UPDATE: 05/10/2011
Garima and Daya were both released from police custody, but the people working with them are still in jail. Although Garima and Daya were released, the police did file a case against them. They ask for prayer that the other believers would be released from jail and that the charges against all of them will be dropped. They also ask for prayer for the pastors to be encouraged and strengthened in the area where this case is playing out.
First update: from 03/21/2011
Daya and Garima were conducting a home prayer meeting like this one when anti-Christian extremists beat them up and the police arrested the missionaries. |
Two Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries were arrested after they conducted a house prayer meeting.
Daya Dass and Garima Rongpi have been serving in a South Asian village for three years. They have one small congregation there, and they spend time in the surrounding villages sharing the love of Jesus. They frequently conduct prayer meetings in villagers’ homes.
On March 17, they were having one of these home meetings and had just started to pray when a group of anti-Christian extremists broke in and attacked Daya and Garima. The fanatics accused them of forcing people to convert to Christianity, and the police arrested them.
The state where these missionaries serve has a “freedom of religion” law, which was enacted to protect people from being forced to convert to Christianity by fraud, allurement or coercion. The law allows people to convert to Christianity if they seek permission from the government first.
Daya and Garima are still in jail and asking for your prayers.
Pray specifically that their charges would be dropped and they would be released soon. They also asked for prayer that Christians in the area would not become fearful but would remain strong in Jesus, and that the fanatical groups would truly understand the love of Jesus.