Story number 1 for 27 Aug 2003

(India)–We begin today in India, where authorities stepped up security in most major cities. This follows deadly bombings Monday in Bombay. Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India’s John DeVries says the extremist Hindu-Muslim tensions are building. He adds believers are wary because: “Christians are the object of hatred of both of these groups. In a very real way, Christians in India have two terrorist-types coming after them rather than just the one in some of the other countries of the world. But, these two groups, the Muslims and the Hindus are also after each other.” DeVries credits the hostilities and the anti-conversion movement as the catalyst behind church growth. “The persecution just really is like pouring gas on a fire. Where it comes, it makes people seriously commit to Christ, in spite of anything, and it just starts to go wild.”