned evil spirits to attack Panjit with the goal of ending his life. It seemed to be working; Panji's health started to fail. The 40-year-old man went from doctor to doctor, spending all of his family's money seeking a cure. He was incredibly weak and could barely keep any food down. His health continued to go downhill. But then the family heard about Murli and carried Panjit to the missionary's doorstep. Murli cried out to God on Panjit's behalf, and this suffering man experienced full healing. He ran back to his village and shared the wonders Christ had performed in his life. Because of Panjit's testimony, 80 people chose to follow Jesus in that one village.

Sunil Andamimad's Story

Sunil Andamimad had a painful ulcer in his stomach. The ulcer perforated his stomach, and he was hospitalized and in great pain. When the doctors failed to provide any relief, Sunil begged his family to get him out of the hospital and to someone who could really help him.

"Please take me to Pastor Murli; he can heal me!" Sunil pleaded.

When Murli heard Sunil's request, he prayed and Sunil got a little better. Then Murli asked his church members to pray and fast for seven days for Sunil. At the end of that week Sunil was healed.

Jagon and Mushi Gopal's Story

Jagon and Mushi Gopal were living a nightmare. They lived in an area that was prolific with idol and spirit worship. By actively participating in these practices, the couple opened themselves to the dangers, and soon, they were personally attacked by an evil spirit. This torment continued for 10 years. Murli heard about their condition and traveled 24 miles to the couple's home just to pray for them. At the name of Jesus, the evil spirit fled and their lives have changed dramatically. Both husband and wife chose to follow Christ, and a church was started in their home. The church is growing and adding many new members each week.

Fear And Anger Over New Faith

Several local anti-Christian extremist groups were horrified at the changes they were seeing in their villages as many people abandoned their traditional religions and chose to worship Christ. They filed a police complaint charging Murli forcing people to convert to Christianity.

Murli was arrested the day after the charges were filed against him. His accusers urged the police to deny bail for Murli and keep him in jail. But Murli did not worry about the pressure.

"My Lord, whom I serve, will make a way for me to come out from jail," he said.

When they heard their pastor had been arrested, believers from several villages rushed to the jail and began telling the police their testimonies.

"Jesus has healed me."
"Jesus has blessed me."
"We ourselves willingly come to worship Him."

"Who said that Pastor Murli is changing our religion? No! He never forced me to change my religion. He just prayed and shared the Good News, which I never knew before."

They also threatened to stage a peaceful protest outside the jail until their pastor was released.

When the police heard the testimonies of these believers, they granted Murli bail, and he was released within the hour.

Murli is back teaching God's principles to an average crowd of 250 people on Sundays. Since they don't have a church building, Murli leads Sunday worship in his home.

Murli asks that you continue to pray for him, that God would protect him and his family from danger and opposition. Also pray for God's guidance and abundant grace on the pastor.

He also asks for prayer that those who brought the charges against him would embrace the love of Christ.

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• Read the original story of how Murli and another GFA-supported missionary were arrested on the same day.
• Read about other Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries who are being persecuted for the sake of the Gospel.

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

Two Missionaries Arrested

Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release

GFA-supported missionary Murli Ghulam and his family are shown here. Murli spent a day in jail after being accused of forcing people to convert to Christianity.

INDIA (ANS) -- Two Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries in India were arrested over the weekend. One was released later that same day, but the other remains behind bars.

Pastor Accused of Being Member of Rebel Group

Rahul Akkunj was arrested on July 2 and is charged with being a member of a well-known rebel group. Rahul is not part of the group. Rather, he is the pastor of a church in the village where he was arrested. The allegations came after a fasting and prayer meeting Rahul led at his church. Several villagers who heard about the event were distressed, saying that if Rahul's church continues to grow at the rate it has been, their traditional religion will be wiped out.

Rahul's district leader went to the jail on Monday and tried to post bail on his behalf, but he was refused. The local authorities told the leader the charges against Rahul were serious and he would be forced to remain in the jail until there is a court hearing.

Pastor Rahul and the people who love him are asking for prayer that the Lord will speak into the heart of the judge to rule in favor of the missionary, and that the charges against him will be dropped.

Missionary Charged with Forced Conversion

Just a few miles away, GFA-supported missionary Murli Ghulam was arrested on Saturday. He was charged with forcing people to convert to Christianity after he led a prayer meeting for 25 people at the home of a local believer.

A local anti-Christian extremist group brought police to the home. They broke up the service and arrested the missionary on the spot.

In the state where Murli and Rahul serve, there are strict laws that outline the process by which an individual is allowed to change their faith. The rules, which are officially known as "freedom of religion laws," were enacted to prevent conversion by force, fraud or allurement. The laws are said to protect those who practice traditional religions from being forced to convert to a Western faith by a pastor or missionary. In many cases, especially those involving Christianity, extremists accuse the pastor of forcing people to change their faith, even when they testify that they chose to follow Christ by their own will. In some areas, the new believers are forced to register their intention to switch faiths with the local government. There are a myriad of penalties and fines for anyone who does not follow all the rules outlined in this legislation.

Murli was questioned by local authorities about the charges leveled against him. He clearly explained that he was not forcing anyone to change their faith. He was released on Sunday.

Murli's supporters are asking for prayer that God would encourage him and help him as shares the love of God with the villagers. They also ask for prayer for wisdom and strength for the believers in this village, where Murli serves as the pastor of a local church. They are asking for prayer that they would be able to defend their faith in whatever circumstances come their way and that they would continue worshiping Jesus in spirit and in truth.

Murli and the believers in this village also asked for prayer for the salvation of those who opposed the ministry and brought the charges against the pastor.

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·         Believers in South Asia face almost constant persecution. Read about a village where the believers are denied water.

·         Viplav received healing as a result of the fervent prayer of a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary.

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Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton, Texas, involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.