Opposition Heats Up, Believers Denied Water

Christians in one South Asian village are desperately trying to bear
persecution hurled their way by their unbelieving neighbors.

On March 18 the believers were having a home prayer meeting when a man
named Kushal Mehta vandalized the roof on the house while the Christians
were still inside. He then stormed inside and broke many items there.

The believers didn’t say anything to him, but when they came out of
the house, they saw he had defaced property outside as well. To prevent
Kushal from escaping without legal consequences, they detained him.

The head of the village came to assess the situation and take
responsibility for punishing Kushal. In the sight of multiple pastors,
the village leader decided Kushal’s judgment would occur the next day.
However, the next day came and no hearing occurred. The village leader
said he would set a day for the final verdict at a later time.

As the village leader delayed bringing Kushal to justice, a second
village official, Shoorsen Singh, also ignored the issue. Shoorsen
previously said he wanted to kill all the Christians and destroy their
homes.

As the days went on, the malicious opposition escalated. A few days
after the first incident, a Christian lady was walking home from a
nearby well in the village when someone snatched her water pot and left
it in the middle of the road to be shattered. The perpetrator warned the
believer not to draw any water from the well.

News spread throughout the community that Christians should not draw
water from the wells. Later that same day, Kushal’s son Sameen broke a
believer’s water pot.

Out of 65 families in the village, only eight follow Jesus. The
non-Christian majority will not even allow the believers to take water
from a dirty pond in the village.

This is not the first time the extremists have tried to deny the
Christians water, one of their basic life necessities. A previous
village leader—a man who wanted to demolish the home of his own brother,
who is a Christian—had forbidden the believers from drawing water from
seven wells in the village.

The eight families here desire prayer that God will open the hearts
and minds of those who are persecuting them. Also, please pray the Lord
will protect these Christians, help them to stand firm spiritually and
give them His peace and joy.