In a Village with 400 Hindu Priests

A few years ago, the daughter of a family from a Hindu priestly caste came to faith in Jesus Christ. For a long time, she was severely persecuted by her own mother. But when her mother fell ill and only the prayers of Christians brought her healing, the entire family came to faith in Jesus.

Building in Faith
A few years later, this family became part of our partner’s church in Delhi. During a worship service, the Holy Spirit spoke to them: They were to plant a church in their home village in Uttarakhand—a village with 400 Hindu priests! When the priests learn that the family wants to return, they threaten not even to give them water—Christians are considered unclean. But the family refuses to be intimidated and begins building a house on their land with a meeting room for the future church.

Last-Minute Rescue
But how can a church even be established in a village with 400 Hindu priests? During our visit, we meet the 80-year-old village chief. She tells us that she should actually already be dead. One day, her health deteriorated drastically. The doctors could do nothing more for her; she was dying. That night, she had a dream: she saw the fires of hell and, within them, her deceased brother. But just before she herself was about to be cast into the fire, a man dressed in white—Jesus—appeared, took her by the hand, and saved her. The next morning, every trace of her illness had vanished. She then entrusted her life to Jesus. In another dream, she saw our partner, the pastor from Delhi, who urged her to help build a church hall in the village. As a result, the Christian family in the village receives strong support.

The Acts of the Apostles in the Himalayas
Our visit is a great encouragement to the family and the village chief. We pray that the building can be completed and that many villagers and Hindu priests will come to faith in Jesus Christ there. At the AVC Training Center near Delhi, we train local church planters so that they, too, can reach their villages with the Good News. We accompany them in prayer and help them withstand opposition and persecution. It is a privilege to witness how the Book of Acts continues to unfold even in the Himalayas.