Thousands more die...

Please pray

This is a request for prayer for YWAM missionaries and their churches in Orissa, India.

Please read and make this a matter of urgent prayer.

Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Good News India. We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kind of carnage.... And it seems to be totally under the radar of the Western Media .... Let me explain.... A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and 'reconverting' people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend. Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up...'Kill the Christians!' And the horror began.... In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribal's have be en slaughtered.

For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ.

In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and 'finish the job.'

Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore. All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and police outside.

The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in a house and burned them to death.

Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road.... even women and children. At an orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said, "We stay with our kids.... we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.'

More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down.

The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times.

Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved... that is our heart's cry. If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region.

What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for God's Kingdom. Pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Prayer works!

Blessings, Chip & Sandy Wanner Col 2:2

MBI Team Facilitators to YWAM frontlines

It's getting worse!!!

The persecution in India is getting much worse!!! Sadly, hundreds more people have been brutally injured and hospitalized. The violence is spreading all over the country as well. It's no longer one isolated area. One of the worst parts is that the Indian government is simply standing by and letting this happen!!! They aren't doing anything to try to stop the violence! It's horrible to hear of these tragedies from a distance and feel so helpless. The only thing we can do is pray. Let's stand together in prayer so that this in-humane nightmare may end!

Urgent Prayer Request from India

Dear Friends,

I urge you to stand with us in prayer, am sure you are aware of the ongoing violence against Christians in Various districts of Orissa a Hindu pre-dominant state. The reason for the sudden escalation of violence is a Hindu priest was killed by the Maoists, for which Christians were made scapegoats by the Hindu activist groups. These Hindu groups were already angered at the growing rate of conversions, and used this incident to unjustly turn against Christians. As a result Christians have been victims of violence instigated by two major Hindu groups by VHP and RSS. They have destroyed 600 churches, killed more than 25 people, 4000 people are hiding in the jungle out of fear for being killed with no water, food or shelter, and thousands are living in relief camps. A nun was gang-raped and murdered, another one was burnt alive. A pastor's throat was slit and he bled to death. Two pastors were killed last week. A handicapped person who couldn't run was burnt alive right before his brother's eyes who was helpless by an angry mob. Thousands of houses have been destroyed. There are endless stories of brutally Christians being tortured for their faith, it's a reality right here in India a so-called democratic secular front.

We want guys on your knees crying for these dear ones and martyrs of the gospel. We don even feel like eating when we hear the news of our brethren under such great persecution.

If u guys would feel led to support the victims , please let me know I know pastors and missionary organizations whom we can channelize it through. Above all pray that God of Elijah would intervene supernaturally and protect his children.

God bless,

Pastor Caleb, India

I'm Home!

I'm HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! India was an incredible trip! I'm soooo glad to be back! I missed everyone so much while I was gone! It's great to be in America again, America really is a GREAT country!

Please keep checking my blog, I will continue to post lots of things up here. I'm off to see my family, more later!

Leprosy

We arrived safely in Chennai. The time here has flown by so fast! I can't believe it's already Sunday and I'm getting ready to go back home on Tuesday! Our time here has been great!

This week we visited 2 leprosy colonies and an aids hospital. To tell the truth I was not very excited to visit these places. I hate hospitals! It wasn't as gruesome as I thought it would be, but it was still very eye opening. Do you know how hard it is to look a 8 year old girl in the eye and see her total lack of hope. She wouldn't smile at all. I don't blame her. She has aids and will die in a couple years or so. The conditions of the "hospital" resembled more of a Zoo and I'm told even the pigs won't eat the food served there. Yet these people have no other place to go. The leprosy colony wasn't nearly as bad as I thought, but still very sad. It's very strange to see people with no fingers, only a stump of a hand. They are also very hopeless. It's tragic.

On a happier note, I leave for home on Tuesday! My final flight arrives on Sept 3rd around noon. Please pray for my return journey. It will be VERY LONG! (I have two 5 hour layovers!) Please also pray for my safety! I can't wait to see everyone when I get back! I miss you all so much!

~Audrey

Leaving Rajahmundry

Sadly, in seven hours we will be leaving Rajahmundry. We will be heading back to Chennai for our last days in India. Rajamundry was great! It was also CRAZY! We interviewed over 200 sponsor children! They were all so cute! I'm very excited that Living Hope has taken the initiative to help these kids! They sure do need it! THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who sponsor a child! WE will be sending you more info as soon as possible. (We have 200 profiles to short out and limited internet, so your patience is GREATLY appreciated.) If you don't already sponsor a child I highly recommend that you sign up for one! Contact Living Hope Church for more info.

Well, I'm off to finish packing! Please pray that we will have a safe train ride back! I'm not really worried about it. Dr. Kumar is coming with us and the ride here was fine. Still, prayer is always needed!

Thanks!

Speaking out in Faith

God has really been doing amazing things in me. On Sunday, I was prepared to share about Joshua (during a church service we put on). Suddenly, ten minuets before I was going to start talking I felt God asking me to talk about a completely different subject! I began to feel a little uneasy! I mean you kidding right God? How am I supposed to know what to say ten minuets before I speak?! I jotted down a few notes I thought God wanted me to talk about, only about 5 minuets worth of talking if I stretched it! I thought for a second maybe a compromise would work. I'll talk about what I planed on talking about and then kind of encompass the new subject for a few minuets at the end! The little voice in my head said, "That's NOT faith! How much do you trust me? Step out completely! Talk ONLY about what I told you!" Me, "Wow this is crazy! I mean their expecting me to share for half an hour! What if I run out of things to say?" God, "Trust me." "Ok, I'm going to jump, YOU BETTER CATCH ME!" I walked to the front, full of adrenaline, ready to speak. I was so excited to see what God was going to do! I knew I had trusted Him and he was going to do something great that evening! Well, he did! Line by line he gave me analogies and words to say! And I didn't just casually speak them either. I was very excited, and passionate about what God told me to say. It was amazing! My best sermon yet! Thanks God! : )

On a more shallow note; Today we went shopping, it was crazy cuz Jean (Mrs. Kumar) went with us and we had our own driver and were accompanied by a body guard! They even carry our shopping bags for us! I feel like royalty here. As guests we are not allowed to work at all. Not even to sweep our bed room floor or to take out our trash. Not even to take our plates to the sink after eating! I kinda like it but it feels strange. The only thing I miss doing myself is cooking! We eat the same thing for lunch and dinner every day. Deep fried potatoes, deep fried carrots, fried chicken, rice with cardamom, and chicken curry. I feel so pressured to eat here. Jean serves us BIG servings. And she’s always telling us to eat lots now and lose weight when we get home! Often I’m not even hungry when it’s a meal time but I sit down and she still serves me a big plate of food! I feel like I’ll offend her if I don’t eat it! But I can’t! Also today it rained very heavily and all the laundry the maid hung out to dry got soaked. Guess we won’t have any more clean clothes for a while! Lol