Reaching the Least: India

I watched carefully where I stepped. The pathways through the New Delhi slum were narrow and littered with garbage, human waste, and mud.

Living along those pathways in corrugated metal structures were tens of thousands of the “lowest of the low” of India, the untouchables of the Hindu caste system. They peered suspiciously through tattered curtains, or nervously stepped back, as I walked by.

My companions, Indian pastors, led the way. We could hear our destination before we saw it. The sounds of women singing, hands clapping, and a tambourine clanging ricocheted through the alleyways to our ears.

When we arrived, I walked into a humble Indian home on the third story of a seemingly ancient concrete structure. I edged my way into a room completely packed with women and young girls worshipping Jesus.

I was introduced and invited to speak to the group. I don’t remember a word I said, but I do remember how every person listened intently, soaking up every word.

Outside, I spoke with Pastor Bhawna (pronounced BAHV-nuh), the woman who planted the church, and 14 others, in the slum. I asked how she had managed to win so many people to Christ.

She held up a Global University evangelism course printed in Hindi, her mother tongue. “With these books,” Bhawna said, “I learn how to share about Jesus from the Bible. I teach them God’s Word and they all turned from the Hindu gods. Now they serve Jesus, and we pray their husbands will also receive Jesus!”

I smiled because I recognized the books. Light for the Lost funds helped make them available to Bhawna and thousands of other Indian believers planting churches in similar places across India.

To date, 42,000 Indian believers using these books have opened 16,200 new house churches!

Their primary evangelism targets are the least of India. Those who have not heard the gospel yet. The downtrodden, the forgotten, the despised, and the hated. These are the ones coming to Christ in the thousands.

Before and during COVID, Indian believers opened an average of three new "care cells" (like Bhawna's) PER DAY in India—among the least. That continues!

Further north, in Rajasthan state, I was introduced to five men who are the ones from the Meena people to follow Christ. I won't share their names here. Deciding to follow Jesus brings consequences and repercussions in their culture. But each man shared a powerful, supernatural story of encountering the Lord Jesus and making the decision to follow Him.

Additionally, each of these men possess resources provided with Light for the Lost funds which they use to share about Christ to others. Numerous care cells have been opened among the Meena people through them.

Thank you for providing the funds our missionaries and national partners use to resource and fuel world evangelism. Every gift matters, every dollar helps. It’s how Light for the Lost keeps world evangelism our first priority!