Midyetts Report
March 20, 2006
Dear friends,
Seen in an airport recently: a young man strutting impudently with this message on his T-shirt:
"Christianity is stupid. Get out!"
I haven’t seen this message here, but we have felt it. Christians here have suffered persecution. Here is a summary of events at the location of our first host:
January 25: Anonymous death threats against our first host and his son if they allow Feb. 25 graduation
Hindu leader offers $26,000 reward for capture and beheading of either of the above--$52,000 for both
Threat to stop all government functions if both were not arrested by February 23; later postponed until March 4
February 2: Hindu mob attacked one of their 13 orphanages
February 10: One of their schools and orphanages burned to the ground.
Officers purchased from their bookstore a copy of a booklet they say denigrates Hindu deities, charged the ministry with printing and circulating it. But in fact, they did neither, and most staff had never read it.
February 20: Head officers of the ministry and the orphanage we visited detained without charges; all operating licenses of all phases of the ministry including 65 schools and 105 Bible schools revoked; all bank accounts frozen; militants begin siege of orphanage housing 2500 plus staff, including 8 American volunteers, preventing delivery of food supplies.
February 25: Scheduled graduation of about 10,000 Bible school students postponed.
March 10-12: Legislators visited our host’s ministries in Kota to see the situation for themselves.
March 13: Two times in one week, the lower house of Parliament had unscheduled adjournment because tempers flared so high discussing the Kota situation.
March 16: Dr. Samuel Thomas, our first host’s son, arrested as he tried to arrange bail before surrendering to police; taken to Kota jail. Hopegivers set up a Legal Defense Fund.
You can read more about past events and keep up with future developments by checking the following web sites: www.worthynews.com, www.crossing.com/news/religiontoday, www.hopegivers.org.
For our protection we were confined to our second host’s house as the anti-Christian hate flared up in a separate Muslim incident. We were encouraged, knowing that satanic opposition becomes intensive when the Holy Spirit is working.
What a day to serve Christ in India! In spite of the persecution, (or perhaps because of it,) the church is expanding. Disciples are reproducing disciples. And this is where our Bible study material comes in. My greatest challenge of all time as a missionary is a far-reaching appeal to pray for a resolution that will allow those 170 schools to open April 3. Right now there is a restriction imposed by the government of that state. Pray for an overruling in regard to that restriction. Let us pray along with the world of Christians partnering with the Thomases for the cause of Christ who champions peace, as did Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of India.
Someone indicated: We have given close at hand reports on where we were in the state of Rajasthan, but how about us? We are carrying on as fore-planned in the safety of Hyderabad with long-time Christians and assisting in the church with its missions outreach.
While we are here, I have been preaching each Sunday and we have had time to tweak our curriculum to accommodate the mind and culture of India.
The church is uncomfortably crowded every Sunday. Some can’t even get in. In my estimation, the reason is that the truth of God’s Word and its mission outreach highly pleases the heart of God. The zeal of local members to support missions is so keen. People are attracted by the Lord Himself.
When the Lord enables Faith Baptist Church to relocate for a larger facility, they expect to include a school for children of their missionaries, and also prophets’ quarters. Almost without hesitating, I asked, “Could we be two of the first occupants?”
Our enemy continues to attack us physically. When Sarah called from the bathroom, I found her on her back with arms and feet tingling and seeing stars from hitting her head and shoulders when she slipped on the wet floor. She’s also had a bout with diarrhea. But not I—I’ve been constipated most of the time we’ve been here. God extends his healing grace to keep us active.
We can identify with Paul who thanked God for his supporters in distant cities. We too thank God upon every remembrance of you. Please forgive us for not thanking you in person, or replying to all email responses. For security reasons, addresses and telephone numbers have not been sent to us by email, and since we are unable to reply from our email program, it makes replying difficult, so we answer only those that really NEED a reply.
Working, trusting, praying,
J.T. and Sarah Midyett
"Because He hath set His love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name."(Psalm 91:14)
SPONSORING, SENDING CHURCH: Edmond Road Baptist Church
1207 W. Edmond Road, Edmond, OK 73003-4195, Phone 1-405-348-9410, Pastor Joe Mandrino, 1-405-613-3735
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