Christian grocer and Police Superintendent’s wife latest murdered by Islamic extremists in Bangladesh

Report: Bibles for Mideast 

Unidentified attackers murdered 65-year-old Sunil Gomes in the village of Bonpara, home to one of the oldest Christian communities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. He had just returned from a Sunday worship service.

Murdered Bangladeshi grocer Sunil Gomes

"Sunil Gomes was hacked to death at his grocery store just near a church at Bonpara village," said the deputy police chief of the surrounding Natore district, Shafiqul Islam.

He ran a fruit and vegetable shop, served at his Bonpara church and was respected among villagers.

"I am shocked and saddened. My brother had no enemies,” says his brother Proshanto Gomes, a Christian minister in Dinajpur. “We ask what could have motivated his murder?"

Benedict, a Christian leader in Bonpara, says that "the faithful of the village live in brotherhood with the people of other religions. Why did they attack us?”

He calls for severe punishment for the extremists, who in the past have escaped justice.  "Two months ago, an elderly Christian couple was attacked, but the police did not arrest anyone." Benedict added.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the murder through its Amaq news agency, according to the SITE monitoring group, saying it was "part of a series of operations" in Bangladesh.

The local Christian community lives in fear. Only hours earlier the wife of Police Superintendent Babul Aktar—a man fighting hard against militants and drug cartels—had been stabbed

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Oikya Parishad, organized a human chain Sunday afternoon and imposed a seven-day ultimatum for the capture of the killers to draw government attention and ask for protection.

A relative consoles Ms. Khanam's children following her death

Sunil’s murder happened just hours after the wife of Superintendent of Police Babul Aktar was stabbed and shot to death by three bike-borne assailants as she walked her six-year-old son to a bus stop in southeast Bangladesh. Her husband has led several high-profile operations against terrorists and drug cartels in the region.

Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for the murder of Sunil Gomez and the officer’s wife, Mahmuda Khanam.

Over 40 people have died in the past three years in a series of attacks targeting activists and non-Muslims. Attacks have increased recently, but Bangladeshi authorities hold political rivals and homegrown Islamist terrorists responsible and reject any involvement from foreign terrorist groups.

Members of Middle Eastern Muslim family now worship Jesus!

I am Majida*. I belong to a prominent family in the Middle East. We were proud of our family and our religion of Islam. Our house has a majlis [a place of sitting usually at the front of the house and used for various types of special gatherings—Ed.].  Our family also has its own masjid [mosque], because of the quote from the hadith** by Al-Bukhari: “Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will reward that person with a place in Paradise.”

I was very particular in practicing Islam, such as doing namaz [ritual Islamic prayers] five times a day, reciting from the Koran, fasting during the month of Ramzan, giving zakath [alms to the poor and needy]. Women of our house strictly obeyed the rules on wearing the traditional abaya with full head and face covering.

Although this is our religious background, the male members certainly did not follow all religious rules. My father and brothers had many friends who were alcoholic.

In my country, people of all religions, except Islam can get permits to buy and use alcohol. Recently I learned that the source of income for one of the emirates is selling alcoholic drinks, which is forbidden by our religion.

My father was addicted to drugs and had various bad habits. Very often he invited non-Muslim friends and drank with them in our majlis. My brothers also drank alcohol and used drugs. There was never peace in our home.

Further, my mother suffered with breast cancer and could not sleep because of the pain. I too had a large blister on my leg, which doctors couldn’t cure.

One day my father happened to meet a Christian pastor who worked with Bibles for Mideast. My father tried to explain to him about Islam, the Koran and the Hadith. The pastor showed interest in what he said, and then conveyed the message of Gospel. By this way, they became friends. Whenever they meet together, the pastor would give my father Christian leaflets. It was all about the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Light, the true freedom and peace possible only from the Prince of Peace.

My father would leave the tracts on the table, and I would often read them.

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed,” I read in one of them [John 8:36]. It was explained that the Son is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is able to free from sin, from sickness, from fear and from death.

That really struck me. I read it several times, sitting in a chair and thinking on it.

I began to feel sleepy. As I fell asleep, I saw Jesus come to me. He lifted my lower jaw and said with a smile, “I am your Savior. I love you, Follow me. My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Suddenly I opened my eyes. There was nobody. But I felt a real peace in my mind.  And I found the unhealed blister on my leg had disappeared!

Secretly I approached the pastor. He gave me a Bible and told me about salvation. I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior and Lord. And I asked the pastor to pray for the healing of my mother and the deliverance of my family members.

When I came back home I found my mother was sleeping well without having taken any sleeping capsules. When she woke up, she said a man from heaven had come with many angels, had then touched her and told her to be healed! There were nail marks in His hands, she said.

I told her about Jesus and she too accepted Him as her savior. When the doctor checked her, he of course wondered about her healing, and boldly I told him that it was Jesus who healed her.

I asked my father and brothers to attend three days of prayer meetings at an underground Bibles for Mideast house church with me. So very secretly we all went to attend the prayer service. My father and brothers stopped all bad habits. All of my family members came to believe in and accept Jesus Christ. We now all pray and read the Bible together at home.

What wonderful peace in the hearts and at home when Jesus comes into lives! Daily I see Jesus as a living person to whom I can tell everything of my life.   I have no words to narrate the miracles we see daily ever since our friendship with Jesus began. He alone is God. All praise and glory to Him alone.

Please pray for us to stand stable in this precious faith as we are preparing for baptism.

______________
* name changed for security reasons
* The hadith is a record (there are many collections) of the traditions or sayings of Mohammad, and second only to the Koran in authority for Muslims.

Woman from Hindu priestly family healed and saved by Jesus: now serves Him!

Elamma Antharjanam grew up in a Hindu Brahmin (priestly) family in India [Brahmin are the highest of the four Hindu castes; their traditional occupation being the spiritual guidance of people—Ed.] .  Her father Subrahmanyan Namboothiri was the head priest for 250 temples, and he and her mother married as children—child marriage being common then. Not until 30 years later did they have her, their only child, whom they named Saraswathi.

Saraswathi fanatically followed the tenets of Hinduism. She’d rise early each morning for the ritual bath in the temple pool, and then worship before the temple idols. As a young girl she even had her arm tattooed with images of Hindu deities.

Severe asthma plagued Saraswathi from childhood. None of the special treatments and potions or healing rituals her parents tried could ease their daughter’s suffering.

One day a woman named Kamalamma visited the family. She had converted from Hinduism to Christianity, and despite the persecution she endured from her own husband and community, she wanted to pray for teenaged Saraswathi. But the girl refused the prayers of a woman who could mean nothing but trouble, having abandoned Hinduism for foreign Jesus.

But the wheezing only got worse. During a particularly severe attack, she lost the ability to breathe and had to be rushed to hospital. And guess who visited her? Persistent, prayerful Kamalamma. This time, it was Saraswathi who requested prayer.

While the Christian woman prayed, Saraswathi became aware of a man standing before her. He had a small lamb straddling his left shoulder and a stick in his right hand. With a smile, he gently moved his hands over her head.

“Believe me my daughter,” the man said to her. “I am your Lord. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.” [Ps 16:4] She suddenly felt such relief!

Hindu tattoo cancelled out with the Word of God!

The young woman needed no convincing of her need to confess her sinful ways and accept Jesus as her personal Savior and Lord. And the asthma completely left her.

She surrendered herself fully to Jesus, was baptized, and took on ‘Elamma’ as a new name. But she faced many persecutions from her family and community, who finally drove her away them. 

She married a Christian man, Jacob, and both were fully engaged in serving the Lord Jesus. He recently entered into glory but Elamma continues faithful in the Lord’s ministry as an associate with Bibles for Mideast. Please keep her and the ministry as a whole in your prayers.

Young girl goes through heaven with Jesus, comes back healed!

Report: Nirmala Joy for Bibles for Mideast 

I am Mrs. Nirmala Joy. I am a school teacher.  I was born in a nominal Christian family in India and went to church only at Christmas and Easter. My dad was an atheist and my mom a Christian who thought the world of my dad.

When I was 19, 1 had a dream that my mother passed away and I was absolutely terrified.

Within a month my mother had a rare virulent type of blood cancer and died within 21 days. Soon after that my sister and I were both married.

Since my husband was a believer I used to read the Bible with him. When we prayed together I was not sure whether Jesus was the only Way. Whenever I came to the part where it says, "Jesus rose again," I would be reminded of what my dad told us, that "disciples of Jesus stole the body and made up a story that He rose from the dead."

I had a similar dream about our daughter Alina—then eight years old—dying. I saw her body laid in a coffin and people going around it and kissing her. I too kissed her, and her skin felt like leather. I woke up terrified and went to her bedside to pray. She was burning with fever. When she vomited blood we rushed her to hospital. She started hemorrhaging internally. On the 20th day, the doctors gave up hope. She was in and out of consciousness and was seeing demons—and even Satan. She would tell us they were in the room, but we thought she had to be delirious.

My husband and I decided to fast and pray all night. Members of  Bibles for Mideast  joined with us in prayer that whole night. 

We read and re-read the Bible verse, "We are healed by His wounds," and knelt on either side of our daughter's bed and started to pray. I told Jesus, "If what is written in the Bible is true, that You are alive and You do miracles, then come and heal my daughter."

At about 2:00 in the morning, my daughter began stirring and speaking in another language. After a few minutes she abruptly got up and said, "Mommy, I'm healed!" Then she said, "I saw Jesus our Lord!"

"Jesus Christ carried me on his shoulder," she explained. "And  I was taken up through a dark tunnel higher and higher which opened into a bright hole that led to a golden gate of pearls. The gate was open and I ran through it, I walked through streets of gold which were so beautiful and reached the shores of a sea.

"I was wondering how I would cross this sea, and when I put my foot on it, it was only glass like crystal. I crossed over to find a huge throne made of gold and Jesus standing near it. I ran to him, He lifted me up and I felt so happy there. I did not want to come back home. So I hugged Jesus really tight, but he kissed me and put me down and told me to go back to my mommy and pappa."

That's when she woke up. She explained how Jesus was the most beautiful person she had ever seen, His robe was bright light and his hair and eyes were brilliant, she said.

The doctors were surprised to see our sick child up and playing! They did not believe what I told them and insisted on a blood test, which turned out to be normal. We all praised our Lord till the morning.

Hallelujah! When we came home she saw a picture of Christ at the entrance and said "What a terrible painting that is. Our Lord Jesus is really soooooo beautiful."

She read the Bible voraciously for hours at a time, and memorized Scripture. She explained deep truths simply, and displayed such love that I knew without a doubt it was all from God.

Pastor Paul donated bibles to me and my father, and a children's bible to my daughter.

We read the Bible often now, and meditate on it.  We truly believe Jesus is alive, and that everything about Him is true. Now when I read the Book of Revelation, I find it describes exactly what my daughter saw in Heaven. The first dream came to pass but the second did not. For the second dream I called on the Name of Jesus and pleaded the Blood of Jesus for my daughter's healing. He saved my daughter from the enemy.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

My father also accepted Jesus as his personal savior and taken baptism. We are all having fruits of the Spirit.

With this experience, I now must share His love  with everyone: my students, colleagues, neighbors, Hindus, Muslims, sick people and even beggars. 

All glory and honor to our only true God and His Son Jesus Christ, through His Holy Spirit. Amen.

Siblings of Hindu priestly family accept Jesus; now face persecution

Report: Jadavedan Potty for Bibles for Mideast [edited for clarity]

My name is Jadavedan Potty [meaning 'priest born in scriptures'; 'scriptures' here referring to Hindu Vedas—Ed.]. I belong to a Hindu Brahmin (priestly) family in India. From childhood I was an idol worshiper and often went to temples. I would get up at 4:00 every morning and do poojas [Himdu prayer rituals—Ed.] and help the main priest. I also used to bathe the deities and pray to them.

Once I got a Christian pamphlet from one of my friends. In it I read the verse, "All you who live anywhere on earth, turn to me and be saved. I am God. There is no other God." (Isaiah 45:22)

I then read other verses from the pamphlet: "God’s grace has now appeared. By his grace, God offers to save all people. His grace teaches us to say no to godless ways and sinful desires. We must control ourselves. We must do what is right. We must lead godly lives in today’s world. That’s how we should live as we wait for the blessed hope God has given us. We are waiting for Jesus Christ to appear in his glory. He is our great God and Savior. He gave himself for us. By doing that, he set us free from all evil. He wanted to make us pure. He wanted us to be his very own people. He wanted us to desire to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14)

When I came home, I put the pamphlet inside of my cupboard. And I said to myself that I'm Hindu; Jesus is not my God. I wanted to go ahead in my life by worshiping the Hindu gods only.

After that, many times in my life I felt somehow that GOD JESUS really loves me sincerely.  Once I even saw the LORD; He came and put His hand on my shoulder. Even then though I said to myself, 'No, Jesus is not my God; my gods are idols."

One day my sister, then 20 years old, suffered from a brain tumor and became bed-ridden. She was my only sister. While my parents took her to different hospitals for treatments, I went by myself to all the nearby Hindu temples to worship.  I was so desperate to get help from above.

Not long after, I happened to attend a Christian retreat. I listened as a woman gave her testimony of being severely ill, and doctors giving up all hope. Her family was crying for her. But she didn’t lose her hope and she cried out to GOD JESUS and GOD JESUS healed her and saved her! Now she is completely well and tells her story to everyone, so that those who are suffering will come to know that only GOD JESUS has power over everything.

When I heard her testimony, I remembered the pamphlet I'd been given, and that there was a telephone number on the back.  Immediately I ran to my home, found it, and dialed the number. I told them all about the problems my sister faced. I asked if they could come to my house and pray for her. At once they prayed over the phone, and I also started praying to GOD JESUS.

Women with bibles donated by Bibles for Mideast

That same evening some blessed people from Gospel to Asia and Middle East Nations  (the precursor of Bibles for Mideast) came to my house and prayed for my sister. They gave me a New Testament, and I began feeling some power working in my life. Slowly my sister was completely cured, and we both accepted Jesus as our Savior.

We now suffer persecutions from our family and others for accepting Jesus as Savior. The ministers who visited us gave us a full Bible. We rely on Jesus through the Bible and are strengthened by its verses. Also we learned the apostolic principles and received baptism in an underground church.

Please pray for me and my sister. Also pray for our entire  family and our friends to know the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for our ministries and church too.