Kidnapped India Christians Forced To Participate In Humiliating Hindu Temple Ritual Then Released!

More than 60 Christians who were kidnapped by extremists in Himachal Pradesh, India, on February 27 were released unharmed. However, the kidnapped Christians were forced to participate in a humiliating ceremony at a religious temple before they were released. Click here to read the news story about their release.
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We also learned today that Gospel for Asia missionary Haresh Kujur was released after being kidnapped March 1. He was conducting a youth program at his church in Assam, India, when a group of anti-Christian extremists abducted him. No other details about his release are available at this time.

Please keep both of these situations in your prayers, even as we rejoice over the release of these Christian brothers and sisters.

K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President

Himachal Pradesh Kidnapped Christians Released

Anti-Christian extremists have released the more than 60 Christians they kidnapped on February 27 in Himachal Pradesh, India. None of the Christians were harmed during their ordeal, and none were members of GFA-related churches as was previously thought. The kidnapped Christians were forced to endure a humiliating ceremony at a religious temple before the extremists gave them anti-Christian literature and let them go.

The radical group responsible for the kidnapping, while part of a system that keeps Dalits and other low castes in virtual slavery, covered their own agenda by publicly accusing Christian missionaries of trying to split the nation of India along caste lines.

This leader also falsely claimed that missionaries offered inducements to low-caste people to lure them into converting to Christianity. Himachal Pradesh’s ruling anti-Christian political party believes that keeping people in the traditional religion brings unity to the state, and ultimately to the entire country. It is reported that the group who kidnapped these Christians is affiliated with the political party.

It is not unusual for these extremists to kidnap believers and try to force them to bow before the statues that represent the country’s traditional gods. If the Christians refuse to bow, they risk being ostracized from society, which brings much shame in the Asian culture in which they live.

GFA’s correspondent is thankful for the prayers for these believers, and says that by God’s grace, they are safe. However, religious and political tensions in the area are still strong. Please pray that these Christians and others near them will trust in the Lord and not fear.

Read the original report here.

Learn more about Himachal Pradesh, where the kidnapping took place.

Gospel For Asia: Answered Prayer Amid Danger In India

One of our missionaries, Gautam Taru, is back with his family after severe threats
forced them to leave their village for a few days. The police, who previously did nothing to protect Gautam, are now actively trying to help him.Read this update on Gautam to find out more about the situation, which is far from stable.

Praise God for these answers to prayer. Please continue to lift up this brother, who is risking his safety to share the Gospel. Thank you for being part of his ministry through your prayers.

Yours for the unreached.

K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President

“We are extremely grateful for your prayers for Pastor Gautam,” wrote Gospel for Asia’s correspondent in Madhya Pradesh, India. “The situation has calmed down.”

Police have stepped in to protect GFA missionary Gautam Taru after extremist groups threatened him last month. The group told him he must leave the village within three days or face “serious consequences.” At first, police simply advised Gautam to leave the village until things settled down. Gautam sent his wife and children to stay with her
father for their protection, and he sought shelter at the GFA state office.

The anti-Christians did not leave him alone, however. They actively planned to lodge an official complaint against him, compelling many people to give false testimony against him. And three days after the original threat—the day the group said Gautam would face serious consequences—the situation looked ominous.

“Every day, the fanatic group goes to the village to inquire whether Pastor Gautam has left the place or not,” our correspondent wrote that day. “We even heard that they are preparing a person to pretend that the pastor gave him money to become a Christian.” However, now that the police have said they will protect Gautam, the situation appears to be calmer. Pastor Gautam was able to join his wife and children at his in-laws’ home. But the anti-Christian sentiment is still strong. Pastor Gautam asks for prayer for safety to continue his ministry.

Read the original report about the threats against Pastor Gautam.

Madhya Pradesh is Pastor Gautam’s home state.

Gospel For Asia: India Mother’s Prayers For Son’s Conversion And Deliverance From Anger Demons Answered!

My note: another report from the mission field that references demonic activity among the unsaved. It is good to see that Third World Christians acknowledge that demons are real and spiritual warfare and deliverance are real and tangible necessities, not things to be dealt with indirectly or referred to metaphorically or in abstraction as do many western “civilized and educated” fundamentalist and evangelical Christians.

The first time Dhanjoy read a Bible was at a Gospel for Asia Bible college. There, his life would change forever. Read his story–and learn how his transformation was the answer to his mother’s prayers–here.

Thank
you so much for your prayers for people like Dhanjoy to have a chance
to hear the Gospel. Truly, you are making an impact for eternity.

 

Yours for the unreached,K.P. Yohannan Founder & President

02/05/2008: A Mother’s Prayers - Gospel for Asia

“Lord, please change my whole family as you have changed my life,” Meena Patni earnestly prayed. Meena had found peace and joy she never expected after a pastor told
her about Jesus. Delivered from a life of spirit worship and bondage to
demons, Meena’s hope was that her family would find salvation
too—especially her son Dhanjoy, who was difficult to handle. Dhanjoy had grown up among people whose only hope in life was to
appease the anger of evil spirits. He was a mischievous boy, and he
fought with his father and brother. He would even grab and pull his
mother’s hair or throw his sandal into the food she was cooking. Meena
desperately wanted her son to grow up knowing the love of Jesus, and
she prayed for him often.

She began to see the answer to her prayers when Gospel for Asia
missionary Benjamin Masih visited their home. For the first time,
Dhanjoy—who was by then a teenager—listened to the Gospel message. When
Benjamin invited Dhanjoy to visit a GFA Bible college, he agreed. Dhanjoy attended an introductory class at the Bible college,
intended for young men such as himself who had been introduced to the
Gospel but didn’t yet know the Lord. During the weeks he was there,
stories of Jesus’ life deeply touched him, as did reading the Bible for
the first time. Dhanjoy gave his life to Christ there at the college.

Soon, Dhanjoy received a phone call from his father with the news
that he had passed his college exams and could look for a job. But by
that time, Dhanjoy desired to stay and study at the Bible college. He
stayed for two months, then went home for his brother’s wedding. During this visit, Meena was overjoyed to see her son again and
witness the changes that had taken place in his life. Dhanjoy shared
his new faith with his family members who did not yet know Christ.

Now, Dhanjoy is a Bible college graduate serving the Lord full-time
in the mountainous Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. He has faced
opposition several times from anti-Christian groups, but he continues
faithfully. Dhanjoy asks for prayer that many people will receive salvation
through his ministry, and especially that his brother and father will
choose to follow the Lord. 

Read about an exciting outreach in Jammu and Kashmir.   Jammu and Kashmir is a beautiful state in North India.   Read the story of another man whose mother’s prayers impacted his life.

 Jammu, Kashmir

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Gospel For Asia: Christian Missionary Attacked On Train In India

Can you imagine boarding a plane and being attacked by other passengers because you
were a Christian? Arun faced this terrifying situation when he shared his faith with another passenger on a train in Haryana, India.Learn more about Haryana, the Indian state where Arun serves, here.

May your faith be strengthened as you read this powerful story of Arun’s willingness to suffer for Christ. Please keep Gospel for Asia’s missionaries in your prayers. Opposition like this is a daily fact of life for many of them.

Yours for the unreached,

K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President

As the train pulled out of the station and bumped down the track, Gospel for Asia native missionary Arun Brajendra found his seat. Striking up a conversation with another passenger, he saw an opportunity to share the love of Jesus. So, with a Gospel booklet in
his hand, he began outlining the steps to becoming a follower of Christ. Little did he know that he was about to pay a great price for obeying the Lord’s call on his life.

Arun grew up in a nominal Christian family, but in August of 1997 he wholeheartedly gave his life to the Lord. He soon answered a call on his life to full-time ministry and left his secular job to travel with an evangelistic group across India.

During this time, Arun read an article about missionary Graham Stanes and his two sons who were burned to death by anti-Christian extremists. Challenged by this missionary’s dedication, Arun felt the Lord calling him to serve regardless of the cost. So, he enrolled in
Bible college to further prepare himself for ministry. Following graduation from the GFA Bible college, Arun went to serve in Haryana, India. As he boarded the train that day, Arun looked for someone who needed Christ. He began discussing the Gospel message with the person sitting next to him.

Out of nowhere, some of the other passengers jumped up and began beating Arun. They were anti-Christian extremists and had been listening in on his conversation. Tearing his clothes and destroying his Gospel literature, the extremists kept attacking Arun until he fell to the floor unconscious. As the group was ready to throw him off the train, another passenger came to his rescue.

After a few days rest, Arun became well enough to continue his ministry. Although he was badly injured in the attack, his resolve to reach the lost was only strengthened. Since the attack, Arun has faced more opposition along the way. However, he counts it a blessing to be able to suffer for the name of Jesus to be proclaimed. Through perseverance in his ministry, Arun recently started a church where 40 people now regularly worship.

Arun requests prayer that more people will come to know Jesus as he shares the Gospel message with those who have never heard it before. GFA field leaders also ask for prayer for protection for Arun and his new wife as they serve in an area where many are opposed toChristianity. Read about two other missionaries who were recently attacked in Haryana. Learn more about Haryana, the Indian state where Arun serves, here.

Gospel For Asia: Ministry Behind Prison Bars

Gospel for Asia
missionary Chandran Paranjoy recently spent more than two weeks in jail
after being accused of forcing people to convert to Christianity. The
Lord used him mightily during his time there. Now many inmates are
thirsty for God’s Word. To read Chandran’s story firsthand, please click here.

It is such a joy to hear how GFA missionaries on the field faithfully
follow Christ’s call on their lives. They are willing to serve Him
anywhere, even in a jail cell.

Yours for the unreached,


Founder & President

For 18 days in October 2007, God used Gospel for Asia missionary
Chandran Paranjoy to reach inmates in a jail in Chhattisgarh, India. On
October 5, Chandran and another believer, Sunil, were arrested while
Chandran conducted a prayer meeting. A group of anti-Christian
extremists had falsely accused him of forcibly converting people to
Christianity.

Following their release, Chandran shared with a GFA field
correspondent how they had the opportunity to share Christ’s love with
the other prisoners. Here is the story in his words.

I did have the chance to run away when the villagers came with the
police to arrest us, but I stayed because they had already caught
Sunil, and I thought the mob might harm him. So I just surrendered to
them so I could go with Sunil. I knew that whatever happened, God would
be with us.

A few days before I was arrested, I had a dream that I was put in
jail and was preaching God’s Word. Since that dream, I had been
preparing myself to be put in that situation. So I was not shocked when
they came to arrest us. But when I was brought to the jail, I was
surprised to see that 100 percent of the dream was happening just as I
had seen it.

When we got there, I was introduced to the people who had become
Christians in jail. I told them I was a missionary, and on Sunday I
preached and shared my testimony with them.

The second Sunday we were there, the number of people that gathered
increased to about 30; some of them were Christians and some of them
were not. I taught them about salvation and life in Jesus. Thankfully,
nobody stopped us from worshipping God in the jail. We even were able
to worship with drums and other musical instruments.

Some of the Christian brothers were imprisoned for several years
because they had committed murders and other crimes. However, they
helped Sunil and me a lot and loved talking with us about the Bible.

They were very kind to us, sharing their clothes and food with us.
They told us, “Don’t worry, you’ll only be with us a few days.”
However, I did think that if I had to stay a long time, it would be
nice in some ways because I would be able to thoroughly disciple them.
As I saw the condition of the inmates, I had a strong desire to teach
them more from the Word of God.

Because our court case was not very big, some of the prisoners were
surprised that we stayed as long as we did. They would ask me, “Why are
you still here in this prison?” But I wondered how the prisoners would
grow in Christ if we were released. I thought, “I should be here a
little longer so that I can encourage more brothers.”

I was able to be with 2,000 inmates for those two weeks. I had a
chance to preach to them and talk and pray with them. It was very
exciting. And the entire time we were there, nobody harmed us.

The inmates soaked up the messages from the Bible that I shared.
Before I was released from jail, the prisoners said, “Please come back
each week to preach and teach the Gospel to us. We will get permission
from the jail authorities.” So now, I am still able to go to the jail
and minister.

For the first two days we were in jail, I was sad because I had to
leave my family and friends. But later, it was really neat because I
was able to do so much ministry. And I felt the Lord’s peace that I
would only be there as a guest, not long term.

My wife continually read the Bible while I was in jail, and the Lord
comforted her. Also, many believers, pastors and missionaries visited
her. Even our neighbors came and visited her. And she prayed a lot for
my release during that time.

Sunil was very strong. He trusted the Lord through our entire time
in jail. He was so excited that God helped him to share the Gospel even
in jail. He gained a lot of strength from the prayer meetings we held
there, too.

Now, the villagers who helped falsely accuse us are ashamed. They
feel bad about the trouble they caused. While we were in prison, they
even sent rice to Sunil’s home, but his wife gave it back to them.

Please pray that the ministry in the prison will continue to
flourish. It is so encouraging to see how the Lord used our time there
to open doors for us to share the love of Christ. Also, pray for the
extremists, that their hearts will be softened and they will be open to
the Gospel through our witness. Another GFA missionary, Manja Tamang, has served seven years in a Nepali prison.    Read how many inmates have come to know the Lord through Manja’s life.    Read the original reports about Chandran’s arrest and time in prison.    Learn more about Chhattisgarh, India, where Chandran serves.

 

Gospel For Asia: Drinking from the Well that Never Runs Dry

You probably have experienced times—perhaps after a long hike, or just being outside on a scorching hot day—when you felt as though you would give almost anything for a drink of water.Today I will tell you about a village in Uttar Pradesh, India, where many yearned for just one sip of clean drinking water.

Because of their position in society, many in this village were forced to draw water from dirty, stagnant ponds. They were spiritually parched too, not knowing there was a Savior who loved them. But we can rejoice in seeing how God has ministered to their needs through a Jesus Well.

I am so grateful for you, and for your heart to pray that spiritually thirsty souls in Asia will find the living water Jesus offers. Your prayers are making a huge difference for villages like the one you will read about today.

Yours for the unreached,

K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President
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Gospel for Asia: Radio Ministry Reaching Hindu Untouchables

It isn’t often that those who work in radio broadcasting get to meet their audience. But
that is no longer the case for GFA Radio staff in Kerala, India. These
missionaries recently conducted an outreach program to about 100 radio
listeners in one area of that state.
By the end of the program, a small Christian fellowship was formed!

The power of radio continues to amaze us. These broadcasts are reaching out in 103
different languages on the Indian Subcontinent. More than 1 million
people contact us each year to talk about how a simple radio broadcast
changed their lives. I pray that you will be touched by the power of
radio—our invisible evangelist—as you read about this new initiative.

Yours for the unreached,