“Under Article 370, it specified that no Indians from outside the IOK (so, from another part of India), they would not be allowed to buy land inside the region. They could not permanently settle there. They couldn’t run for political office there. Well, now that they’ve revoked article 370, critics are thinking you’re going to allow a whole flood of Hindu residents to come in or Hindu immigrants to come into this area. So, that is one of the concerns,” Allen explains.

Problems in Kashmir

(Photo courtesy of Elle on Unsplash)

In recent years, a sentiment has gained traction in India—to be Indian is to be Hindu. This concept isolates religious minorities and begs the question; is the current situation in Kashmir an attempt to further the Hindu supremacy agenda in India?

Allen reports a curfew is in place in Kashmir and the region’s chief minister is under house arrest. People have also been arrested with the possibility of being held for up to two years without charges or a trial under India’s Public Safety Act.

“Thousands of lives are being upended by that,” Allen says. “They can’t communicate with the rest of the world. They can’t even assemble together in their own region.”

Respond With Prayer

While FMI does not have direct relations to ministry work in India, Allen expects Christians in the country are feeling the heat of what is happening in Kashmir. As events continue to unfold, remember the people of Kashmir in your prayers. Pray for God’s love and truth to penetrate Kashmir and the rest of India.

(Photo courtesy of Karthikeyan K on Unsplash)

“We want to pray that evangelism efforts will introduce people to the Prince of Peace. Because that will be the only lasting peace that ever comes,” Allen says.

Also, pray for the leaders in India. Ask God to soften their hearts and give them wisdom in how they lead. Pray for Christians in the country to persevere through difficult times and to keep the faith. Pray for Christian leaders as they guide their congregations and continue their work for the Great Commission. Finally, pray for these Christians’ protection, too.

Join us tomorrow as we examine how the situation in Kashmir is boiling over into Pakistan.

Header photo by Aimanness Harun on Unsplash.

Malaria Facts

The recent WHO’s world malaria report says that between 2015 to 2017 there were “no significant gains in reducing malaria cases”. In fact, in 2017 alone there were an estimated 219 million malaria-related cases. The cases spanned 87 countries with an estimated 435,000 malaria-related deaths. Children under the age of five made up 61 percent of these deaths (266,000) worldwide.

Kakinada, India (Photo courtesy of India Partners)

India was home to four percent of all malaria cases in 2017. However, India did report progress from 2016 to 2017 in reducing malaria-related cases. Out of the top 11 countries where about 70 percent of malaria cases and deaths occur globally, India was the only country to reduce its malaria cases in this specific time frame.

This year, on World Malaria Day, you can get involved and help prevent Malaria by teaming up with India Partners. India Partners’ vision is an India rich in hope, justice, and compassion. Part of accomplishing this is malaria prevention. Why? Because part of compassion means wanting others to be whole and healthy, and malaria prevention is key to that vision.

Impact in India

India Partners helps people in India prevent the transfer of Malaria by providing mosquito nets to families. These nets protect children and adults from mosquitoes while they sleep. It is an inexpensive way to prevent malaria and protect families from sickness and even death.

(Photo courtesy of India Partners)

“People may not be able to afford either the prevention or the long-lasting insecticide nets that we help to provide because it’s $10 for a net. When you’re working day-to-day and earning just a couple dollars, maybe working in the field, then you can’t afford $10 for a net,” Programs Coordinator with India Partners Donna Glass explains.

For families who do have members infected with malaria, this often means time off of work or school, provided the families can purchase anti-malaria medicine to heal. However, a net prevents this domino effect.

Glass says nets also provide a sense of relief from fear and anxiety for families just in the knowledge that their probability of getting malaria is greatly reduced. This also means families can rest well at night, knowing they’re likely not going to wake up with a mosquito bite which could drastically change their lives for the worse.

Be the Solution

“Prevention is so much more effective than curing people. If you can prevent an illness, then that’s where you need to step in before people get sick. And before people are missing work and losing money, not only from not getting wages but then there’s the cost of the care,” Glass says.

On World Malaria Day 2019, you can help people in India prevent the effects of Malaria by giving just $10 to provide a mosquito net. For the cost of a pizza, will you give someone the opportunity for a full life?

To donate a mosquito net, click here!

Header photo courtesy of India Partners.

India’s struggle with poverty has not escaped World Mission, who works with partners on the ground.

“There is growth within the economy over all of India, but a lot of these developing countries it’s [a] very small sliver of the people at the top that are benefiting from it. Those that are in the poverty levels, actually those levels continue to swell and increase. What you see, the manifestation of that on the streets of India is you see a tremendous amount of homeless people. And again, it’s the women and the children that are suffering the most,” CEO of World Mission Greg Kelley says.

“The last time we were there we were in the largest dump in Delhi, and hundreds and hundreds of people, that’s their home. So, they’re living in the dump and it just so breaks your heart to see these people living in such impoverished conditions throughout that great amazing country.”

Challenges for Economy

Kelley says some of the decisions made by Modi have complicated the economy. For example, in late 2016 India withdrew the 1,000 and 500 rupee notes to be replaced with new 2,000 and 500 rupee notes. People in India could exchange up to 4,500 old rupees for the new notes.

“That is just one simple example…of something that was incredibly disruptive to the economy that made things very difficult. At the end of the day when these economic decisions get made, it’s really the women, the children, those that are impoverished, which the majority of India is, that suffer the most from a consequences standpoint,” Kelley says.

World Mission in India

World Mission partners aim to serve the most vulnerable areas of India. One of these areas is the beforementioned dumps in Delhi, among other major communities. Kelley says some of the people living in these dumps are content simply because they know no other lifestyle or standard of living. Still, these are the “steepest levels of poverty that you could imagine.”

However, dumps aren’t the only places impacted by extreme poverty. Rural areas are also impacted by economic difficulties, along with communities facing illnesses like leprosy.

(Photo courtesy of World Mission via Facebook)

“World Mission has a real active ministry in the leprosy colonies, and we’re trying to minister to these people, encourage them in these three settings. We’re doing practical things like bringing clean water and World Mission drills a lot of clean water wells. We also provide water filters for people who do have access because so many children, thousands of children die every day in India due to the dirty water and bacteria infected water. So, on a practical level, we’re helping them with clean water projects,” Kelley says.

On a spiritual note, World Mission distributes its solar-powered audio Bibles, called Treasures, to share the hope of Christ. Kelley says the majority of India’s population are oral learners. Many of the people World Mission encounters are oral learners. For this reason, World Mission’s Treasures have “been an amazing tool to encourage people with the Gospel”.

Want to help?

It takes about $30 to send a water filter to a family in India. These filters last for over 2 years for an entire family. It takes about $40 to send a Treasure to India in one of the 750 languages spoken in the country. This year, World Mission is hoping to deliver 5,000 Treasures to India.

To give, click here!

“I think the underlying root that we need to remember, not only is the economy challenged in India, but it’s also the most populated Hindu country in the world. There [are] more unreached people in India than any country in the world,” Kelley says.

Let’s reach India together.

Learn more about more ways to get involved with World Mission here.

Women Stand for Equality

India Partner’s Donna Glass believes the event was a statement. It showed women with the confidence to stand up for their rights. Just as dominos fall into place one after another, courage spreads as one woman stands up, others often follow.

“I think it was a [385-mile] wall of women? How significant that would have to be by being able to connect with other women. You don’t feel quite so isolated, and so maybe it’s easier to stand up. But, I wonder [about] the women who first had the idea to even start this, to make this happen, to start organizing it. The courage that those women must have had to be able to say ‘We need to stand up and we need to do it together’,” Glass says.

Women in India face a multitude of challenges and inequality. For example, if a family can only afford to educate a limited number of children, males will often be educated while the female children will not. In this context, a grown woman is left with few skills to translate into any career other than a proper house-wife. This becomes dangerous in the cases of widowhood.

Challenges of Being Female

(Photo courtesy of India Partners)

There is a stigma against widows and marrying widows in India. However, the same feelings are not expressed towards widowers. Men are in the clear to remarry, but a woman is on her own. This means a woman who has lost her husband, is often without community and without an income. Due to little or no education, widows have little chance of doing more with their lives than surviving. India Partners is trying to change this. Through its widow sponsorship program, India Partners is showing widows compassion while offering hope.

“There are some government programs, but it’s not enough really to thrive. What they might get is enough to survive. But the addition of having a sponsorship, that gives them a little bit more each month to help meet all their expenses and hopefully to thrive,” Glass says.

India Partners Helps Women Thrive

India Partners also has an economic development program which assists women in building small businesses. In India, this can look like selling vegetables alongside a village street or creating flower garlands to sell, too.

“There will be people that are set up in a space that they have kind of blocked off for themselves along the side of the road, where they will lay out mats or blankets or they will lay out vegetables and they will sell them or they might have flowers,” Glass explains.

Flower garlands are common for people when they dress up or for visitors. They are also a very ceremonious experience.

“They’re absolutely beautiful, but you got to have somebody that makes those. You could have that as a business along the side of a road. We have the opportunity for people to help a woman start a business,” Glass says.

Tailoring School Program

For women in rural areas, India Partners has a tailoring school program. After six months of training, women are equipped to sew basic clothes such as blouses or children’s dresses. Women are also taught how to sew the underskirt worn beneath a sari.

(Photo courtesy of India Partners)

When the women graduate from the tailoring program, they are presented with a treadle sewing machine. These pedal operated machines are ideal for areas where electricity is intermittent. Plus, these machines allow women to work from their own homes, giving them the entrepreneurial freedom to work and take care of their children simultaneously.

“You’d be surprised how fast some of the women can get those machines going to make that needle move up and down,” Glass notes.

The widow sponsorship program and the economic development program are just some of the ways India Partners is helping women. Even earning just $2-3 USD a day can help women stand on their own or supplement their family income so they can thrive, not just survive. Will you get behind their work?

“Until the whole country starts respecting women and holding them as equal, I think that the full potential of India will not be realized unless that happens,” Glass says.

“Every little step that can be made so that women’s self-confidence is built up so that they could learn to stand on their own feet, and maybe unite together [is important]. But first, you have to give women a chance to realize their own potential and then give them the confidence to maybe work with others to help them realize that they could do more.”

Get Involved

India has an online gift catalog featuring the different ways you can help a woman realize her potential while being offered hope, compassion, and justice. Will you give?

Explore India Partner’s online gift catalog here!

OR

Sponsor a widow here!

“If you have a passion for helping a widow, then you know, perhaps a widow sponsorship is where your heart is leading you. We would love to work with you and you can do it all through our website,” Glass says.

Header photo courtesy of India Partners.

Translation Needs

“Biblica focuses on strategic languages, meaning languages which are very critical in the sub-continent of India. Particularly [those] languages which are majority languages, official languages of states. Languages which have a million or more speakers, all languages which have demands from the people, from the church particularly, for new translations.”

(Photo courtesy of Biblica)

Varghese says that in India, there is a definitive need for Bible translation in forty-eight languages and dialects, with potential for more. Biblica’s work is to provide contemporary Bibles in strategic languages.

“There are languages without even a Gospel available in that language, and there are languages which though they may have Bibles, most of them are very old, a hundred plus years old. So, we need to have a fresh look at those languages again. That’s the situation in India now,” Varghese says.

Since languages continue to evolve, a 100-year-old translation is no longer relevant. New translations and revisions are both necessary, and Varghese says there’s a need for an accessible Bible translation which can be understood by youth and non-Christians, too.

Linguistic Divisions

India has many geographical state divisions based on the language in the region. For this reason, when Chhattisgarh was founded as a new state in India on November 1, 2000, a new Bible translation was needed for the language of Chhattisgarhi. Varghese says the language was previously considered a dialect of Hindi.

“Once the government has recognized the existence of a language, [the] government had to give into the demand for a new state,” Varghese says.

To finish these translations, Biblica will use incremental publishing. This means as books of the Bible are translated, Biblica releases them to the public. Biblica is also working on audio Bibles to put in the hands of people who learn through hearing.

Please, come alongside Biblica’s translation projects by praying. Pray for God’s hand in Bible translation in India and for His Word to be made manifest to all. Also, pray for everyone who is involved with the Bible translation process and their protection. Finally, pray for the finances necessary for Biblica’s translation projects in India.

Donate to Biblica’s translation work here!

(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Nepal (MNN) — India has made no secret it is displeased with Nepal’s new constitution.

Noel Becchetti with Asian Access says, “What they’re doing right now is basically blackmailing Nepal and saying, ‘If you don’t amend that constitution and make it more to our liking, we’ll starve you out.’”

Becchetti and his wife were visiting friends in Nepal when they saw that ire take shape. “The third day that we were in the country, our friends let us know that India had just sealed the border between India Nepal and had blockaded anything coming into the country–any goods, any supplies, any equipment.”

Here’s the problem: “Nepal receives all of its oil, petroleum, and gasoline–everything–from one supplier: the Indian Oil Corporation. And they just…stopped.” Nepal began rationing fuel on Monday as hundreds also blockaded a key import hub on the Indian border. Becchetti says, “Right now, if things do not change, they’re going to start stopping international flights to Nepal.”

Why the kerfuffle? ”They [India and Hindu nationalists] are unhappy with the fact that Nepal approved a secular constitution. You might recall: the radical element of that group basically is wanting to go back to what they called the Greater India,” which includes Bhutan and Nepal, he adds. “They think it’s their manifest destiny ultimately to take all of that back over. This is just a piece of that process.”

(Map courtesy Wikipedia)

Over the weekend, the government decided to limit the number of vehicles on Nepal’s roads as the landlocked Himalayan country faces a looming fuel shortage. “You can only drive your vehicle every other day. It depends on the last number of your license plate. So, if you have you an odd number, you can only drive on odd-numbered days,” says Becchetti. He says they were in Nepal as the blockade took hold. “Our friend had to check his license plate, and then he said, ‘I’m sorry. I can’t take you. I’m not allowed to have my car out today.’ We had to chase down another vehicle that was legal to drive to get to the airport to fly out. “

The fuss is over the new constitution that is in the final stage of a peace process that began in 2006, when Maoist rebels laid down their arms after a 10-year civil war. The draft was accepted by the voters and the Parliament calling Nepal a secular nation. India’s response, while not unexpected, was still scary, says Becchetti. “Nepal’s a poor country. They’re trying to dig out from a big ,and they just don’t have that many friends or big visibility in the world.

“The government held an emergency meeting with the prime minister and the cabinet. The very same day, the [leaders of the] evangelical Christian fellowship in that country…held an emergency meeting of which some friends of ours were a part.” How does one respond to a bully? Stand up to him. That’s more or less what Nepal has decided to do, Bechetti adds. ”Both groups basically said, ‘We are not going to knuckle under. We think we need to stand firm on this.’”

(Image courtesy Asian Access))

Really, Nepal is a country under siege. Becchetti is urging prayer for their partners, some of whom sat on the constituent assembly. They have brought a unique worldview to the writing of their country’s governing document. However, “If this continues and the shortages get acute, that’s a lot of pressure. We need to pray for endurance in the face of this kind of pressure.” Becchetti is asking other believers to pray for “strength and wisdom for the leaders [who are] under a tremendous amount of pressure. I think we need to pray for the world’s conscience to become awakened here, and for some world pressure to be brought to bear.”

A petition drive is circulating in Nepal, where people are asked to share it on their social media networks in order to generate the 20,000 signatures needed to make sure the blockade gets on the United Nations’ agenda. (Click here if you want to take a look.)

Government forces square off against Nepali protesters.
(Twitter)

Nepal (GFA/MNN) — A lot of world events need intercession, and Nepal’s constitution chaos is no exception. Over 40 people have been killed so far in protest-related violence.

According to Gospel for Asia, believers’ homes and churches make easy targets for angry demonstrators.

Would you add Nepalese Christians to your prayer list?

Please ask the Lord to protect His followers. Pray for opportunities to share Christ’s love and peace.

What’s going on in Nepal?

Along with India’s blockade, Nepal’s leaders are fighting discontent within their borders.

According to Reuters, anti-India protesters joined anti-constitution demonstrators in Nepal’s streets yesterday.

(Photo of Narendra Modi courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

As protesters in Kathmandu carried an effigy of Prime Minister Modi and shouted anti-India slogans, Nepal’s cable federation announced it would no longer broadcast Indian TV channels.

A new three-member government committee is holding talks with protesters, hoping to end violent unrest.

The former Hindu kingdom ushered in a new era after President Ram Baran Yadav signed Nepal’s new constitution on September 20.

More about constitution unrest and its impact on Nepalese Christians here.

Citizens expressed mixed emotions after the historic event. Much of the country cheered, celebrating the nation’s attempt to move forward and bring peace after decades of instability, which included a 10-year civil war that dissolved the nation’s monarchy in 2008.

Others continued to protest, unhappy with certain articles in the constitution that they believe put them at a disadvantage.

(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

The new constitution officially divides the country into seven federal states, or provinces, and allows each state to have its own legislature. The borders of these states have yet to be determined.

Many of Nepal’s ethnic minorities living in the southern regions have protested this division, fearing it will lead to further marginalization and little political representation.

Nepal’s constitution also makes it a secular nation after centuries of being a Hindu kingdom. The country’s secularism affords its citizens the right to freely practice, profess, and preserve their religion according to their faith.

However, the constitution also makes it illegal to perform any act that is seen as “disturb[ing] the religion of other people.”

What can I do about it?

While traveling to Nepal might not be a practical option for you right now, praying is.

Please pray for:

• The government of Nepal as it works to implement the new constitution.
• Wisdom for Nepal’s leaders.
• Grace and peace for the people of Nepal.
• Discernment and wisdom for Nepalese Christians as they live out their faith in Jesus.

More Nepal news here.

(Photo courtesy ReachGlobal Crisis Response)

India (ReachGlobal) – [EDITOR’S NOTE: This blog post, written by Rachel Bliss with ReachGlobal Crisis Response (EFCA) shares how the Gospel truth and education are the key to a brighter and less vulnerable future.]

You always know when you are approaching the garbage dump of Kolkata. The stench from burning trash begins to sting your nostrils even before the hills of garbage and rising smoke are visible. Just a short ten miles from central Kolkata, a community of families call this area home. Many of the women engage in rag-picking in the nearby garbage dump that collects 2500 tons of waste per day. Men are involved in “garbage farming,” using waste from the dump to fertilize their crops. More than 40% of the green vegetables in the Kolkata markets come from these “fields.”

The families living in this community are migrants who came to Kolkata decades ago and illegally occupied the undesirable land near the garbage dump. Despite their best efforts to climb out of paralyzing poverty, the families in this community remain entrapped and vulnerable to the ravages of poverty: malnutrition, disease, and human trafficking.

Crowded conditions and lack of adequate sanitation result in gastro-intestinal illness and a high percentage of tuberculosis. Breathing highly-polluted air day in and day out leads to respiratory diseases. This area has also been notorious for criminal and anti-social activities, including open sale of illegal drugs, liquor, and other contraband objects. The tentacles of the traffickers are sure to reach this vulnerable community soon, deceiving women and children with false promises of a job and a better life in another location.

Most people avoid going anywhere near the garbage dump of Kolkata, but NOT Shikha and Gus, a Bengali couple who deeply love Jesus. In 2009, compelled by the love of Christ, Shikha and Gus began traveling regularly to minister to the children and families living alongside the garbage dump of Kolkata.

EFCA is now partnering with Gus and Shikha to prevent human trafficking among the families living under the shadow and in the stench of the Kolkata garbage dump. Now you can also “travel with Gus and Shikha” to minister to needy families and prevent the trafficking of children and youth.

Children’s education is key to prevention of trafficking. When a child is educated, he or she is less vulnerable to the tricks of the traffickers. When you sponsor a child through GlobalFingerprints, children’s educational needs are met.

70 children living near a Kolkata garbage dump need a sponsor. Will you help to rescue a child before the traffickers reach him or her? Will you “divide your bread with the hungry”? $35 a month can change a child’s life, bringing health, hope and protection from traffickers. To choose a child from the community of families living near the garbage dump, go to the GlobalFingerprints Web site and choose a child from India: Mukti 1.

(Photo courtesy Open Doors USA)

India (Open Doors) — Fifteen-year-old *Roshni of India is still struggling with the trauma of her past.

Two years ago, she was raped as a punishment for passionately sharing her Christian faith. She and her parents filed a case against the assaulter, but they were denied justice as he was set free after serving only two years of imprisonment.

The news of his release petrified Roshni–so much so, that she stopped eating. As a result, she fainted due to weakness and was admitted to the hospital to recover.

Roshni is just one of the hundreds of Christian girls and women in India who are physically or sexually assaulted because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Many of them fear disgrace and do not file official complaints. If they do report the abuse, they are called into court to remember and testify in public about their horrific experiences. They are usually denied justice because the judicial system is never in favor of Christians.

“The culprit managed to bribe the lawyers and make connections with the local politicians. He was set free,” says Roshni’s father.

Roshni comes from a very poor family. They struggle to meet even their basic needs.

Roshni and her family–her parents, three brothers, and two sisters–moved to the city five years ago from their native village in hope of earning a better living. Her parents came to faith during a Christmas worship service where they saw people being healed in Jesus’ name. Slowly but surely, the entire family, including Roshni, gave their lives to Jesus.

In the excitement of her new faith, Roshni began sharing about Christ. “I used to share my faith with my neighbors. They ridiculed me for it,” she recalls.

After a brief pause, she resumes: “The ladies in my neighborhood often made fun of me, but one day they seemed very interested about my faith. They called me to a home to share about Jesus and served me juice, which I drank, not knowing that they planned to drug me and have me raped afterwards. After the drink, I lost consciousness.

“When I came back to my senses, I realized I had been raped. Since I feared public disgrace, I ran to my home silently and told my parents everything. A police complaint was made, and the case lingered for two years. My attacker was jailed during that period of time but was proven innocent and released.”

“She tried committing suicide after the incident. By God’s grace we were able to bring her to the hospital in time and her life was saved,” recalls her father with tears rolling down his face.

Due to financial constraints, Roshni was able only able to study through the 4th grade; however, she manages to read the Bible slowly.

Roshni still struggles with depression and is trying to overcome her fears and feelings of insecurity. When a partner of Open Doors went to visit Roshni in the hospital, she still looked sad and pale. For a long time she just stared outside the window.

During the conversation, she told the Open Doors representative that she liked to sing worship songs. She was then gently persuaded to sing one worship song. She sang in an exceptionally sweet voice. The lyrics were very clear: “When I sing, Lord, let Your spirit fill my soul and let Your name only be glorified. Let it be that I keep singing and You keep listening to my song of praise.”

Her expression changed as she sang. She looked a lot stronger and her eyes beamed with courage and hope.

India ranks #21 on the Open Doors 2015 World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians.

*Name changed for security reasons

The state is mainly made up of Meitei Hindus who live in a valley surrounded by hills. The population in the hills, on the other hand, consists mainly of Naga and Kuki Christian tribes. According to women’s activist Binalaxmi Nephram, “About 60% of Manipur’s population lives on 10% of its land in the plains. So land is a sensitive issue.”

Over the last few months, the tensions have been growing thicker. Meitei have been holding protests to prevent “outsiders” from other Indian states or countries from entering Manipur. BBC News reports schools were out for weeks during these demonstrations.

In August, the three bills–which World Watch Monitor cites “to save the culture, tradition, identity, and demographic structure of the indigenous people of the state”–passed. While the bills received acceptance from the Meitei, Naga, and Kuki tribes rejected it, saying it would “legalize the tribal peoples’ marginalization.”

In the last weeks, violent protests have broken out. Naga and Kuki tribes set fires to the homes of government officials, including some of the Kuki lawmakers and a minister because mobs believed they hadn’t protected the tribe’s rights and had failed to represent them in the Legislative Assembly.

No officials were killed, but 9 people–including two unknown burned victims–have been reported dead ,and 20 more were injured in the violent reactions.

Armed men also attacked tribal militant protestors. It’s assumed they were insurgent Meitei disguised as police. World Watch Monitor says this has added to suspicions that the state government and Meitei are working together to persecute the tribe people.

“The violence is deeply rooted in ethnic animosity between the Meitei and the predominantly-Christian minority tribal groups in Manipur,” it explains. “Observers foresee the unrest escalating into an ethnic and religious clash if the State government fails to handle the matter well.”

A curfew was enforced on August 31, and student groups held demonstrations on September 1 and September 2. Kuki associations in the U.S. also plan to hold a protest in front of the White House.

An NGO worker shared with World Watch Monitor, “Things are getting worse. If this tension continues, it will be trouble in the entire state, extending all the way to the Myanmar border.”

But prayers are stronger than that.

Pray for peace and understanding between the believers and non-believers. Pray that God will stop any persecution in the state.