By Open Doors 6 July 2021

THIS IS WHAT FAITH CAN COST YOU IN INDIA

CONTENT WARNING: MAY DISTRESS SOME READERS

When Preetha* woke up, the first thing she felt was pain – pain all over her body.

Slowly her eyes adjusted. A bright light buzzed above her. The smell of disinfectant filled the room. She was in a hospital. She knew this might happen.

The Attack

Preetha was visiting a woman from church, Vinita*. Vinita’s husband was at work, but she had their baby girl with her. Preetha and Vinita prayed together, drank tea, and took turns holding the baby.

Then Preetha heard a commotion outside, as though a mob was surrounding the house. “Where are the Christians?” she heard one man yell.

Suddenly, a group of men barged through the door. Within seconds they filled the small house.

It seemed to happen so fast.

The mob started smashing everything in sight. Preetha watched in horror as one of them grabbed Vinita’s baby and threw her on the ground. Preetha rushed forward to pick her up, but one of the men caught Preetha by the arm. He was holding a metal rod and lifted it high above her head. Preetha held up her hand to try and stop the blow. Then everything went dark.

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Left To Die

Vinita sat next to Preetha in the hospital with the baby in her lap. Thank God, the little girl had somehow survived without serious injury.

Preetha wasn’t so lucky. Her injuries were life-threatening. But even in the hospital, doctors turned her away because of her faith.

Sitting at her bedside, Preetha’s son said to her, “I don’t know what we’re going to do. The doctors are saying they won’t treat you because we’re Christians.”

Preetha had been left to die.

But then the Church stepped in.

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A Light In The Darkness

In her darkest moment, your financial support enabled a local partner to travel to Preetha’s side to pray over and comfort her. Your support helped move Preetha to a new hospital where she was treated, and paid for the life-saving medical aid she needed.

Preetha said, “Had Open Doors’ partners not helped us, I would have died.”

Right now, your support is helping persecuted believers survive through persecution, poverty, and COVID-19.

You are reminding persecuted Christians, like Preetha, they are not forgotten by their global Church family or by God.

Preetha said, “I want to say thank you, not just to God but also to his people who have helped us. I am thankful for what God’s people have done for me. They helped, thinking of me as their own.”

*Names changed for security purposes.