Many of you praying for our dear brother Manja may wonder how the false accusations against him started. He is one of the most godly missionaries we sent out to plant a church in an unreached area. Brother Manja and his wife and two children persevered in this particular area of Nepal, and the Lord blessed his ministry. Many people came to know the Lord, and a church was born. At the same time an anti-Christian group strongly opposed his ministry.

Around four years ago, Manja was out sharing the Gospel. As he traveled by a river, he saw a dead body. Wanting to help, he reported it to the police. The anti-Christian group became aware of the situation and saw it as the perfect opportunity to frame him. A few days later, the police arrested Manja and took him to the police station. There they stripped him of his clothes and tried to humiliate him. In the meantime they had gone to his house and taken some of his clothes. They used the clothes to accuse him, saying they belonged to the man whom he had killed. To get a confession out of Manja, they beat him so severely he nearly died.

Many false witnesses came forward testifying against him. This reminds us of the false witnesses who came forward to testify against Jesus. The widow of the deceased, however, protested that Manja was innocent. Nevertheless, Manja was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Now, four years later, the Nepali Supreme Court has upheld the guilty verdict. Yet Manja indicates confidence in his God, and that he will continue to shine the light of Christ to those around him. Thank you for your prayers for Manja as GFA leaders prepare to make an appeal to King Gyanendra (Nepal).

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