SEND! magazine Third Quarter 2007: Short Reports

Punjab

An Ascetic Finds Joy

Masih handed out tracts while he walked down the street of a village in North India. When he came across a man holding a poisonous snake, he stopped to talk to him.

Dabin was an ascetic—he believed that severe self-discipline made him more holy. As Masih began sharing the Gospel, Dabin grew angry.

“There is no need for me to accept a new god,” Dabin told Masih. “I already have my own gods.”

Masih began asking questions that Dabin couldn’t answer. He quoted John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” As Masih continued explaining the Gospel, Dabin became quiet. This was the first time he heard of a God who loved him in spite of his sins.

Dabin asked Masih to pray for the small son of the family with whom Dabin lived. The Lord answered, and the little boy was healed from typhoid fever. Seeing this miracle, Dabin and the whole family received salvation—eight people in all. They ask for prayer that they will grow in the Lord.

Rajasthan

‘Would Your God Mind Healing My Goat?’

Ralkin knew his neighbor often prayed for sick people to be healed. So when his goat fell and was seriously injured, Ralkin turned to him.

“I know you go around praying for the sick,” Ralkin told his neighbor, “but would your God mind healing my goat?”

Although the request was unusual, GFA missionary Biju went with Ralkin and prayed for the goat, which the Lord healed immediately.

Ralkin and his family were amazed and asked Biju to share about Jesus. They listened through the whole night as Biju explained the Gospel, and they each chose to follow Christ. Ralkin’s family members were the first of 22 believers who became part of a new church that Biju planted in the village.

West Bengal

Robbers on the Porch

Three teenagers worked silently on the dark porch of a house right next to a GFA Bible college. As some of the Bible college students watched, they realized the three teenagers were trying to break into the neighboring house.

Quickly, several students surrounded the house and caught the three boys. Only about 15 years old, they admitted they were trying to rob the house.

Instead of reacting the way the boys expected, the students and Bible college staff politely talked with the boys and counseled them, then invited them to come anytime to the Bible college and visit. The three boys left in tears, overcome by the love shown to them. The students didn’t think they would see the boys again.

The next evening, however, the boys showed up to join the students for their evening prayer meeting. As they heard the Gospel more clearly, they gave their lives to the Lord in sincere repentance.

Meghalaya

Frightening Lunch

“Here is an incident that testifies how God protects His people,” wrote our field correspondent from Meghalaya, India.

Several GFA staff and pastors had gathered for a meeting. They were having lunch together at a church member’s home when lightning began to strike the village, shaking all the houses. One bolt hit a tree just 10 yards from the church member’s home, burning down the tree and leaving a crater.

Two women standing outside the home were knocked to the ground. But everyone praised God when they saw that the women were unhurt and that He had protected them all from the lightning’s power.

Jharkhand

Scorpion Witness

The fear spread along with the pain as Sankeet wondered if this scorpion sting would be the end of her life. She broke out in a sweat, and her heart beat wildly.

As her consciousness slowly faded, her family began rushing around and taking her somewhere. Someone had just told them about GFA missionary Royce—who might be their last hope.

When Pastor Royce saw Sankeet, he and his wife began praying for her, and the Lord immediately answered. Sankeet was healed!

Instead of the scorpion’s venom spreading through her body, the news of her healing spread throughout their village. Sankeet and her family gave their lives to Christ, and the next day they threw away all their idols to follow the Lord.

Karnataka

Blessings in a Slum

In one of India’s most resistant states to the Gospel, a team of home Bible college students visited a slum to do outreach. As the students began telling residents about God’s love and acceptance, they saw amazing things.

A woman named Lanni had been bedridden for almost two years. The doctors could only give her a walking stick to try to help her with the severe leg pain. But when the students visited Lanni with the Gospel, she told them she’d heard of Jesus long ago. Through their message, her interest was renewed. Then the Lord healed her legs when the students prayed for her.

Another Bible college student, whose family lived in the slum, was involved in the children’s ministry. Seventeen children gathered to listen to the students. To his surprise and joy, his own family also came, and received Christ after listening to the Gospel. The students were overjoyed at the Lord’s work in this slum.

Nepal

Trophies and Character

Last October, a team of eight students from a GFA Bible college had a unique chance for team-building—the opportunity to compete in the fifth annual Nepal Christian Theological Sports Fellowship competition.

The Fellowship’s goal is to promote unity and sportsmanship among Bible colleges and schools in Nepal, and 18 teams participated. The GFA team members competed in events including soccer, volleyball, badminton and running, and altogether they took home the second-place trophy. They hope to improve and win the championship trophy next time.

“Our students have learned so many things through this sports competition,” the team manager wrote. “It has helped us grow in all aspects of life.”