India: Fighting Giants on His Knees

From Gospel for Asia

From the moment Gospel for Asia missionary Mitul Harjit stepped into the remote village in Jharkhand, India, the animists who lived there tried to cast spells against him. Mitul prayed, trusting the Lord to protect him from their incantations. He pressed on, sharing the Gospel and interceding daily for the village.

The villagers, however, did not like Mitul and pressured his landlord to evict him. Sensing that he might put the landlord in danger, Mitul moved away from the village.

On the day Mitul moved, snakes infiltrated many villagers’ homes. The animist villagers believed that the snakes were sent by evil spirits. The problem increased until finally the villagers realized that Mitul’s prayers had been protecting them.

“We have done wrong! Please forgive us, and come pray for us,” the villagers begged Mitul. He returned, God answered his prayers, and the snakes left the village.

Mitul has already encountered many challenges like this one. But this young man is not afraid to face any Goliath that comes his way. He knows that his strength comes from the Lord, and his weapon is prayer.

Also raised in an animist family, Mitul ardently worshipped his ancestral spirits but never felt satisfied.

“I led a very miserable existence,” Mitul recalled. “I even followed after the pleasures of the world, but I could not get any permanent joy.”

One day, Mitul met a missionary. After hearing the message of God’s unconditional love, he received Jesus into his life.

“The merciful Lord filled my heart with wonderful hope and delivered me from the bondage of sin,” he remembered.

Even as a new believer, Mitul spent a lot of time in prayer and Bible study, and soon he felt a call on his life to serve the Lord as a missionary.

Knowing he would likely endure daunting challenges, Mitul enrolled in a GFA Bible college, and following graduation, he set out to plant a church in an unreached village in Jharkhand.

Mitul is thankful for the opportunity that the Lord provided for him to reach the villagers through the snake incident. He continues to pray that they will turn to Christ, knowing that every victory will come on his knees.

Learn more about how you can help send a missionary like Mitul to an unreached village.