Bible Workers in the Land of the Kings
Written by Jhansi* JFA Field Correspondent
Rajasthan (the land of the kings) is a state full of vibrant colors and active people. It is home to fifty districts and many precious souls captured by the devil’s deception, poverty, traditional beliefs, and people seeking a better world.
My mind was blown by the sights of Rajasthan and the two contrasting lifestyles of the people there. I’m an Indian by birth, but what I discovered in Rajasthan was a world of wonder and a desire to do more for God. It made me more grateful for the privileges I had of knowing the truth, being able to go to school, getting a Christian education, learning about basic life skills such as hygiene, and, most importantly, learning to love Jesus.
Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital city, is filled with pink colors, tourists everywhere, blooming businesses, intricately designed temples, and other historical sculptures. In contrast, the peasants who live in the slums and villages earn barely enough to make a living.
On our first day, we drove around Jaipur in search of a local village, but our search was unsuccessful because the locations of the villages were far from the main city. Fortunately, the next day, one and a half hours of driving led us to the sight of a few locals, a family, and a slum, which was shocking to see. At every stop we made to talk to a local, I prayed sincerely, asking God to help us connect with them. These people are not very warm toward outsiders and strangers, while in the city, people’s attitudes are entirely different.
The men we met on the way were not the friendliest people and, at first, were suspicious of us, but eventually, they started to talk. Some can’t even speak the national language of India, which is Hindi, but only their native dialect.
Then, we stopped by a village consisting of three small huts and some goats. One of the ladies came out immediately and wanted to know the purpose of our visit without letting anyone else from their home talk. She inquired why we were taking pictures and so on. She didn’t even smile once.
At this point, the sun was about to set, but we continued our drive in search of a larger village or a slum area. After a few minutes, we spotted a slum area where people seemed to be celebrating something. We stopped on the other side of the road and watched from the car, debating if we should take the risk and face the people to know more about their lives and bring Jesus to them. My heart wanted to go right away and sit with those kids and tell them the story of my loving Jesus, but I knew we had to be very tactful in how we proceeded so that no one would be in danger.
After much discussion, we decided to step out and see if anyone would come to talk to us; to our surprise, they did. But we could only stay at the entrance. The poverty, lack of hygiene, their living conditions, and the kids’ smiling faces captured my heart, and I left with questioning thoughts about what could be done to reach these people.
The conference president who took us on the trip had a bright idea. He suggested we visit them the following day and bring gifts such as snacks for the kids, an educational calendar, and maybe something to teach hygiene. So, we did. That very night, we got some basic necessities purchased and packed to go early the next morning to visit the slum locality. We arrived when they were all busy and about their daily duties.
When we walked in with our bags, they all became curious and wanted to know why we were there so early. This gave us our entry pass to their lives and community. We handed out the things and talked briefly with the women on basic hygiene and cleanliness. They started opening up about their lives; it made me sad but hopeful for the future.
We learned that most kids don’t even have a school to go to. They lack basic educational supplies because of poverty. The men sit around all day with no work. They make their living either by begging in the cities or collecting rubbish for recycling.
The children were delighted to receive the chart we gave them with the names of fruits and vegetables. As I walked around their colony, I spotted a little girl with matted hair, dirty clothes, and sleepy eyes, sitting on the dry sandy ground with her chart unrolled in front of her. She started to read the vegetables in the language she knew. She was busy learning and making an effort with the little that she had. Few others joined her shortly. Some of these children have never seen these kinds of educational things, and schools were only a thing that they heard about.
My heart cried to witness the poverty and the needs but, more than anything, the need of Jesus. Young people are married with families, young men roam the streets, chewing tobacco, and young school-age girls have no childhood but to care for the children and take care of the home.
Won’t it be beautiful if these young kids can go to school, learn about hygiene, make a living for themselves, and above all, learn to love Jesus and accept Him as their Savior?
Rajasthan is a vast field and seems impossible to reach, but nothing is impossible for our great God. We have work to do and souls to bring to the Kingdom, but for the work to be done, there need to be willing workers.
Among fifty districts, only eighteen districts have representatives of the Gospel. Rajasthan is a very strict state with strict regulations on religion. Converting one of them is a dangerous and long journey, but we can’t give up in fear of men.
Jesus for Asia has hired ten volunteers to enter ten unreached districts of Rajasthan and bring the Gospel to them. These volunteers are very special. They were doing evangelism before being asked to work for the section. These dedicated workers are willing to take the risk and lay down their lives for Christ to bring many more souls to the Kingdom.
Please pray with us for the work in Rajasthan. You, too, can be a part of this special mission even if you can’t travel the world for Jesus. You can contribute to the cause for the work to be done.
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