Forced Out For My Faith in Christ

October 9, 2025 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

By Sameer Patel

On Saturday, Sept. 27, my mother came to me with a troubled expression. Her voice trembled as she spoke to me.

“You must leave the village!” she urged. “I heard it with my own ears — the villagers are plotting to kill you and attack your family. You need to go now to save your life!”

I was shocked but remained calm.

“I believe in God, the same God who healed my wife from her sickness and gave us peace and hope,” I told her. “No one can take my life without his will.”

A few minutes later, my younger brother came to me, tears rolling down his face.

“Please, leave. If you stay, we may never see you again,” he pleaded. “They are planning to kill you. If you go, at least we’ll know you’re safe somewhere.”

The concern in his voice moved me deeply. I turned to my wife and told her about the situation. I said I would leave for now and return once things settled down. That evening, I quietly left my village in Central India.

The next morning, around 9 a.m., I received a phone call from my brother.

“The entire village is at your house,” he said. “They’re demanding to know — will you deny Jesus or let your house be destroyed?”

I told him with a firm heart, “When my wife was on her deathbed and we had no hope, Jesus healed her. He gave us life. How can I deny him now? Even if I must give my life, I will not deny Christ and his rule in my life.”

The Hindu nationalist mob ridiculed my wife and mocked her.

“Leave this village and don’t look back,” one of them screamed at her. “Go to your God, let him protect you!”

“I have experienced God’s love,” my wife replied. “He healed my deadly sickness. My God will save me and my family.” With that, she too left the village.

Soon after, the mob destroyed our house. They damaged everything we owned and declared that I was excommunicated from the village — all because I follow Jesus and attend church.

My wife, our children, and I fled our village, traveling nearly 80 kilometres (50 miles) to find safety. We are now staying with fellow believers, Christians we got to know through church.

I accepted Jesus three years ago. A friend had introduced me to the church and prayer when my wife was seriously ill, almost at the point of death. I had taken her to many hospitals, spent all I could, but nothing helped. She couldn’t even move without my help.

But through the prayers of a pastor and the faith we had in Jesus, she was miraculously healed. That day, we knew the love and power of God, and we gave our lives to Christ.

Since then, the persecution started. From the day I accepted Jesus, I have faced opposition. But through it all, the Lord has been faithful.

I will continue to follow Jesus, no matter what. It may be difficult to return to my village because the people there have vowed to make the entire village Christian-free. But I know God is with me. I need to start my life from scratch; I know God will help me as I trust in him for love and care.

*Name changed for security reasons

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‘Biggest Seismic Shift’ in Christian Persecution: Watchdog Reveals Major Shakeup Involving Afghanistan, North Korea

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Afghanistan is now the worst nation in the world for Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA, an organization that tracks global religious maltreatment.

The shocking development is undoubtedly the “biggest seismic shift” in decades, as North Korea, the reclusive and oppressive East Asian country, was bumped from the top spot it had occupied for 20 years.

“This year’s 2022 World Watch List, we think, is the biggest seismic shift in over 20 years because Afghanistan is now the No. 1 country on the World Watch List, supplanting North Korea,” Open Doors USA CEO David Curry told Faithwire.

The Dire Situation in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has long been embroiled in chaos, but the situation devolved further when the U.S. undertook a chaotic withdrawal last August — a retreat that carried with it serious consequences.

“Many people are aware of what’s happened since August in Afghanistan,” Curry said, citing the chaos and uncertainty. “It has emboldened Islamic extremists in other parts of the world. We believe it’s going to have a ripple effect.”

Christians in Afghanistan face intensifying persecution at the hands of the resurgent Taliban, with militants purportedly arresting and possibly seeking to kill believers. Christians and Christian women, in particular, are especially vulnerable and are seen as ideological enemies.

“They are going to be targeted,” Curry said.

North Korea’s Continued Christian Persecution

Though dethroned as the top stronghold of persecution, North Korea still occupies the second spot, and there’s no sign the chaos and targeted hatred perpetuated by leader Kim Jong-un and his restrictive government will dissipate.

“For 20 years, North Korea was number one. They have a post-communist … system that has been generational,” Curry said. “They have lifted now Kim Jung Un as the dictator. People are forced to worship him.”

He continued, “It’s clear that they don’t want any other faith except the worship of their leader and the communist system…they control all the means of life.”

Government control persists over necessities like food and medical care. This systematic control has led to mass starvation for the general populace. Christians are many times the last people to get food and are sometimes put in labor camps or relegated to remote areas because of their faith in Jesus.

Curry said the “2022 World Watch List” shows, from a large scale, the “strength of extremism around the world.”

“When you look at the top 10 countries, places like Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, you have even India [which is] number 10,” he said. “These are there on the ‘World Watch List’ because these countries have extremist groups, which are either running the government or are influencing the government and culture in these countries in such a way that it is not safe to practice your faith.”

Read the rest of the article at faithwire.com

Solar Power Saving Lives in India

May 26, 2015 / newlifenarrabri / Leave a comment

Simple technology revolutionising the lives of the very poor in India. Notice how it’s private enterprise, not Government subsidy achieving this.

From the ABC:

Australian solar company Pollinate Energy brings light to slums of India

Foreign Correspondent

By South Asia correspondentStephanie March

With indoor air pollution from kerosene lamps and stoves the second largest cause of death in India, one company, founded by Australians, has come up with a solution to the problem.

Every night in the sprawling shanty towns of the country of 1.2 billion people, the air fills with dense, black smoke.

“We used to get oil from the market and pour it into the lamp and light it; the house used to get full of soot and dirt,” said Abdul, a slum-dweller in Bangalore who lives in a hut made of wooden board and tarpaulin.

That was until Abdul bought a portable solar light from a company called Pollinate Energy, founded by five young Australians.

“After we got this solar lamp a lot of things improved,” Abdul said.

“Now we don’t worry that there will be a fire.”