This email is from a close friend of a deacon and his family at our church..

Dear friends

This morning I received a mail from India with a prayer concern,
I am sending part of that communication to keep it in your prayers.

TWO CHRISTIAN FAMILIES PERSECUTED

CHHATTISGARH — Two Christian families were attacked in Rewadahi village on June 16 at midnight. Christian converts Ramesh and Karthik were sleeping, when they heard knocking at their doorstep. When they went to see who was there, they saw a group of between 50 to 60 people from the Hindu radical group Bajarang Dal (Monkey Brigade) standing outside. On seeing them, the Hindu fundamentalists started attacking the two believers. The attack occurred two days before Karthik was going to get married to a girl from his community who had also accepted the Lord. The attackers demanded that the two should get married in a temple according to the customs of their local community and not in a Christian church. Following the assault, the fanatics continued on to another house, where a woman called Sagni, and her husband Prabhudas, live. Sagni and Prabhudas came to the Lord five years ago and now Sagni conducts prayer meetings in Rewadahi village. The Hindu radicals forced them out of their house, and began beating them too.

They then entered the couple's house and took their earnings from the previous day. The money had been made by selling rice. The alleged perpetrators then called the police, and said that the couple were converting people by force and destroying their community. The police took them to a local police station, where they were held until late morning the next day.

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES ATTACKED BY HINDU FANATICS

ANDHRA PRADESH—In yet another savage attack on the Christian community, thirty Christian missionaries were beaten by Hindu activists belonging to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Bainsa tow n in the Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh on May 23, 2008.

These Pastors had gone to Bainsa village to preach. On learning of their activities, the RSS activists first attacked their vehicles and then beat them up. Many of the victims received serious injuries. The preachers were then taken by their attackers to the police station at Bainsa so they could file a complaint against them and for the police to inquire into their allegations! Soon three truckloads of Hindu fanatics, approximately about 200, surrounded the police station wanting to attack the preachers again. The Christians were forced to remain inside the police station as the attackers lay outside waiting for them. Meanwhile another preacher who came to Bainsa town without knowing anything about the attacks was also thrashed severely.

Please pray for healing of the missionaries who were injured in the attack and for cleansing of the hearts of their attackers.

CHRISTIAN MEETING BY FOREIGN MISSIONARY ATTACKED

KARNATAKA — A Christian training meeting conducted by a South Korean missionary attended by about 70 pastors from all over Karnataka was attacked by Hindu extremists on June 17.

The series of meetings from June 16-18 were organized in Varna village near Mysore, by Rev. Paul, a South Korean missionary. On June 16, a Hindu radical group named Bajrang Dal (Monkey Brigade) gathered around 100 of its members and went to where the pastors were having lunch together. The pastors asked the Hindus "why they had come?" In reply, the aggressive mob alleged that there were illegal conversions taking place at the meetings. They then verbally abused the delegates, and demanded that the event be stopped. The radical Hindus became violent, resulting in two pastors being injured. The meetings were forcibly stopped. Fearing for their lives, some pastors ran to get a bus to take them back to their homes.

Following the attack, a few pastors remained to pray. When the Police arrived, they ordered the ministers not to pray or have any sort of Christian gathering. The police seized a Bible, a song book and an English Devotional book from the meeting hall, and wrote down the names of the pastors who were at the meeting.

Thank you,
Yours in His Kingdom Building
Paul Dass

-- Paul C. Dass
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