East-West Blog

From Oppressor to Believer

Written by East-West Staff | May 26, 2016 1:00:22 PM

Fear gripped every member of a small South Asian village. They were interested in the gospel of Jesus a team of East-West missionaries presented, but they couldn’t shake the threats from a nearby village.

These neighboring villagers had threatened to take over their land if they converted to Christianity. Their livelihood was at stake if they chose to follow Jesus.

At that time, no one was willing to confess belief in the gospel, so the team prayed for them and explained that God was bigger than any fear before moving on to the next village.

This village was much larger in size and the team sensed an overwhelming darkness running rampant. It was dirty and less civilized than the previous village they visited. In fact, this was the very village that struck fear and hindered belief in the lives of the people they’d just met and witnessed to.

Despite this knowledge, they gathered a crowd for a gospel presentation.

A total of 43 villagers came and heard God’s message of salvation. When it was time to indicate a faith decision, the team was shocked. All 43 villagers responded with belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In an instant, the gospel transformed this once oppressive village. Today national partners visit these new believers each week to strengthen their faith and start a church.