20 May

Bow down… or else!

Meenu being baptized by Heaven’s Family-supported national missionary Jaswind Das (left)

Bow down… or else!

A young Indian woman faces a difficult decision

Dear Friends,

Meenu was a good employee, but her new boss required her to do something she just couldn’t do.

Before the 21-year-old young woman had surrendered her life to Christ, her compliance would have been simple. But now she was different.

Until recently, Meenu knew nothing about Jesus, but she intimately knew the pain that had been searing in her chest for the past 6 years. So when her neighbors approached her one day and shared how Christ had radically transformed their lives, she began to hope that she, too, could experience that same transformation. So she gave her life to Christ, and then, to her delight and relief, God completely healed her of the chest pain.

Her love for Christ now overflows in every area of her life, even at the roadside clothing shop where she is employed in northern India. But when ownership of the shop recently changed hands, Meenu’s new boss had a different way of doing business. “From now on,” he demanded, “you must bow down to this idol…every morning before we open,” pointing to his new addition to the shop.

Meenu’s thoughts immediately raced to her hungry, impoverished family at home. This job was her only means of providing for them. But she also knew she could only bow her knee to One—her heavenly King.

“I’m sorry,” Meenu boldly protested, “but my faith in Christ prohibits me from bowing down to your idol. Please let me pray to my God and He will bless your shop.”

Enraged, the new owner fired her.

Fearing she would no longer be able to help her family, Meenu pleaded with her church family to pray. They committed to both pray and fast for her.

About a week later, her former boss requested that she meet him at the shop. There he explained how business had plummeted ever since he fired her! He begged her to work for him again—but with new rules. He asked her instead to pray to her God, asking Him to bless the shop. Meenu’s heart jumped!

Business at the shop has been increasing ever since, and Meenu’s boss soon gave her a raise!

The roadside clothing shop where Meenu works (shop name blurred for security reasons)

Meenu’s bold, shining faith was passed to her from her neighbors, which in turn was passed to them by national missionary Jaswind Das. He is actively discipling them all.

Jaswind—and many others like him—is “going” out and sharing his testimony of personal transformation, and then “making disciples” who will do the same, just as Jesus commanded. Your prayers and financial support of any amount is helping to fulfill the Great Commission through our partnership with missionaries like Jaswind. All over the world they are laboring for the sake of the gospel in some very spiritually dark places.