The blood of the martyr is the seed of the church and God is in control of everything. However when persecution becomes personal it is heartbreaking to see friends, beloved, coworkers being killed to death. This is what is happening now to my family, relatives, and Christians in Orissa, India.

On August 23 rd 2008, all these things started from a death of a Hindu fanatic group leader killed by a Terrorist group. However the Hindu fanatic group claimed, “No, our leader was murdered by Christians.” With furious anger, they started killing Christians brutally, burning them alive, and destroying our houses and churches. Till today total 58 Christians are killed. With a sharp knife they cut Christians alive into pieces. They raped nuns and Christian ladies. They beat up pastors badly, and stripped them naked and walked them around the towns. Even the police are supporting the Hindu group for doing these evil.

www.persecution.in and http://www.persecution.in/orissa_persecution_india will show you more in detail. 50,000 Christians are hiding in the forest to save their lives and many of them are dying in the forest, getting sick due to lack of food, water, and clothes.

We have seen our houses burning. As God blessed us, we have been able to maintain them but, now we have only some broken walls and ashes. Nothing is left for us to live again. The Hindu group kept threatening, “Christian does not have place here to stay unless they deny Jesus and become Hindu.” Where will we go now? Seventy families were forcefully reconverted to Hinduism.

The India government is trying to help to stop this riot but it does not seem able to control these arrogant fanatics. The fanatic group publicly announced the conditions for Christians to follow if they want to live in Orissa or India. They must:

1. Stop Conversion by any means
2. Stop Slaughtering cows.
3. Return the land if they have bought from the Hindus
4. Start worshiping Hindu gods and goddesses
5. Ask forgiveness publicly for insulting Hindu religion by accepting Christianity.

My father and many pastors are converts from Hinduism and many members of our churches are also converted from Hinduism. “We have lost our houses but not our hearts. Still yet we are strong in our faith. No matter what happens, we cannot leave Jesus.” This is what one pastor's wife said whose husband was killed to death in front of her eyes. Two of my pastor friends who were working with me were killed by fanatics. My cousin brother was beaten so badly that he died in the hospital. My parents are under threats, fear and sicknesses. 28 orphan children in my orphanage are all sick. We do not have anything to take care of them with. There is no one whom we can look for help except God.

I, on behalf of suffering part of the body of Christ in Orissa, am pleading you. Please pray for us: They are torturing church members, especially leaders, and handling them without mercy.

1. Torturing Christians into falsely confessing to crimes, or torturing them to make false accusations against other communities
2. Torturing Christians in an attempt to have them renounce their faith
3. The destruction of buildings used for worship or prayer meetings
4. The confiscation of Bibles and other religious materials
5. The beating of Christians by police and government officials

Please pray

1. For Safety for the Christians
2. That the persecutors will meet Jesus.
3. That the Christians will be more strong in their faith
4. Christians will get shelter, food, clothes and daily necessaries
5. Churches will get permission from government to rebuild

We all are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one in the body of Christ. One part of body is suffering and going through pain. As 1 Corinthians 12 says, each member is important in the body. As Hebrew 13:3 says, please pray for us as if you were in that suffering.

Praise God for the changes are taking place slowly but towards peace as the answer of all the cry of people of God. Many leaders of Hindu fanatic groups are now arrested by the police as life time imprisonment.

I see this through the sight of faith as “they are now plowing the ground our duty is to sow the seed the word of God with forgiveness and love, for sure the harvest will come plenty.” Where we sow in cry, we reap with happiness and joy. (Psalm 126: 5-6). Let's bring our hands and hearts together to pray. Let's expect a great harvest soon in the state of Orissa and entire India. By praying for Orissa you are joining in the great purpose of God - ‘sweep of revival in the land of India.'

Mark Edward Sudhir

Th.M. Student