“ We used to bring water from half a kilometer away, and had to pass through an area where some Hindu fundamentalists harassed us. They would only let us get water after everyone else had enough. It was a big problem, and everyone was angry all the time. But with this new hand pump, the problem has come to an end. We can all live in peace.
- Munna, Narvatka Village, North India
India: Loving our Way Through Persecution
Watch the story unfold from the field as LWI teams in India face danger and persecution to bring healing water into broken communities in Jesus' name.
*Names of some individuals and communities have been changed due to security concerns.
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The story continues
They were attacked for being Christian. Property damaged, bodies assaulted, they were driven out of the village. They called us, asking only for prayer. They wanted to go back in to serve those who persecuted them. They wanted to give clean water, turn a cheek, give life. Under threat of violence they wanted to look like Jesus.
So we called for prayer—and we called for action. You acted. Your donations, including some matching funds from partner organization Neverthirst, amounted to $100,000. That was enough for our team to go back to Uttarakhad and drill ten new wells, and then ten more wells in other areas where persecution is a daily struggle.
People are taken aback. They’re asking questions. They want to know why they’re being blessed. Local Christians are smiling and saying, “This is what we’re about. Come, drink.”
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for helping us make this happen.
The light of Christ is shining in a land of religious tension. We knew the persecution would come. We will continue to equip our brothers to love their way through it.
This post wraps up “Loving our Way Through Persecution,” but the story from India goes on. A team will be travelling to India in August, and will bring back stories, reports, and videos to help us celebrate the work being done because of your prayers and donations.
Watch for articles at www.water.cc/news. Please continue to read along, pray, and send donations so our team in North India can keep on acting like Jesus.
The best water in Visapuram
A Letter from Pastor Sanjiv
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord. I would like to share with you the story of living water in my community.
When I came to Visapuram to lead the church, the village was divided. Most of the people were Muslims or Hindus. Only a few of us were Christians, and we had no privileges. The Muslims and the Hindus had sources of water—open wells dug by hand. We were drinking from the river.
A few years ago, the church built a meeting place at the edge of the village. We tried to dig our own well, but could not get deep enough to find good water. Another pastor told me to call Mr. Kumar at Living Water International. The day the team came to drill a well was one of the happiest days of my life.
Having the clean water has changed our lives. Our children are healthy. We have more time with our families because we do not have to spend hours carrying water from the river.
We have the best water in Visapuram. Everyone wants to use our well, and we are happy to share. We give water to our neighbors—Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs—and we do it in the name of Jesus Christ. We meet at the well. We talk and pray. Visapuram is a different place now.
Thank you for your prayers.
May our Lord bless you deeply for sharing living water with us, and helping us share it with others.
Pastor Sanjiv
Visapuram village
North India
UPDATE
Our team has been able to return to Uttarakhand, where they have recently faced persecution, and are drilling wells in communities like Visapuram. Thanks to your prayers and financial support, pastors like Sanjiv are able to share Jesus’ love with their neighbors and ease tense living situations. Go here for more stories: lwindia.tumblr.com.
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A donation made now will help us work in more communities during this crucial time. Click here to give now.
The type of village well installed by Living Water International in India. A well like this can serve up to 200 families. Often installed on the grounds of the local church, a freshwater well gives the Christ-followers in a community a way to share the love of Jesus with their neighbors.
“ The church in Kuddupatnam village in Jaunpur, which serves many thousands each week, has been extremely blessed by the clean water. People come to worship from far off distances and can stay and cook at the church. The pastor does not have to worry about providing water—there is plenty for everyone.
- Rajendra, community elder, Kuddupatnam
Taste and see
Brother Timothy works among the remote tribal people who live in the mountains of eastern Andhra Pradesh. This region is just south of Orissa, the Indian state that has been a hot spot of religious persecution in recent years.
Things aren’t quite as desperate here as they are in Orissa—or in Uttarakhand, where an LWI drilling crew was driven out of a village a few weeks ago—but religious tension runs high.
“ Getting clean water was a huge problem for us, and we were greatly disturbed by it. We thank our Lord that he has provided us this new well. All the people in our village join me in thanking you.
- Sita, village elder, North India
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) - from a church wall in eastern India.
Water well drilling team attacked in North India
TENSION REMAINS HIGH
A Living Water International drilling team in North India was recently attacked and driven out of a village called Manupura. Their assailants were a crowd of angry men who thought that the well would be used to coerce people to convert to Christianity.
They were misinformed. LWI projects in India are provided for everyone, regardless of race or religion. But the incident demonstrates the high level of religious tension that LWI’s teams in India operate under every day.
Please pray for LWI’s staff in India, for local pastors, and for the churches that are struggling to find the best way to respond to difficult circumstances.
STAY TUNED
We’re gathering details of this incident, along with related stories. Watch for updates by mail and email in the coming weeks. You can also watch these stories unfold live, as they come in, on this site.
GIVE WATER
Now is an opportunity like no other to demonstrate the love of Jesus in the face of persecution. A donation made now will help crews begin work in more communities during this crucial time. Click here to give now.
“ We used to bring water from half a kilometer away, and had to pass through an area where some Hindu fundamentalists harassed us. They would only let us get water after everyone else had enough. It was a big problem, and everyone was angry all the time. But with this new hand pump, the problem has come to an end. We can all live in peace.
- Munna, Marvakta village, North India
