Angry Youths Harass GFA Film Team
Gospel for Asia
12/29/08 MANIPUR, INDIA (ANS) — A Gospel for Asia film team recently faced angry opposition from an unlikely source-the son of a man who proclaims to be a Christian leader!
The incident occurred in a village in Manipur, India. Four female Bible college students were doing their practical ministry internship in the village, which was supposedly Christian. But the women soon found that most of the Christians had “converted” for money and abandoned their commitment when the people offering the money left. What was more, the only local “Christian leader,” Lakesh, was an alcoholic and didn’t support the women’s ministry.
In November, GFA missionaries Thomas Sharma and Rajan Khular joined the four students to help spread the true message of salvation and Jesus’ love. The two missionaries arranged for a film showing of the movie Dayasagar (Man of Mercy), an Indian-made film about the life of Christ. One hundred people came, but while the movie was being shown, a group of young people came into the community hall and tried to disrupt the show.
The leader of the mob, 25-year-old Javan, was Lakesh’s son. All of the young men who tried to disrupt the show were heavily intoxicated, so the village elders had no problem subduing them and chasing them away.
The intoxicated young men went outside the community hall and began cursing loudly and throwing rocks at the building. Javan came inside the hall a second time and tried unsuccessfully to throw down the film projector. After shouting threats, he rejoined his group outside.
The gang continued creating a disturbance. Thomas and Rajan were finally forced to stop the show. The people watching the movie were disappointed and asked them to come back and show it the next evening. The viewers promised to provide extra security during the next showing.
The next morning, the missionaries went to Javan’s house and tried to talk to him, but he refused to come out. His father, however, came out and apologized for his son’s behavior, promising it would not happen again.
The next evening, 90 people gathered to watch the movie. A few Christians stood guard, and this time the film showing went off without a hitch. As a result, several people chose to follow Christ that evening.
The film team has since moved on, but the four female students remain in the village doing their practical ministry. Unfortunately, the young men, lead by Javan, continue to harass them. They throw rocks at the home where the women stay and ridicule them for staying with a poor widow. They also encourage others in the community to mock the women.
The four students are also facing opposition from Lakesh, who fears that people will stop coming to his church if they choose to follow Christ.
The women ask for prayer that they will strand strong in the face of opposition and that the Lord will continue to use them mightily for His glory. They also ask for prayer that the widow and her children, along with Lakesh and Javan, will receive Jesus as their Savior.
