Tuesday, August 16, 2005URGENT PRAYER REQUEST FOR INDIAN BELIEVERS BEATEN IN RAJASTHAN
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST MinistriesRAJASTHAN, INDIA (ANS) -- Dr. Joseph Chavady, of the Canadian based One to One International Ministries has issued an urgent prayer request for a group of believers in India.
In a message to ANS, he said, “On Tuesday, 16th of August at 7:30 pm, I received a very emotional call from Pastor Mathew in Rajasthan, India. He reported that last night there was a meeting of about forty new believers in the house of church elder, Br. Bather, in a town nearby. They had gathered to thank God for deliverance from bondage and for the blessings of new life in Christ.
“At a certain point, about twenty suspected Hindu extremists walked into the house and closed the door. They announced that, 'now, we are going to thank OUR god.’ Armed with stones and heavy sticks, even an axe, they started beating up the gathered people. About twenty people were severely beaten that evening, and the following people are seriously wounded: Br. Bather and his wife, Suresh and his wife Asha, Bhura, Prabhu, Banjaj, Lakshmi, Shanti, Huniji, and Dhandy.
“Our pastor has filed a complaint with the local police, and the matter is now being investigated. He himself was badly shaken by this event, and he asked us to pray for this situation, especially for those who are wounded, and for courage for the new believers.”