Village Chief Stands by Missionaries
From Gospel for Asia
For Immediate Release
ANS (1/22/07) -- Pastor Manit's mobile mission team quickly turned off the film about Jesus they were showing in a remote village in Bihar, India. They worried that many in their audience would be physically hurt if they continued the presentation.
Earlier in the week, the GFA native missionaries asked the village chief for permission to show the film, and he consented. When they set up the large white screen and LCD projector, many villagers, including the chief, came to see it.
Then, while the crowd watched the story unfold, some heavily intoxicated young men came to Manit and asked who gave them permission to show the film. He politely told them the village head agreed to the presentation.
The drunk men went to the village chief and began mocking and beating him. They said he was too old to notice that the Christians were trying to convert the Hindus, and that he should not have allowed the showing. To end the harassment, and out of respect for the village leader, the team immediately stopped the film, so the villagers did not see the second half that night.
The next day, the village chief and other influential village leaders came to Pastor Manit and invited the team to come show the film again. The chief assured Pastor Manit that he and the other leaders would take responsibility if anyone came to make trouble.
Once again the team set up the equipment, and all the people of the village came to watch the film. This time, no one disturbed them as they watched intently. After the film concluded, the village chief stood up.
"The kind love and mercy we saw in Jesus, we do not see in any of our gods or goddesses," he told the villagers.
"Do you want to watch the film again?" he asked
"Yes!" they shouted.
Joy overflowed in the hearts of the film team because God gave them a wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel through their ministry in Bihar.
Pastor Manit requests prayer that the people who came to know the Lord through the film ministry will grow in their faith.
