|
HERMANTA DAS - ASSAMESE MARTYR
|
|
| "Nateisha,
Amzad, & Yoorila DeCruz being used by God in Assam." |
In 1997,
InterComm visited Kathmandu, Nepal to organize a future Language
Recording Project. Bank of India local director, Mr. Amzad DeCruz,
was our Project Coordinator, and he brought together the team, which
a year later succeeded in recording 5 films into the Nepali
Language. But when we returned for that Recording session in 1998,
Amzad had moved on. You see, Amzad was using his job as a
springboard to advance missions in remote locations, where there
also happened to be a Bank of India. He volunteered to head up an
office in the Indian State of Assam, located in the northern wing of
India, northeast of Bangladesh. Eventually, Amzad became so
convicted to the need for Christian leadership in Assam he resigned
his lucrative position with the Bank and went full time into
ministry with emphasis to young people open to God’s Truth.
It was also in 1997, when at the age of 19, Hermanta Das, belonging
to a radical group, fiercely opposed to Christianity, made the
extremely difficult decision to accept Jesus. The love of the Savior
won him over, and in 1999 at the age of 21 he was baptized. In many
parts of India baptism is immediately followed by death threats.
3 years later, Hermanta experienced the mature leadership and
training of Amzad and Yoorila DeCruz. He became part of a
team, taking the Gospel to the unreached areas of Assam. He soon
exhibited gifts of preaching and teaching, making him well sought
after by numerous small groups. He, too, had a passion for student
ministry and was instrumental in organizing a Christian camp where
many youth from various faiths gave their lives to Jesus.
Hermanta’s dedication to the Lord did not go without opposition,
however. On numerous occasions his family demanded he leave the
ministry. Radical groups often cautioned Hermanta of the dire
consequences he could expect if he tried to convert people to
Christianity. His response, “Conversion was not his work. Conversion
is the work of the Holy Spirit. His responsibility was simply to
convey the Good News.”
On Thursday, June 28, Hermanta was talking on the phone with his
girlfriend when a knock came to his door. He promised to call her
back, but never did. Later that evening, his landlord found Hermanta
lying in a pool of blood. His head had been smashed by iron rods. It
was not a robbery. Nothing was missing from his home. They had
simply come with the intention of killing him. 3 days later he
succumbed to the wounds.
During his hospital stay hundreds of people poured in, emptying
their pockets to help cover the exorbitant hospital expenses. His
own father observed, “I didn’t love my son like these people did.”
Amzad responded, “But your son loved you and always asked us to pray
for you.” At this the father fell at the feet of Yoorila, Amzad’s
wife, and wept bitterly. Hermanta’s family is Hindu, and he had
endured much mockery and animosity from them for becoming a
Christian. An investigator looked through all of Hermanta’s journals
and documents for clues and evidence. But he only found messages of
God’s love. He said, “Hermanta is a saint.”
Yes, he was, and is, Amen!
At his funeral service, July 2, the speaker declared that Hermanta
is the first Assamese martyr. John 12:24 reminds us, “unless a
kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a
single seed, but if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Hermanta is a
man God has chosen as one of his cherished martyrs. Please pray with
the DeCruz family that many more Assamese people, including
Hermanta’s family, will come to the Lord, because of the faithful
witness of Hermanta Das.
HEALTH PRAYER ALERTS
July 25, Ken
D Anderson, who serves InterComm as Technical Director, suffered
a mild stroke. Details were not immediately available, but
please pray for his wife, Beth, and adult children, as they
believe God for a full recovery.
**********************
InterComm Board Chairman, Raymond Monteith, is also facing
serious health realities. Please lift up wife, Jan, and their
family in prayer as well.
HAVE TORCH
WILL TRAVEL
"Pastor Myint Nwe Baptizing New
Discipled convert."
Rev Myint
Nwe, Project Director for the Burmese Language Recording Project
in Myanmar, recently traveled to Bangkok, Thailand for some
important re-construction surgery on one of his hands, injured
in a previous accident. In the hospital, he was assigned to a
room, which he shared with a gentleman from Cambodia, highly
educated, an excellent English speaker, and a man who told
Pastor Nwe that he hated missionaries for nearly all of his
life.
Myint shared, “But I tried to get fellowship with him, and I
showed him love and kindness, and I prayed for him and assisted
him as much as I could.” Never one to leave home without tools
for AVangelism, Myint had wisely carried along his faithful
Torch Kit. He showed it to the Cambodian man, who became
interested and agreed to watch one of the slide films. Myint
showed him, ASHA, THE BLIND GIRL WHO COULD SEE. “At the end, he
spoke to me with tears in his eyes and said that his eyes inside
the heart had been blinded for many many years. The story of
Asha had cured his spiritual eyes, and he was now able to see.
He accepted Jesus Christ instantly at the end of the story, and
he prayed a sinner’s prayer.”
Oh how exciting that the Holy Spirit has used the audiovisual
ministry in such a wonderful way. 2 people from separate
countries could meet in a third country, and one of them could
be introduced to Jesus Christ. Certainly one of God’s unique
“coincidences”. Something you and I call “miracles”.
TORCH KIT - CHURCH PLANTING
Rev Nelson Usman from Nigeria
writes:
“Recently we engaged the use of the Torch Kit with prayerful
selection of Filmstrips to be shown such as THE YOUNG HUNTER and
THE JUDGE among youth, adults, and children, in which many
decisions for Christ were made as large numbers indicated an
interest in following Christ. An area local church organized 4
days worth of retreats for children. They selected THE CAT & THE
CUSTARD and
130 children viewed this Filmstrip with 30 decisions made for
Jesus Christ.
Later MR. GOODMAN AND HIS GOLD was shown to a nearby church
and was crucial in encouraging a faithful commitment in support
of the work of God financially.
Finally, I’ve been involved in a recent church planting
exercise, and a new congregation was begun using the media with
19 members. To God be the glory! Altogether we’ve had
24 showings to 2,779 people with 481 decisions for Jesus Christ
from the Torch Kit and some video ministry.”
NON-DENOMINATIONAL
Mr.
Stephen Barozi of Uganda writes:
“We’ve been showing your videos under a lot of criticism, but as
we are sent abroad to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, we
have been visiting homes and conducting showings in many
individual residences. Thank you for the movies, which are not
based on any particular denomination. We praise the Lord for
that.”
16 showings to 74 people with 9 salvation decisions.
KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST
Evangelist
Rathmar Kumar of India writes:
“I thank God for the wonderful encouragement He’s given us
through this Torch Kit. Many children, young people, and adults
are being well nurtured by these stories from this Kit. They are
becoming more close to God, and His words. They love to watch
and are very much interested in it. Filmstrips have brought many
miracles in our ministry and brought many souls to Christ. We
were able to grow many in their knowledge of Christ, and many
have gotten saved too. Praise be to God!”
17 showings to 363 people, 100 salvation decisions.
HEARTBEAT
by Ken Anderson
(For a period of time, InterComm will be sharing Heartbeats from
the Ken Anderson Films era.)
A quite widely-known
youth evangelist once said to me, “I can’t really study my Bible. I
find myself reading it to look for sermons.” A pastor once told me,
“I used to stand at the pulpit on Sunday mornings, and it was a joy
to me. Now it’s just routine.”
How does one keep the joy of serving the Lord from becoming routine?
A valid question in these busy times, isn’t it, with so many
details, so much routine. Surely the answer lies in I Corinthians
10:31, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God.” It is as we develop a here and now consciousness of
serving God that we maintain a sustaining consistency in the joy of
serving Him.
SEARCH THE
WEB? SUPPORT INTERCOMM!
Now you can
raise money for InterComm by just searching the internet
at GoodSearch.com. You use GoodSearch.com like
any other Search Engine. The site is powered by Yahoo, but each
time you use it, money is generated for InterComm. Here’s how
it works:
1. Go to
www.goodsearch.com.
2. Type
InterComm into the “I support” box, and click on
“Verify”.
3. Search
the internet just as you would any other search engine.
4. Since
GoodSearch shares its advertising revenue with charities and
schools, every time you search the internet at GoodSearch,
you’ll be earning money for InterComm.
GoodSearch
also has a toolbar you can download from the home page so that
you can search right from the top of your browser.
Another way
to support InterComm!
Join in this
cutting-edge money-raising opportunity today and invite your
friends and church members to do the same. InterComm needs your
help. Will you support this opportunity today?
INTERCOMM EQUIPPING OPPORTUNITIES
InterComm - It Means the World to Us!
All Contributions
to InterComm are Tax Deductible (InterComm is a 501C3 Non-Profit
Organization.)
PROJECT
UPDATES
|
Philippines Language Recording Project -
6 videos in the
Ilongo
Language and 2 videos in the Cebuano Language.
Recording Phase Completed in March 2007.
Editing & Equipping
budget still needed
DONATE
NOW>>
Vietnamese
Language Recording Project
- Discussions, Training, & Preparation in Vietnam completed in April 2007.
Project Proposal Now Available @ website or by mail
DONATE
NOW>>
Transfer to VCD - $125@. -
Still need transfers.
DONATE
NOW>>
Video/Disks for National Leaders - $10@.
DONATE
NOW>>
Torch Kits -
$300 or $25 per month for 1
year.
DONATE NOW>>
General Fund - Always needed.
DONATE
NOW>>
|
 |
"When they saw
the courage of Peter and John and realized that they
were unschooled, ordinary men, they astonished and they
took note that these men had been with Jesus."
- Acts 4:13 |
|
|
|
|
This newsletter is extended for the purpose of
enhancing public awareness for InterComm's
worldwide ministry. Email addresses have been
provided directly by InterComm, Inc for the
purpose of notifying recipients of this
ministry. If you would like for us to remove
you from this list, please contact us at
remove@intercommedia.org. |
©
2006 InterComm, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
|
