India, China, and Southeast Asia are all in this circle
By Subodh Kumar Jena in Orissa, India
February 3, 2014
“Greetings to you in Jesus’ precious name.
This morning we received a phone call from a Lutheran Pastor named Julun Murmu. He told me that yesterday after their church service they had a committee meeting. Once a year they arrange a Bhumi Puja (worship of the land) in our region for three days. That was the practice of their forefathers, but after they accepted Christ they have prayer meetings instead.
The Pastor told me, “We the Santali tribe are an unreached people group. The percentage of Christians in our tribe is not even 1%. Because of this we want to reach our people with the gospel. From March 12 to 14 this year in a village called “Dulki”—twenty minutes journey from Manoharpur where Australian missionary Graham Staines and two young sons were burnt alive in 1999—we want to hold meetings.” (They wanted to have the event at Manoharpur but the government would not allow it.)
The Pastor continued, “As a committee we have decided that you will be the speaker for the three days. We will give you three full days as the Lord leads you to carry on the services. We have decided to do it differently as it is very difficult to plant a church. After Graham Staines was martyred the government placed strict restrictions on planting churches as it became an international incident.” (After the incident Mrs. Gladys Stain left for Australia.)
“We are planning to take advantage of the three days’ program by calling four to five surrounding Hindu villages to come each day. The gospel will be preached to them and the sick will be healed. Hopefully each day around 2,500 to 3,000 Hindus will participate. We look forward to around nine to ten thousand participants during those days.”
Also they requested me: “Please pray and however the Lord is leading you, kindly extend your help for the extension of His kingdom. As you know we all from the Santali tribe are very poor and illiterate.”
I believe this is a great opportunity for us to train local disciples during the day, and have a great harvest each evening. So I would like to ask you on behalf of the Santali people group that you would cooperate with them in some way that God may be glorified and His kingdom be extended.
The place is very far from Bhawanipatna. We will have to take two trains and two buses and then catch a boat to reach Dulki.
Brethren, please pray that the Lord will enable us and Subodh to take full advantage of this wonderful opportunity in India where the Lord is now moving so powerfully!