http://www.go2southasia.org/index.aspx South Asia Region of the IMB Copyright 2008 by South Asia Region Kari Wynn This year’s awards ceremony at the Baptist Communicators Association in Phoenix, AZ resulted in the IMB taking 20 awards, with the South Asia Caravan receiving two awards. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2008012 Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Kari Wynn* Among its people, the small Himalayan country of Bhutan is known as ‘the Land of the Thunder Dragon’, a fierce name for a country that fiercely values the preservation of its culture. Now, after a century of absolute monarchy, the Land of the Thunder Dragon has become the world’s newest democracy. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2008010 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Kari Wynn On Monday, February 18, Pakistan held parliamentary elections for its National Assembly. While official results will not be released until March 1, unofficial results show big changes on the way for the government of Pakistan. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2008004 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT By Johnny Kron* The shepherds were the first ones to know; yet, this Christmas most of the shepherds in India still don’t know. India has more than 6 million Gadaria shepherds, yet the Gadarias do not yet know the Good News that the angels shared that first Christmas morning. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2008001 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT By Melissa Gardner* The Christmas party went very well. I learned a few things from this experience that I thought I would share with you. Here are some simple "Dos and Don'ts" that might help you in case you ever decide to host a Christmas party in South Asia... http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007049 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT by Mark Kelly NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A Southern Baptist relief worker surveys the damage in a village devastated by Cyclone Sidr just a couple of weeks earlier. It was a poor community even before the 150-mph winds wrecked the houses and salt water killed their rice crop. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007050 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Shawn Hendricks RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Some in South Asia worry that becoming a Christian will mean being shut out of a culture where life and death are marked in a temple or mosque. Where will they have their wedding if they are no longer Hindu or Muslim? Who will mourn and bury them if they have lived as a Christian? http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007048 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Mark Kelly NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Southern Baptists are working with Bangladesh Baptist leaders to identify areas of greatest need after a Nov. 15 cyclone killed more than 3,400 people in the Ganges River delta along the Bay of Bengal. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007047 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Goldie Frances* We know a lot about the man Job – he prayed for his children, he valued his relationship with God, he listened to the complaints of his friends – yet we have no idea what Job looked like. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007041 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT A Southern Baptist representative in Pakistan writes to Mom and Dad Dear Mom and Dad, I can only imagine what you are thinking based on news coverage of the events in Pakistan. In my little corner of the city, things seem pretty much the same as they did before we received “most dangerous country in the world for foreigners” status and before Saturday evening when a “state of emergency” was declared. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007042 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Staff http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007043 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Susan Galvin* Your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® for International Missions work to change lives around the world, including lives among the indigenous peoples of Bangladesh. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007044 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Kari Wynn* DHAKA, Bangladesh--When God called Troy and Marj Bennett to serve in Bangladesh 50 years ago, no other Southern Baptist missionaries were there to welcome them. All that awaited them were millions of people in need of Jesus’ love. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007045 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Goldie Frances* DHAKA, Bangladesh--In the hours before Cyclone Sidr reached the coastal areas of Bangladesh last week, Southern Baptists and other Christians began praying – aware that the Category 4 storm could potentially usher hundreds of thousands into an eternity without Jesus. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007046 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Randall Adams This summer, our family vacationed in Bangladesh. "Are there beaches in Bangladesh?" you might ask. No, there are no beaches, but there are lots and lots of people, and few of them know anything about Jesus. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007040 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Goldie Frances* Houses of stone crumble, but after times of tragedy and loss, once the initial shock has passed, people usually return to that which they know. The people of Pakistan are no different, so houses of stone they are building. The morning of Oct. 8, 2005, an earthquake rocked northern Pakistan, destroying whole villages. Government officials estimate the 7.6-magnitude quake killed more than 73,000 people and left about 3 million homeless. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007037 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Editor’s Note: During her visits to Pakistan’s earthquake zone, a Southern Baptist representative prays through Psalms for Pakistan’s earthquake survivors. As you read the quotations of some of these survivors – Gujjars, Hindkos and Kashmiris – and then the Bible passage, we invite you to join in her prayers. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007038 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Goldie Frances* The scene is heart wrenching as she leans against her husband’s grave. She wails at length, and her sobs seem uncontrollable. But when her 13-year-old son approaches, puts his hand firmly on her shoulder, and gives her a handkerchief as if to say, “That’s enough,” her outward grieving ceases. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007039 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT Irene Wayne* DELHI, India--Being in the village with Roopjot’s* family gave me a feel of life there. The family moved to this village in 1958 when their old village began to run out of water. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007033 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT Kari Wynn* DELHI, India--Within the large halls of the gurdwara, the congregation stands or sits together with heads covered and feet bare. Their hands are folded in prayer. They face the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scriptures, and listen as one member recites the congregational prayers. Every so often, they murmur together in Punjabi “Waheguru,” or “Wonderful Lord.” http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007034 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT Irene Wayne* DELHI, India--For the past two years, people around the world have been praying and fasting for the Jatt Sikhs on the first Wednesday of October. God has been answering those prayers and doors are starting to open, but there is still a great need. This year the Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Jatt Sikhs is Oct. 3. There are about 11 million Jatt Sikhs in India. Jatts Sikhs also live in the United States, England, Canada, Kenya, Malaysia, Australia, and Singapore. As you prepare to pray for them, may you be encouraged by how God already has been answering prayers for the Jatt Sikhs! http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007035 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Kari Wynn* DELHI, India--“There is but one God. True is his name, creative his personality and immortal his form. He is without fear, sans enmity, unborn and self-illumined. By the Guru’s grace he is obtained.” http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007036 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Dea Davidson DHAKA, Bangladesh (BP)--"Tell me. I want to know the story of Jesus." After making cell phone calls, asking storeowners for directions and riding rickshaws through downtown Dhaka, the two South Carolina volunteers knew their pilgrimage had been worth it when a Bengali Muslim spoke those words. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007031 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Dea Davidson DHAKA, Bangladesh (BP)--Head bowed, Drew Neely* expected ridicule as he approached a crowd of approximately 500 Bangladeshis. After a sixth day of waiting in offices and pleading with official letters, Neely still was unable to receive final permission from authorities to distribute food that had been assembled for the crowd. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007032 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Goldie Frances* Almost every year, the snows melt in the Himalayas, monsoon rains come and floodwaters rise, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions in southern Asia. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007027 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Kari Wynn* The Ganges River, swollen with raging floodwater, sweeps indiscriminately south through the villages and harvest fields of northern Bihar. Grazing land for cattle, fields of rice and wheat and lively Indian villages now are indistinguishable under an expanse of swiftly moving water. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007028 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Kari Wynn* PATNA, India (BP)--Waiting anxiously for relief packets that would keep their families alive another few days, famished villagers braved swiftly moving, chest-high water to crowd around the small wooden boat. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007029 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Dea Davidson DHAKA, Bangladesh (BP)--Hundreds of Bangladeshis press against the blue iron gate as they hear their dinner being poured into large plastic containers. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007030 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Kari Wynn* After more than 200 years of British rule, India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, hoisted the Indian flag at midnight Aug. 15, 1947, at the Red Fort in Delhi. The struggle for independence, which had lasted for nearly 30 years, was over. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007024 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Kari Wynn* Every year, a swash of orange, white and green covers the nation of India as Indians celebrate the anniversary of their independence from Britain. The national flag is the predominant sight across India on Independence Day. “Flags are everywhere, on bikes, in schools, in shops,” said Muida*, a language teacher in southern India. “Everyone has a flag. There are big banners in the big markets and bazaars, plus the flags.” http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007025 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT South Asia Region As Indians celebrate the freedom of their nation, please pray that no Indian heart would be satisfied with worldly freedom... http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007026 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Dennis Hartnett* The day was beautiful. Class was ready to begin. Indian pastors, evangelists and church planters had come from the surrounding areas to attend a Leadership Equipping and Development (LEAD) seminar. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007020 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Oliver Matheny* Everyone in the village knew Prabodh* as the demon-possessed man who could not be controlled. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007021 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Oliver Matheny* "What if all we believe as Christians is not true?" the seminary professor asked his class. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007022 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Oliver Matheny* As faithful Hindus, Gupta and his family worshipped idols. Furthermore, his village knew Gupta as a prominent political leader who strongly opposed Christians. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007023 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Don Graham That's the "God-sized" question SBC president Frank Page put to David Garrison, South Asia regional leader for the International Mission Board, at the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Speaking to thousands of registered messengers at San Antonio’s convention center, Garrison’s answer came from the words Jesus gave His disciples in John 4:35 – “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007019 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Kari Wynn* As Hindu neighbors outside celebrated the birthday of the Hindu god Ram with haphazard gunshots into the air and a show of swordplay in the streets, joyful greetings of “Jai Masih,” or “victory to the Messiah,” rang out freely inside. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007015 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT Brijesh*, a Yadav believer in India I have two sons, two daughters and a wife. Before we came to Christ, we were from Hindu background. We were involved in all kinds of idol worship. I had many struggles in my life, so I worshiped many idols. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007016 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT Yash*, a believer ministering among Yadavs in India I was born in a Hindu village in India. It was my desire from childhood to know who is my god. I used to follow all kinds of Hindu rituals, rules and regulations. This is how I began searching for God. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007017 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT Ghirish*, a Yadav church planter in India I am a house church leader in India. I am from a Hindu background. Before I met Christ, I led a very empty life. There was a lot of discouragement and no peace in my life. I used to worship idols to try to achieve peace. I used to drink, smoke cigarettes and do drugs. Still, I could not get peace. I was in a bad place in my life and surrounded myself with very bad company. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007018 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT Yvette Wray* I took the Bible from the boy’s hands, turned to the passage, and returned it to him. As I did, a thought fluttered through my mind, “Oh, Lord, how wonderful it would be to have a son to teach Your Word to.” It was not a prayer really, just a longing of my heart. I always wanted children but have never had any of my own. Kashmiri Muslims seeking to know truth often go to a local church to learn about Jesus. One November, two Kashmiri Muslim boys entered a Sunday worship service. After church, I remember seeing them standing off to one side as people drank “chai” (tea). A short-term volunteer from America began talking to them. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007013 Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT By Zechariah Beig* I had some friends from Australia. Several years ago, they invited me to come to church with them. My answer was no thanks! One Saturday, they invited me again. I went with them, but I was a little bit afraid to go inside that building. I thought, “If somebody will see, they will kill me.” As I sat down in the church, I was very surprised to see the people worshipping God and discussing God’s Word with one another by looking at Bibles, not only by listening to what the pastor says and believing it in a second. Yet, the most important thing I liked was the songs, which touched my heart very deeply. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007014 Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT Kari Wynn* Imagine heading to church on Sunday with your family. This week, however, you are in for a surprise. You walk in the doors – not of a large brick building with a cross ascending from the roof but of a fellow believer’s humble home. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2007012 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT Goldie Frances* DHAKA, Bangladesh--Rice fields bright with green surrounded the village. A barefoot man spread harvested rice on a plastic sheet to dry it in the sun. A woman tended to two infant goats born the previous day, while other women hand-embroidered shirts for their children. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2006041 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT Goldie Frances* COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (BP)-Almost his entire life, his country had been beleaguered by civil war. Laksiri, 36, was a toddler when it all began. http://www.go2southasia.org/ShowArticle.aspx?ID=2006018 Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT