South Asia (MNN) — A group of anti-Christians brutally attacked a missionary supported by Gospel for Asia Friday night with swords and other weapons.
When Pastor Bashuda received a call from one of the believers in his church asking for prayer Friday evening, he got on his bicycle and headed for the house. As Bashuda rode his bicycle, a car pulled up beside him. Five men jumped out and went after the pastor. He tried to run, but the men caught him and began beating him with swords. After Bashuda stopped moving, the men drove off, leaving him for dead on the side of the road. Bashuda was alive, but unconscious.
Half an hour later, a man riding his bicycle saw Bashuda and checked to see if he was okay. He found out what village the pastor was from and went to find help. The passerby was able to find villagers who knew Bashuda and immediately recognized him as their pastor.
Bashuda is currently in critical condition in the hospital, according to Gospel for Asia reports. He is in serious need of prayer.
Pray that the Lord will heal Pastor Bashuda of his injuries. It's unclear exactly why these five men attacked the pastor, but pray for them also, that they will come to know the redeeming love of Christ. Ultimately, pray that God would be glorified through this attack and that believers would not shrink back, but stand bolder for the Gospel now.
Gospel for Asia missionaries face this sort of persecution frequently. There are new stories of similar events daily on the Gospel for Asia Web site. To learn more about the ministry's work, visit www.gfa.org.
