In New Delhi, India, an angry group of men ordered the Seventh-day Adventist missionaries to leave their neighborhood.
The missionaries wanted to establish the first Adventist church there, but there was a dispute over rights to the plot of land.
Hoping to resolve the conflict, church leadership sent a Global Mission pioneer named Suleman to this unentered area.
Suleman was confronted by a challenge. He knew that the group claiming ownership rights wouldn’t give up the property without a fight. But as a Global Mission pioneer, he hoped not only to solve the conflict but to share the love of Jesus and eventually start a new group of believers.
When Suleman arrived, he and his family received serious threats. “They told me, ‘Your church won’t save you. You better leave the property, or we’ll get even with you.’”
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Suleman asked God for wisdom on how best to deal with the escalating conflict. Then he spoke with the angry men who were threatening to beat him.
“I’m here to serve,” Suleman said. “Your conflict is with my administration, not with me. Let me stay. If the property is deeded to you, at least someone will be taking care of it while the matter gets resolved.”
The men thought this was a reasonable proposition, so they allowed Suleman to stay as long as he agreed not to make any changes to the property.
Over the next few weeks, Suleman and his wife got to know the surrounding community. They visited neighbors and developed friendships that allowed them to share their faith.
By God’s grace, people opened up to the gospel and wanted to hear more about Jesus. One day, they met Sushma. Sushma and the pioneer’s wife became good friends as they cooked together and shared life experiences.
One day, the pioneer’s wife asked Sushma if she would be interested in learning more about the Bible. Sushma agreed, so Suleman and his wife began to teach her about God.
Today, because Suleman mingled with the people and showed them Christ’s love, this property is formally deeded to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in India.
Approximately 25 regular members worship here every Sabbath. As this congregation grows, Suleman continues to pray for wisdom.
Please pray for Suleman as he faces many challenges in sharing the gospel. Pray too for frontline mission work in unentered areas among major world religions and in urban areas. And thank you for your support of Global Mission!