Women Bible College Students Attacked

GFA – On June 17, a group of women students from a Gospel for Asia Bible college faced humiliation and persecution as they distributed Gospel tracts in Andhra Pradesh, India. Anti-Christian extremists interrogated the women, and the attack eventually escalated into physical abuse at a bus station.

As the five women—all third-year Bible college students—passed out the tracts, they were confronted by three radicals. Harshly interrogating one of the women, they snatched the tracts from her hand, tore them to pieces and threw them back in her face. Then the men threatened the women and berated them with vulgar insults.

Finally, one of the students told the radicals that they would leave the station if the men let them go. But instead, the extremists called more people from their organization to come harass the women.

Now, with 10 people surrounding them, the students were forced to endure further insults. Then one extremist took off his dirty sandal and beat the women with it—not only hurting the women physically, but deeply humiliating them in public.

As the man continued to beat the students, a Christian from the local church came to their rescue. The extremists dispersed, and the believer helped the women get back to their house.

The team is staying in the village to help Gospel for Asia native missionary Ednit Sadhil and his family with evangelism through literature. The internship is part of the women’s final training before beginning their full-time ministries.

The women request prayer for safety as they continue serving in this area and for grace as they choose where to minister after they graduate. They also ask for prayer that those who persecuted them will come to a full knowledge of the love of Christ.