Just as Pastor Kishard and his team began uttering their prayer, a mob of young men and women showed up and began shouting at the missionary.

“Why are you trying to convert people to Christianity?” the group’s leader demanded.

“We are not converting them. Rather, we are praying for their sick boy,” Pastor Kishard explained.

The answer did not pacify the crowd. Suddenly, one young man pulled off his shoe and began beating Pastor Kishard. As this young man knocked the missionary to the ground and continued pummeling him, his fellow extremists lunged after the rest of Pastor Kishard’s team, grabbing their Bibles and tracts. The extremists were on their way to start a fire with the literature when a few elderly people stepped in and stopped them. These elderly people also pulled the young man away from Pastor Kishard, stopping the prolonged assault.

Pastor Kishard has a lot of bruises and cuts from the attack, but he is not seriously injured. He does need prayer for healing.

He is asking everyone to pray for the people who opposed him and beat him up.

“Pray that our loving God will touch them and change their lives—that they might know the truth,” he asks.

On September 23 around 8:30 p.m., Pastor Bashuda received a call from one of the believers in his church asking for prayer. He got on his bicycle and headed for the house when the attack happened.

As Bashuda rode his bicycle, he noticed a car coming toward him on the dark, narrow road. Bashuda pulled over to let the car pass, but instead, the car stopped, and five angry men went after the missionary.

Pastor Bashuda tried to race off, but they caught him and brutally attacked him with swords. The attack left Bashuda unconscious.

Thinking the missionary was dead, his attackers drove off, leaving Bashuda on the side of the road.

Half an hour later, a man riding his bicycle saw Bashuda and checked to see if he was okay. He found out what village the pastor was from and rushed off to find help.

When he reached Bashuda’s village, he called to the first person he could find, saying, “A man from your village is badly injured and is lying down on the road.”

He and the villagers headed back to the place where Bashuda was lying helplessly. When the villagers recognized their pastor, they quickly brought him to the hospital.

Bashuda is hospitalized in critical condition and desperately needs prayer.

“Once again we see persecution on the uprise,” said president and founder of Gospel for Asia, K.P. Yohannan. “We need to pray God will bring peace to this situation. It saddens my heart to see our people persecuted like this. At the same time, I’m reminded that Jesus said we would face persecution but that He would be with us.”

Please pray the Lord will miraculously heal Pastor Bashuda of his injuries, bringing glory to His powerful name.

“The greatest thing we can do right now,” K.P. Yohannan said, “is pray for our brother who was beaten and those who did the persecuting, that they would come to know the love of Christ also.”

The trouble started on August 17 when a group of local anti-Christian fanatics confronted Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Jank Nayak at the church where he serves as pastor.

“We will kill you if you don’t leave this place,” the leader bluntly told Jank. Then they forced him into a room at the church. While Jank was locked up, he called his GFA leader, who contacted the police. The officers said they would go to the church, pick up Jank and take him to the police station for his own safety.

The police found Jank, took him into custody and questioned the fanatics. They accused pastor Jank of forcing people to convert to Christianity and changing their faith without permission, as stated in their laws. Jank was released later that same day, but the church was locked by the police and has been closed ever since.

Since then, pastor Jank and the GFA leaders in his area have worked diligently to assure the police that the church is not forcing people to change their faith. A district law enforcement official requested that the local police release the church building back to the pastor, but the doors remain locked.

To make matters worse, on September 4, a group of 21 fanatics returned to the church building and destroyed the windows and broke the cross off the roof. They are also issuing threats to the new believers, saying they must turn their back on Jesus and return to their old faith. They are also continuing to issue death threats against pastor Jank.

So far, the police have done nothing to stop the harassment, nor allowed the believers back into their church building, which is only a year old.

Pastor Jank and his congregation ask for prayer that the police would grant them the use of their building again, and that they would provide protection for the believers when church services resume. Also pray for the believers who are being threatened, that they would remain strong in their faith in spite of the persecution. And pray for safety for pastor Jank, his wife and their two children.

Kavi is doing well and is on the mend. The local GFA leader visited the pastor to encourage him in his ministry.

Kavi isn’t new to persecution. He has faced threats for showing films about Jesus, also, along with actively proclaiming the saving grace of God.

“For the sake of the Gospel, he has gone through a lot of opposition and scary situations in his life,” said a GFA field correspondent.

Even with all the persecution, Kavi remains joyful as he thinks about the way the Lord will continue to grow his ministry in the coming days.

Please keep Kavi—and all the other national missionaries facing inevitable persecution—in your prayers.

“Once again, we are seeing how our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering persecution for His sake all across Asia,” noted GFA President K.P. Yohannan. “These two incidents clearly show the cost of discipleship in India and other South Asian countries.”

One incident took place in a high-caste Orissa village known to be a center of religious extremism.

There, in a place where followers of the traditional religion consider Christians to be low-caste, GFA-supported national missionary Galoknath Jena had established a regular prayer meeting in the home of Kanchan and Gayan Verma. Theirs was the first family in the village to follow Christ, and they were among just a handful of believers that formed the first Christian fellowship there.

Angry Villagers
Not suprisingly, the rest of the village was angered by the small group of believers in their midst, and when Kanchan, 65, suddenly died, they took advantage of the situation.

Immediately, village leaders began to verbally abuse and harass Gayan, her daughter Sachika, 38, and her two children. But when the believers silently braved their insults and prayed for God’s grace, the anti-Christian religious leaders became infuriated.

Finally, when it was clear that the harassment was not going to change Gayan’s family, the leaders forced them to leave the village. Taking their few worldly possessions with them, the family took shelter in the home of a GFA leader in a village about 25 kilometers (15 miles) away.

“This dear family has lost everything and patiently endured persecution for the sake of Christ,” noted Dr. Yohannan. “Unfortunately, they are not the only ones.

Uttar Pradesh Persecution
“Just the other day, we received another report of a man in Uttar Pradesh who received similar treatment. There, a young man named Kunai received Jesus as his Savior about six months ago, and now the local leaders have banned him from his village.

“And not only has this Christian brother been banned from his own home, his whole family has been excommunicated from their society.

“I want to ask all who read this report to take a moment right now and pray for these families who are suffering greatly simply because they have placed their faith in Christ. Pray that the Lord will continue to hold them up. And pray also for those who persecute them, that their eyes will be opened to the true love of the living God.”

Daya Dass and Garima Rongpi have been serving in a South Asian village for three years. They have one small congregation there, and they spend time in the surrounding villages sharing the love of Jesus. They frequently conduct prayer meetings in villagers’ homes.

On March 17, they were having one of these home meetings and had just started to pray when a group of anti-Christian extremists broke in and attacked Daya and Garima. The fanatics accused them of forcing people to convert to Christianity, and the police arrested them.

The state where these missionaries serve has a “freedom of religion” law, which was enacted to protect people from being forced to convert to Christianity by fraud, allurement or coercion. The law allows people to convert to Christianity if they seek permission from the government first.

Daya and Garima are still in jail and asking for your prayers.

Pray specifically that their charges would be dropped and they would be released soon. They also asked for prayer that Christians in the area would not become fearful but would remain strong in Jesus, and that the fanatical groups would truly understand the love of Jesus.

Indra Rai Waglan suffered a broken rib, among other injuries, when he was attacked while walking to a village to conduct a prayer meeting. Accusing the pastor of blasphemy against their traditional gods and forcing people to become Christians, the six extremists beat him mercilessly and left him unconscious.

Today, with his body healed to the extent that he is no longer taking medication, Pastor Waglan is ministering in a village about five miles from where the attack took place. A dozen believers are now regularly attending his fellowship, and he is once again conducting home Bible studies and outreach ministries.

But while the believers in Nepal are rejoicing at Pastor Waglan’s return, the missionary is asking for continued prayer for his family’s safety.

“Pastor Waglan wants to continue his service for the Lord,” a fellow pastor explained, “but sometimes he finds it difficult to protect his wife and children from the men who often come to their home and threaten them.”

GFA President K.P. Yohannan has asked Christians in the West to pray for Pastor Waglan and his family, offering both prayers of thanksgiving for his remarkable recovery and seeking God’s protection for him, his family and the other believers in the area.

On May 21st, carrying a generator and a projector, Ugyen walked for two days into interior villages of Bhutan with a single purpose—to give people a chance to learn about Jesus.

But when one of the village chiefs learned of the movie’s content, he informed the chief of his district, who then called the police to arrest Ugyen.

Investigations and Questionings
The days following the arrest were a whirlwind of investigations, questionings, postponements, police statements and waiting.

While police investigated his case, Pastor Ugyen was kept in a small, dark, mosquito-filled room along with three other inmates.

On June 14, the police attempted to search Pastor Ugyen’s house, but they were unable to enter because the house was locked.

In need of more information, the police sent a team to the villages where Ugyen showed the Jesus film to reinvestigate and conclude whether people were converted through the screening.

The police summoned the village chiefs and others present at the showing and asked them a series of questions concerning what happened the night of Ugyen’s arrest. Both Christians and non-Christians presented statements for Ugyen’s case.

Patiently Waiting and Sharing
Ugyen’s case eventually made its way to the district court as he patiently waited in his jail cell and continued to share the Good News with his fellow inmates, all the while enduring harsh living conditions, which aggravated his asthma.

“Pastor Ugyen said he is not sitting idle, and though he is not able to share openly, he is making the best of every opportunity he is getting to share the Good News of Jesus,” a GFA field correspondent reported. “There are a few inmates who are interested.”

When GFA leaders came to visit the prison, Ugyen asked for a supply of New Testaments to distribute to the inmates and encouraged his visitors not to worry about him.

The Court Process
On July 22, two months after Ugyen’s arrest, he was taken to court for the first phase of his hearing—after multiple postponements and cancellations.

GFA leaders had initially met with local officials to appeal for Ugyen’s release on bail, but the officials refused their petition because they considered Ugyen’s case very serious and a possible violation of Bhutan’s constitution, which states that “No person shall be compelled to belong to another faith by means of coercion or inducement.”

Ugyen was asked to write a statement for the court, but his first statement was considered insufficient. Nine times Ugyen rewrote his statement, paying $2.50 each time.

On August 17, the court presented all of Ugyen’s statements in the presence of the officials and asked Ugyen to screen the controversial film on the life of Jesus before the court the following day. Although it was reported that the court officials wanted to watch all the films Ugyen had shown before a final verdict was pronounced, the film was never shown.

Bhutan’s High Court declared Ugyen guilty and gave him three years in prison.

Bhutan and Religion
Bhutan is one of the least evangelized nations, according to Operation World. This is due in part to the country’s deliberate isolation from other cultures. The government and its people seek to protect their ancient traditions, their way of life and especially their religion.

Bhutan’s constitution states that “Buddhism is the spiritual heritage of Bhutan, which promotes the principles and values of peace, non-violence, compassion and tolerance,” yet Christians have often been persecuted for their faith even though their constitutional right grants them freedom of religion as long as they weren’t compelled by coercion to convert to Christianity.

Please pray for Pastor Ugyen while he is in prison. Pray for his health, and that he will be able to effectively minister while he’s behind bars. Pray also for the other believers living in Bhutan. Pray for their protection, strength to endure persecution, and discernment on how to share the Good News with those around them.

Pastor Ugyen’s timeline:
• May 21, 2010 – Ugyen is arrested by Bhutan police for showing the Jesus film. Film equipment confiscated.
• June 4, 2010 – The police summon the village chief and people who saw the film to give detailed information. Police give Ugyen’s case to Divisional Magistrate, who forwards the case to the District Magistrate for further investigation.
• June 9, 2010 – Case forwarded to the district court. Ugyen awaits his first hearing.
• June 14, 2010 – Police try to investigate Ugyen’s house but can’t enter because the door is locked.
• June 15, 2010 – Police go to villages where film was shown to reinvestigate.
• July 5, 2010 – GFA leaders meet with officials to appeal for Ugyen’s release on bail. The petition is refused because of the gravity of the case.
• July 22, 2010 – First phase of hearing scheduled for July 23 postponed until July 26.
• Aug. 4, 2010 – Ugyen asked to write a statement. The statement is invalid, and he is asked to write another one.
• Aug 6, 2010 – Ugyen has written nine statements thus far. He is questioned as to why he shared the Good News. Next court date set for Aug. 9.
• Aug. 9, 2010 – Ugyen’s court date rescheduled for Aug. 17.
• Aug. 17, 2010 – Pastor Ugyen taken to court and his statements are read before the court officials. Asked to appear before the court again on Aug. 18 to screen the Jesus film.
• Aug. 19, 2010 – Pastor Ugyen asked to appear on Aug. 20 instead.
• Aug. 23, 2010 – The district court forwards all of Pastor Ugyen’s statements and a report from the police and district court to the High Court in Thimphu for verification. Screening of Jesus film never takes place.
• Sept. 8, 2010 – District court takes over case again. Court officials suggest Ugyen write an apology to the judge of the district court.
• Oct. 7, 2010 – High Court sentences Ugyen to three years in prison.

Vikranta was praying for the people as they watched the film when the attackers came.

The extremists accused Vikranta of forcing people to convert to Christianity and called the police after they finished assaulting him. The police arrested Vikranta, instead of his attackers. They made him spend the night in a jail cell without food or adequate medical attention.

Nirav, who was operating the projector at the time of the attack, managed to escape the brutal beating. He fled and reported the situation to GFA’s ministry office in the state.

A GFA state leader from that office went to the police station and was able to get Vikranta freed by the next afternoon.

Vikranta is still in a lot pain and asks for prayer for healing. He would also like prayer that the Lord would strengthen his body and grant him grace to continue serving.

Amodini, who is 40 years old, is a member of a church where a Gospel for Asia-supported missionary serves as pastor. She was at her home when a group of 15 men came to her house, called for her and began accusing her of forcing people to convert to Christianity.

After making the accusation, they grabbed hold of the woman and began to beat her. Witnesses described a horrific scene.

“Amodini’s clothes were removed in public and she was attacked with knives,” a witness reported.

Police sprang into action when the attack was reported and they have arrested 14 of the accused attackers so far.

The believers in that area ask for prayers for Amodini, that the Lord would heal her wounds. They also ask that the peace of God would keep her firm in her faith.

And, prayers are requested for the men who so cruelly attacked her, that they would repent and turn to Christ.