'Mission India' in the Midst of Monsoon Rains

Around 1,400 people have been killed, most of them in Bangladesh and eastern India after several weeks of intense monsoon rains. The rains are now moving westwards, bringing relief to some farmers in western India but disaster to others.

The death toll from the monsoon rains in the western Indian state of Gujarat has risen to 151, according to an official from the State Flood Control Room.

In this midst of disaster, David DeGroot, of Mission India considers it as an additional opportunity to share Christ. "People were asking questions. Who are these Christians who are jumping in here to help us? Why are they so concerned about outcast, downtrodden people, and here they are right in the middle of us sharing our misery and trying to help us. The Lord uses His people in these very, very difficult situations." he says.

Mission India has a number of ministries in the states of Assam and Bihar, the hardest areas of Northern India. And the people there are struggling with political, religious and ethnic tensions that restrict the spread of the Gospel.

DeGroot says, "Our regional ministry people are trying to help the people. Our staff in India is putting together clothing supplies, medicines, food material - something like rice cakes, to spread among the victims."

"Our ministry people are now safe from the devastating water, but now in the aftermath, there are diseases including mosquito borne malaria and cholera. We also pray that the people will be able to pull their ministries back together and move forward."

India will soon surpass China as the world's most populous nation. One in every six people on earth lives in India. Moreover, India contains one fourth (412 million) of the 1.6 billion people on earth who have never heard the Gospel. Mission India aims to train local Christians to teach the Bible and form clusters of new disciples that reproduce and expand.

The local Indian Christians have the advantage of knowing the languages, the customs, and the dangers in their own areas. They are trained to teach the Bible and form clusters of new disciples.