Exciting 2019 highlights for the ministries of Bibles for Mideast

(with reporting from Pastor Peter Haneef, President, Assembly of Loving God)

We cannot thank God and our faithful supporters enough for enabling a brilliant year for Bibles for Mideast and its umbrella organization, the Assembly of Loving God.

Twenty-eight new Assembly of Loving God underground house churches were established, seven in Africa (three in Somalia alone), eleven in the Middle East and ten in other parts of south Asia.

Jungle baptismal ceremony

Most excitingly, a grand total of 9,622 people were baptized! 7,932 found freedom from Islam, with the remainder escaping Hinduism, Buddhism and local tribal belief systems. Several thousand more prepare for baptism at this writing. The picture here shows a baptismal ceremony held for new believers at one of our Indian jungle churches several months ago. More recently, on New Year’s eve, over 50 new Christians from various faiths were baptized at a challenging site near another jungle church (Saved from witchcraft ... and crocodiles ... in the Indian jungle).

Pastor Kumar organised and led this month's hospital prayer meeting on January 10, with over 1,000 people in attendance. This is the hospital where he had been taken after the brutal attack on his church and its members last September (that story here).

cHRISTIAN MEETING IN THE hiNDU HOSPITAL

A number of students and hospital workers shared their testimonies, with many doctors and other staff, even the Managing Director of the hospital, filling the auditorium to capacity. Some nursing students reported that even though their parents opposed their reading the Bible, they continued to do so secretly. And every single new attendee accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord (apologies for the low-resolution photo)!

Rebuilding after Indian mudslides

The ministry continues its work helping a number of families who lost their homes during the 2018 flood and landslides in India. Two houses have been completed and the keys handed over to families while several other homes are still being built. Unfortunately a lack of funds has slowed the work.

Our church in Iran faces severe persecution. One woman, actually a member of the late Ayatollah Khomeini’s family, accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior! After prayer with some of our workers, her cancer vanished and soon, she joined the KIngdom of Jesus. Local Muslims have made attempts on her life. She, other believers and the Bibles for Mideast pastor there live under constant threats of death. But our Lord has kept them safe.

Once again, we thank you for your prayers and financial support … please keep it up. We cannot do any of this without the help of you and God’s people everywhere.

If you feel led to support us in our efforts to reach the lost in many areas restricted to the Gospel, please click here.
As ever, we especially cherish your prayers.

Saved from witchcraft ... and crocodiles ... in the Indian jungle!

A Bibles for Mideast team of four pastors and some of their family members travelled recently to a remote area of India to hold a week of prayer and fasting leading into the New Year. The religion of the local tribespeople in that area can best be described as a mixture of magic, traditional animistic beliefs and practices, and elements of Hinduism: witchcraft, basically.  

Led by Pastor Paul, the team had been gathering with a very poor church in a jungle area of India near West Bengal. The Bibles for Mideast pastor leading the congregation belongs to the tribe.

Tribal couple in rural India making baskets with dry bamboo strips in front of their traditional mud hut

The Holy Spirit moved mightily: a paralyzed man who had been helped to a meeting left unassisted; and by the end of another gathering, a deaf woman could hear!

Yet even while they met, Hindu militants affiliated with the national government attacked and vandalized a nearby church (that report made the news). The attacked church had been holding prayer and fasting meetings as well. We sent out a prayer request as threats manifested and multiplied.

Due to the increasingly dangerous situation, plans to hold a New Year’s Day baptismal service for over 50 new believers had to be put on hold. Police and militants could be seen patrolling the entire area; somehow they had been alerted. So we put out another prayer request. Miraculously, within about four hours of that going out, I got a jubilant message from Pastor Paul.

”Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Thank you ... thank you all for your prayers. Our Lord answered and 54 people have been baptized.”

Not an ideal baptismal site!

Deep within the thickly-forested area near where they were staying lay a pool. Crocodiles made it their home, and other wild animals drank from it. Yet one of the pastor’s wives prophesied that the pool would be safe for a baptismal ceremony. After corporate prayer, they decided to go for it.

Even with cool temperatures this time of year, Pastor Paul reported the people didn’t notice the cold but instead felt warmed by the Holy Spirit. Local tribal people helped the believers by leading the mile-long march to the pool, armed with bows and arrows and other weapons in case of threats from the animals.  They even drummed and sang as they led the march.  Since no one dared visit the pool even in daytime, the area was nowhere on the radar of the police or RSS ((radical Hindu nationalist) volunteers.

“We saw several crocodiles lying on one side of the pool,” Pastor Paul says. “so we selected the opposite side to hold the baptisms.” He noted with amazement how while they all expected the water to feel cold, they found it wondrously warm.

t was now past midnight, so the only slight illumination emanated from stars barely visible through the thick forest.

“We four pastors entered into the water to do the baptisms. And we baptized all candidates in the same pool without wasting time. The local tribal people stood by with their bows and arrows to rescue us from the wild animals.  It was like how Nehemiah built the temple with weapons.” 

Nothing in the forest, not even the crocodiles, seemed to notice. By 4:30 in the morning they wrapped up the service, exultant and thankful for the prayer support of God’s faithful around the world.

One baptismal candidate deserves special mention. A local tribesman we’ll call Mallu* had, five years ago, been attacked by a crocodile at this very pool. The crocodile had latched onto his leg, and Mallu recalls that someone “with nail-scarred hands” appeared and rescued him from its clutches. He lived, but remained unable to walk properly. . When some Bibles for Mideast missionaries visited his region and shared the gospel message, he realised the one who saved him from crocodile had to have been Jesus. His testimony reinforced the decision to choose this pool as the baptismal site, and of course he wanted to be part of it as well. 

“It was our Lord's plan,” Pastor Paul aptly notes, and he had the honor of baptizing Mallu. It turned out to be a healing ceremony for the man as well, for he emerged from the baptismal waters able to walk without any difficulty!

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* Name changed for security reasons

Marvellous works of the Holy Spirit … in the hospital and beyond

As we reported earlier, the viciously-attacked church members in northern India have all been released from hospital and are completely well. Thanks to the witnessing and miraculous ultimate healing of Pastor Kumar, an even greater miracle happened. Practically every hospital staff member, doctor, nurse, and nursing student—over 500 people—made decisions to follow Jesus! [that story here]

Holding church without a building

So the challenge now of course is to lead and disciple so many new believers. Pastor Kumar has returned to his own small original home church, where already many Hindus had begun attending even before the salvations in the hospital. With no space available to hold the growing crowds, he has been holding outdoor services, hoping and praying to have a permanent place of worship in the near future.

The great ‘hospital church’ has begun now as well. Authorities granted Pastor Kumar and his team permission to conduct monthly bible classes and prayer meetings in the hospital auditorium, with the very first held this past Friday.

More than 1,200 people attended, including the hospital’s managing director and some of the doctors’ families. After the message, every single ‘new person’ in attendance accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and all who had done so at the previous gathering (where Pastor Kumar shared his story of healing, witnessed to by the doctors, and shared the gospel) rededicated themselves to the Lord.

Pastor with some of the boxes of bibles delivered to the new ‘hospital church’

“It was a great blessing and the Holy Spirit was moving upon the meeting,” reports Pastor Peter Haneef, who heads up the Assembly of Loving God (umbrella organization for Bibles for Mideast).

Pastor Kumar and his team were able to provide 1,100 bibles to the new believers, thanks to the generous help of supporters. All who received them were thrilled to have their own copies of the written Word of God.

When the meeting wrapped up, the team gained permission to join the doctor-on-call for hospital rounds with a holy difference! They visited patients in their rooms, shared the gospel, and prayed for them. More requests for bibles came in as the patients heard, for the first time, the truth of Jesus. Since the supply had run out, they were promised them as soon as possible. Many of those ministered to also assured the team that even if discharged, they’d return to the hospital for the next prayer meeting!

Pastor Peter Haneef, President of the Assembly of Loving God, wants to especially thank all of our partners and supporters for their faithful and continuing support.

Bibles for Mideast churches, all under the Assembly of Loving God, have 432 pastors and missionaries working and establishing churches in Asia, Africa and Middle East. Most of them live and work in regions highly restricted for Christian outreach of any kind. They, with their families, face countless hardships and near-constant persecution.

“But our Lord protects them under His wings by your prayers,” says Pastor Peter.

“Our pastors and missionaries are all converted Christians from other religions,” he reminds us. “They do not have worldly blood relatives to wish them a Merry Christmas, or send them a gift.”

Can you imagine how strange a Christmas season that would be for any of us in rich first-world countries?

“If you consider them as your spiritual blood relatives in Jesus Christ,” he goes on, “would you consider sending them a gift as your token of love in this happy season?”

He speaks for all of us here at Bibles for Mideast and Assembly of Loving God in adding:

“We wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year, 2020. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all now and forever. Amen.”

Formerly mute young Muslim woman now speaking out for Jesus

Oosman* and his wife, a Muslim couple, lived ordinary lives in an Arab kingdom of the Middle East. Still childless after ten years of marriage, they decided to adopt baby Ajmi* from a local orphanage.  As the child grew, baby talk failed to appear and the parents were dismayed to eventually learn their beloved daughter would never learn to speak. She could hear clearly, but was—and would always be, doctors told them—mute. Devastated but thoroughly in love with their child, they knew returning her to the orphanage was unthinkable. So as soon as she was old enough, they admitted her to a special school for deaf and mute children.

A new teacher appeared at the school the year Ajmi turned ten. Unbeknownst to school authorities, the dedicated educator and former Muslim ‘just happened’ to be a volunteer evangelist with Bibles for Mideast and began each day’s classes with prayer. Trying to stay below the radar of other teachers and staff—all strong Muslims—she did her best to quietly convey the gospel message to her students. Whenever she could fit them in, she would tell stories of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and try to make it clear that salvation and eternal life could happen only through and with Jesus.

Ajmi was intrigued. She especially treasured a picture of Jesus her teacher gave her. But when she showed it to her parents, they scolded her for carrying such a thing. Taking it from her, they ripped it to pieces, paining their young daughter deeply. When her parents left the room she managed to rescue all the bits of paper, tape them back together, and then hide the image away where they wouldn’t find it.

The fortunate Little girl in our story learns way more than math in her Arab Muslim school (Shutterstock image)

She also, in secret, began praying to this prophet man Jesus … not in words as we know them, but with the language of her heart and body. Since she now knew how to read, the teacher gave her a booklet containing the Gospel of Luke and advised her young student to read from it daily.  

Whenever Ajmi had problems with what she read, she would approach the teacher, manage to convey her questions to her, and get an explanation. It wasn’t long before she accepted this wonderful Jesus as her own personal Lord and Savior.

When she became a teenager, her cherished teacher presented her with a Bible in in Arabic. She finally had the whole precious Book!

Back at home, while her parents did their regular namaz (Islamic ritual prayers), Amji tried to distance herself from them and pray instead to the Lord she now knew. While her initial attempts to share the gospel only angered them, they couldn’t deny her increasing happiness and grew more tolerant.

One day, her father seriously injured himself in an accident. Doctors tried to help him, but the wound only worsened, got deeply infected and refused to heal. When medicine couldn’t help him he turned to Islamic priests and imams, but his wound continued to fester.

Ajmi brought her father the gospel booklet her teacher had given her and motioned to him to read it.

“Jesus will heal you!” she assured him with gestures, but he would have none of it.

"I will pray to the Lord Jesus for your healing,” she let him know with the body language they had grown to understand. “Will you believe in Him if you are healed?"

"I can believe," her mother piped in, but her father remained silent. Tearfully, she continued to press him for an answer.

“Okay,” he finally relented. “If he heals me, I will believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior.”

Ajmi closed her eyes, put her hands over Oosman's wound, and prayed. Her parents watched, smiling at their fervent young daughter’s way of praying, not believing anything would change.

When she finished, Ajmi took her hands away. The wound had dried up completely! Her parents stared in disbelief. Each ran their hands over where the wound had been … now smooth, clear skin. Their doubts in Jesus as healer, Lord and Savior vanished as completely as the oozing wound had, and each willingly accepted Him into their hearts and lives.

All three knelt down before the Lord, praising and thanking Jesus. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Ajmi then began praising in language her parents understood!  Sixteen years mute and now she was bursting both earthly and heavenly language. As the family’s friends and relatives learned of her new-found speech, many came to believe in Jesus as well.

With the help of Ajmi's teacher, the family approached the local  Bibles for Mideast pastor and not long afterwards, all were baptized and became members of his church.

Now enrolled in secondary school, Ajmi mixes her studies with sharing the truth of Jesus with her friends. Please pray for her and her family as they grow in the Lord. As more and more others are coming to faith through their witness, they face increasing persecution from the Muslim community, so please be in prayer for their protection as well.

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*  Names changed for security reasons

Viciously attacked pastor’s healing convinces doctors of Jesus’ power: he leads them and over 500 Hindu hospital staff to Jesus

While pastoring a group of 40 new believers in an extremely poor, predominantly Hindu region in northern India, the unthinkable but increasingly ‘normal’ happened: militants viciously attacked a young pastor and his church meeting secretly in a believer’s home. Pastor Kumar and three others were rushed to hospital in critical condition, the leader bloodied, unconscious, and not expected to live (Indian pastor and church members viciously attacked by Hindu extremists).

In the week after the attack, other church members living in fear for their lives were out walking one day and reported seeing an amazing vision in the sky. It appeared to be a warrior angel, they said, moving and dancing, and helped displace their dread with courage. Local Hindus who witnessed the sight became less hostile to the believers. Previously enraged whenever they saw believers gather, many even began joining them to worship secretly.

About two weeks ago, the three injured members were released, but Pastor Kumar continued to need further treatment. He had already had several surgeries, one a major procedure on his back after which doctors were uncertain he would be able to stand, let alone walk again. More prayers, and he was soon up and about! His doctors could not deny a miracle had happened.

He was to have been discharged from the hospital last Friday (Nov. 9). Again, however, he developed unusual pain in his back. When an x-ray showed yet another injury to his backbone, doctors suggested one more surgery. Without surgery, they warned, he would likely be seriously affected the rest of his life.

Yet Pastor Kumar knew his Lord could heal him. He so strongly believed this he told the attending doctors that the Lord Jesus will not only reduce his pain, but would, by the prayers of His children, heal him completely. He then shared his testimony and other experiences with the Lord. 

Throngs of Indian Hindu devotees gather around a huge idol of the elephant- headed Hindu god Lord Ganesha

The GP and surgeon found themselves listening respectfully and intently to their strange patient, even though they—with practically all in the hospital—are fundamentalist Hindu.

They decided they would wait and do another x-ray the next morning … so of course Pastor Paul, on learning this, sent out a prayer alert.

“Let them believe Jesus is Lord and mighty healer,” he encouraged prayer warriors. “We believe our Lord will not allow His children to be ashamed before gentiles and scoffers.”

The next day, doctors were dumbfounded to see no injuries. ‘Might something have gone askew with their x-ray machine?’ they likely wondered.  

“Without a doubt, it is my Lord's mighty work,” Pastor Kumar assured them. “Trust Him for He is your Lord too. Accept Him, then you will see many, many wonders.” Empty of arguments, they still decided to wait and do one more test the next day.

When Friday morning’s x-ray showed the same thing, the doctors had to relent. “It is a great miracle from your Lord,” they admitted. “We now believe His wonderful works.”

"Can you arrange a meeting for me in the hospital with your staff?” Pastor Kumar boldly requested.  “I would like to share my story with them." 

They would have to check with hospital authorities, the doctors responded, but if the higher-ups agreed, a meeting would be organized.  

Around noon, Pastor Kumar got the word that a meeting had been announced for two that afternoon.  He immediately contacted Pastor Paul and Pastor Peter Haneef for prayers. He and a visiting church member then knelt by his hospital bed in earnest prayer for the next two hours, neglecting their noonday meals. They then headed directly to the conference hall.

More than 500 people—nurses, nursing students, doctors and other staff—sat waiting to find out why they had been called. Almost all were Hindus.

Pastor Kumar’s attending surgeon introduced him.  The pastor began with a song only he and his visitor knew the words to, then a prayer.

He shared of his upbringing, his conversion from Hinduism, and followed with a powerful presentation of the gospel. A pin drop would have echoed through the auditorium.  As he wrapped up, the Holy Spirit guided him to go further.

“Please stand if you are really willing to accept this Jesus as your Lord and Savior.” Everyone looked around at each other, but no one stood.

So he repeated the question. Then, a young woman sitting in the front row raised her hand and rose to her feet.  Slowly, one-by-one, all did the same: doctors, nurses, administrative staff—absolutely everyone in attendance.

The pastor asked them to close their eyes, lay both their hands on their chests, and to accept Jesus into their hearts and to say it out loud.

“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
(Rom. 10:9)

He had explained enough so that each, in their own words, replied along the lines of: 
"I accept Christ Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Heavenly Father as my Lord and my Savior.  Lord Jesus came down from heaven and was crucified on the cross of Calvary, died and rose from the dead to give me salvation and eternal life. I believe in Him and accept Him as my Lord and Savior."

Pastor Kumar then prayed for them. One of the doctors rose to thank him, tears in his eyes. He pronounced the moment overwhelmingly great and joyful for him.

“From now onwards I will not worship any idols and will worship Jesus alone.” He thanked him profusely again.

When the meeting ended about 4:30, everyone came forward asking if they could be given bibles. Of course he had none on hand, but we are praying the resources will come in to provide this exciting new ministry with all the bibles they need.

Pastor Kumar was then discharged from the hospital, and returned to his home and family this morning.

Please keep this new and growing ministry in your hearts and prayers. Without your support, none of this would be possible.

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