Elections this week in four of India’s states and one territory have returned the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to dominance. 

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP leads a coalition of parties called the National Democratic Alliance. With the BJP’s landslide victory in West Bengal State this week, it now leads 18 of India’s 28 states. That’s nearly 80 percent of India’s population, according to a poll analysis by the TV network India Today.

Add to that the fact that the NDA coalition (including the BJP) governs 21 of India’s 28 states, and you have a major political force. 

A man we’ll call Paul serves as a pastoral coach in support of work in India. According to Paul as well as other reports, the BJP’s campaigning in West Bengal was less than honorable. It involved the presence of many soldiers.

“My friend who lives there [said], ‘It looks like there’s a war taking place in West Bengal,’” says Paul. “They went ‘all out’ and did every unethical, immoral way to defeat [the incumbent chief minister]. And they won — a massive victory, 200-plus seats.”

Irregularities included a voter list overhaul that removed some 2.7 million voters. A disproportionate number of those voters were Muslims. That’s according to an analysis from independent research organization SABAR Institute, based in Kolkata.

What’s next for India? 

Several concerning realities may come from the BJP’s expanded reach.

Sonajhuri Haat Bolpur, West Bengal, India (Photo courtesy of Ratul Pal via Unsplash)

The first thing to expect comes from the party’s record, says Paul. “Every state they [the BJP] captured, they immediately brought in this anti-conversion law,” he says. 

Anti-conversion laws can be framed as protections for religious freedom. But in practice, they are anything but. Such laws are currently present in at least 12 of India’s states. 

Then, on a national level, Paul believes the BJP will push to change India from a secular republic to a Hindu republic.

“They were short one state, and now they won West Bengal. So we can expect that a constitutional amendment will be happening very soon,” he says.

If these predictions come true, Christians and Muslims in India have testing times ahead.

“Especially in terms of missions,” says Paul. “We’ll have to relook at how we do missions completely — probably have to go underground. It’s already happening. Many churches are shut down in the states where these [leaders] have passed this anti-conversion law. Many churches have closed down.”

These changes and challenges are no surprise to God. Please pray!

“Pray that the Church will stay strong, united,” says Paul. Pray for wisdom for churches about complying with government regulations. 

“Pray for us [that] as a church and leadership will come together and come up with some more concrete plans and strategies to live out our faith in the midst of this context,” says Paul. 

Header photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing at the joint SCO-CSTO Outreach Summit on Afghanistan, through video conferencing, in New Delhi on September 17, 2021. (Wikimedia Commons)

Brandon Bower with the Biblical Life Recovery Center, “The Lighthouse,” says that God uses suffering to sanctify us and set us apart for His glory.

“God uses our struggles to grow us, not to punish us,” Bower says.

In the context of addiction, Bower says that is why the struggle is continual.

“Scripture tells us that we all have sins that so easily beset us,” Bower says. “We all struggle with different sins. Some of us, it’s eating, some of us it’s things like pornography or addiction, but we all have that one sin that we go back to for comfort, for satisfaction, for meaning.”

Addiction is just one of many sins, but because of the effects of drugs and chemical reactions in the body, it can cause different reactions, and people can develop dependence on them, making addiction so difficult to overcome.

While our sins are a lifelong struggle, there is value in learning to deal with them by turning to God rather than to sin and by bringing others into the healing process rather than isolating ourselves.

Bower says it’s a question of who we are going to worship.

“Are we worshiping ourselves? Our own satisfaction?” Bower asks. “Or are we worshiping the God who created us and loves us and has our best interests in mind?”

God does not approve of sin, but He has the power to use it to guide, direct, and grow us.

“I think some people see suffering as a sin,” Bower says. “They see it as that I’m not strong enough, or if I grow more spiritually, I won’t struggle, or God must be disappointed in me, or victory means I will never struggle again. And I think we need to reset our focus, that struggle doesn’t mean you’re not growing in victory. Often it looks like a continual fight of faith.”

The Lighthouse residential program can last from 30 days up to 2 years, depending on the needs of each of the men.

There, Bower says, residents learn Bible literacy, and that temptation isn’t sin. Sin is giving in to temptation.

Beginning with the gospel, men in the program learn that “We are all low-down, dirty-dog sinners, but God loves us, and He created a cosmic plan to rescue our souls by sending His Son Jesus to earth to live a perfect life and to die a painful death. In exchange, He gives us His righteousness and takes our sins, and that’s the greatest gift that we can ever receive.”

Diving into deeper theological questions, the program addresses things like temptation, lust, idols, and that God allows these struggles.

“He allows struggles to expose idols, to be able to direct our hearts, to point them towards Him,” Bower says.

The ministry does evangelistic and discipleship work, introducing residents to Jesus and sharing the love of the Father with them.

Post-program, the ministry continues to stay in touch with these men, continuing to point them in the right direction.

“The love of God radically changes hearts, and that’s what we’re seeking to do,” Bower says. “We’re seeking to introduce people to Jesus, who is Love, who is Transformation, and then, as we’re doing that, building in spiritual disciplines and encouraging and equipping them to live life in a proper, God-honoring way, that glorifies Him.”

To learn more about the Lighthouse or if you know someone interested in the program, reach out via phone or email.

Bower says people can also share the information via social media so that people can hear the hope of the gospel that’s happening at The Lighthouse.

Please pray that the people who need this discipleship will be connected with The Lighthouse’s services and that they will receive the love of Christ in a way that makes a tangible difference in their lives.

Representative photo of a man praying over his Bible (photo courtesy of Malachi Cowie via Unsplash)

That’s because of the work of organizations such as the Program for Theological Education by Extension (PTEE). 

Erin James with PTEE explains that their team stands in the gap for Christians living in areas with low access to seminary. “We provide classes and training for refugees who have fled high-conflict areas and who desire to return after the conflict is over,” she says. 

“The target [students are] the ones that either don’t have the money, no ability to move, or the ones that are working full time and can only handle one class at a time.”

Christian Ethics class.
(Photo, caption courtesy PTEE)

PTEE’s fully accredited program has been in place for more than 30 years and today offers certificate, diploma, and bachelor’s tracks. James says it was started to meet a felt need among Arabic Christians from different backgrounds to better understand the Bible.

“We want them to be able to teach Sunday school, be pastors, lead women’s ministry, children’s ministry, but from a biblically sound foundation,” says James.

James says their education by extension methodology has been tested and proven. Coursework, group discussions, and tests are an integral part of the program. 

“It originally came out of South America. It’s been used in Asia,” she says. “So we started creating the classes where the cost is minimal. [Students] can meet in their local church or even a house, and study the Word.” 

Please pray for PTEE’s current students to grow in their faith and understanding of how to serve Christ in their unique contexts. 

“Lord-willing, when the conflict ends, then they have this solid biblical foundation to go back and be able to teach the Bible,” says James. “Then they can reach, talk to the people that stayed, that are now going, ‘Wait, who is God? We’ve lived through this thing, this horrible conflict,’ and they’re looking for a deeper understanding of the meaning of life, or just a deeper understanding of the Bible.”

Pray also for funds to support PTEE’s growing work. 

“We’re doing a mobile program as well. [Pray] that we’d be able to expand the work and reach more Christians who desire to study the Word,” says James. 

Header photo courtesy of PTEE.

Qatar (Photo courtesy of Ayush Pappini via Unsplash)

On Wednesday, Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field. Iran responded on Thursday with strikes across the Gulf region, which included a gas facility at Qatar’s Ras Laffan plant. These events have made crude oil prices even more volatile. 

As the economic impacts of the war spread across the world, so do the psychological and human costs. Fadi Sharaiha from the MENA Leadership Center recognizes people growing numb to living under sirens, missiles, and drone strikes. 

“This is what we call the mechanism of defense for people. If you are going through a trauma, what happens is you justify the trauma, or you normalize it,” he says. “This is really a dangerous I would say ‘mental health’ concern that I have for people.”

Iranian boy in a jacket (picture courtesy of Hiva Sharifi via Unsplash)

The numbers surrounding this war keep rising, yet Sharaiha notes, “The first casualty in a war is truth. So nobody knows really the numbers, or what is really happening on the ground.” 

Even with the mass of data in Middle East news reports, the fact remains that every person who has been killed was made in God’s image, as well as every person displaced or suffering any kind of loss. 

“For me, those are not numbers. Those are faces. Those are people who are created in God’s image. They have aspiration, goals, feelings, emotions. They want to live their lives,” says Sharaiha. 

Find your place in the story

As Christians watch the news and pray, Sharaiha urges us to think personally, “to have a face to the number.”

“Please pray for the peace in the Middle East,” he says. “Pray for those people who are being displaced — like 1 million people in Lebanon.”

Lebanon (Stock photo courtesy of Nathan McBride via Unsplash)

Pray for endurance for Christians in the Gulf region. This is so important, because Sharaiha says, “It’s very easy to lose focus and faith whenever you’re going through a trauma, war, or conflict.” 

Also, pray a big-picture prayer! Ask God to use His people around the world to speak the true hope of Christ in significant ways during the Middle East conflict. This is tied to what Sharaiha calls “the prophetic voice” of the Church. 

“That [prophetic voice] is not politics. We need to go back to peace-building, reaching the unreached, loving people, and making sure that we are available for people to help and support,” he says. 

In early March, the MENA Leadership Center’s most recent online training was attended by students whose countries were being bombed in the newly-begun US-Israel-Iran war. Sharaiha says future courses will include an introduction to refugee ministry and a course on conflict resolution. 

“We are trying to respond to whatever is happening today, on the ground of people going through war, going through trauma, going through bad times,” he says. 

Learn more about the ministry and mission at menaleadershipcenter.com. 

Header photo courtesy of a user named Pavellllllll on Pixabay.

The “Patient House” sits across the street from the air base used by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). Joe Adams, MAF Lesotho director and pilot, explains, “The patients come from the mountains. They’re very, very low-income people. They don’t have enough money to afford being in the city. They couldn’t rent a room for the night.

“So when they’re done with their medical appointment – or sometimes they’ve been discharged from the hospital – they have no place to go.”

(Photo courtesy of MAF Lesotho)

Working closely with Lesotho Flying Doctors, MAF connects remote clinics to hospitals that would otherwise take hours to reach by road. In some cases, the journey by vehicle can take half a day across rugged terrain. By air, it takes minutes.

Years ago, MAF helped start the Patient House to give patients a place to stay while waiting for treatment or a return flight home. Today, the ministry is operated by Lesotho Mountain Discipleship, a Christian group focused on discipling local believers.

“They keep the patients there, [and] we make sure they have food,” says Adams. “Some of them don’t know how to use anything but an open fire, so we have people that will cook them food with an electric stove or whatever we have in there.”

The Patient House also creates opportunities for spiritual encouragement. Every worker at the Patient House “is also a follower of Jesus and is there to also pray with [patients] and to share the Gospel with them as appropriate.”

Partners in aviation

Pray for those who stay at the Patient House run by MAF’s partner, Lesotho Mountain Discipleship. The house offers patients and their families a place to stay while they receive medical treatment or recover. (Photo, caption courtesy of MAF)

More than 80% of Mission Aviation Fellowship flights in Lesotho serve the medical needs of about 300,000 people living in remote mountain communities, many in partnership with Lesotho Flying Doctors.

Now, with a new leader at the helm of Lesotho Flying Doctors, Adams says the partnership has grown stronger.

“Karabo Lelimo, the leader of the Lesotho Flying Doctors, has been working at the Lebakeng clinic for eight years prior to being appointed as the director,” says Adams. “So he really understands what it’s like to be in the mountain context, to be supported by the aircraft, and be dependent on what is brought on the airplane. He’s also a fellow follower of Jesus – not everyone in Lesotho Flying Doctors is, but he is.”

Lelimo’s faith-filled leadership came out recently when he arranged for food to be delivered to the Patient House – something MAF has typically provided alone.

When Adams thanked him, Lelimo’s reply was simple: “Glory to God.”

For Adams, the moment represented something bigger: ministries working together to care for vulnerable people both physically and spiritually.

“It’s just amazing to have a partner like that in that position,” he says. “That is a blessing we’re thanking God for…. It’s really symbolic of how leadership is changing things.”

(Photo courtesy of Lesotho Flying Pastors, MAF)

Pray for patients served by MAF, Lesotho Flying Doctors, and the Patient House to know deeper spiritual healing in Christ. Pray also for the encouragement of MAF staff and their families.

“We can’t succeed if we try to do it in our own strength,” Adams says. “We need the Holy Spirit to guide us. We need Him to strengthen us and to empower us.”

Learn more about MAF Lesotho and support opportunities at their website here.

Header photo courtesy of MAF.

Last year was the first year that Mission Cry began shipping to Cape Town, and the organization was able to send four full shipping containers.

This had been a leap of faith for both the suppliers and recipients last year, as they sought to trust God with what they could handle.

Beginning in February, the 2026 shipments will leave every two months to continue in the work that the Word of God is already doing in South Africa.

Jason Woolford with Mission Cry says that the organization received amazing testimonies of the work happening in this area amidst gang issues and crime rises.

Distribution in Cape Town, South Africa (Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)

“Prisoners giving their lives to the Lord, people who get out of prison getting saved, people coming from the surrounding countries, that’s right, coming from the surrounding countries to come and get free Bibles and Christian books from this hub,” Woolford says.

Woolford says that when he sees the devil working overtime, he knows the devil is trying to stop something great. God willing, this distribution point will continue to be a place that fights against the evil working in the world.

“The only thing that does not return void is the Word of God,” Woolford says. “While clothes, water, food, all of those things are important (especially as Americans know), those things return void, but the Word of God doesn’t. It forever changes someone’s life.”

Please pray that the containers sent to Cape Town, South Africa, this year will touch the hearts of individuals who do not know the Lord. Pray that people will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that their lives will be transformed. Pray that Christians will be discipled and that they will draw near to God.

Distribution in Cape Town, South Africa (Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)

Saint was a pilot with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). On January 8, 1956, he and four fellow missionaries were killed on a jungle beach in Ecuador by the very tribe they were attempting to reach with the Gospel.

Gene with Nate, Shandia, 1955. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

For Gene Jordan, a former MAF pilot who spent 22 years serving in Ecuador, the story is personal. Jordan’s parents were missionaries in Ecuador starting in 1951 with a different mission organization.

“My parents knew all the missionaries in those early days,” he says. “I have a picture of myself sitting on Nate’s knee in the little jungle station of Shandia where the Elliots worked. I don’t remember it; I was too young. But what I do remember is always knowing of Nate with an airplane serving other people in the jungle.”

As a teenager, Jordan spent his time at the MAF base in Shell, Ecuador, helping however he could — fueling and washing planes, loading cargo, and buckling in passengers.

(Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

“I saw the difference the airplane made in the jungle communities. But more than that, I saw the impact and the effect that the pilots had in living out their faith and caring for people,” says Jordan.

“I decided this might be something that I could do, and I go back to the influence when I was young — of always knowing about MAF, knowing MAF pilots, seeing what they did, and the main one being Nate Saint because he was in Ecuador. I grew up with his kids and his widow, Aunt Marge. So it was always an influence in my life.”

Seven decades after the killings, it still echoes today – the faith legacy of these men, their widows, and a surrender to God’s will.

Jordan says, “When the five guys were killed on that day, the widows’ worlds fell apart. But…I never heard any of them say or write that they doubted that God was not in control.

“I have a letter that Elizabeth Elliot wrote my mom just a couple weeks after Jim was killed. In it, she says, ‘My house feels empty, but Jim died doing exactly what he felt God would have him do in the fullness of his manhood, and I cannot fault God for anything.’

Elisabeth Elliot with spears retrieved from the bodies. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

“Today, we have 70 years of being able to look back and see what God has done.”

As believers remember the sacrifice of these five men and the steadfast faith of their families, the question remains deeply personal.

What mission field is God calling you to?

Learn more about MAF’s ministry here.

Header photo: Five widows in Shell, following the return of the search party. (Photo, caption courtesy of Gene Jordan/MAF)

It’s a stunning shift, and for many believers, it feels like a national unraveling.

Brad Hutchcraft of Hutchcraft Ministries says, “When we see reports like this that come out, we do see…that this looks like a crisis moment. And it is, in some ways…. The fact is, with the declining number of people who identify as religious, it’s actually more important than ever that individuals encounter a relationship with Jesus.”

(Photo courtesy of Jon Tyson/Unsplash)

Beneath the trends, he sees something deeper going on culturally as people crave more relationship and authenticity.

“People sometimes are turned off to religion because they view it as rules [and] regulations…. What they need first is to know what this relationship with Jesus is all about.”

Even though the national trend looks bleak, Hutchcraft says another dataset from Barna tells a surprising story. Young adults in America are leading a resurgence in church attendance.

“These young people are interested in, evidently, knowing more about Jesus. So we need to show up where they are showing up and be able to say, Hey, we are here to help walk you through knowing who Jesus is and what it means to be a follower of Christ.”

It’s a reminder for believers to always be mission-minded as we engage with neighbors, coworkers, and loved ones.

“Every place a follower of Christ goes, they should ask Jesus to help them see people the way He sees them.”

(Photo courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash)

Hutchcraft points out that “2 Corinthians 5:20 says, ‘We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.’ So as we look around us, it’s important that those who say, ‘Well, I’m not very religious,’ encounter someone who can show them what a relationship [with Jesus] really is like.”

This challenge may seem intimidating, but it starts with prayer. Hutchcraft offers a simple framework in praying for Gospel opportunities.

“We…refer to it as the ‘three open prayer’ in our ministry. It is simply, ‘Lord, open the door. Lord, open their heart. And Lord, open my mouth.'”

Pray that God would open doors for genuine Gospel conversations, especially with spiritually guarded friends and family. Pray for courage, gentleness, and a renewed burden for those who don’t yet know Jesus.

To explore tools for sharing your hope story, visit yourhopestory.com and learn more about Hutchcraft Ministries.

Header photo courtesy of Tucker Good/Unsplash.

A busy street around the markets of Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania. (Photo, caption courtesy of Aron Marinelli/Unsplash)

Protests erupted, and the UN human rights office says hundreds of protestors have been killed. Many more were detained, and at least 240 have been charged with treason.

Egide Bandyatuyaga with Trans World Radio (TWR) says, “Treason charges are very heavy and very serious charges. I don’t know the provision from the Tanzanian law, but from what I know from other places, treason charges may carry the death penalty or a life sentence.”

For Tanzanian civilians and families, the unrest has made daily life harder.

“When there is unrest in the country… shops will not open,” Bandyatuyaga explains. “The market — on which many people rely for the purchase of the goods they use at home — will also not open. So the ordinary people [are] affected.”

TWR serves Tanzania with Gospel radio broadcasts in multiple languages, even in remote areas.

Bandyatuyaga believes the crisis could open new doors for faith in Tanzania, where 50% of the population does not follow Jesus.

“When people are faced with difficulties, there is this tendency of being open to the Gospel because, for example, if someone is desperate or he can’t find any other solution to his problem, he tends to turn to divine intervention.”

Trans World Radio has been broadcasting Gospel hope in Tanzania since 2010. (Photo courtesy of TWR)

He asks, “Please be with us in prayer as we continue to minister to the people of Tanzania. Pray with us for the provision of needed funds so that we can reach more people in the country of Tanzania, and pray with us so that their hearts can continue to be drawn to listen to the Gospel.”

Learn more about TWR’s ministry.

Header photo: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Photo courtesy of Peter Mitchell/Unsplash)

Like many kids in India, she grew up in a home filled with idols and rituals. Worship was familiar — but Jesus was not. Still, something about the songs, stories, and kindness of her Bible Club leaders drew her in.

Rohitha’s life was changed forever at a 10-Day Children’s Bible Club. (Photo courtesy of Mission India)

“She loved hearing about Jesus healing the sick, and His sacrifice on the cross really resonated with her,” says Mission India’s Raina Miller. “So by day seven out of 10 at the Bible Club, she was reflecting on her life and the concept of forgiveness, and she couldn’t stop thinking about Jesus.

“On day nine out of 10, Rohitha invited Jesus into her heart, and she received Him as Savior — and on day 10, she declared her faith publicly!”

Now, Rohitha is part of a local church and prays daily for her parents to know the same hope she’s found.

Stories like hers are why Mission India continues to host 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs across the country — and why their matching challenge that launched today matters so much!

From now through December 31, a generous partner will match every gift toward Mission India’s 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs up to $1.1 million.

“Normally, one dollar lets one child attend a Bible Club,” Miller explains. “But through this match, one dollar reaches two children. So this is giving them the chance to attend a Bible Club where they can hear about Jesus — many of them, for the first time.”

Miller adds, “It’s just incredible to see what can happen in the span of only 10 days. You would think that’s such a short time, but kids’ lives turn around in that short amount of time, and they’re introduced to Jesus. It changes their lives forever, and it gives their parents the chance to have their lives changed as well.”

You can double your impact and help reach twice as many children with the Gospel at www.missionindia.org/double!

Header photo courtesy of Mission India.