Gospel for Asia is a wonderful missionary organization that reaches many of the areas of Asia that desperately need to hear the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We in America just have no clue as to the persecution and distress Christians are under in many regions of the world. While we enjoy plush pews in mega churches and can freely carry our Bibles out in public our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are tortured, killed and harassed for even mentioning Christ’s name. They need our prayers. Not to be taken out of the situation but to endure and persevere through God’s grace and His power – for that is how the Church of Jesus Christ grows.
I encourage you to consider giving to Gospel for Asia. They are undoubtably the most gospel centered missionary organization I have ever encountered and their president’s passion for Christ is amazing. (Listen to a moving sermon by K.P. Yohannan, GFA’s president.)
The following article is from GFA’s web site and really gives us a brief insight into the condition in India. Please pray for this family and this pastor as they seek to bring glory and praise to the Lamb who was worthy to be slain!
The Choudhury family in Assam, India, is paying a heavy price to follow their new life in Christ. They have been forced to flee their home by the harassment and threats from other villagers, including their own relatives.
Lalit, Anjali and their three children chose to follow Jesus after hearing about His love from GFA-supported Pastor Samir Datta. When the couple recently made a bold proclamation of their new faith in the community, their relatives and others in the village reacted strongly. In fact, they launched an intense campaign of harassment to try and force the family to come back to the area’s traditional religion.
Because of the pressure, Lalit and Anjali realized they couldn’t stay in their own house. They took refuge in Pastor Samir’s home, but now some in the village are threatening him, saying they will beat him for “converting” the Choudhury family and giving them shelter.
In the area where the Choudhury’s and Samir live, there is the added tension of tribal-related conflict. Their state has witnessed much bloodshed and strife over the past several decades as political and ethnic groups—particularly differing tribes—have warred against each other. The situation has been quite volatile at times, and some have feared that the conflict could explode like it did in the early 1980s when more than 3,000 lives were lost.
In this environment, Christians live with both the tension of tribal conflict and the risk of persecution for their faith.
GFA leaders ask for prayer for the Lord’s divine protection for the Choudhury family and Pastor Samir as they suffer under threats and pressure from the local community. They also request prayer that those opposing the family for their faith will have their hearts changed toward the Gospel.
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