He Went Back

When Pastor Ajith first came to our training in Rajasthan, he had already lived a lifetime of ministry. An older man, he had planted over 100 churches, yet like many leaders in his context, he had received very little formal theological training. Still, he came eager to learn.

At the end of that first conference, he spoke with quiet determination. Rather than slowing down in later life, he said he felt newly inspired to go out and preach God’s Word with fresh clarity and conviction.

A year later, he returned. This time, he looked noticeably more frail. During a testimony session, he stood and shared what had happened since.

After the training, he said, he had been “full of fire for Jesus.” He gathered a team and travelled to a village where there were no known believers. There, they shared the gospel, sang, and distributed Christian literature. One family welcomed them in and asked them to stay and pray.

But that welcome was short-lived.

A hostile crowd formed and threatened to kill them if they did not leave. Ajith refused to go, explaining that he had come in the authority of Jesus. The mob turned violent. He was beaten severely, suffering a broken eye socket and multiple broken ribs. The entire team was driven out. He made it home, injured but resolute. For seven days, he prayed and fasted for that village, asking God not only to work, but to give him the courage to return.

Two months later, he did. And he did not go alone.

Today, there is a church in that village: more than 30 people gathering to follow Christ.

As he finished his testimony, the room was silent. Then he simply said that it all began with the encouragement and teaching he had received. What started as one man being strengthened in God’s Word became a community transformed.