Sudhir M. | Print |
Asia Missionaries - Bangladesh
Thursday, 15 January 2009 19:42
Church Planter (Meitei people), Adampur, Bangladesh

Sudhir was one of the first men to come to faith in Christ among Bangladesh's Meitei people. He was trained as an evangelist in India at a Bible institute and returned to preached the Gospel among his own people. Since 2006, 11 people have been baptized in the village where he labors and a church is in the process of being planted.

Testimony

I was born and grew up in a Meitei Hindu family. Unfortunately, my father was killed by unknown persons while my sister and I were very small. My mother, as a result of all the accusations by society towards her as a young widow, reared us up in such a inexpressibly sorrowful manner. As my sister and I grew up, we started helping our mother and became devoted to her Hindu gods and goddesses. As it is a belief in Hinduism that one is saved by good works, I was eager for good works and therefore I tried my best to live a life free from drugs and bad company. I rather tried to do so-called good works in the sight of the people but could do nothing. At the same time, my sister and I worked so hard for our survival; sometimes I worked in the shop as a salesman along with my studies. That's how I grew up with lots of sweet and bitter experiences in life.

It was in the third week of January 2003, that a missionary called T. Luckson, an Indian national from Manipur, came one evening to our Bazaar and invited three of us through one brother who came to know the Lord during Luckson's first visit to Bangladesh. He shared the Gospel with us in a small movie theater. The theater was also owned by one among us called Probir, who is also working as a called-out evangelist today. As the missionary shared with us from John 3:16, I was really moved by the word of God, and not only me but also the other two men. Having confessed all my sins, I received Jesus as my Lord and personal Savior on that very day.

There was a long time gap between meetings with Bro. Luckson due to his visa problems in December 2003. We started meeting and having fellowships together and he also started conducting Bible studies with some of us every morning from May 2004 onward. These studies were of great help for us to stand firm when strong opposition arose for our faith in Christ.

My baptism on the 10 June 2004 was followed by a stronger opposition from my villagers. I was summoned a number of times to stand in front of village authorities. They threatened my life and questioned me about my new faith in Christ. However, as it is seen in the book of Acts, our new brothers kept praying at Bro. Luckson's rental house in the village until I was released at midnight. During this situation, by God's grace I was able to bring my mother to the Lord and my mother has become a great supporter of my faith in Christ. Whenever our brothers in Christ, like Bro. Probir, are kicked out of their homes even by their own parents for their faith, then it has been my mother who has opened the door of our home to our brothers to come and stay with us. Sometimes, our villagers would come and warn us of dire consequences if we continued opening the door to other Christians who were kicked out of villages. Though my mother was called up to be questioned in public meetings because of our faith in Christ and witness to others of what we found in Christ, she answered boldly saying, "I have only one son and I am pleased with what he is doing." We have been socially boycotted, no invitations, no cooperation, and no speaking with any of the villagers. Even associating with our own clan is not allowed. We were left alone; however, we have been greatly strengthened whenever we experience the presence of the Lord amidst difficult times, and therefore we are thankful to our God deeply that He has given us a privilege to bear the Cross in such a manner for His name's sake.  

As we went deeper into the word of God through Bible study, I really felt more of God's call in my heart to win the heart-hardened Meiteis. The society wanted me to stop sharing the Gospel with whomsoever I met anywhere and in the village as well, but my pleasure has been sharing the Good News with whomsoever I meet. In order to be an effective native evangelist, I continued to pray that the Lord would open a door for me so that I could be equipped more in the word of God, even in a Bible school. Thank God that the same thing was Bro. Luckson's earnest prayer for one of my friends and me.

Because of His great love that surpasses all my understanding and the burden He has put in my heart for lost souls, I left my mother behind alone. I went with Bro. Luckson to Manipur for a short term Bible training in March 2005. By the grace of God, I was accepted for a diploma course in Manipur, during which I also could put what I learned into practice and led some souls to the Lord through personal evangelism. I finished my training in the last week of May 2006 and came back home in June 2006. Since then, I have been concentrating in a village called Mongalpur, where we've had a lot of opposition until the middle of 2008. By the grace of God, there are 11 baptized members now and another baptism program will also be taking place around the 20 January 2009. We are having fellowship and Bible classes for the believers three times a week. My prayer and target for the village is that I could establish a church building this year and train my apprentice in 2010 to lead the church so that I may also concentrate for the Lord in another village thereafter.
< Prev   Next >
 
Bookmark and Share