Dear Dr. Doug Ripley,
Greetings from India. Thank you so much for your care and concern towards our Indian ministries. I really appreciated your major share in our ministries over here. Because of you many pastors are supported.
Because of you many pastors received bicycles, PA systems, Bibles and some of their wives received sewing machines. Because of you our pastors are working hard and leading many people to Christ. All this credit goes to you. I congratulate you for helping to the missions.
One day in advance myself some of our church deacons went there. I have noticed no star was kept on the houses of the Christians. Previously for every Christmas all Christians will keep a star at their homes by keeping some electric bulb in it. Now because of the situation no one kept star. The police kept a strict vigil at every church. The police also arranged some police camps in many places to watch the activities of the Christians. In many churches members dropped to attend the worship service because of the fear of the police. Some times the police will fire/shoot the Christians and show it as encounter to their department officials. They killed many Christians like that. If any one is identified as a Christian they are taking to the police station without any allegation they are detaining them for few days and leaving them. These are all illegal activities but no one is there to question the police department. Of course there is lot to tell about the atrocities on Christians.
Because I am having good rapport with police in our state, our state police informed the Orissa police chief about my arrival. So the police arranged my boarding and lodging at police guest house in Orissa. That is the great blunder I did.. Of course intentionally I have not done this, but the police wants to help me so that they arranged accommodation and also provided some cops to escort me while I was in Orissa. Because I stayed in the police guest house the local people have some fear to meet me. Even when I was prepared to go and visit them in the evening many people after seeing the cops in police vehicle no body came forward to meet me. I understand the situation and informed the accompanying police people to leave. Then they asked me to inform their chief at the capital city of Orissa. I called him and requested him to relieve all the cops. This gave me a very good result.
Until midnight I met several pastors, visited the homes of the persecuted Christians and helped them financially.
On 15th I arranged Christmas function for them. Without my notice, without my request for the Christmas function many cops came to the meeting. I requested them to go. They informed me; to protect law and order and also to keep the traffic in control they came but not to disturb the meeting. Because cops are there naturally the persecuted Christians and their families feared to come to the meeting. Finally I requested the police chief to send back all the cops from the meeting place. Then they requested me to give a written undertaking that if any thing happens to the people, the police will not responsible. So I fulfilled their request by giving an undertaking. Praise god, after hearing the news about the police are leaving slowly people began to come. Of course it took almost three hours to gather all.
About 5000 people attended the Christmas meeting. Some young people sing some songs, some persecuted Christians explained their agony and some have really shed tears while explaining. After that I delivered the Christmas message. After Christmas message I give an invitation. 260 people raised their hands and came forward to accept Christ. This is really a miracle. Thank god for these precious souls. Even in their own city and in their state the Christians faced many persecutions but still these people came forward to face or withstand any problems for the sake of Christ. This news of 260 people accepted Christ spread in the town like a wild fire. It become a sensational news in that village. The non Christians felt jealousy over this and they are making their plans to take a revenge against me. I had a good meeting and I baptized them.
The next morning when my self and my deacons started in our rented van to leave Orissa, just before leaving the Orissa state premises/boundaries group of young men of about one hundred people with sticks, knifes came in the early morning and attacked our van. They beat all of us and asked us to come out from the van. When we all forced to get down from the van, the non Christians pored some kerosene and petrol on the vehicle and set fire to the van. In the same way previously this so called non Christians set fire to a van belonging to Australian missionary Mr. Graham and his two sons. But when they were in the van these jealousy Christians set fire to the van and all of these three people died. Of course you might have known this through newspapers and other media. The van completely destroyed.
We received injuries. With a great difficulty I called the police and at first they refused to come but after informing my identity they came and in the police vehicle they took us to the nearest hospital and treated..
We all received injuries including myself. That is a different town and new hospital and because the police have admitted they asked us to pay the hospital and medical bill after some time. The police stood on my side at the hospital. Of course no one was died just one deacon received some knife injuries. Now he is also OK, no problem. While I was in the hospital I came to know the secret behind their attack is jealousy for making 260 Orissa people to become Christians.
And the second important factor is they came to know that I helped them financially through you. So I am their target. They are thinking that I am getting money for them from foreign countries. This news was leaked by some one because I cannot trust all of them. I openly informed your kind help in the entire public meeting. So they want to make a stop for funds to the persecuted Christians. These two are the reasons for their attack. During all these days I have not informed you because I know if I inform you your heart will be burdened and you will cry like any thing. So during this Christmas season I do not like to create any physical mental agony for you. For this reason only I simply kept quiet until I was fully recovered .
We took the van by rent. Now the rented people are asking money or to buy a new vehicle. I told them I cannot give because that van is having insurance and that will cover. But the van people informed me the insurance amount will come to them only after two years and also they will not give full amount and they have to pay some bribes to the concerned officials to pass their bill and it will take atleast two years. Up to that they will loose income because they don’t have vehicle to send it for rent. They need some money as compensation. Some how I managed them and promised them I will pay something soon.
One way I got the victory. We celebrated the Christmas. I led 260 people to Christ. God will recognize my hard labor and will definitely bless me. No one was injured critically, now we are moving freely, no problem at all. The persecuted Christians informed me that they will come to my town when you will be in India to pay their respects and regards to you personally. All of them now knows the name of your goodslef and also the name of your church. Thank god for using you in this critical time for them. Please pray to pay the hospital bill and also some money to the van rented people.
Because of your prayers and because of your encouragement I went to Orissa. We have not faced any problem while preaching or while witnessing or while house visitation or even in baptizing them. God helped me in all the above activities to get glory to Him. Only when we ready to return and ready to leave that place we were attacked by the satan but thank god we are now in good condition. This is all because of your special prayers you offered for us. Please pray for us.
Closing with many thanks,
Sincerely,
Pastor K. S. Kumar.
