SEND! magazine Second Quarter 2007: Short Reports
Short Reports
Muslims Moved by Christian Love
GFA missionaries Jaidev and Abhay minister to Muslims in India's Andhra Pradesh state.
They were visiting homes and distributing Gospel tracts when a curious family approached them. The missionaries told the family they were praying for the sick and counseling people in need.
The family immediately invited the missionaries to their home to pray for a relative who lay paralyzed. The missionaries entered this Muslim home, shared from the New Testament and prayed for the paralyzed man. Thanks to the compassion displayed by these missionaries, three family members attended church the next Sunday.
Jaidev and Abhay continue ministering to this family, believing that God will heal the man and praying that the family would come to know Jesus.
Treacherous Journey Worth Every Trial
Traveling all day through thick forests, Gospel for Asia pastor Daiwik Kirit finally arrived in a tiny rural village in Jharkhand. It was a dangerous journey by bicycle because a group of underground terrorists dominated the area. However, Daiwik counted the cost and went anyway, because he knew the people needed to hear the Gospel.
He spent a day of prayer and fasting before holding an evangelistic meeting in the village. Villagers and visitors alike listened intently to Daiwik read the Bible, and his message clearly touched their hearts
A number of men and women received Christ that day, including nine who desired to publicly testify to their new faith in Christ through baptism. Daiwik prays they will grow spiritually in the knowledge of the Word of God and for continued fruit from the Gospel meeting.
Building Stronger Marriages
A group of 33 couples recently attended a marriage seminar at a Gospel for Asia-affiliated Believers Church in Bhutan. This seminar provided husbands and wives, the majority of whom are first-generation Christians, with solid biblical teaching about Christian marriage. GFA's Bhutan leader led the seminar. There were also classes for the couples' children, and more than 30 teenagers and children participated.
Many of the couples expressed how blessed they were by the practical teaching they received. Following the seminar, every couple spent time sharing the Gospel in neighboring villages.
Church leaders plan to host a youth retreat later in the year, and they request prayer for planning future events. They also ask for prayer for favor from the government, so they can freely provide these ministries to the people in their village.
Rampaging Elephant Respects Bible
All was quiet at sunset around the small church building, nestled deep in an Indian jungle. But the stillness was broken when a wild elephant came raging through the village. He crashed through the bamboo walls of the church, and the thatched roof immediately caved in.
The Christians in the village ran to their church and found complete destruction. There was nothing but rubble where the building normally stood. Everything had been trampled—everything except the church's Bible. The table that the Bible rested on lay in ruins, and the musical instruments beside it were totally shattered.
"But the Bible was found without any damage," says a field correspondent, "as if the elephant had kept it safely with much respect."
Although saddened by the loss of their church building, the believers and their pastor praised the Lord for saving their precious Bible. They are praying that the Lord will provide them with a new building soon.
It Took a Miracle
Twelve-year-old Panav had been suffering from a terrible fever for three months. He was in critical condition, and it looked as if there were no hope for his recovery. Anything short of a miracle would not save his life.
Ranjit, a GFA native missionary, worked in the boy's village. He wanted nothing more than to see the entire village come to Christ, but no one received his message. He kept sharing the Gospel, and prayed that God would give him a way to reach these lost souls.
One day, with nowhere else to turn, Panav's mother decided to take her dying son to Ranjit for prayer. Ranjit earnestly prayed for the boy's healing. In no time, Panav's strength began returning. His mother was so encouraged that she continued to bring Panav daily to Ranjit for prayer. Within two weeks, the Lord restored Panav's health completely.
After experiencing this miracle, Panav's mother invited Ranjit to come and share the Gospel with her entire family—and they all received Christ. Today, Ranjit conducts a prayer meeting in Panav's home, and many of the family's neighbors now attend.
Tragedy to Triumph
When Sara's husband tragically committed suicide following a quarrel with his family, her in-laws blamed her and sent her away. Sara moved back in with her parents, but she soon became very ill. Doctors tried everything they knew, but nothing could improve Sara's health. Broken and distressed, Sara lost all hope that she would ever have a full life again.
Just when Sara thought nothing could help her, she met Lahar, a GFA missionary, who comforted her by sharing from God's Word and praying for her healing. After a few days, the Lord healed Sara completely. Realizing God's awesome work in her life, she committed herself fully to the Lord.
A Life Transformed
Samali grew up in an orthodox Hindu family and devoutly worshipped many deities. Then she heard the Gospel from her brother, who had become a Christian through the witness of his employer. She and the rest of the family saw great changes in his life, and their hearts started to turn toward God.
During this time, a man suffering from cancer came to their home asking Samali's brother for prayer. When the man was healed, Samali was deeply touched. She and her whole family received Christ into their lives. As Samali's walk with the Lord grew, she began witnessing to everyone she knew.
Today, Samali is married and attends Bible college. She and her husband are preparing to serve in an unreached part of India. She requests prayer for diligence in her studies and for God to guide them where they should serve after graduation.
