02 Feb From Rejection to Revival: A Village Reborn
Karthik and Kamala*, are a couple serving in South Asia. They are very passionate about church-planting and meeting the needs of the people where they are, especially among the unreached rural people groups.
They do this by providing training and facilitating community projects that impact them in practical ways. Karthik also leads a local PhD cohort. This enables national pastors and leaders to earn advanced doctorates at minimal costs without the need for expensive overseas trips.
Through their trainings and church planting initiatives, Karthik, Kamala and their team often experience the unexpected, and recently, one of their team members, Ashok* had such an encounter in a village that was considered almost unapproachable.
“This is a place where hope, especially the hope of Christ, seemed locked away. Many had tried, but for years, no church had ever been successfully planted inside the community. Every attempt to enter and share the Gospel was met with immediate, forceful rejection,” shares Ashok.
A key part of this resistance was one man in particular, a respected figure in the village who was known for his hostility toward the Christian faith. He would chase anyone who tried to share the message, and on some occasions, even resorted to violence.
Sharing the message of Christ felt nearly impossible, but Ashok, after much prayer and consideration, decided to approach the people living there. He went house to house, sharing the Gospel softly and praying with the few people who would listen.
When he eventually met the hostile man, Ashok saw past the anger. He saw someone who was greatly distressed, frantically trying to find treatment for his sick son.
Ashok said, “I didn’t see an enemy; I saw a father in deep pain,”
He began praying for the man and his family, returning regularly to visit and offer support. This simple act of love began to melt away at the man’s fierce resistance.
Meanwhile, the entire village faced an overwhelming, shared crisis: a water shortage. The land was dry, and every family struggled daily just to survive. Ashok encouraged the new believers he had connected with to pray specifically for water.
After more than 30 days, the municipality initiated a water project for the village! The villagers were relieved to have a solution to the drought and those who had witnessed the believers praying began to say, “This happened because of prayer.”
Slowly, the hearts of the people began to soften, none more so than the hostile man.
Having witnessed Ashok’s consistent care for his son, combined with the visible answer to the community’s prayer for water, his anger was replaced with love, and he came to believe Christ wholeheartedly.
Ashok shares: “What was once a place our team had given up on, is now somewhere that has witnessed the power of prayer. By the grace of God, the village now has nearly 20 believers, which gather regularly for worship and thanksgiving!”
Pray for:
- God’s provision for After-School Tuition programs: There are currently 5 sites each serving 25-30 children.
- God’s protection over Kamala, Karthik and their team: As the local government has been putting strict measures in place for religious activities, particularly Christian activities.
- Christmas Outreach events: That many people will hear the good news of the Gospel through these events.
*Names changed to protect privacy