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Life is a horrible nightmare for the people who live in this slum in Goa. They shell out a few hundred rupees a month to a slum lord to rent a tiny shack.
Ironically, this slum is just a few yards from the dramatically beautiful beach where tourists bask in the warm waters of the Arabian Sea. The contrast of beauty and squalor is startling.
The Goa slum is home to an active, albeit illegal, prostitution trade. The government has tried to stifle the problem but to no avail. The people had little hope until a Gospel for Asia missionary team began visiting the area.
Women from the GFA Goa ladies team, along with missionaries John Mandek and Daniel Bhati, concentrate their ministry in the slum. They go from shack to shack, passing out Gospel tracts. They are often able to share the Gospel with entire families.
Most of the people they meet are open to the Gospel message. Almost immediately they become engrossed in reading the tracts.
Initially, this 14-year-old boy was one of the few who refused to take a Gospel tract. He eventually took one and after reading it, asked John and Daniel to explain it to him. The next Sunday he was in church, learning more about Jesus.
After hearing the women from the ladies team share their faith, they asked the missionaries to conduct a weekly prayer meeting. So many came to the first prayer meeting that some had listen from outside. Several people received Jesus as their Savior that day.
This woman got there late and missed the prayer meeting, so John prayed with her afterwards. After he explained the Gospel to her, she received Jesus as her Savior.
After the prayer meeting, an excited man practically dragged Daniel to his house, begging him to tell his family about Jesus. About 20 of this man's family members and neighbors crowded into a small, dark room to hear Daniel speak.
When he gave an invitation, all but two people raised their hands, indicating that they wanted to receive Jesus as their Savior. John is the pastor who leads the GFA Believers Church in this area of Goa. With the new believers from the slum, his congregation of worshipers is growing!
posted 11/14/2006
