Two Different Reports from India
Houston, Texas
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Dear Brethren in Christ and Prayer Partners,
We have received from Pastor Joshua Gowda, our TEC Coordinator in India, two separate reports—one a very powerful praise report from North India, and the other about the grievous persecution against Christians in the state of Orissa. Please read the reports and join us both in thanksgiving to the Lord for His wonderful grace, and also in prayer for our suffering brethren.
Love in Christ,
William & Lucille
PRAISE REPORT FROM NORTH INDIA
Dear Brother William
Greetings from India,
On 15th August we suppose to conduct our feeding event due to high security alert on the independent day celebration,gathering of more then five people are not allowed due to this reason we postponed our feeding event to next month in Rohini village ,Delhi,
On 15th of August same day I received call from our TEC – Coordinators Pr. Bahrkal Masih from Kahve, Amritsar District ,State Punjab ,just nine kilometers to Lahore Pakistan ,
He said, after his training as TEC coordinator in Delhi last July, when he went back to his village and visited 36 villages ,he found six pastors among this villages and gave them TEC –training , then he encourage each one bring tow hundred to three hundred Hindus our Evangelistic feeding event ,then he invited us to minister ,we fixed date on 25th and 26th of August for feeding event at Kave village expected more and more people , Bro.Simon and me reached on 24th evening conducted time of prayer ,and during day time I trained fifty mature believers from these six pastors congregation , on the fist day close to seven hundred thirty people came first day,just healing the sick and shared the Gospel ,hundreds of miracles took place ,after the meeting villagers went back to their village and told about the miracles in Jesus name and next day expected more people to come for our evangelistic feeding event ,we run out of money but local pastors and believers also join their hands to feed the people ,because unexpected crowd of close to 1,600 non christens people from 36 villages came by Tractors ,mini buss ,and many smaller transportation, all the believers and pastors prayed over the food what ever we had sufficient enough for every one to eat no one left hungry ,lord blessed the food ! Just we remembered our lord fed 5000 people, trusted God to happen miracle it happened! Praise the Lord!! our hearts rejoices , close to 1,550 people gave their lives to the lord Jesus Christ ,till late night we were feeding and healing the sick, special thanks from all of us to Pr. William Lau and Brother Bill Willis, blessing the work in North India.
Please pray for the TEC – trained Pastors and believers , there is big responsibility and challenges before them they may able to take care of these new born believers in the Lord, Here we need to send more full time workers please pray Lord may provide the fund to help our full time pastors, to support one pastor and his family per month needed fund $75, trusting God for donors for ten full time workers.
Please continue to uphold us in your prayers.
With love and much prayers
Simon and Joshua.
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REPORT ON PERSECUTION IN ORISSA
Dear Brothers & Sisters in the Lord,
Please go through and pray for God’s intervention into the situation in Orissa and pray for God’s Grace and Strength for those who are facing this situation there. Pray for unity among the Christians at this hour. Pray for the Christian leaders to wake up and voice out on behalf of the suffering Christians. Pray for the persecutors to have a sensible heart and reasoning mind so that they will question themselves ‘what they are doing and why?’ Pray for the government to wake up and take action for peace and protection in Orissa.
Let’s continue to uphold each other in prayer. We know these things will happen and the Churches must wake up now and spend time on knees.
The following information collected from different fields of riots affected areas of Orissa directly from the victims for your information and sincere prayer.
In Phulbani, the district headquarter of Kondhamal district, more than 25 houses were attacked, all house hold things/ properties burned in front of the houses. RC church and Baptist church were attacked and ransacked in the presence of the police.
1. In Raikia, 40km from Phulbani, 10 shops belong to Christians burned and looted yesterday while the dead body of late lakhanananda Saraswati was carried towards Phulbani and than cremated in Chakapada where Mr.Swaraswati lived for many years and continued all the activities.
2. In Tikabali, which is near to Chakapada Mr.Swaraswati, more than 10 houses were set ablaze and one Church completely demolished. Now all Christians with families live in the jungle.
3. Pastor Sikandar Singh(Missionary Association President, Kalahandi)was attacked by a group of fundamentalists today morning 9am. His house is looted and demolished. Believers from Indian Christian Revival Mission were attacked too.
4. In Jeerango, a village 32km away from Parlakhemundi and around 90km from Berhampur, one church was blasted and 11 houses were destroyed. Activists were not from the local area.
5. Twelve families in Rupanagar, 3km away from Chakapada, were attacked, houses were set ablaze one woman was burned alive apart from a nun who burned alive in Baragada ashram. Fundamentalists are basically from neighboring states.
6. Mr.Prabir Kumar Swain from Jagatsinghpur ADP, a project of WVI, is gharowed by the fundamentalists since morning. They are arguing and forcing the house owner to take Mr.pravir and pastor out of the house. House is famous person in that small town and gracious to these two families. But the fundamental activities waiting out side the house to attack pastor and Mr.Pravir’s f amily. Night 2 am one vehicle will come from Bhubaneswar to take them. Though it is very much risky but they do not have any alternative. Please pray for them.
7. In Baliguda Rev.Gurubandhu Sansad, Ex.UESI staff an UBS graduate is under attack. House owner suddenly asked him to vacate the house as fundamentalist activities would attack him at evening. When I called Rev.Gurubandhu at evening he was not in a situation to talk to me over phone as he was about to be attacked and asked me to pray and put down his phone. His phone No. is 09437589233 . We are not able to contact him.
In Divyajoyti a RC pastoral centre in Angamendi village, near Nuagoan and 20km away from baliguda,Father Thomas Challen was bitten mercilessly and stripped, was made to walk necked in Nuagoan and baliguda. A Nun who was in that centre was raped yesterday at about 3 pm. Last time when I went to Kondhamal area for relief I had stayed in this centre and Father Tomas had given me shelter.
8. Around 3 people were killed in the village Piangian 3km away from Rikia. This news has to be confirmed yet. Now at this moment house burning is going on in Rikia by more than 200 fundamental activities. Police is simply following them helplessly. Police is watching the situation being inactive.
9. Many fundamental activities are entering into Kharihar Road, 150 km from Raipur and around 10km from Nuapada (Orissa), through Nuapada to attack kharihar Mission Hospital. They burned two shops in front of the Christian hospital. Now the hospital is protected by the police. Activities have bitten up the local pastor Isudananda Senapati.
1) NUN BURNT ALIVE: A nun was burnt to death on 25th, Monday, after an orphanage was torched in at Phutpali in Bargarh district in Orissa during a bandh called by Hindu nationalist parties.Twenty children, who were at the orphanage, managed to escape but a priest suffered serious burn injuries in the attack.
2) RASANANDA PRADHAN TORCHED ALIVE: Another person, Rasananda Pradhan, was burnt to death when his house was set ablaze at Rupa village in Kandhamal district.
3) INFLAMMATORY SPEECHES TARGET CHRISTIANS: During the bandh inflammatory speeches spreading hatred against the Christian workers and the community were given by the VHP leaders. To gain the mass support,the activists have also carried the body of Swamiji throughout the town.
4) CHURCHES BURNT ALL ACROSS ORISSA STATE: Churches were attacked in Khurda, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Jagatsinghpur and Kandhamal districts as also in the state capital, police sources said, adding 40 houses were set ablaze in Phulbani town.
5) BUSES AND VEHICLES TORCHED: Mr. Mishra Digal was beaten up, while the motorcycles of Mr. R. K. Digal and Jitendra were burnt. Several buses at Gee Udaigiri in Baliguda were burnt.
6) PULBANI CHURCH RANSACKED: The Church at Phulbani,and several other churches at Phiringia were attacked and ransacked. Pastor D. Tatson’s house was vandalized and his property burnt.
7) KAKRIGUMA CHURCHES VANDALISED: Churches in Kakriguma have been targeted by the mob that reportedly damaged the Assembly Of God Church and the Philadelphia Church.
WORLD VISION STAFF FLED FOR SAFETY: World Vision India office ransacked and the Staff has also fled to jungle for protection.
9) CHRISTIANS TAKE SHELTER IN FOREST FOR PROTECTION: A police camp at Barakhama was also attacked by the Hindu fundamentalists. With several houses being burnt down and people being made homeless, many Christians,particularly from Nua Sahi, Munda Sahi and Suna Tonga have fled into forests for their lives.
10) NUN RAPED: A young Catholic Nun of the Cuttack Bhubaneswar diocese working Jan Vikas Kendra, the Social Service Centre at Nuagaon in Kandhamal was reportedly gang raped on 24th August 2008 by groups of Hindutva extremists before the building itself was destroyed.
11) SENIOR PRIEST AND NUN INJURED: Fr Thomas, director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Kanjimendi, less than a kilometer away from the Social Service Centre, and another Nun were injured when the centre was attacked. They were taken to the police station in a disheveled state as the armed mob bayed for their blood. The Pastoral centre was then set afire.
12) BALLIGUDA CHURCH BUILDINGS DESTROYED AGAIN: On 24th August 2008 evening lynch mobs at the block headquarters of Balliguda, in the very heart of Kandhamal district, which had seen much violence between 24th and 26th December 2007, attacked and destroyed a Presbytery, convent and hostel damaging the properties.
13) CHRISTIAN BOYS HEADS TONSURED: The mobs in Balliguda caught hold of two boys of the Catholic hostel and tonsured their heads.
14) PHULBANI CHURCH DAMAGED: On 25th august 2008 morning followers of the late Lakshmanananda Saraswati damaged the Catholic Church in Phulbani, the district headquarter town.
15) MOTHER TERESA BROTHERS ASHRAM ATTACKED: Mobs attacked the Mother Teresa Brothers’ residence and hospital in Srasanada, destroyed once before and rebuilt two months ago, and beat up the patients.
16) BHUBANESWAR BISHOP’S HOUSE ATTACKED: On the morning of 25th August 2008, violent mobs made several attempts to enter the compounds of Catholic Church and Archbishop’s house in the heart of the Capital of the State of Orissa. They could not enter because of the police presence. They threw stones at the guesthouse of Archbishop’s House, damaging windows.
17) DUBURI PARISH: Another group of fundamentalists entered presbytery in Duburi parish, managed by the SVDs and destroyed and damaged property. Two priests of the parish are missing.
18) Mr. Jamaj Pariccha, Director of Gramya Pragati, is attacked and his property damaged, vehicle looted and burnt.
19) A Baptist Church in Akamra Jila in Bhubaneswar is also damaged.
20) Christian institutions like St. Arnold’s School (Kalinga Bihar) and NISWASS report some damage.
21) BOUDH DISTRICT [Adjoining Kandhamal]: Fundamentalists enter the Catholic parish church and destroy property. People are fleeing to safer places. But nothing seems safe.
22) MUNIGUDA: Muniguda Catholic Fathers and Nuns’ residence have been damaged.
23) SAMBALPUR: HM Sister’s residence (Ainthapalli) has suffered damage.
24) PADANPUR: One priest is attacked and admitted to a hospital. Hostel boys and the in charge have moved away from the place.
25) MADHUPUR: Madhupur Catholic Church currently under attack.
26) SMALL CHURCHES: Attempted violence on small churches in various districts, including Padampur, Sambalpur near GM College, Talsera, Dangsoroda, Narayanipatara, Muniguda, Tummiibandh, Tangrapada, Phulbani, Balliguda, Kalingia, Chakapad, Srasanranda.
27) VILLAGE CHRISTIAN HOUSES ATTACKED: Houses attacked on forest hamlets of Balliguda, Kanjamandi Nuaguam (K.Nuaguam), Tiangia (G.Udayagiri), Padangiri, Tikabali.
28) KALAHANDI DISTRICT: Houses burnt even though the district is more than 300 kilometers from the place where Swami Lakshmanananda was killed.
29) PASTORS’ HOUSE BURNT: Pastor Sikandar Singh of the Pentecostal Mission beaten up and his house burnt in Bhawanipatna.
30) KHARIHAR: 3 Christian shops were looted and burnt. Pastor Alok Das and Pastor I M Senapati beaten up.
31) AAMPANI: Pastor David Diamond Pahar, Pastor Pravin Ship, Pastor Pradhan and Pastor Barik beaten up and chased away with their families.
32) NAKTIKANI: Mob surrounds village to attack Christians.
33) Raikia village evacuted, whole village fled to forest for survival
34)Rev. Abhiram Singh, Orissa leader of Good Shepherd Community Church, fled to forest for survival of his life. Wife and two kids are in another town with fear and trembling.
35) Good Shepherd School at Bhugorai, in Balasore district, threatened by VHP members.
Whole night burning is going on in different parts of Orissa especially in Kondhamal dist.
Please continue to pray for the situation. Our TEC- Coordinator Pr. Johan Ambedker from Navrangpur, Orissa ,he and his church members involved in helping our Brothers and Sisters those are hiding in the forest/ Jungle area, an encouraging them and leading prayers , supplying food and water ,he Phoned us we are trying our best help but need is very big thousands of people needs food ….. please pray and help us in this situation ….
Yours sincerely
Pr.Joshua and Simon
