South Asia | Beyond

New Seeds of Faith in Unreached Areas

Mar 3, 2025 | South Asia, Stories

Frank and his team have been praying for their friend, Job. Through many conversations and a personal experience with Jesus, Job decided to follow Jesus last summer (read about Job’s conversion story here). Job has slowly been sharing his faith with his family and friends, including Samuel. At the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Samuel downloaded a Bible app in his language and expressed interest in hosting a discovery group with Job in his bookstore. They are currently looking for a third and fourth person to join them.

In another village where Frank works, Kartik and his wife, Pari, invited Samir and his father, Nuh, to visit a friend who lives in a distant village where there hasn’t been any gospel work. (Read that story here.) While in the village, Kartik and Pari shared their testimony about their recent journey to faith in Jesus. They explained how they put their faith in Jesus after their young daughter was miraculously freed from demons. This was the first time the village chief and the villagers had heard about Jesus. They were amazed and wanted to know more.

Later, Nuh visited Ramzi’s village. Ramzi had severe high blood pressure, irregular blood sugar levels, and intense shaking. His neighbor told him that Nuh could pray for him. Interested in receiving prayer, Ramzi invited Nuh to his home. With Ramzi’s whole family as an audience, Nuh prayed for him in Jesus’ name. Immediately and miraculously, Ramzi’s symptoms improved. Now, Ramzi and his family are eager to listen to stories about Jesus together.

Soon after Ramzi’s healing, he told his friend Adil, who also had health issues, about what happened. Adil asked Ramzi if Nuh could come pray for him too. Nuh visited and prayed for Adil, who also received healing. Praise God!

How you can pray for these new disciples:

Pray for Job and Samuel’s friends and family to become interested in discovering more about God, and join the new discovery group.
Pray that discovery groups will start in this new village where Kartik and Pari shared their testimony. Pray that their family will continue to grow in their faith.
Please pray for discovery groups to start in both Ramzi’s and Adil’s homes.

*pseudonym

Heal the Sick and Proclaim the Nearness of God’s Kingdom

Feb 19, 2025 | South Asia, Stories

In Luke 10, Jesus gave His disciples a strategy for reaching the lost. In verse 9, He instructed them, “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near to you.'” In South Asia, we witness disciples of Jesus fulfilling this command as they reach out to the lost, heal the sick, and proclaim the nearness of God’s Kingdom.

From Hating God to Loving Him
*Richard, a disciple-maker, shared how three generations of discovery groups began among Muslim families. “It all started with one family, *James and *Elizabeth. I befriended them and prayed for Elizabeth, who was ill. I invited them to learn more about Jesus. Initially, James wasn’t interested; in fact, he said he hated God. However, when Elizabeth was healed, she told her husband, ‘See, I was healed, so now we should give this a chance.’ After witnessing his wife’s recovery, James decided to start listening to the stories of Jesus. Both James and Elizabeth were amazed by these stories and noticed a real transformation within their family.

They then decided to share what they were learning. James and Elizabeth spoke to a distant relative about the changes in their family and shared some stories of Jesus. This relative was also captivated by the stories and experienced their own miracles, eventually passing the stories on to a neighboring family. Now, we have three generations of Muslim families studying the word of God and experiencing Jesus for themselves.”

A Baby is Healed
One effective way to enter a new village and share the good news is by meeting a need. In *Highland Village,access to clean water is crucial. While disciple-makers *Gia and *Paul were in Highland Village discussing water filters with families, they met *Raj and his parents. Raj, an eight-month-old baby, had been ill for a long time. Gia and Paul prayed over Raj and assured his parents, “Your child will be healed tomorrow,” promising to return the next day.

When Gia and Paul visited Raj’s home the following day, they found a happy and healthy baby who had been healed by God. This miracle has sparked interest among Raj’s family and many others in the village, who are now eagerly awaiting devices with recordings that tell the stories of Jesus in their native language. Through this miraculous healing, God is opening doors for the people of Highland Village to know Jesus for the first time.

After Being Sick for Years, *Alta is Healed
Disciple-maker *Paul shared another inspiring story about a woman named Alta who had been suffering from frequent bleeding for many years. Despite consulting local doctors, Alta found no relief. Paul shared the message of Jesus with her, and she believed. He prayed for her and she was healed—the bleeding stopped completely! Now Alta, along with her family, is eagerly awaiting a device with recorded Bible stories to help them grow in their new faith.

*pseudonym

More Than Conquerors?

Feb 5, 2025 | South Asia, Stories

In a letter to his friends in Rome, Paul declared that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love—nothing at all. In every trial, he wrote, “we are more than conquerors” (Romans 8:35-39).

More than conquerors? In trials? In chains for Christ’s name?

Oswald Chambers put it this way: “The ‘things’ Paul speaks of here aren’t imaginary; they’re intensely real. Yet, in the thick of our hardships, Paul calls us ‘super-victors’—not because of our intelligence or strength, but because nothing can sever our relationship with God in Jesus Christ.” Chambers added, “I am sorry for Christians who have nothing difficult in their circumstances…” (My Utmost for His Highest, May 19).

These verses—and Chambers’ words—remind us of Brother Sagren, a faithful servant in North India who has found that nothing can separate him from Jesus’ love.

Sagren serves the Lord in North India, an increasingly hostile area where Hindu nationalist groups like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintain offices. Hundreds of house churches are part of Sagren’s network, and he has been arrested three times. With police assistance, one nationalist group managed to intimidate at least 300 families into turning away from Jesus. Officials searched the homes of new disciples for Bibles, and any family found with one faced severe beatings. Many were denied jobs and government-supplied essentials, such as rice, flour, and oil. Local leaders even threatened to cut off access to basic utilities unless families renounced their faith.

Despite these obstacles, Sagren has stood firm, continuing to encourage local believers to obey Jesus’ command to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Risking arrest, beatings, and more, he courageously ministered to the 300 families who had turned back. Within six months, he saw 134 of those families and their house churches re-established. He baptized 643 new believers and trained 39 new “Timothys”—house church leaders who are now carrying the gospel forward.

Sagren is a victor, not because he’s the most educated or boldest, nor because he has financial security or health insurance, but because he has taken Paul at his word, “In Christ we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS!

Join us in praying for Brother Sagren and these disciples, that they, like Paul, would know nothing can separate them from God’s love. Nothing! May they continue to share it boldly.

For those of us blessed with education, security, and opportunity, we have much to learn from these faithful disciples.

*pseudonyms

RELATED STORIES

THE LORD SAID, IT’S TIME!
Arjun* went to visit a house church near his village. As this dedicated disciple-maker walked read more …

BREAKING BARRIERS WITH THE GOSPEL
Sharitha* was the house helper of movement catalysts Ethan* and Nicole* while they lived in India. read more …

WOMEN IN INDIA …
*Mahima was already a dedicated disciple-maker before attending the meetings, but something in her heart read more …

Vignettes From a Thriving Church in North India

Dec 31, 2024 | South Asia, Stories

Even amidst intense hardship, persecution, and resistance, the church in North India continues to thrive.

Proclaiming the Name of Jesus Despite Persecution
*Kay Devi hails from a village in Uttar Pradesh, where she has repeatedly encountered hostility from Hindu radicals. Six months ago, her family embraced Christianity, which has sparked tension in their village. Recently, Kay started a conversation about her newfound faith with some villagers, who took offense. Since then, she has faced persecution from the community, her family, and her husband. Despite this, Kay remains steadfast in her faith, sharing the gospel with those willing to listen. She has planted three house churches, even as she remains a target of the RSS, a fundamentalist Hindu group.

Three Generations Deep: A House Church Movement
*Poonam, a resident of Bihar, experienced intimidation from local police who discovered her house church meetings six weeks ago. Her husband was detained, and their family threatened. Yet, Poonam stood firm, declaring that no one could harm her because she knows the truth. Despite continued oppression and limited income, she persists in hosting gatherings in her home. She now oversees 18 house churches, some reaching three generations deep.

Nineteen House Churches Born from One Woman’s Obedience
In Haryana, a disciple maker encountered a couple who were believers but not actively making disciples. Encouraged by her husband to take on this role, the wife began leading two Discovery Bible Study (DBS) groups, which eventually grew into churches. When questioned about her role as a woman in this ministry, she explains that her husband supports her and that they work together. Her unwavering commitment has resulted in the formation of 19 house churches, with seven women serving as co-leaders. She asks for prayers for the ongoing work and the disciples.

A Request for Prayer for a Resistant Village
*Rebekah resides in a village where most people oppose the two house churches that have formed there. The villagers criticize the churches for transforming their members, noting that Rebekah’s husband no longer drinks or behaves as he once did. Despite the resistance, especially from the village women, Rebekah continues her outreach efforts. She requests prayers for strength for the house churches and for the growth of the Lord’s work in the community.

Join us in praying Ephesians 3:16-18 over these faithful brothers and sisters as they count the cost of loving and serving a faithful God. Pray for an increase in provision, favor, stamina, and perseverance as they face persecution and suffering.

*pseudonyms

RELATED STORIES

MEERA’S MOMOS
*Meera’s story is like many others the team in India often hear. She married young to a man her parents chose for her. read more …

BREAKING BARRIERS WITH THE GOSPEL
Sharitha* was the house helper of movement catalysts Ethan* and Nicole* while they lived in India. read more …

WOMEN IN INDIA …
*Mahima was already a dedicated disciple-maker before attending the meetings, but something in her heart read more …

A Father’s Faith, A Son’s Impact

Dec 4, 2024 | South Asia, Stories

*Samir’s father, *Nuh, has been faithfully pastoring several churches for over 20 years. After witnessing his son Samir’s success in rapidly multiplying healthy disciples, Nuh was eager to incorporate Disciple Making Movement principles into his own churches.

Nuh began by teaching his congregations how to conduct Discovery Bible Studies. He then divided them into smaller house churches, encouraging each group to obey God’s Word. As they embraced this approach, group members shared, “This is the first time we feel we are truly learning and obeying Scripture.” Since all the members of these groups were already followers of Jesus, they are referred to as Generation Zero groups.

This month, Nuh gathered the Gen Zero leaders for further training in Disciple Making Movement (DMM) principles. As these leaders apply what they have learned and reach out to start new groups among the lost, these new groups will be known as Generation One groups. Praise God for Nuh’s willingness to relinquish control, empower others, and implement simple, reproducible, and multiplicative principles. Pray that the newly trained leaders will equip their groups to establish Generation One groups in neighboring Muslim and Hindu villages.

*pseudonym

READ RELATED STORIES AND MORE ABOUT OUR WORK

REMEMBER GIA, THE DETERMINED DISCIPLE
Gia* knocked on Samir’s* door. “I am Gia, a cousin of Bahar.* I am a village chief of Azville,* and now read more …

CAN CHRISTIAN MESS UP THE PLAN
After Bahar became a disciple, he, Samir*, and Frank* planned to do additional flood relief in Azville,* Bahar’s old village. read more …

YOU SHOULD KNOW VIDEO
We updated the statistics however the reality of a Christless eternity for a third of the world is still … watch now