christians persecuted in india

...we just got this email from our national missionary in india, suresh sawant. we often think that persecution is a thing of the past - or, more commonly - that we are always the ones guilty of persecuting others.

this is simply not the case.

we need to be in prayer, and take very seriously, the plight of global Christ-followers who suffer for the things we neglect:




Christians are being persecuted in the state of Orissa, hundreds and thousands of them have fled into jungles, or forest to hide themselves, today, my friend called me from Orissa asked me pray for the Orissa and he is getting ready to flee in the jungle, he also told me that there is a pregnant lady, hidding the jungle.

please ask the church to pray for the Christians in Orissa and also that states may not be affected by it.

1) Baptist Churches are being targeted in the continued spate of violence that has spread its tentacles across the state.

2) Gajapati district today has witnessed torching of one independent Baptist Church. Local sources report of a church in Baliguda and six in Phulbani district being burnt by the errant mob.

3) According to reports three persons were burnt after their houses were torched at midnight of August 25th 2008. One each in Kandhamal and Bargarh were burnt to death during the 12 hour statewide bandh.

4) Compassion East India office (NGO) in Bhubaneswar was ransacked. While in gruesome act a man named Ramesh Digal was brutally cut into pieces.

5) Three adults and one child were reportedly killed in fresh violence in Barakhama, Kandhamal.

6) Kandhamal district has already witnessed the death of 15 christians so far. Two in Mutungia village, 1 in Petaponga village, 1 in Borimunda village, 3 in Katinga village, 3 in Tianga village, 3 in Adikuppa village and 1 in Bakingia village were hacked to death by the rampaging Hindu mob.

7) Mission Compound in Sunapanga in Baliguda is also set on fire. Terrified Christians from Padapara, Marlova and other places have fled to the jungles.

8) There have been already over fifty eight instances of violence in which more that 400 Christian houses are gutted down by fire in Kandhamal including 150 houses in Rupagaon alone.

The authorities are mere helpless spectators watching Christians being lynched before their eyes.

pray pray, pray, pray for the presence of God to be real to them in the midst of fiery trials.