You’re offline. This is a read only version of the page.
They came to Mohan\'s home—kicking up dust and waving bamboo rods in anger. “You don’t worship the god of this village!” they yelled. Mohan watched them rip the tiles off his roof. Then they pulled the door off the hinges and came inside.
Mohan, a 21-year-old farmer, stood in a corner—along with his mother and two younger siblings, a brother and a sister. Their father passed away some years ago.
He didn\'t know what to do, so he just kept praying. One of the men grabbed Mohan and told him he was a disgrace then hit him in the face.
A different faith
The leader of the Panchayat, a group of elders who dictate the rules of life and community in the village, had issued three warnings to Mohan’s family. The message was always the same: “Leave the church and this Jesus whom you follow.”
They never denied the name of Jesus.
And the day of reckoning was here.
“They destroyed our house just because we believe in Jesus Christ,” Mohan shares.
Eventually, Mohan\'s uncle came to defend them and gave them enough time to leave their home and village before things got worse. But they lost their home. Their community. Their friends. Their farm. Their livelihood.
Mohan © Brittany Buongiorno
After the village leaders kicked them out of their home, the Panchayat also went to the police to report Mohan’s family. Instead of supporting Mohan’s family, pursuing justice and arresting their attackers—the police ordered Mohan and his mother not to return to the village.
With few options, Mohan’s family decided to build a small makeshift hut near their church for shelter. But since they lost their home and their farm, they had no way to make a living.
When our partners in the field heard Mohan\'s story, they met with him and his family to pray and encourage them in their faith. Soon after, we provided Mohan with goats, a tarp, rice and help with financial support.
“You have paid the money for goats and supported us,” Mohan says, with a smile. “I will raise the goats, and when they bear more goats, I will sell them and earn money. If this organization had not helped us—we would have faced difficulties, and more problems would have increased.”
“After getting help from this organization I feel strong and have hope in the future,” he adds.
The struggles for Mohan’s family are not over, but his joy in Christ still overflows.
“The people who are against me I have forgiven them, and after forgiving them I feel peace in my heart,” he says. Mohan also rejoices in the fact that three other families from the village have come to know Jesus through his family’s testimony.
When asked if he would go through it all again—choosing Jesus—Mohan looks up and says, “Yes. It’s worth it to walk with Jesus.”
*Name changed for security. Photos by © Brittany Buongiorno
Your support could be vital for Indian Christians facing persecution and the pandemic.
Every PHP 1000 provides urgent relief aid to a victim of violence or a believer who has lost their livelihood through the pandemic.
Every PHP 3500 trains a leader to run persecution survival workshops.
Every PHP 15,000 helps a believer who has lost their livelihood to start up a small business.
