Discipleship | Beyond

A Mother’s Prayer, A Son’s Healing

Aug 5, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

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Devika’s* heart was burdened with pain and fear for her young son, Dalip*. As a child, he suffered a fractured hand, which required hospitalization. He began to show signs of mental distress, and his condition worsened over time.

Desperate and anxious, Devika searched for hope but found none, until one day, everything changed. A Jesus Film screening was being held in her village, and Devika decided to attend. There, she heard a message of peace and hope: “Cast all your worries upon the Lord, for He cares for you.” The film portrayed Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount teaching and featured scenes of Jesus healing the sick and setting people free from evil spirits. Devika was deeply moved by what she saw.

After the screening, a group of disciples visited with Devika. They shared more about Jesus, about His call to make disciples, and how to walk in obedience to His Word. That encounter marked the beginning of a powerful transformation in Devika’s life. She put her trust in Jesus and began to follow Him.

Together with other disciples, Devika began praying earnestly for Dalip. She prayed that he would be healed in Jesus’ name. Miraculously, Dalip was physically healed! Her faith grew, and the family continued in fellowship, growing stronger in their walk with God. Over time, Dalip experienced mental healing as well.

Soon after Dalip’s healing the whole family was baptized. Their story of despair and hopelessness is now a testimony of God’s healing power and his redeeming love.

*pseudonym

Beaten and Shot: She Continued to Talk about Jesus

Jul 29, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

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Satish* has planted churches in several villages. A retired army colonel and his family live in one of these villages. Because of the colonel’s connections, the family has more money than many in their village. The colonel has a son about the same age as Satish, who spent much of his time working out. However, this young man became ill, and remained so. The family paid for medicine and saw doctors. They prayed to idols and offered sacrifices. They visited pilgrimage sites. But the son did not improve.

After many weeks of fruitless effort, the son told his mother, Anjali*, that a person of faith (Satish) was routinely coming to their village, meeting with others in a local home for worship. “Well,” Anjali responded, “you should go see him. Maybe he will pray for you.” The young man followed his mother’s suggestion and attended the worship service. Satish prayed for him and he was healed! He went home and joyfully shared with his mother the news of his healing. Soon afterward, Anjali became a disciple of Jesus.

Then she told her husband, the colonel. He was livid. He couldn’t believe she had become a follower of Jesus. He was so enraged that he pulled out his rifle, aimed it right at her, and pulled the trigger. He didn’t just threaten her; he actually pulled the trigger. Amazingly, he missed. The bullet flew right past her head. When the colonel saw that he’d missed, he flipped the rifle around, took hold of the barrel, and swinging it like a club, began beating his wife mercilessly. He broke one of her legs and severely injured the other.

For months, one of Anjali’s legs was in a full cast from toes to thigh, and her other leg was useless. She pulled herself along by her hands as she went about her daily household chores. Her husband continued seething, but she never stopped talking to him about Jesus. He hated it, but she was determined. Finally, she told him, “Kill me if you want, but I know Jesus is the truth.”

After a year of this, the colonel finally believed and became a disciple of Jesus. Today, this couple have turned their home into a place of worship. Each Sunday, about 90 people gather in their home to worship Jesus. Anjali now works with Satish, and has planted seven other house churches.

Thank you for helping make it possible for us to train people like Satish to go into villages that have no prior Christian presence, and see whole families changed. Please join us in praying for these families. As they change, villages change. The Kingdom of God is advancing!

*pseudonyms

READ OTHER STORIES FROM SOUTH ASIA

THE QUIET GUY DISAPPEARED
One of the participants was a man named Satish. He was a quiet person. He listened intently to the discussions but didn’t say much. read more

WHERE TWO KINGDOMS COLLIDE
Persecution has been a common trial for many, if not most, of the movement churches in north India for the past ten years, … read more

JOIN US IN PRAYER FOR SOUTH ASIA

Pray for more workers who are willing to go to South Asia to share the Good News of the gospel.

Bearing Fruit in a Radically Different Culture

Jul 15, 2026 | Stories

What is it like to be among people who don’t speak your language, whose beliefs and worldview are radically different from your own?

John*, one of our partners and a movement leader in India, visited a Muslim area in eastern India to see if anyone was open to hearing stories of Jesus.

John felt uncomfortable, though. The men had beards and wore traditional clothing – evidence of conservative Islam. They didn’t speak Hindi, and he didn’t speak their language.

But God led him to a man named Benju* who could speak Hindi. They agreed to meet the next day. Benju said he would bring friends to hear about Jesus. John prayed for people to come and have ears to hear.

The next day Benju arrived with about 12 people. They had heard of Jesus before, but they had no idea how to follow him. They asked many questions. John was amazed and excited.

Since that first visit, Benju and all of his friends are moving toward saving faith in Christ. They have received ongoing training and coaching, and are facilitating Discovery Bible studies in their homes. They have asked John for Bibles in their language and are growing in their understanding.

God is growing His kingdom through humble, sometimes even fearful, followers like John who follow God’s command to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all the commands I have given you” (Matthew 28:19-20).

*pseudonym

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“Who Gave You the Right to Baptize?”

Jul 3, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

How many times in the New Testament did the Apostle Paul warn churches to be careful of the evil, Roman empire? Yet, time and again Paul wrote to churches warning them to beware of legalists (“Judaizers”), supposed fellow people of faith. A team in India take great comfort from those verses. They feel like the verses were written just for them. Here is an example of how modern “Judaizers” regularly attempt to disrupt the movement.

Ravi* is a simple man. He’s dark-skinned, which is looked down upon in Indian culture. He’s from a low-caste background, one of the lowest. In the last five years, Ravi became a follower of Jesus. Ravi has never been to Bible College. He has no degree at all. He cannot even read. But, Jesus has changed him and blessed his life, so Ravi shares the news of Jesus with others, making new disciples and baptizing them, and teaching them how to be the church.

One day, Ravi was at a river in north India with a group of new disciples, baptizing them. It so happens that on that particular day, a traditional, paid pastor named Chand* was visiting the same village. Chand came to the water’s edge and disrupted the proceedings. “Get out of the water! Come here. Who gave you the right to baptize? Are you a member of any official organization? You are not ordained?! You should not be doing this!” He was deeply offended that Ravi dared to baptize anyone.

Finally, Chand quieted down, so Ravi spoke, “You have been talking and talking. Now, it’s my turn. Pastor, please look at Matthew 28.” While Chand looked up the passage, Ravi quoted verses 16-20 from memory. Someone standing nearby had a Hindi Bible. That person read the passage, and then Chand confirmed the Hindi passage with his English Bible. Ravi directed Chand’s attention to the fact that Jesus didn’t suggest but actually commanded His disciples to baptize others. Then, he pointed out that Jesus never limited this command to ordained pastors, bishops, or people who are affiliated with official organizations. Then, Ravi, this illiterate, “backward,” humble farmer looked the “important,” city-dwelling, college-educated, salaried pastor in the face and said, “So, you go. You leave this place. If you stay, you will only continue speaking bad things, so you must go.”

Chand was speechless. He couldn’t believe that this illiterate villager had just taught him from the Scriptures. He was captivated. He couldn’t leave. He stuck around and watched the baptisms. When it was all done, he told Ravi, “I need to know more about this. I have to know how you know these things.” So, Ravi took Chand to meet the man, a fellow lay-leader, who had discipled him. They spent the day together. Chand was amazed at all he heard, so amazed, in fact, that he went home and resigned from his job with a traditional organization. Why? Here are Chand’s own words:

“…how many years I’ve been working with [that mission]. I came from Bible school…[yet] this illiterate guy told me more than I knew in the Bible. Watching [him] do this baptism…and…his words were so wise; I am the fool. I’ve been to Bible school, and [my leaders] still won’t let me baptise, only the bishop of our organization can baptize! [That organization] gave me a salary, but no authority [to actually do anything].”

Chand is now a fellow laborer in the movement, being trained to walk in authority as Jesus’ disciple and to give that authority to others.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27). Please pray with us that God would raise up more “fools” in India who live out their authority in Jesus!

*pseudonyms

MAKING DISCIPLES DESPITE THEIR GRIEF
In January, tragedy struck a team in North India as they lost a key leader to a sudden brain hemorrhage. read more …

OBEDIENCE, BAPTISMS AND HEALINGS
Samir* met Rohit* who lives in a nearby village. In their first meeting, Samir was filled with the Holy Spirit and began read more …

BALKING AT BAPTISM
Three thousand people believing and being baptized in one day?! It sounds too good to be true, read more …

The Night the Beatings Stopped

Jun 17, 2026 | South Asia, Stories

DONT MISS THE VIDEO! SEE BELOW.

A lay leader and a partner in north India visited a village where they had never been. They found a family interested in hearing about the God who made the world. The two men shared a Bible story with the family. The family liked the discussion. The men didn’t preach, but simply shared the story, then asked questions about it, including the most important one, “If this story were true, how would you apply it to your life?”

The family asked the men to return another time. They did. The meetings became regular. The neighbors began to notice. They heard the songs that started the meetings. They began hanging out near the door and windows. They liked the Bible stories too.

One such neighbor, Avani*, entered the home. She sat and listened to the story. She liked the discussion and the prayer. She began attending regularly. Unfortunately, Avani’s husband didn’t like her going to these meetings. He beat her after each one. He had no job and was drunk all the time. She kept attending the meetings, though, in spite of the beatings. Finally, one day, she looked at her husband and said, “Fine. You don’t want me to go to these meetings? I won’t go. But first, you have to attend a meeting with me one time. If you don’t like it, when it’s done you can beat me again. But, at least go one time.”

So, he did. He got drunk first, but he went. He fidgeted. He glared at the leaders. He left in a huff. But, when it was all over, he didn’t beat his wife. The next week, he attended the meeting again. This time, he wasn’t drunk. When the meeting was done, he told the leaders that he wanted to follow the God of those stories. He was tired of drinking all the time. He wanted a new life. And so, this family is now changed. The husband no longer beats his wife. He’s stopped drinking. They are learning from the Bible. Their lives are new.

*pseudonym

RELATED STORIES

MAKING DISCIPLES DESPITE THEIR GRIEF
In January, tragedy struck a team in North India as they lost a key leader to a sudden brain hemorrhage. read more …

“YOUR HOME WOULD POLLUTE ME”
Raj*, a high caste Hindu man, hated that his low caste neighbors worshiped Jesus with friends in their home. read more …

SIMPLICITY VERSUS TRADITION
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