Uttar Pradesh is a state in North India with over 200 million inhabitants. It is the most populous state in India, as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. According to the Joshua Project the Christian population is 0.1%. But in the last 10 years we are seeing a great move of God in that state. Thousands of house churches have started functioning in the villages. At the same time the pro-Hindu governments and radical Hindu groups are involved in attacking Christians and house churches in the villages and targeting native village pastors and evangelists. This has been very regular and recently the attacks have spiked and spread. These attacks on Christians are instilling fear in congregations throughout the state. According to native brothers, the frequency and intensity of the attacks on house churches, new believers, and Christian workers is growing every day. At least five to seven incidents are reported every day, from different parts of the state. The local brothers also reported that many pastors do not know what to do, and some of the house churches were not able to continue meeting. Fear and insecurity are growing among the new believers and house church leaders.
Twenty-five years ago, Steve Robinson and I (Regi) travelled to Jhansi, a city in central India to meet with Edwin Simon, who was a native missionary. The area is called “Bundelkhand”, and it was one of the poorest and least educated areas in central India. People lived in total spiritual darkness, engaging in witchcraft, superstition, idol worship, and sacrifices. The people were regarded as the untouchable caste, and alcohol and drug addiction were common. There were no active mission activities in the area during that time. While we were there, we met with a few young people who had a great burden and heart to reach their own people, but they did not know how to start. In our hearts we heard a “Macedonian call” (Acts 16:9).
Under the leadership of Edwin Simon, we started a summer outreach with 12 young men. This was the beginning of the Exciting Word ministry in that area. Over 25 years we have sent out numerous summer outreach teams to the area, trained up native brothers and sisters, and sent them to the unreached villages to share the Gospel. Our Lord in His mercy worked miracles and wonders through the native brothers, drawing hundreds of people to Himself, and establishing them in faith and starting hundreds of house churches in and around the area.
It was not easy. Our brothers faced great challenges: persecution from the upper caste Hindus and Hindu radicals, and discrimination in the villages. Despite the hardships, our Lord continued to use our brothers to carry the Gospel to the unreached villages, and the light of the Gospel began to shine in the darkest areas.
Brother Edwin Simon and his family have sacrificed their lives building our Lord’s Kingdom in Bundelkhand. In 2013 they lost their 14-year-old daughter, and in 2021 brother Edwin and his wife laid down their lives serving the Lord. They were working as volunteers in the local hospital and in their neighborhood, showing Gods love to the needy who were infected with COVID by carrying medicine and food to them. While doing this, they, too, were exposed and infected, and laid their lives down fighting the pandemic. Edwin and his wife were a great man and woman, with great vision and God used them to reach thousands of villages and start hundreds of house churches in that darkest part of our nation.
In one of my trips to that area I met a young man named Jeven, an alcoholic who was attending a small public meeting. I was preaching to the people in Hindi and a local brother was translating into the local language for me. Jeven, who himself was unable to stand due to being intoxicated, came forward to try to correct my translator, who was not translating correctly. When Jeven’s interference became a great hindrance to my preaching, I reluctantly agreed to let him translate for me. To my surprise, he did very well. By the response of the people, I understood they were getting my points and at the end of the preaching, I gave an invitation for people to confess their sins and receive Jesus as their personal savior. More than half of the people who were in the meeting responded to the altar call. As they came forward to be prayed for, Jeven was the first one who came forward and knelt before me asking me to pray for him. Jeven dedicated his life for the Lord and God gave him a burden to reach other young people who are alcoholic, and drug addicted.
Just this month, Dec.1st to 3rd, I (Regi) was with Brother Jeven who invited me to speak at a three-day youth meeting. It was held in the same village where Jeven translated for the first time. We had around 200 young men and women from different villages of that area. Young people from the age of 16 to 26 years old, who are being transformed and delivered by the power of the Gospel. This three-day meeting was a time of great revelation and a realization of God’s faithfulness and rejoicing in the harvest. During the three days, a great number of people dedicated their lives to serve the Lord and reach their own communities with the message of the Gospel. Through them we heard great testimonies of God’s protection and deliverance from the hands of Hindu radical groups.
As a Christian leader in the area, Brother Jeven and his family are facing constant threats from the authorities and Hindu radical groups. He has been arrested 6 times by the police and spent several weeks in prison, but he continues to serve the Lord and reach the unreached people. According to the Joshua Project, there are more than 750 people groups yet to be reached in that area.
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The youth of India are searching and open to the Gospel, despite the persecution they face. Join us in this work with your prayers and financial support.
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Proclaiming the Gospel…
…until He comes,