by Jim Truesdell, Associate Director
Associate Director Jim Truesdell recently spent a month in South Asia meeting with Frontier Fellowship’s indigenous partners and the people they serve throughout the region. He shared this story with us while he was on his trip.
Muslim leaders are coming to faith in Jesus in remarkable numbers in South Asia. There are three main types of Muslim leaders who we are seeing come to faith in Jesus. Hafiz—people who have memorized the entire Q’uran, Imams—pastor-type people who lead mosques and Muftis—Muslim legal experts. As important, judicial members of society, there are often serious social and religious ramifications when these leaders turn to Christ.
One of the Muslim-background believers we met recounted how his brother secretly approached him one day before dinner. The brother’s face was white with terror and he said, “Mom and Dad have poisoned your food.” Immediately, he went to his room, grabbed some cash and slipped out of the house—never to return.
We heard multiple stories of family rejection, loss of homes, being forbidden to see children, homelessness, vandalism, beatings and loss of employment. The history of Muslim and Hindu relations in the region complicates matters, and incidents of persecution are on the rise. Our friend, Victor writes,
“Sporadic incidents of violence against Christians have been steadily increasing. Recently the persecution of new believers in the rural areas and city slums has greatly spiked.”
We studied Matthew 11:28 with these brothers. When Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light,” it wasn’t a surprise to hear one of the brothers say, “The yoke of Jesus does not feel easy.”
It will be a long time before I can meaningfully reflect on the hard reality of persecution in South Asia. But I submit this humble beginning, so that you might pray that Jesus—the crucified One—would be close to our brothers and sisters around the world.
Click here to access and download the World Watch List and learn more about persecuted Christians around the globe. For more prayer resources to help guide and inform your prayers for the world’s least-reached peoples, visit frontierfellowship.com/pray
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