India (MNN) — Bible for the World calls it a 50 year famine. It’s not caused by what you might think.
Bibles for the World’s co-founder Mawii Pudaite says every 50 years something spectacular happens. “The most common type of wild bamboo in Northeast India blossoms and then disaster comes. When the bamboo begins to blossom, the rats will rampage through the rice fields. Rats love the taste of the blossoms and they quickly go into a feeding frenzy.”
Mizoram and Manipur sees to be the hardest hit states. The Chief Minister of Mizoram is a Christian and ordered that all rats be killed. However in neighboring Manipur, the chief minister is a Hindu. “Killing rats is psychologically difficult for many Hindus since rats are actually deified in the Hindu religion. The elephant god of prosperity if often portrayed as riding upon a giant rat.”
Pudaite says Manipur’s rice harvest has been especially hit hard this year. “They thought they were going to have a wonderful harvest this year. And then, the farmers went to their rice fields to harvest and over night the rats had devoured all of their harvest.”
Bibles for the World is distributing rice in the region in Jesus name, but Pudaite says they also did something else. “We provided the Bible in their language, for every family that did not have the Bible in their home. It’s a tremendous opportunity to share the love of Christ.”
Funding is needed. Bibles for the World would like to distribute more than one-million Bibles this year. Coupled with that is the need for purchase rice. “Bible for the World has established a special relief fund. All the donated money will be used to buy rice, which our co-workers in India will distribute to the people.”
