Standing on Two Legs

Few people who witnessed the Portable Bible School graduation on May 5^th in the Koshi Region village of Khurda would have guessed a surprising fact. One of the students standing on two healthy legs was literally a walking miracle! She is pictured at left in the red sari.

M____ K_____, a 27-year-old woman, had been born into a traditional carpenter’s family. She grew up worshipping Hindu idols and practicing the rituals of her religion. She was schooled  through ninth grade, and then her life took a dramatically different direction. Believing that education for girls was meaningless, her family began instead to seek to give her in marriage.

When she was still only fifteen years old, she developed a mark on her leg. At first she didn’t take it seriously; she applied medication and waited for it to heal. Several years passed, and the strange malady began to worsen. In the meantime, her family succeeded in finding a husband and M_____ was married at seventeen. By then, everyone became more concerned about the wound on her leg, and a myriad of doctors were consulted, with no one able to diagnose the mysterious ailment.

Finally, the family consulted a witchdoctor, as is the custom in rural areas when an inexplicable ailment cannot be cured by modern medicine. When no healing was manifested there either, her husband decided it was likely incurable, either leprosy or cancer. In the local culture she was then devalued, useless for all practical purposes. He left her after only two years of marriage and sought a divorce.

Only nineteen years old, M____ returned to her parents’ house a broken woman, without any hope. Continuing consultations with doctors were fruitless, and in the meantime the disease began to spread, affecting her whole leg. M_____ became bedridden, and her family members left her alone, as is the Hindu tradition, to die.

Expecting death and waiting for it, M____ had no hope. But then… a Christian woman evangelist came to visit. She shared the gospel of Jesus Christ and prayed for her, assuring M____ that Jesus had the power to heal her. Later, a pastor came and prayed for her as well.  In spite of her desperation and pain, M____ was strengthened by the Holy Spirit to place her trust in Jesus for both salvation and healing.

Soon she began to literally feel the healing touch of the Lord, and signs of improvement began to be seen. Within only a few months the wound was completely healed! M_____ began to walk again, slowly at first, but then with more confidence and strength. She realized that she had been rescued from the very jaws of death!

M_____ started attending church, and soon her parents and family members, who had witnessed the healing miracle, also accepted Christ. All received baptism. M____ joined the evangelist as she traveled, and M_____’s testimony was a powerful witness for Christ; many people came to salvation.

For the past year M_____ has been visiting villages and conducting women’s fellowships; more than fifty women attend weekly in five villages! On Portable Bible School graduation day, M____’s shining face told the whole story of God’s redeeming miracle!  Her future plans include continuing to lead the women’s ministries, growing them into established churches in the communities where they meet. She will continue to be discipled and encouraged by the Bihar Christian Church, the ER-affiliated ministry which had sponsored the Portable Bible School.

Will you pray for M____ and thousands of women like her who need to find hope, healing, and purpose in the body of Christ? Pray also for the development of a new endeavor envisioned by Evangelism Resources to equip women, like M____, who show such promise as leaders. A proposal for the Women’s Impact Network (WIN) is currently under consideration for a grant for funding from a foundation. Pray with us that God will continue to empower women in India to witness, disciple, and win others into the Kingdom of God!

To learn more about Portable Bible School ministries, visit 

Evangelism Resources' website at this url:

http://www.erinfo.org/viewNavMenu.do?menuID=17

To give to support Portable Bible Schools, like the one that trained Meena to lead women's fellowships, click on the button below. 

India's Women WIN!

GC3 attendee in Maharashtra

 The young woman bows her head in prayer, asking God to send her out to fulfill the Great Commission. Her state, Maharashtra, is populated by almost 115 million people and plays a lead role in the nation’s political, economic, and cultural destiny. There are 40,000 unreached villages in Maharashtra; 73 of its people groups remain without a witness.  Who will train this precious woman?

 

The number of Christians in the vast nation of India has exploded in recent years, due in part to efforts to disciple men for evangelism and church planting. In comparison, much less attention has been given to the discipleship of women. Indian society generally regards women as “second class citizens” with fewer rights, privileges, or consideration than men. They are disadvantaged emotionally, educationally, and economically.

Recent mass protests by women in India reveal a powerful undercurrent of discontent. While primarily angered by reports of violent rapes and related abuses, these women’s most important needs are truly spiritual, although most of them do not yet know it.

Sadly, this cultural attitude has also affected God’s Church. Women’s spiritual talents are often neglected in the planning of seminars, programs, training and mobilization. Apart from a handful of females receiving seminary training, very few opportunities are provided on the church level for equipping common women for better Christian life and ministry. Mobilizing women to win the lost and make disciples will dispel the cultural darkness, giving hope to women who face considerable challenges in everyday life. 

Evangelism Resources and the Association of International Discipleship Advancement (ER/AIDA) have envisioned the “Women’s Impact Network” (WIN) to minister among Christian women of twenty states of India, mobilizing them to impact other women for discipleship advancement. Women challenged for deeper discipleship will undertake dynamic, spiritual formation with other women, who in turn will become empowered disciple-makers.

Women gathered for discipleship at a conference in Gujarat

Some church leaders have already realized and expressed that women are better and more effective evangelists than many men. They have more opportunities than men to reach special populations, such as other women, children, teens and the elderly. Women are very influential when engaged in personal evangelism and hospital or jail ministries. Since many Indian women do not have careers, they are available to reach neighbors and families easily while the men are at work.

Another growing arena of influence for Christian women is among Muslim women. The Muslim population of India is growing rapidly, and the two faiths endure in common the increasing persecution from the dominant religion of Hinduism.

In bygone days, women teachers and evangelists were very common, accompanying missionary ladies in rural evangelism and ministries targeted to other women. Today, largely because of the efforts of those early pioneers, and by the grace of God, the number of new believers in India has increased tremendously. Women form more than fifty percent of the church’s population, yet little attention is being given to equip them for ministry.

All these factors compel us to see the urgency as well as usefulness of empowering women to be disciple-makers in our churches. Since we know that only a disciple can produce a disciple, we choose to impact through WIN selected women to be true disciples who will then impact other women with the same vision. Better disciples are better evangelists. Therefore, we are sure that if we prepare better disciples, they will be better witnesses too.

Will you pray with Evangelism Resources and AIDA for the funding to initiate the WIN project? A proposal has been submitted to a foundation for a matching grant; pray with us for favor for this request, and begin to ask the Lord how He wants YOU to help India’s women WIN for Christ!

Visit Evangelism Resources Home Page at: 

www.erinfo.org 

Learn about ER's Women's Conferences at: 

http://www.erinfo.org/viewNavMenu.do?menuID=118

Road Warriors

India’s roads are unbelievably crowded. Along with trucks and buses, taxis, motorcycles and motorized rickshaws, a few intrepid souls venture forth on bicycles. They literally take their lives into their own hands.

A newspaper columnist captured the dilemma perfectly, writing, “’India lives in its villages,’ Gandhi said. But increasingly, the people of India are dying on its roads… Poor road planning, inadequate law enforcement, a surge in trucks and cars, and a flood of untrained drivers have made India the world’s death capital.” Bicycle fatalities jumped 40% in only five years to more than 118,000 in 2008, and that statistic has continued to climb.  

Into the tide of vehicles ride committed men and women on a mission.  Many of ER’s School of Evangelism graduates minister in rural villages, and bicycle travel is the most economical mode of transportation.  Challenges include roads that are poorly maintained; some are nearly impassable during the rainy season. When one considers the added danger of being struck by another vehicle, the risks are formidable, indeed.

The SOE Director in Maharashtra state recently sent photos of some of his graduates with their new bicycles. Their pictures are included here, but their faces have been blurred to protect their identities from those who might seek to persecute them. They are willing to face hardship and dangers for a higher purpose–that of seeking the lost to introduce them to the Savior.

India travel is no less dangerous for those in cars, or even pedestrians. ER AIDA Director S_____ R_____ was seriously injured in a car accident; God graciously helped him to recover and return to work. ER partner, beloved Dr. T.S. David from Rajasthan, died a few years ago from injuries sustained in a car accident. In November, a precious SOE graduate was killed while standing beside a road in northeast India, struck by a truck. He left behind a grieving widow and children.

Will you pray Psalm 91 for these intrepid souls? “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” (v. 10-12). And then will you pray that God will give them fruit for their labors, precious people who will receive the truth of the gospel and put their faith in Jesus Christ?

You may learn more about School of Evangelism training on Evangelism Resources’ website at: http://www.erinfo.org/viewNavMenu.do?menuID=116

Transformed!

All my family members are idol worshippers... I wanted to commit suicide… I was addicted to alcohol at a very young age… These are the exact words of student testimonies re­ceived from the SOE in Andhra Pradesh, India. As part of the SOE reporting process, we receive these testimonies, which are such a blessing that we want to share a few with you. We have not “prettied up” the English, but the message is clear. We have not shared actual names so as to protect these students from persecutors.

Jathra in Andhra Pradesh with people mostly from the Banjara tribe

Mr. B.N., age 35: “All our family members are idol wor­shippers. When I heard the gospel in the Jathra (a large evangelistic meeting) for the very first time, I surrendered my life to the Lord Almighty. As a result, at my home and thanda (economic trade region) I was ex-communicated. I prayed, God answered my prayers, and today my entire family has accepted the Lord. I had the opportunity to at­tend a PBS; now my goal is to plant 11 churches.”

Women studying in the Andhra Pradesh School of Evangelism*

Ms. S.J.B., age 30: “There were several times in my life when I wanted to commit suicide. One of the major reasons was because of my husband. An evangelistic team from the BBPT ministry came and stayed in our village for three days. I listened to the wonderful teaching about the ways the Lord healed the sick and gave life to the broken-hearted. One of the team members prayed with me and I surrendered my life to the Lord. Eventually, my husband also accepted the Lord and came out of his addiction. When I accepted the Lord my life changed; even though we have financial problems at home, we have peace and we are liv­ing happily. I attended the Women’s Conference and a GC3 Camp. My goal is to plant 10 churches among the Banjara.”

Mr. B.N.R., age 20: “I was addicted to alcohol at a very young age. I think it was a generational curse. Many people in our family died at a very young age. I al­most spoiled my life. When I came for the GC3 camp, I heard a doctor preach, ‘Your bodies are the Temple of God.’ She gave an eye-opening talk about AIDS and I fell face down to the ground and started asking God to forgive me for all that I have done. I repented in the camp, and later I changed my life completely. I am happy to be here at the SOE and praise God for all that you have done. I have prayed for the entire community since my conversion. I believe that one day God will transform the entire village. I organized a youth camp (GC3 spin-off) in our region and the SOE Director came. My goal is to plant 17 churches among the Banjara.”

Praise the Lord! Thank you for making possible 

the training and evangelistic efforts which are 

transforming lives one by one!

*Faces in the photo are blurred to protect their identities from persecutors.

Read the online version of ER's March-April 2013 newsletter, and access a prayer calendar for the ER team's March-April trip to Africa and India on ER's website:

www.erinfo.org