INDIA
My village of Kondhoguda in East-Central India lies deep in the jungle. Our only means of transportation is by walking, riding a bicycle, or taking a motorbike.
One day one of our members asked me to accompany him to a hospital in a bigger town called Jeypore, located 60 kilometers from our village. We cycled 6 kilometers to reach the road. Upon arriving at the road, we saw that the bus to Jeypore was about to leave. I asked a nearby shopkeeper to take care of my bicycle until I returned that evening, then boarded the bus and left.
It turned out that the church member, whom I accompanied, had to be admitted to the hospital. As a result, I was unable to return home until one of his relatives arrived the next day. That whole night I was worried about my bicycle, because the shops on the side of the road are closed at night, and anything left outside and unguarded would likely be stolen. I prayed often for God to keep my bicycle safe that night, because if it was stolen, it would have been a financial struggle for me to buy a new one.
The next day, after the member’s relative arrived, I headed home. When I got back to the shop where I had left my bicycle, I saw it was exactly where I had left it! As I prepared to return home, I prayed and thanked God for keeping my bicycle safe.
Just as I was leaving, a boy came running out and told me, “Every time I looked out my window last night, I saw someone standing beside your bicycle guarding it.” I thanked the Lord again for sending His guardian angel. When I reached home, I told my wife what had happened, and she was delighted to hear about God’s faithfulness. We both prayed and thanked the Lord.
Another time I had traveled by bicycle to attend a marriage ceremony in the village of Chitrokonda. This village is situated 25 kilometers from my home in a remote jungle. While returning home, I unexpectedly encountered a wild elephant. The elephant was only about 100 meters away from me, and I was extremely afraid. In this part of the jungle, we have heard that elephants sometimes kill people. I thought, “Oh no, I may be killed by an elephant today.”
I prayed to God silently in my heart and quickly climbed up a tree. The elephant came close and stood right under the tree where I was crouching.
Eventually the elephant walked away. All the while, I was watching nervously from the tree. After the elephant walked a good distance away, I quickly climbed down, mounted my bicycle, and cycled home.
I thank God for His protection and believe He wants me to live longer and continue serving Him. Otherwise, I might have died that day in the jungle. Please continue to pray for us that we may be able to win many people for God’s Kingdom.
The author of this article grew up in a religiously divided home with a Hindu mother and Christian father. When his father died, Surendra’s mother pressured him into becoming a Hindu practitioner. One day in the market, he met an Adventist pastor. The following week they met again, and Surendra began to share his problems with Pastor Tappan, who invited him to begin Bible study. Eventually, Surendra accepted Jesus as his Savior. In February 2003, he was baptized as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Surendra has a burden to go to the remote jungle areas and win tribal people for Jesus.
By Surendra Kamal Nayak
Surendra Kamal Nayak is a Gospel Outreach evangelist working in the jungles of East-Central India.