SOUTH ASIA (IMB) – Dasya* was at the end of his rope. He needed to provide for his family and had no means of doing so in his village. He walked three days on foot, sleeping on the side of the road, to search for work in a larger city. When Dasya arrived in the city, he had no food, no place to stay and no work prospects.
A friend suggested that he pray to Jesus for help. Dasya did, and the Lord answered by sending a stranger who gave him enough money to pay for a place to live in the city, as well as a place for his family to live in their village. Dasya soon found work in the cafeteria of a local hotel, enabling him to support his family.
Mason Shearer,* an IMB worker in South Asia, said it was this answer to prayer that led Dasya to leave Hinduism and put his trust in Jesus.
Shearer and his local ministry partner met Dasya and his landlord, Ira,* when they were sharing the gospel in Dasya’s neighborhood.
“I came to know about Jesus a few months ago, but I don’t know how to read the Bible, and no one has ever taught me. Will you teach me?” Dasya asked Shearer.
Shearer and his ministry partner meet with Dasya and Ira for discipleship lessons each week. Ira has not chosen to leave Hinduism to follow Christ yet, but it’s Shearer’s hope she will soon make that decision.
Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) spread in the region, their discipleship lessons have paused. Dasya returned to his home village to be with his family. Shearer says travel restrictions prevent him from traveling to visit Dasya. Shearer and Dasya have spoken over the phone, and Dasya said he has been sharing his faith and reading the Bible with his family. They have yet to commit their lives to Christ.
Shearer continues to meet with Ira and her husband to talk about the gospel.
Join Shearer in praying that Dasya would remain in the Word, choose to be baptized when it’s safe to do so, and lead many people to Christ. Pray Ira and her husband will make the decision to follow Christ. Pray for the Shearer family as ministry is becoming increasingly difficult during this season.
*Name changed
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is written by Caroline Anderson, a writer for the IMB.