Floods Burst Open Doors for the Gospel in India

09 Sep

Floods Burst Open Doors for the Gospel in India

Aarav (not real name), at left, with family members who survived rising flood waters, and the national missionary who found them (in white shirt)

Dear Friends,

Aarav (name changed for safety reasons) and his wife, together with their eight children, resided in a small mud house in northern India. Aarav’s father, mother, and older brother also lived with them.

Torrential rains this June caused extensive flooding in their region, ultimately trapping Aarav’s family. Tragically, two of his youngest children, as well as his older brother, were swept away in the rising waters. Their bodies were never recovered. Aarav’s home was damaged beyond repair and all their belongings were also carried away. Homeless, Aarav and the surviving members of his family walked to a nearby village and slept in the public market.

The family survived three days without food or water. It wasn’t until a national missionary working with Pastor Inesh (name changed for safety reasons), a Heaven’s Family partner, discovered their dire straits that they received any help. He supplied their urgent needs and put them up in the home of a believer nearby.

When the flood waters receded, Pastor Inesh’s team helped Aarav rebuild, thanks to money sent from Heaven’s Family’s Disaster Relief Fund. As a result of seeing God’s love demonstrated to them, Aarav and his family began attending a nearby house church, and they have since given their lives to the Lord! This is especially exciting, because Aarav and his family live in a northern state of India. Less than 1/10th of 1% of this state’s population is Christian. And this is yet one more example of how, through the demonstration of Jesus’ love during times of distress, we are seeing unbelievers repent and come to faith in Jesus.

Many had to flee with only what they could carry, and food has been scarce

Thanks so much for helping to expand the kingdom of our Lord through your gifts to the Disaster Relief Fund. And I have another opportunity for you to lay up treasure in heaven: Unusually severe floods have struck many parts of Pakistan during the month of August. We’d like to help them through our trusted partners on the ground there. If you’d like to serve destitute Pakistani brothers and sisters, as well as reach Muslims and Hindus who are open with the gospel, please click the donate button below. Thank you for your compassion.