Here’s an update on the Valson Abraham letter I shared last week:

Dear Jami,

I am writing to give you an update on Ranjan Vengua, the student from
Orissa Bible Training Center who has suffered persecution for his faith.

On the weekend of October 7, he was seized by radical Hindus, accused
of becoming a Christian under coercion and forcibly taken to a Hindu temple
where he had his head shaved and a mob forcibly prostrated him before
Hindu idols. Then he was held in prison to stand before a judge and testify
to the nature of his conversion to Christianity. In the meantime, the
media seized upon this story, claiming that he as a Christian had re-converted
to Hinduism.

In the latest update, Ranjan was released on bail on Saturday night, October
14, following his testimony before the magistrate. We will get more news
later when he returns to the Bible school in a couple of days. From our
director’s report, Ranjan calmly but boldly testified that Jesus did for
him what no one else could do - how he has found forgiveness, joy, peace
and love that he could find nowhere else. Again and again, he emphasized
it was his own decision, that he committed his life to Christ without
coercion or incentives from anyone. He freely chose, and he was glad
that he did. He has committed his life to the Lord totally, and he would
do it again.

This is the first time that such a case has been brought to trial so quickly
in the state of Orissa. For that, we praise the Lord and thank you for
your prayers.

The All India Christian Council posted his bail, but under the law, his
release does not necessarily mean that the case is closed. The police
may call him again at any time, and he must appear whenever they ask for
him.

The report is that he was taken captive by 200 Hindu radicals, who mishandled
him and beat him. They shaved off his hair and forced him to bow before
their idols. Then he was dipped 108 times in their temple pond and forced
to drink cow dung mixed with water 108 times. This is one of the Hindu
numbers for “cleansing,” and he was dipped to “free” him from the “contaminatio
n” of his Christian faith and practices.

Media was slanted in favor of the radicals and their intent was to portray
that Christians are reconverting to Hinduism en masse. This publicity
backfired. We contacted the Minorities Commission in Delhi and they were
able to get the hearing scheduled immediately. Since then, in the state
of Orissa alone, 270 additional incidents of abuse from 2006 alone have
surfaced.

Ranjan comes from a town called Bhadrak. The area has 1.4 million people
of which less than 500 are Christians of all denominations, including
Roman Catholics. That is only about 0.03%, or one Christian for every
2,800 people-far lower than the average for Orissa as a whole (2.1%, or
one Christian in 48 people).

Pray for Ranjan and for his recovery from this trauma. Pray that God
will use this to strengthen and further the gospel. Pray for his family
to experience the same love he has experienced in Christ.

Pray for those who persecuted him, that they would also come to the saving
knowledge of Jesus.

Pray for John Mathai, director of IGO’s Orissa Bible Training Center,
and all the students and faculty members connected to the school-all those
who are studying there are from Hindu backgrounds.

Pray that God will provide our own land and facilities so the school doesn’t
have to keep moving from place to place.

Pray for a place where students will have moral support from the community,
where people will serve as truthful witnesses if such incidents are directed
against the school.

For the sake of the gospel,

Valson Abraham