india: from graveyard to vineyard
Places are important to us. Whether it is their history or our own memories of time spent there, place names often bring to mind very clear pictures. Sometimes those pictures are full of life and happiness; sometimes they are of devastation and sadness.
For many of us, Bihar is completely unfamiliar. But to those who know this state in eastern India, a variety of pictures come to mind. While Buddhism is probably not the first religion you think of in the context of India, the state of Bihar is the birthplace of the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Bihar is also the place from which Gandhi launched his Civil Disobedience Movement. Tourists might remember Bihar for the many monuments spread throughout the state. The state has a rich and ancient history.
In comparison, IFES ministry amongst students in Bihar is very young and started in the late 1960s. Our friends in Bihar write: 'People say Bihar is a missionary graveyard. Missionaries are beaten, ostracized, and thrown out in many places. In spite of this, the current government is not hostile to Christians. People in remote areas are coming to Christ in large numbers. Students are interested to hear about Jesus. So, pray that the Lord may transform this graveyard into a fruitful vineyard.'
Today, there are over a million students across the state, most of whom do not know Jesus. Please pray for the few believing students as they live out their faith in Jesus amongst their friends. Pray for many unbelievers to have their eyes open and to see Jesus for who he is. Pray too for the Christian students to know the power of God's Word to transform lives, especially as they feel the weight of being part of a very small minority - just 1% of the state's population is Christian.
As you pray for students in Bihar, let us also continue to pray for the work of UESI (the Union of Evangelical Students of India) across this vast country. India is the second largest country in the world with 1.3 billion people. There are about 150 million students in the Indian universities and UESI has about 10,000 student members. Pray for UESI as they work to reach out to students from every language group and in the northern region (Hindi belt) with the good news of Jesus. Pray that Christian students will be eager to apply what they are learning at university to the problems faced by their country.
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